Meet Alex Caspero
Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Chef, and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.
Rich and moist vegan carrot cake topped with a tangy buttercream frosting. A show-stopping cake with rave reviews!
Remember those incredible carrot cake cupcakes that I shared a few weeks ago? Well, here’s the cake version! Just as moist and delicious, but in vegan carrot cake form.
I made this for my husband’s birthday, and then a few days later, it was requested for my son’s half-birthday. Yes, it’s that good.
As with most things I bake, testing rounds were also shared with several friends and neighbors to rave reviews. Much like my 5-star-rated carrot cake cupcakes, this cake is a winner!
It’s also vegan, which is great if you want a dairy-free cake, but the best part is that no one will know it’s vegan– you are just using dairy-free subs for the frosting! And isn’t that the goal of any vegan baked good? No need to say that it’s such, just let it be delicious and show everyone how incredible vegan baked goods can be.
See below for tips and more details on how to make this vegan carrot cake, or scroll down for the full recipe.
There are only three dairy-free subs that you are making compared to a regular carrot cake. The first is using oat milk over cow’s milk.
I like oat milk in baking because it has a higher carbohydrate content and, therefore, gets a nice golden color to the cakes. Almond milk will create a paler cake. You can sub use soy milk if desired, I just think oat milk makes for the best taste and color.
To tenderize the gluten for a tender cake, you’ll also make a DIY buttermilk by combining the milk with vinegar for a few minutes before adding to the rest of the ingredients.
To make the vegan cream cheese frosting, you’ll need dairy-free butter and cream cheese. I tested this vegan carrot cake recipe using Earth Balance and Violife brands for the butter and cream cheese, respectively.
If you’ve ever tried dairy-free options, then you know the taste can vary widely between brands. I recommend trying the cream cheese before trying in this recipe if using something other than Violife. If you like the taste, you will like it in this frosting recipe!
Combine oatmilk and the apple cider vinegar to make the buttermilk and set aside. Then, combine with the rest of the wet ingredients: oil, vanilla and orange zest.
Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, then mix together until just combined, taking care not to overmix. Fold in the shredded carrots and finely chopped walnuts.
Divide into 8-inch baking pans and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
Thinly layer the frosting onto the cake to make a crumb coat. A crumb coat is a very thin layer of icing used to keep the cake’s crumb down and seal in the cake’s moisture.
Frost the rest of the cake and serve!
Now it’s time to ice the rest of the cake. The key to a beautiful buttercream frosting is doing a crumb coat first. A crumb coat is a very thin layer of icing used to keep the crumb of the cake down and seal in the cake’s moisture.
Crumb coat is like a primer for the frosting paint. Use an offset spatula or frosting knife to spread a thin layer of frosting over your cake. The crumb coat will be thin enough that you can still see the cake through it.
Smooth the icing as best as possible, then let dry until the crust forms or feels dry to the touch. Once the crumb coat forms and drys, it’s time to add the rest of the frosting. I love this cake as a beautiful birthday cake!
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Rich and moist vegan carrot cake topped with a tangy buttercream frosting. A show-stopping cake with rave reviews!
*I use oatmilk in baking because of the higher carbohydrate content, but any unsweetened milk will work. For non-dairy options, this recipe was tested with Earth Balance sticks and Violife cream cheese. I’ve also used Miyoko’s butter and cream cheese in baking before and it works well. Though it wasn’t tested in this specific recipe, I assume it will work. Non-dairy options vary widely in taste, so other brands may have a different taste.
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