Perfectly-spiced, fluffy & moist Vegan Carrot Cake with a creamy cream cheese frosting.
This Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is perfectly moist, fluffy, and embedded with chunks of walnuts and carrots. To finish it off, it’s smothered in a creamy vegan cream cheese frosting.
I asked on Instagram the other day what recipes you would all like to see. I got an overwhelming amount of responses requesting carrot cake…and I am not surprised. Carrot cake seems to be a really popular dessert recently, and I am not surprised why.
I was hesitant on making another carrot cake recipe since I already have one on my site. However, that recipe is a bit dated and I knew with a few tweaks it would be even more delicious.
The cake is oh so moist and fluffy and perfectly sweetened. It is also spiced with a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg.
To finish it off, it’s smothered in an extremely creamy and flavorful vegan cream cheese frosting.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:
It’s perfectly moist and fluffy. What makes this cake so moist? The combination of non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar, which creates a vegan “buttermilk” that produces a fluffy and moist texture. Additionally, the vegetable oil ensures the cake stays moist for several days.
It’s simple and easy to make. Compared to other cake recipes, which require you to bake multiple layers and get fancy with the frosting, this cake is baked in an 8×8 pan and you simply smother the top in frosting once it’s cool. It is as simple as that.
What makes this cake so fluffy and moist? Let’s break down some of the ingredients:
Granulated sugar + brown sugar: The combination of granulated and brown sugar makes for a perfectly sweet baked good. It is not too overpowering, but it also cures that sweet tooth. The caramelly notes from brown sugar also adds a delicious taste to the cake.
Vegetable oil: We want this cake to be moist, so it is essential you add a bit of oil. Since vegetable oil is liquid at room temp, it allows the cake to stay moist for a longer period of time.
Non-dairy milk + apple cider vinegar: How do you make vegan buttermilk? Simple mix non-dairy milk with a bit of apple cider vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes and it will curdle up. This will react with the baking soda and allow the cake to rise. So fluffy!
Walnuts: Personally, I could not enjoy a carrot cake without chunks of walnuts. They add a delicious nutty flavor and crunchy texture.
If you’re looking for more moist & fluffy vegan cakes, you’ll also love this Chocolate Peppermint Cake, this Fudgy Raspberry Chocolate Cake, and this Vegan Lemon Cake.
Also, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram don’t forget to tag me @healthienut + #healthienut! I love seeing your mouthwatering recreations!
Perfectly-spiced, fluffy & moist Vegan Carrot Cake with a creamy cream cheese frosting.
- ¾ cup unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups (282g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (54g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (96g) shredded carrot (a little over 2 medium carrots)
- ½ cup (62g) chopped walnuts
- 8 oz. vegan cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup room temp. vegan butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 4 cups (448g) powdered sugar
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8" baking dish with parchment paper. Whisk together non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.
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In a separate smaller mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. To the bowl with the milk, whisk in vegetable oil and vanilla. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to gradually add flour mixture into the wet mixture. Combine until a smooth batter forms. Fold in carrots and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and spread to evenly distribute.
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Bake for 30-33 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
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While cake is cooling, prepare the frosting. In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer or whisk, beat together cream cheese, vegan butter, vanilla, and salt until combined. Mix in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until a creamy frosting forms. Once cake has cooled, remove from the baking dish. Spread the te frosting over the top. (Optional): Sprinkle on some toasted walnuts.
