Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This vegan carrot cake is rich, flavorful, and topped with a decadent maple cream cheese frosting. This one-bowl recipe is super easy to make, 100% vegan, and simple to make gluten-free.
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Servings: servings
Equipment
Ingredients
CAKE BATTER
- 3 tbsp ground flaxseed
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free baking flour
- 2 cups carrots grated
FROSTING
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup vegan butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ¾ cup walnuts or almonds chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the "flax eggs", which will be our vegan egg substitute. Whisk together the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Allow to sit for 15 minutes to thicken before proceeding.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare three 6” cake pans with nonstick spray.
- Combine all cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until well combined into a thick batter.Note: If your batter seems too dry, you can add a bit of water or dairy-free milk to loosen it up. This is due to the varying moisture levels found in carrots.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the three baking pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cakes are cooling, prepare your vegan cream cheese icing. Start by creaming together the vegan cream cheese, vegan margarine, vanilla extract, and maple syrup until smooth. (This is best done in a stand mixer.)
- Slowly add in one cup of confectioners sugar at a time, whisking until combined. Continue mixing on high until the frosting is nice and fluffy.
- It's time to assemble the cake! Place one layer on a cake stand or plate and top with about ½ cup of frosting, then level with a spatula. Continue with all three layers.
- Finally cover the entire cake with the frosting, and top with chopped walnuts or pecans, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
To make ONE flax egg: Whisk together 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoon water.
Nutrition (Estimate per Serving)
Calories: 535kcalCarbohydrates: 92gProtein: 4gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.04gSodium: 380mgPotassium: 153mgFiber: 3gSugar: 71gVitamin A: 3925IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 2mg
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