Vegan Carrot Cake
Author:Incredible Vegan Carrot Cake! Perfectly spiced with a super moist crumb and smothered in decadent, ultra-creamy vegan cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups (410 grams) all-purpose flour , (plain flour in the UK)
- 1½ cup (300 grams) brown sugar , light or dark (I like dark)
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated white or cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1¼ teaspoons baking soda , (bicarbonate of soda in the UK)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1¼ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg , optional but recommended
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves , optional but recommended
- ¾ cup (180 mls) liquid oil , such as avocado, sunflower, vegetable, or canola
- 1 cup (240 mls) dairy-free milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar , or lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (220 grams) drained canned or fresh pineapple , chopped into small pieces (can be safely omitted)
- 2 packed cups (240 grams) grated carrots , about 3 large
- 1¼ cup (130 grams) pecans or walnuts , chopped into small pieces (omit to make nut-free)
- 1 cup (160 grams) sultanas or golden raisins , optional but recommended
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup or 8 oz (227 grams) vegan cream cheese , I use Tofutti
- ½ cup (110 grams) vegan butter
- 4 teaspoons arrowroot powder , or cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 to 5 cups (500 to 625 grams) powdered sugar , icing sugar in the UK
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175 °C) and prepare two 9 inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with a circle of parchment paper or a silicone cake pan liner and grease the sides well with some oil or vegan butter. Set aside for now away from the hot oven.
- To a large mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ground flax, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Mix them together well.
- To another bowl or jug add the oil, milk, vinegar and vanilla and stir them up.
- Take the chopped pineapple and squeeze the juice out of it in your fist over the sink. This is important so we get the flavour and texture without all of the additional moisture. Skip this step if you aren't using the pineapple.
- Put the pineapple, grated carrots, nuts, and raisins in the bowl with the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir it all together well but gently, making sure to scrape right into the bottom of the bowl. Do this fairly quickly and don't leave the batter sitting around once mixed. Move immediately onto the next step.
- Immediately spoon into the prepared cake pans. Even out with a spatula and bake for approximately 45 minutes. All cake pans and ovens cook differently so the time might not be exact. Use your judgement and test it with a toothpick, skewer or small sharp knife. Insert it into the middle and it should come out clean, the sides of the cake will be slightly coming away from the edges of the pan and when you poke the cake gently with a finger in the centre it should spring back. If that's not the case put it back in the oven for a few minutes longer.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and place them on a cooling rack in their pans. Don't remove them from the pans until they are cool. This helps keep the cakes nice and moist. Allow a good few hours for them to cool completely.
- Make the vegan cream cheese frosting. Add the vegan butter to a large bowl and beat it with an electric mixer on a medium high speed until soft and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat again until combined and smooth.
- Add the arrowroot powder, salt, vanilla and about 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Beat on the lowest speed for about 20 seconds until the powdered sugar has stopped flying around, then add another 2 cups. Beat again on low until it's mostly combined then turn the speed up to medium high again and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the edges with a spatula as needed to get any dry powdered sugar off and into the mix. Add the remaining powdered sugar to thicken it as needed. Using it all makes the frosting much easier to handle and the cake easier to frost and slice. Do not be tempted to add any more liquid to the frosting at any stage because it will become too runny. Once done, cover the bowl and put in the fridge until needed.
- When the cake layers are completely cool, carefully remove one from its pan and place on a serving plate or cake stand, lined side up. Gently peel off the parchment paper/silicone liner.
- Remove the frosting from the fridge. If it feels too firm to spread leave it to soften for about 10 minutes. (If you keep it in the fridge any longer than that it might need another quick 20-second beat to fluff it up again). Dollop the frosting generously onto the cake, making sure you save enough in the bowl for the top and sides. Spread it out evenly with a spatula or pallet knife, taking it almost but not quite to the edges.
- Remove the other cake from its pan and place very gently on top of the frosted layer, lined side up. Peel off the liner gently and dollop on the remaining frosting. Spread it all over the top and around the sides.
NOTES
To Store - Cover the frosted cake tightly and store it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. You can also freeze the vegan carrot cake layers (before frosting) for up to 3 months. Cool them completely, then wrap well and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge before frosting as per the recipe.
NUTRITION
Serving: 1of 12 slices | Calories: 551kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 377mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 2519IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 2mg
