Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me… Happy birthday to me!
Hey, guys. It’s my birthday and I made myself a cake, ’cause that’s how I do.
The wait is over – let’s make cake!
This cake is simple, requiring just 1 bowl to make! Plus, it requires basic ingredients you likely have on hand right now.
The recipe is adapted from my Vegan GF Carrot Apple Muffins, but it needed some tweaking to get that cake-like texture.
I tested this recipe for 3 days straight (oy) until I finally ended up with this perfected version. I served it to friends (non-vegan and non-gluten-free folks) and none of them could tell that it was special-diet friendly. Score!
The base of the cake is coconut oil, applesauce, flax eggs, maple syrup, and almond milk. Organic brown sugar and cane sugar add the perfect amount of sweetness while leaving the cake light and fluffy. And for gluten-free flours, I went with almond flour and my go-to gluten-free blend.
The result is a light, airy, fluffy carrot cake that retains its moisture without being mushy (the ultimate goal). Once cooled, it’s frosting time!
For frostings, I included several options. After taking a vote on Twitter, it seemed many of you wanted to see both a vegan buttercream and a cashew buttercream. But guess what? I provide 6 frosting options below!
For my cake, I went for classic Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting – I couldn’t resist. But really, any of the options would be amazing! Just depends on how creative and healthy you want to be.
I hope you all LOVE this carrot cake! It’s:
Tender
Fluffy
Moist
Perfectly sweet
Carrot-packed
& Insanely delicious
This would make the perfect birthday cake or cake for summer celebrations, wedding showers, cookouts, and beyond! It’s insanely flavorful, rich, moist, and undetectably vegan and gluten-free. Those who are gluten-free will be happy to know there isn’t any oat flour in this cake. I also included nut-free, oil-free, and refined-sugar-free options in the notes.
If you’re into cake (who’s not?), be sure to check out our other cakes: Vegan Birthday Cake, The Best Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes, Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes, Vegan Pumpkin Cake, Vegan Pumpkin Roll, Vegan Apple Gingerbread Cake, and Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake!
If you try this recipe, let us know how it goes! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
1-Bowl Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 3 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
- 7 ½ Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil* (or sub other neutral oil)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 scant cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup organic brown sugar* (or sub coconut sugar)
- 1/4 cup cane sugar* (or sub coconut sugar)
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 – 1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk* (or other non-dairy unsweetened milk)
- 1 1 /2 cups loosely packed grated carrot
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour* (I didn’t test with almond meal, but I think it would work)
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend*
- 3/4 cup chopped raw walnuts* (if preferred, omit, or sub 1/2 cup (70 g) raisins)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Butter and flour two 8-inch, 1 9×13-inch, or 3 6-inch round pans with coconut oil or vegan cooking spray and dust with gluten-free flour (adjust number/size of pans if altering batch size). Shake out excess. Set aside.
- Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl by mixing flaxseed meal and water and let rest for 5 minutes. To the flax eggs, add oil and maple syrup and whisk to combine. Next, add applesauce, sugars, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
- Add lesser amount of almond milk (3/4 cup or 180 ml as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and stir. Add grated carrot and stir. Then add almond flour and gluten-free flour blend and stir. The batter should be thick but pourable. If too thick, add remaining almond milk 1/4 cup or 60 ml as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). If adding walnuts, add at this time and stir.
- Divide evenly among cake pan(s). Bake for 40-50 minutes or until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When you press on the top, it shouldn’t feel too spongy, so don’t be afraid of over-baking! The gluten-free blend just takes a little longer to bake. Also, note that the size of pan you use will vary baking time.
- Remove from oven and let rest in the pans for 15 minutes. Then carefully run a knife along the edges and gently invert onto cooling racks to let cool completely.
- NOTE: This cake needs to cool completely. It benefits from plenty of airflow, and the flavors develop as the cooling process goes on. If short on time, you can speed the cooling by placing the cakes in the refrigerator or freezer until very cool to the touch.
- Once cooled, you can serve as is or frost! For frosting, you have several options! See options above.
- Store leftovers at room temperature, covered, for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or covered well in the freezer for several weeks. However, it’s best when eaten fresh.
- Do note that, if using vegan cream cheese or yogurt in the frosting, the cake should be stored in the refrigerator. From the refrigerator, let set out for 10-15 minutes before serving so it warms a bit and becomes more tender. Let thaw completely from the freezer.
Video
Notes
*I used brown and cane sugars because they provided the best texture (fluffy and tender) for the cake. I also tested with coconut sugar, and although it was sweet enough, the texture was more dense. But, if coconut sugar is preferred, it still turns out well!
*If almond/nut-free, sub the almond milk for rice, hemp, or light coconut milk. And sub the almond flour for another nut/seed flour (such as hazelnut, sunflower seed, or brazil nut). If you can’t tolerate nuts or seeds, try subbing more gluten-free flour blend or oat flour. And omit the walnuts or sub raisins.
*I used my go-to gluten-free flour blend. If subbing your own blend, know that the results may vary. You can also use an equal amount of our NEW 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the gluten-free flour in this recipe.
*Recipe adapted from my Vegan Carrot Apple Muffins.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without frosting.
Rebecca says
I can’t do any gluten, rice, corn, or oats. Could I sub coconut flour or quinoa flour for the gluten free flour?
Hi Rebecca, hmm, that’s tricky! We would say quinoa flour would be the better of those two options since coconut flour absorbs so much more moisture. But we haven’t tried it and can’t guarantee results. If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
Michelle says
Do you think this recipe would work to make cupcakes?
Hi Michelle, that could work! We would recommend using our carrot muffins recipe as a guide for baking. Hope that helps!
Mackenzie says
Hi there!
I would like to include eggs in the recipe, what is the best way to do that? Would I need to omit anything? Would flax eggs still be necessary?
Thanks!
Hi Mackenzie, You can sub 3 eggs and omit the flax eggs. Hope that helps!
Tess says
Could I use regular flour in place of the gluten free flour blend? Thanks
Yes, that should work! If doing that, use the full amount of almond milk called for. Hope that helps!
plant based and healthy says
Can I use chia seeds instead of flax?
Yes- that should work!
Alix says
Hi!
Could I make the these into cupcakes? Will it change anything? I assume bake time will be different for sure but is that the only thing to be aware of?
Hi Alix, that could work! We would recommend using our carrot muffins recipe as a guide for baking. Hope that helps!
emily goldberg says
Hi,
Just wanted to know if I could use more almond flour instead of the gluten-free blend? How much do you think it will affect the texture. I’m new to your site & really enjoy all the recipes I’ve tried already.
Thanks so much
Emilyh
Hi Emily, so glad you are enjoying our recipes! We think that using only almond flour would make it too dense and crumbly. Hope that helps!
Prue says
Do you think I could use more applesauce instead of the flax eggs? Excited to make this as your simple chocolate cake has been my go -to for years now!! :)
Hi Prue, we haven’t tried it, but that might work! Though it may turn out more dense. If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
Catherine says
I made your banana loaf during the week and it was lovely and moist. I decided to make the Carrot cake in a loaf tin as well and therefore cooked it for 60 minutes at 350f, following the instruction for the banana cake, cooked in a loaf tin, rather than in two tins, but it was quite dry. Now supposing it was because bananas would be more moist than the carrots and so wondering if I should have cooked it for a much shorter time than the banana loaf?
That could definitely be the case!
R says
I left it out for 5 days is it still okay to eat?
We think that might be too long.
cole says
Hello! I am vegan except that I eat eggs… would adding eggs to this recipe help it at all? If so what would you take away? Thank you – can’t wait to try it!
Other readers have had success with using 3 eggs. Hope that helps!
jo says
Cole, I wanted to reach out and suggest to stop saying vegan…you will most likely get confused and annoyance reactions by misusing the term. Or already have been and maybe you won’t understand why!
A vegan would never (ever) use eggs. A better description would be ovo-vegetarian (if you don’t use diary, just eggs).
Hope that’s helpful to you! Good luck with your journey :)
Rose says
The recipe doesn’t call for eggs.
Jessica says
I’ve made this several times and it’s consistently fantastic! I’ve used regular wheat flour multiple times and it still works! I just kind of eyeball the amount to get the right consistency of batter so depending on the type of flour you’re using you may need a little less or more. Using oil other than coconut makes the cake fall apart easier, especially at room temp but it’s still delicious! Sometimes I omit the carrots and add more spices to make it an autumn “spice cake” (nutmeg, cloves, allspice). Recently I made cupcakes with it. I baked them at 350°F for 25-30 minutes (depending on how full the cups are). My favorite frosting with this cake is the vegan cream cheese version she has listed above using toffuti brand (soy based) cream cheese and then adding a little vanilla to it. (The kite hill brand, which is almond based, is too runny. Daiya brand also works well.) One of my non-vegan baker friends says that’s better than her own cream cheese frosting! This same friend has requested this cake multiple times for get togethers and it’s ALWAYS a huge hit, even with other non-vegans!! Highly recommend this cake recipe; it is so versatile and easy to modify. Thanks for working so hard on all your recipes and making our lives easier with them!! Hugs!
Thank you for the very kind review! xo
Grace says
What is the best alternative to coconut oil in case of an allergy?
Hi Grace, a neutral oil (such as avocado oil) would likely work! Hope that helps!
Karen says
I have to confess, I never use recipes, I’m a throw it together kind of girl but felt compelled to give this a a go. I made it this morning on a whim and it’s great.. I’ve made the cashew frosting, but added some vanilla pea protein powder which I love to use in my frostings. Will be serving it for morning tea very soon,. thanks for the great recipe. ?
Mariana says
Wow wow wow! This is one of the best recipes I have ever made from your blog. I prepared it yesterday for a friends birthday and everyone loved it!!! It was fluffy, moist… amazing.
I used normal flour, and didn’t add the maple syrup because I couldn’t find apple sauce without sugar. Also I ran out of almond flour for the 3 batch (I prepared one recipe per layer, big cake!), so I used hazelnut meal instead. And I topped it with the cashew coconutmilk frosting. The combo was absolutely delish!!!
And no one even suspected that it was vegan. Thanks for sharing such amazing creations :)
Thank you for the lovely review, Mariana! So glad everyone liked it! xo
Antonina Slater says
Just wondering if it were that you had a bare cupboard could you use just plain or self raising flour instead and can the maple syrup be substituted by golden syrup??
Thank you so much
Hi! We haven’t tried it this way, though we think it could possibly work! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
Kate Broderick says
WOW!! I just made this cake for the first time and it was absolutely fantastic, and I must say; I’m a real stickler about vegan recipes. I worked in a cake shop for 4 years with top notch quality cake, and I can usually immediately tell when something is gluten free or vegan. My girlfriend is vegan, and her favorite cake is Carrot Cake, so I found this recipe and hoped that all my non vegan friends would enjoy too. I got comments like “this is the best thing you’ve ever baked” and “this tastes better than any non-vegan carrot cake I’ve had”. And these are college students! Picky ones, at that! I did make a few substitutions: rather than using gluten free flour blend, I used regular flour (I made sure it was vegan). Also, I used the vegan cream cheese frosting posted with the cake, but I made a few subs to this as well: I added a good amount of vanilla extract to taste (I used Kite Hill vegan plain spreadable cream cheese and earth balance vegan butter) and I added some unsweetened almond milk to help smooth out the texture.
I also waited for the cake to completely cool, then I wrapped them in plastic wrap and froze them overnight, then thawed the next day and frosted. (I learned this trick in a bakery I worked at, adds lots of moisture).
It was just so insanely good, moist, flavorful. I would happily serve this at any party. Try it!!
Thank you so much for your lovely review, Kate! We are so glad you and your friends enjoyed the cake!
L says
This was really delicious! Thank you
April Dawson says
I made this cake and tried it while it was still a bit warm… it had a chemical taste (for which I left a1- star review that I could not find to update or delete) . I gave it another taste later after it cooled completely and it is great. I’m so glad because, like so many MB recipes, they don’t taste GF or vegan! I always know I’ll find something good at MB albeit sometimes a but tedious. Thanks for a great carrot cake recipe… It’s great to be able to make it, enjoy it, and not even notice that it’s vegan and GF.
So glad to hear it turned out for you! Thanks for the update!
kimberly says
Hi diana!
if I change the servings to 24 people and use a 1 9×13 long pan, will the baking time still be the same?
or will that even work with a 9×13 long pan to begin with??
A 9×13 pan will work nicely! Baking times should be similar, but it may take a little longer in this case so keep watch!
Lynda says
I don’t usually review recipes but was so excited to say that I made the BEST carrot cake ever using this recipe. I am not a baker – too much work, too many measurements, too much fuss; I have had many failures with Gluten Free desserts and I needed to make ingredient changes since I had a surplus of this and a shortage of that. I made my cake, got it in the pans and my carrots were still in the food processor, …. so I took it out of the pans, incorporated my carrots, redid my pans and stuck them in the oven (Sheeesh!) only to discover I had forgotten the oil! Too late, I baked them anyway, not knowing what I’d end up with. Even with all that, my cake is amazing – half will go into the freezer for entertaining and for once, I’ll be proud to serve it. Thank you so much for this great recipe!
Taylor says
SO SO SO GOOD! I made this for my grandma’s bday and she was in love with it! Even my grandpa that doesn’t talk that much anymore said “this is wonderful” at least three times haha.
I actually made this recipe to compare it to your raw vegan carrot cake that I made for my mom’s bday (I’ll review that too haha) and I made the same revisions to each cake!! On both recipes, I doubled the vanilla and added a 1/4 teaspoon almond extract as well. The almond extract made a WORLD of difference on the raw cake, and a significant difference on this cake. I always need to be obsessed with the taste of the batter before I trust it in cake form, and the almond extract did the trick on both!
Also, I like to stay away from vegan “butter” because I don’t think it’s all that real/digestible, so I made your coconut whipped cream frosting for this cake (it was too sweet for me so I doubled the coconut cream to balance it out.) It was also less fluffy than another coconut whipped cream I had made around thanksgiving and I think chilling the bowl actually kept the coconut in “chunks” instead of whipping into a smooth dreamy consistency, if that makes sense?
Anyway, great cake! Thank you!
Som says
It came out perfect, my 3 year old loved it. Followed the exact recipe and the coconut cream frosting was a perfect combination. Will make it many more times. Thanks for the recipe.
Som says
It came out perfect, my 3 year old loved it. Followed the exact recipe and the coconut cream frosting was a perfect combination. Will make it many more times. Thanks for the recipe.
Samantha says
This recipe is absolutely AMAZING! Those who are not gluten free vegan can’t even tell a difference. I replaced the almond meal with pecan meal due to allergies and if you are using the metric system there will be 455g of batter per 6″ round pans. Happy baking!
Whoop! We’re glad to hear that, Samantha!
Lynn McLaughlin says
This has become my go-to recipe. It is a total crowd-pleaser. After sharing one cake with family over the holidays, I made a second cake for my immediate family (mostly me) to enjoy. It comes out perfectly every time I make it. I use kite hill cream cheese for the frosting and the non-vegans love it too. Thank you for making such an amazing recipe!
Hi Lynn,
Thank you so much for the feedback- we are so glad to hear that you and your family enjoy the recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Jessica says
Thank you Dana for this amazing recipe!
My son has a dairy protein allergy, so I also need to avoid nuts as well as dairy and eggs. So I swopt almond flour for oat flour and added raisins. I also only used coconut blossom sugar to make it as healthy as I could because I made it for his 1st birthday last month,and I am SO happy to tell you that he LOVED it ? oh my heart, thank you for making that possible. He’s had a tough first year of his life with very bad eczema and discomfort. So it felt special, to be able to make him a special cake, that he loved. And everybody else including his big sister loved it too..! ✨
Katie says
I’ve made some of your other recipes before and just want to say “thank you” in particular for this one. My oldest son is allergic to eggs and tree nuts so baking sans egg is typically a challenge. I promised my boys to make a birthday cake for Daddy for this weekend and when I asked what kind of cake he wanted I shouldn’t have been surprised when he said “carrot”. Knowing he’s particularly found of the nuts in the cake I knew immediately I’d split half the batter for his cake and the rest without nuts into cupcake tins so that EVERYONE can have a cake this Saturday. Honestly, everytime I bake a recipe without egg I find I’m holding my breath to see if it comes out okay. This was indeed a success, thanks again!! (Now, if I can just keep them looking presentable with frosting.. fingers crossed!)
We’re so glad you found this recipe helpful, Katie!
Jekaterina says
I tried very hard to make the calories as harmless as possible and finally got to the vegan, gluten-free ? cake! ?. The result is fantastic, the taste is rich, cream is smooth and tasty, 100% pleasure, both from cooking, and eating! @minimalistbaker – thank you for the great and easy recipe! ???? Will definately recommend to everywone!
Samantha Gasmire says
Love this recipe! I replace the almond flour with pecan flour or pecan meal, wither one work just fine. Also, each layer for the three layer cake is 465g per layer. This is good to know when dividing the batter up per pan.
Thanks for the amazing recipes!
Sarah says
I followed the directions to a T, and I could not get mine to bake all the way through. At first, I thought it was done after 50 mins, because the toothpick came out clean no problem, but after I let it cool and cut into it, I realized it was not even close! So then I baked it for DOUBLE the time (another 50 mins) at 350, and still, same result. I ended up cutting them into very thin slices, and baking them at 350 for an additional 20 mins every time I wanted some – but even still the inside was gooey and the outside was burnt to a crisp. What did I do wrong?!
Jenji says
I had this same problem… ?
Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as expected! It sounds like your batter may have been too wet. Next time, try adding additional flour. Hope that helps!
Vanessa says
This is the fourth time I’m making this cake, so now I gotta leave a comment. I looo looo loo loo loooove this cake! The recipe is perfect as is! Just one little question: do you think it works the same with Zucchini??
Yes I think that would work!
Chantal says
I am so thankful I came across this recipe. What a wonderful addition to our holiday meal. I used with almond and oat flour, 1 1/2 C of each, because that is what I had on hand and the consistency and texture was perfect. The cream cheese frosting was the only choice for me as my family loves carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I opted to make my own cream cheese because I was feeling adventurous and had time. The results were mouth watering and awe inspiring. I had to toot my horn on this one, but don’t worry I gave your website credit for the recipe and for giving me the confidence to try a vegan gluten free dessert the day before our holiday feast. Also made the white bean kale artichoke dip and my non-vegan husband can’t stop raving about it. Thank you for your hardwork testing and perfecting these recipes.
ROSE M OSULLIVAN says
I am not a baker, but I promised to make this for my niece’s 50th birthday. Being Gluten intolerant and also on an organic diet, she has not been able to enjoy cakes in forever. WELL! this cake was FANTASTIC AND was thoroughly enjoyed by ALL of us!
It does get better everyday, and she enjoyed it so much, so that I’ll be making another for Thanksgiving!
I made the cashew butter frosting and it was ABSOLUTELY delicious!
Many thanks for these recipes!
Angela Muterspaugh says
Also..if using a store bought gluten free flour, do you recommend any brand in particular? I often rely on Bob’s Red Mill, but am uncertain if I should buy the 1:1 gluten free baking or the gluten free all purpose for this recipe. Thank you!
Angela Muterspaugh says
Thank you for such a great looking recipe! I can’t wait to add it to the dessert table at Thanksgiving! I am dairy and gluten free, so any of the frosting options work for me. Do you recommend one of these recipes over the others for this cake? I’d love to know your favorite option, so I can copy. :) Thanks!
Scott Grenerth says
This was my first ever attempt at a carrot cake…and it is amazing!!!! It’s wonderful in texture and just perfectly sweet (not overly sweet). I went with 1/2 cup of raisins and 1/2 cup of walnuts crumbled and it’s perfect. I used the cashew buttercream frosting and totally love it too!!! I used a blend of flours that was about 3/4 gluten free but it’s perfectly clear this will hold together with a 100% gluten free flour blend too. Thank you for a spot on recipe!
Yum! We are so glad to hear that, Scott!
Liz says
Hi Dana! I made this cake last year for my son and it was amazing!
I’m making it again this week but was thinking of using a 9in bundt cake pan, do you think its a good idea? I don’t want to end up with a tiny bundt cake, lol.
Thanks!
Liz
Toni says
Hi! Is it possible to use AP flour (instead of gluten free mix) along with the Almond flour? Or will that change the consistency?
Hi Toni! Hi Alex! Yes, that should work! If doing that, use the full amount of almond milk called for.
Toni Loggia says
Thank you so much, Dana! I used the almond flour along with AP flour in place of gluten free, and the full amount of almond Milk, and the cake turned out perfectly! Prepared it with the vegan cream cheese frosting. I am not gluten free OR vegan (I made it for a friend who is vegan) and found it delicious! Perfect recipe! Would definitely make it again. I wish I could send you a pict of the finished cake!
Malinder says
Hi Dana – Apologies if I’ve missed this in the comments but is it possible to make this as a single pan cake? Many thanks.
PS I’m using purple carrots!
Hi Malinder! Yes, you can do this cake in 1 9×13-inch pan! Let us know how it goes with purple carrots!
Milda says
Insanely delicious and juicy carrot cake! I added cinnamon and extra cardamon and made a different icing based on cashew nuts but I’m sure that any of icings provided above would provide extra flavour to the already superb cake recipe! Thanks for this.
Cari says
This hands down has been the BEST carrots cake your guests won’t even know its Vegan or Gluten Free… Thank You
Yay! We are glad you enjoyed it, Cari!
Jas says
The original recipe you mentioned substitutes for the flax seed eggs for real ones what would that be ? Also if I just used regular flour how much would I use if there is a difference
Jas says
If I’m not mistaken you updated the photos for this recipe . I’ve been trying to find this post & I finally have! I made this before & this carrot cake is amazing!
Elaine says
First time commenting (I think), but felt I should since this is the fifth time I’m making this AMAZING cake. This is my go-to birthday cake for me, and now my 6 year old son has asked for it for his birthday too! Last year, for my 40th, I even took all of the ingredients on vacation with me and baked it in our hacienda in Spain. I had a wonderful dinner outdoors, with fried plantains and this cake (with vegan cream cheese icing)! One of my favourite memories! I make it with raisins, but have noticed that some people pick them out (silly raisin-hating-people). I love so many of your recipes, and you make my restricted diet easy and enjoyable. In fact, whenever anyone asks me what I eat (grrrr) I refer them to your blog. Thank you!
We are so glad to hear that, Elaine! Than you for sharing!
Laura says
Hey :)
I if I make the cake with whipped coconut cream, is it ok to make it the day before and pop it in the fridge or rather make the cream the next day?
Thank you so much
Yep, that will work!
Laura Rossbach says
Thank you very much for the help.
Michelle says
I made this cake exactly as written, made the vegan cream cheese frosting with the TJ vegan cheese. I couldn’t find the Earth Balance sticks, so I decided to try it with the tub. The frosting was thin(no sticks) soI put it in the fridge, and waited until the next day to frost the cake. It was so GOOD. My non vegan family loved it. I think I want to add pineapple and coconut next time, just to try. But I would recommend it for anyone. I do wish I’d used 3 6″ pans.
Cuter and thick cake.
Yay! We are glad your family enjoyed it, Michelle!
Mellanie Parrish says
I’ve made this recipe multiple times, and it’s a favorite around here! I did make a few changes that work wonderfully. I usually do a half-batch to only make a dozen cupcakes at a time. Here goes… I use egg replacer (Bob’s red mill) with no problems. I’ve also made with an egg, also no problems. I use a homemade blend for the GF flour (1:1) and no almond flour. No problems when using GF flour for the entire flour portion. I use full fat coconut milk for the milk. No nuts or raisins and a vegan organic store-bought icing. Oh, and I use a homemade baking powder bc I can’t have corn.
Thanks for posting an amazing recipe! Looking forward to trying the vanilla cake next!
Thanks for sharing your recipe changes, Mellanie! We are so glad you enjoyed it!
Alexis says
I made this cake for my mom’s birthday. I halved the sugar and the flavor actually turned out pretty good. The cake itself, though, was dry even though I followed the rest of the recipe to a tee and monitored it while it baked. I also made the vegan cashew frosting which, to my disappointment, tasted like straight-up cashews and not decadent at all. Overall, this cake was OK, but by no means was it stellar.
Fonnetta says
Your recipe was at the top of my instagram feed today and I couldn’t resist making it. I haven’t made a carrot cake since I went vegan 8 years ago because it had so many eggs and so much oil. I was so excited that it was a vegan gluten free one bowl style cake. I also had tons of carrots I could use from my garden. It turned out super moist like you said! There were only two thing I did different. I swapped out the coconut oil for canola and I did use my homemade almond milk. I did do two round 9” pans and had to keep it in the full amount of baking time. I also used your cream cheese frosting recipe and it was perfect! I think the cake was delicious and not super sweet. I wish I could post a picture for you to see. Thank you so much for all the time and energy you put into perfecting these recipes! You make gluten free vegan taste delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Fonnetta! xoxo
Sage says
Hi,
I am vegan and gluten free, so I have been very excited to see a rise in vegan-gluten free recipes popping up on your site. I’m always eager to give them a try! But sadly, I am not a fan of carrot cake, and with autumn quickly approaching, I’m really in the mood for some pumpkin. Would it be possible to replace the carrot in this recipe with pumpkin (like proper pumpkin, not canned pumpkin)?
Hmm, it wouldn’t be a 1:1 switch. Try this recipe instead!
Hannah says
SO GOOD! I made this for my brothers birthday party and I received glowing reviews. Thank you so much!
Mary Margaret says
luscious! Beautifully moist, lots less clean up, YESSSS! I made it as a bundt and put cream cheese filling!
knocked them dead!
I didn’t have applesauce & had lots of apples; boiled whole and scooped out as pure applesauce!
Thanks for sharing!
Ilene Ungerleider says
I am wondering if this could be made with shredded apples. I am looking for a Rosh Hashanah recipe and it seems perfect if I could switch just the carrots out for apples. What do you think?
Yes, I think that would work. Let us know how it goes!
Micaela Ray says
This cake is AMAZING. I was making it for a big party and was super worried about serving a cake I had never made before so I literally made 3 different carrot cakes from 3 different well known bloggers and this one was SO far beyond the other recipes that there was truly no comparison. On top of how good I thought it was…there were 2 chefs at the party and 1 pastry chef who were all begging for the recipe by the end of the night (seriously I was so nervous). So thank you thank you for being so reliable with your recipes and especially for THIS recipe! LOVE.
Whoop! Glad to here it, Micaela!
Cait says
Ok, probably a stupid question, but can I just use normal flour if I’m not gluten-free?
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour but we’d recommend using the full amount of almond milk called for!
Caitlin Krueger says
I made this today and baked it for 50 minutes as cupcakes and the inside is still batter!! I don’t know what I did wrong!! Help me :( I used coconut flour 1/3 cup and an extra 1/2 cup of GF flour but I don’t know why that would make the cake so moist still.
It’s the coconut flour. It is absorbent at first and then goes soggy later.
Trish Lee says
Hi Dana, I love the look of all your recipes..I have just bought your book..it’s Amazing!
I was just looking at your wondering carrot cake and would love to have a go at making it.
Would you beable to tell me what size pans you use for this cake please.
Kind Regards Trish
Hi Trish! We’d recommend using either two 8-inch, 1 9×13-inch, or 3 6-inch round pans. Hope this helps!
Sunny says
I tried this today for a birthday cake. I subbed some extra gf mix flour and some garbanzo bean/Chana flour for the almond flour, and some crushed pineapple for the apple sauce. I doubled the cinnamon and added a bit of nutmeg, but even so, the flavour was rather bland and didn’t have the nice autumny spice kick I was hoping for. But it was indeed nice and fluffy and moist, so I’ll probably use it again, just with more spices.
Molly says
Double oops! Now I see the carrots.
Molly says
Oops! I don’t see carrots in the ingredient list.
it’s right after the almond milk.
Joseph says
It’s really hard to find an 8 inch pan how much to increase your receipt?
Hi Joseph! You are able to adjust the recipe by changing the serving size at the top of the ingredient list. Hope this helps!
MamaWoon says
My son requested a carrot cake for his 14th birthday. I made a test run of this today, in a 9×13 stone bake dish, for 55 minutes. With your vegan cream cheese frosting. It is DELICIOUS. Thank you! Now all of our birthday guests in August will have something to have for dessert.
However, he is asking for cupcakes now (of course, teenage boy ;-) ). Do you have and idea what the cooking time would be for cupcakes with this recipe?
Thanks! <3
Glad to hear you enjoyed the test-cake! cupcakes just bake slightly less time!
Deepika Narayan says
I swear by your recipes. My all time favorite is your carrot cake. I want to use the recipe to make cupcakes for my daughter who is on the baby led weaning path. So far she’s not into sweets and I don’t want her to get refined sugar just yet. What would you substitute for the sugar in the cake as well as the icing. I don’t want to make more than one batch of cupcakes so that they’re not wasted. I hope you reply to this. I want to make these for her turning 7 months on the 31st this month.
Carla says
Hi! Can this cake be made into cupcakes? If so, how long would you recommend baking? Thanks!!
Hi Carla! For cupcakes just bake slightly less time!
Andrew says
I made this for my partner’s 40th. Decorated with orange roses too. It was incredible. I’ve made carrot cake before but never vegan and certainly not GF. It was super easy to do, although I used en egg replacer instead of a flax egg (Ener-G I think the brand was). I will definitely be making it again. Thank you so much for posting this. You now have a very grateful and happy follower.
Woot woot! Glad you and your partner enjoyed it, Andrew!
Tamara says
Hi there…. Im just wondering is there any way to make this with eggs? I know its vegan but what i need is just a gf and dairy free cake, and i havent got the egg substitute on hand. What do you think? How many eggs would make sense?
Hi Tamara! You can sub 1 small egg per flax egg!
Tamara Proschek says
Hi there the recipe says 3 batches flax eggs (3 tablespoons mix) so I would need 3 eggs is that correct?
Yep!
ray-ray says
Attempting this for my daughter’s first birthday cake. She cannot have almond flour and almond milk.
What’s the best nut-free flour sub and if I use coconut milk, should it be canned or carton (coconut beverage)?
Thanks in advance!
Kayla says
I am currently in the middle of making this cake and I don’t what happened but something went horribly wrong!!! I followed this recipe to a T. The only modification I did was using all gluten free flour in stead of part almond flour. I have had these minis in the oven for 30 minuets now and for some reason they won’t bake all the way through! I bit into one thinking it was done and the flavor is great! Clearly I did something wrong. :( so upset because this was supposed to be a great treat for my hubby for his bday tomorrow.
Hmm it sounds like the batter was too dense from using all GF flour vs. almond flour, Kayla! We are sorry to hear you didn’t have success with it. If you try it again using almond flour or another nut flour, report back on how it goes!
Bee says
Hi Dana, this looks awesome and I’m definitely going to try it! What size cake pans did you use? I tried looking for the info but I couldn’t find it.
Violetta says
I love carrot cake and this, with cashew buttercream, has become my most favorite recipe!! If I could add a photo I’d show off today’s creation. Thank you!!
Hazel Roberts says
Hi I have never used flax eggs before. You say one tablespoon of flaxseed would be 7g. I am in the uk and realise American tablespoons are smaller than ours (ours are 15g or ml) but even so 7g seems a small amount for a tablespoon. Can you confirm this for me please? I just want to make sure I am adding enough flax and water! Thank you.
Hi Hazel! That should be correct!
Marina says
Made this last night and used the coconut butter recipe as a frosting. It came out delicious, all my non-vegan friends loved it and wanted seconds! I used two 8 inch tins and it raised less than expected, but tastewise, it was perfectly balanced. I used chopped peacan nuts, as I prefer them to walnuts and almond meal instead of almond flour. Thank you for the recipe!
Tatiana says
I made this into cupcakes for my sisters bridal shower yesterday and EVERYONE raved over them!!! They were floored when I told them they were vegan! Lol
I did a make few substitutions though..
I used crushed pineapple in place of the applesauce, I used finely shredded coconut in place of the almond flour, and I used regular all purpose flour instead of GF flour.
I made your cream cheese frosting and added fresh lemon juice to it.
These were probably the best cupcakes I’ve ever eaten! Lol
Glad they were a hit, Tatiana! Thank you for sharing your recipe changes :D
Jessica Marquis says
If I don’t care about gluten does all-purpose flour work in place of the almond meal and gluten free flour?
Check the comments above for tips!
Tatiana says
I made them with regular flour and they were superb! ?
Woot woot!
Jessica Marquis says
Thank you! It turned out wonderful!
Jessica Furubotten says
Also…why almond meal? My daughter is allergic to all nuts can I just substitute the almond meal for extra gluten free flour?
Hi Jessica! Try subbing more gluten-free flour blend or oat flour. Hope this helps!
Karen says
Question: Light or dark brown sugar? I hope this recipe will replace my standard version—would be wonderful to have a go-to vegan carrot cake recipe. Looks beautiful and delish! Thank you!
Either or will work!
Natalie says
I made this cake for a special celebration at work for all non-vegans. They didn’t believe it was vegan until they saw me eating it, too! The co-worker who requested the carrot cake said it was the best he’d ever had – and he considers himself quite a connoisseur. Thanks for the great recipe!
We’re so glad to hear it, Natalie! :D
Rose says
Stumbled onto your site while looking for vegan/gluten free birthday cake. My other attempts at deserts haven’t been well received!
I followed your recipe exactly and was amazed how good it turned out. Exactly as stated; moist, soft, tasty and with the cream cheese icing – superb.
I served it at my daughter’s birthday dinner. She was suspicious that it wasn’t vegan and thought I had run out and found a cake she was so impressed. The biggest complement was that my grandson has lined me up for his birthday cake maker in three weeks! Oh oh what have I done. Thank you.
I’ll try some other recipes from your blog.
Tyana says
Amazing recipe!! Love your blog. Thank you!!
Emmalie Taylor says
Is it possible to make these into cupcakes? If so how many and how long would I bake it?
Yes! For cupcakes just bake slightly less time!
CK says
Isn’t 9″ cake pan standard??
Magenta says
When making this cake is 1 cup 240ml or 250ml as I am in Australia and our cups are 250ml
240ml!
Elizabeth says
I like the idea of a orange flower on top. Any suggestions on doing this?
You can buy edible flowers quite often! Whole Foods generally carries them in the produce section :D
Danielle says
This was the best recipe I’ve ever made! It tasted exactly like my mom’s carrot cake recipe sans gluten and dairy! :) I didn’t have any coconut sugar on hand, so I omitted that ingredient completely. I also didn’t use walnuts or raisins because I’m not a big fan of either. I went back for seconds and thirds – it was that good!!!! The best part about this recipe is that I didn’t have to wait too long before tasting the carrot cake because I made them into cupcakes instead ;) Thank you so much for creating this recipe….I will definitely be making this any time another carrot cake craving strikes!
Jess says
Thank you for this recipe!!! Honestly, it was one of the best carrot cakes I’ve ever made. I made this for my health-conscious in-laws at Easter and it got devoured! Instead of GF flour mix, I made my own oat flour and it worked fine.
We’re so glad to hear that, Jess!
Christen says
I made this yesterday and the flavour was perfect! I don’t know if I did something wrong, but my cakes were very dense (not fluffy and crumbly like your pictures) but it was still incredible and went over very well with my non-vegan family!
Glad you enjoyed it, Christen! Did you happen to change any ingredients?
Christen says
I did actually use the cloud 9 gluten free flour mix! That must be it :)
Andrea C says
I made this for my family Easter Dinner. I made the cashew “buttercream” frosting. I loved the cake. The frosting was a little tricky for me.
I wish I had added more raisins to the cake. I think it would have given it the sweetness I felt was missing. I am new to the Plant based world and still struggle with the sugar removal from the diet. My family did like the cake and didn’t seem to be affected by the sugar cane not being added.
Claire says
It was edible. Made this with Bob’s Red Mill Cup-for-Cup blend instead of Dana’s blend. I am not a regular GF baker but often bake vegan. This was too mushy. I wonder if I needed to bake it longer, as in, as long as possible without burning it. The flavors were good though. :) I might try this again with less liquid/more “flour” and longer cook time.
Hi Claire, my thought is that the problem was the cup for cup blend. I haven’t been using it as much lately because I agree, it can give off a mushy, under-baked texture in cakes especially. Hope you’re able to try it with our blend!
Claire says
Ah, I had no idea that mushy cakes with the Cup-for-Cup blend is a known problem. I only do GF baking occasionally, so I figured making my own blend would not be reasonable. But I will make use of the bulk foods section to economically make your blend next time! Sorry for the low-star review, seems that is probably just my own ignorance. Thanks for the guidance!
Maria G. says
I made this for Easter yesterday to take to my principal’s Easter dinner. I frosted it with your vegan cream cheese frosting. Everyone loved it and it was a dessert that I could eat (I’m dairy-free with a gluten sensitivity)! Thank you so much for all of your fabulous recipes!
Glad you enjoyed it, Maria!
Veggirl says
I made this for Easter dessert yesterday. I made your Vegan Cashew “cream cheese”frosting to go with it. Both were excellent. Since it was my first time making both recipes, I followed them exactly as the recipe instructed, except I used 3 eggs Instead of flax eggs. The cake had a very good flavor, just a little on the dry side. What would you recommend for the next time? Thanks.
Christina says
This recipes was perfect and so delicious. I made it for non vegans ranging from kids to my 82 year old Grandma, loved it! I was a bit worried because I’m new to vegan cooking and baking so i didn’t understand the flax egg and used Bobs Red Hill egg replacement for 3 eggs instead and it worked great. I also made it with the vegan cream cheese icing with 3 cups of powdered sugar, just really good. Your recipes are so great And easy to follow, thanks so much!
Thanks so much, Christina! Glad you all enjoyed it :D
Jerry says
Hi, I’ve made this recipe but I got a very oily and gooey inside. I subbed almond milk with coconut milk (full fat). Could this have made an impact on the outcome? Thanks !
Yeah, that is too heavy. Next time, use light coconut milk and you should have better success!
Cecilia says
Hello! Can I just use all-purpose flour? Thanks!
Yes! If you are not using the GF blend then add the full amount of almond milk!
Cecilia says
Thanks for your quick answer#
Shelby says
I want to make these as cupcakes. Do you think I could just use the same recipe and put in muffin tin? Just cook for less time?
For cupcakes just bake slightly less time!
Rachel says
Just made this and it is the most delicious, perfect carrot cake!!!
I am not gluten free so I used regular white flour and also subbed grapeseed oil for coconut oil and it is absolutely perfect.
Also made your cream cheese icing (using tofutti) and it is delicious. It really is the perfect complement to this wonderful cake.
My husband has never liked carrot cake or cream cheese (vegan or not) and yet he loved this! Thank you for such an amazing recipe.
Liz says
How long do I bake these for cupcakes and what temp??
Hi Liz! For cupcakes just bake slightly less time!
Jenna says
Hey there! Wanted to make this for Easter. Will it still be delicious if I make it Saturday and serve it Sunday afternoon or should I make the same day I’m serving it?
Yes, it will still be tasty! :D
Alexandra says
Can I make this without the brown and white sugar? Or a substitute? I am type 1 diabetic and haven’t had carrot cake in years! Would love to try
Hi Alexandra! Feel free to experiment with other sweeteners or cutting back the sugar. You can substitute other sweeteners of choice. Just know that if using a wet sweetener, it may thin the batter. And if dry, they may thicken the batter. My primary suggestions would be stevia, more brown sugar, or honey if not vegan.
Alexandra says
I made them! Used less (close to no) almond milk because I knew the dough would be too wet without the sugar. Turned out amazing!! Love this (and all your other) recipes!! Make another cook book!
Thanks for reporting back! We’re glad you enjoyed it! :D
Renee says
Can you make this into cupcakes? Just change the baking time?
Yes! For cupcakes just bake slightly less time!
Caroline says
Hi!
Could I sub crushed pineapple for the applesauce?
Thanks!
Caroline
That should work!
Shalene says
Can this be made with just regular all purpose flour and have the same consistency? I don’t need or use the other flours, so don’t have them on hand, but would love to make this cake.
Yes, that should work! If doing that, use the full amount of almond milk called for.