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 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 – 1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk* (or other non-dairy unsweetened milk)
- 1 ½ cups loosely packed grated carrot
- 1 ½ cups almond flour* (I didn’t test with almond meal, but I think it would work)
- 1 ½ 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.
Michele G. says
This cake is amazing! My adult son is a carrot cake aficionado, lol :-). I made this cake for his birthday and he declared it the best carrot cake EVER! I agree. Easy to make, moist and flavorful. I frosted it with the vegan butter cream frosting (link in the recipe), I used Violife cream cheese and plant based butter sticks from Natural Grocers. I also used oat milk in lieu of almond and added a teaspoon of vanilla. You can’t go wrong with this cake, it’s delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us.
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Michele!!
Pauleen Mara says
I’m really curious I only have almond flour can I use can I use almond flower for the entire recipe
Hi Pauleen, we wouldn’t recommend that as almond flour has a different texture than GF all purpose. If you decide to try it, we might suggest reducing the oil since almond flour has a higher fat content than the gluten-free all purpose blend. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Charise McNutt says
This was an amazing recipe and experience ❤️ my daughter made this (she is 11!) By herself and it was so good!!!we all loved it ! It is worth millions of stars and I am so excited to make it again and again for all of our get togethers with fam and friends. Dana you are a true artist!!!??????
Aww, we’re so glad to hear that, Charise! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Suzanne says
Difficult to find the ingredients living in a Swiss ski resort but managed to make it anyway (without the vegan cream cheese unfortunately)
I found it quite heavy, definitely needs frosting, cake without icing is just sad :/
Ivy Razalli says
Hi, i’m trying to make this using metric measurement but i’m a little confuse on the amount of flour. The DIY GLUTEN FREE FLOUR BLEND recipe amount to a total of 2.5 cups or when converted to metric measurement, shows 406g. In this carrot cake recipe, the amount used is 1 1/2 cups, or when converted to metric measurement, shows 150g. If i were to use the amount on the DIY GLUTEN FREE FLOUR BLEND recipe (2.5 cups = 406g), the amount in gram for 1.5 cups should be 243.6g. Should I use 150g or 343.6g if i’m doing this recipe using metric calculation?
Sorry for the confusion, Ivy. 1 1/2 cups of our DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend is ~240 g.
Ivy Razalli says
thanks!
Leanne says
Hi,
I really want to have a go at this recipe but I can’t find unsweetened apple sauce as all seem to have added sugar in the usual supermarkets. Can I use one with sugar? Or purée a tin of apple sliced instead?? Any other suggestions for a replacement most welcome ?
Hi Leanne, you could use sweetened and reduce one of the other sweeteners slightly. Otherwise, maybe try our homemade applesauce and purée it: https://minimalistbaker.com/3-ingredient-applesauce-no-sugar-added/
Aliya Jackson says
I puréed an apple and it worked for me!
Robyn says
This recipe is amazing! I’ve tried other GF and plant based baking recipes in the past and been disappointed. I found this site about a year ago and have loved every single recipe. I make this as written every time with no modifications or adjustments. Family and friends always ask for the recipe and are shocked to hear that it is vegan and GF! It is the BEST carrot cake I’ve ever had. Thank you!
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear it, Robyn! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Kimberly says
Hi!
Is it possible to make this recipe into mini cupcakes? If so, how long is the baking time?
Yes, that should work! We aren’t sure on baking time as we haven’t tried it, but maybe start with 15 minutes? Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Emma says
Hey, if we wanted to use eggs, how many would you recommend?
We haven’t tried it, but we would estimate 3 small eggs. Let us know if you try it!
Margaret says
I made this cake exactly as the recipe stated and it was awesome!!! I used Kite Hill non dairy cream cheese for the cream cheese frosting and it was excellent as well. I am dairy free and gluten free and I served this to my family of 7 who is not, and everyone said it was delicious and a “make again” recipe!!
Shiva Family says
Thank you so much for this recipe. I have a few vegan friends and I really wanted to make something they could enjoy. I tried this one as cupcakes with walnuts and the basic cashew frosting. It was so delicious, didn’t last long :)
That sounds lovely! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Nicoal says
Excited to make this cake for my partner’s birthday this weekend. I wanted to do a two layer cake in 9 inch circular baking pans. Would I need to double this recipe in order to make enough batter? (Also for the frosting too?)
Also, can I use monkfruit granulated sweetener instead of cane sugar?
Please help, thanks! :)
Hi Nicoal, we don’t think you would need to double it, unless you want tall slices. We aren’t sure about using monkfruit as we haven’t tried it. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Becky Heinitz says
This is the most amazing cake! I’ve made it multiple times in the past as a cake, but I’m wondering, because it’s adapted from the muffins, if the recipe would work as cupcakes?
We’re so glad you enjoy it! Cupcakes should work- we would recommend using our carrot muffins recipe as a guide for baking. Let us know how it goes!
Amira says
Made this for my birthday and it tastes amazing. Used regular flour instead of gluten free and it still worked out well. Thanks for the amazing recipes!
Sally G says
My boyfriend’s mom has been asking me to make carrot cake for the past year, so for Christmas I whipped up your recipe and brought it to brunch. She’s pretty hard to amuse, and when I unveiled the cake she lit up in a way none of us have ever seen.
I used coconut sugar, golden coconut sugar, and Arrowhead Mill’s gluten free all purpose flour. I folded in toasted pecans, frosted it with your cashew buttercream (!!!!), and topped it with a toasted pecan coconut sugar crumble.
It was absolutely divine and I scored MAJOR carrot cake points :) I’ve been an avid follower for years now as you helped me transition to a plant-based lifestyle with enthusiasm. When I get to rambling about getting down in the kitchen and people ask me where I learned, I turn them to you. Thank you for all that you do and for alllll the guidance and inspiration throughout the years! Happy new year!
Aw, thank you so much for your sweet note and lovely review, Sally! We are so glad she enjoyed it!
Sophia says
Hi Dana! I love this recipe and I can’t wait to try it, but I have one question regarding the baking powder: I have some packs of baking powder where there’s also some baking soda. Shall I put 3 tsp of that in my cake?
Thanks
Sophia
Hi Sophia, baking powder typically contains baking soda, but it’s not the same thing. We would recommend sticking to 1 1/2 tsp each. Hope that helps!
Sophia says
Great, thank you very much!
Adri Espi says
This recipe was absolutely delicious! The cake was very moist. I used 3 real eggs and added some coconut and nuts. Like the others I added a banana instead of using applesauce. I baked it in two round pans and it baked in 24 minutes. I did use the almond flour and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF flour. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful gluten free recipe!! I will be making this often!!!!
Jamie says
Just made this cake today, and I gotta admit, I was quite skeptical….vegan AND gluten free? How could that ever taste like “real” cake? Wow. Just wow. It was the most incredible, moist, tasted just like “real” carrot cake and it blew me away! My two teen boys and husband gave it 5 stars, too. Amazing. I reduced powdered sugar in the frosting to just 2 cups (only because it was all I had on hand), but it worked perfectly! Thank you for this fabulous recipe!
Des says
Oh man, oh man, oh man… This is SO good! I subbed banana instead of applesauce, and used corn flour for 1/2c of the almond flour but only because I’ve been putting corn flour in everything. Oh and lastly some zucchini I had to use up. You are a gluten-free vegan goddess! Thank you for this recipe. It will be the only carrot cake recipe I use from now on!
Whoop! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Des! xo
Susanna Osovsky says
Dana! I made this yesterday and this is an exquisite recipe, the taste and texture is every bit as good as it looks.
I’ve been searching and searching for an eggless GF recipe, so eternally grateful to everything you do. Thank you ?
Aw, thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Susanna! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Diana Demco says
I made this cake for Christmas and I couldn’t be happier! It’s seriously the best carrot cake I’ve had! And yes, I couldn’t tell it was vegan.
I made some adjustments to the recipe as follows, in case it helps anyone:
– did not have applesauce, so I used 2 ripe mashed bananas. It was the most convenient option and it worked beautifully. I recommend it!
– I was out of coconut oil so I substituted rapeseed oil
– I subbed half the amount of almond flour for all purpose and the other half for oat flour
– I subbed the gluten-free flour for spelt flour
It turned out great. Perfect actually. I’m curious to see how it would turn out with almond flour, so I’ll make the recipe in the future with it.
For the frosting, I chose the Cashew Buttercream option. MAJOR WIN!
Thanks, Diana!!
Cami says
My cakes never rises, do you know why??
It won’t rise quite as much as a gluten-containing cake, but it should a little. Did you add leavening agents and were they fresh?
Joanne says
Can this work with regular flour?
We haven’t tried it, but some other readers have. If you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac, a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words (such as “all purpose” or “regular flour”) in the post and comments. Hope that helps!
Hannah Loftus says
If not gluten-free, what type of flour would you recommend for best results, and would you recommend the same amount?
In place of the GF blend, you could try spelt or unbleached all purpose (in the same amount as the GF blend).
Maria says
Thanks so much, I’m hoping to make this for my brother’s 30th birthday this weekend as he’s vegan and has requested a carrot cake. Yours looks the best on the internet!
I’ve seen from other comments that all purpose flour can be used in place of GF blend if not gluten free. Would this be IN ADDITION to the almond flour?
Help very much appreciated!
Thanks
Maria
Hi Maria, yes, we would recommend using it in addition to the almond flour for best results. Hope that helps! Let us know how it goes!
Maria says
Following my previous question, I made this for my brother’s 30th birthday and substituted regular flour for the GF blend, but I did still add the almond flour as suggested.
It was FANTASTIC, a real hit. Devoured immediately at his party and lots of positive comments. Thanks again and for the extra advice.
Maria x
Great! Thanks for sharing, Maria!
Chloe says
I’m making this for my husband’s birthday! It’s actually in the oven right now and it smells amazing. I didn’t have almond flour so I replaced it with GF white flour so we’ll see how that turns out!
Can I make cupcakes out of this recipe? I’d love to make some for my daughter’s nursery teachers!
Happy birthday to your husband! Cupcakes should work- we would recommend using our carrot muffins recipe as a guide for baking.
Andreea says
I did this today and it was really appreciated by my friends ? I used regular flour and I used vegan cream cheese with coconut cream for frosting. Thank you for all the hard work you are doing to test the best version of the recipe!
Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Andreea. We are so glad you and your friends enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Cait says
I like both nuts and raisins. Would I need to adjust the recipe at all?
Hi Cait, you could reduce the walnuts slightly and add raisins.
Katrina Robinson says
I hate flax eggs. Will Orgran egg replacer work?
Hmm, we haven’t tried that! Let us know if you try it!
Jess says
This is delicious! I am impatient with cakes and love to eat some warm out straight of the oven, so saved some mixture to try in ramekin, so I will be able to let other cakes cool. I’ve just tried it and had to rate it straight away-sooo good. I am heading towards plant based baking and have had mixed results substituting eggs for flax eggs so went hunting for new recipe. So glad I found this one! Thank you!!
I only had about a cup of almond meal so used more GF flour, my Gluten-free blend is mainly sprouted buckwheat flour with some rice flour and about 1 tbspn arrowroot. Thankfully had exactly one cup of stewed apples in freezer to use as apple sauce. Oh and I also used coconut sugar for sugars and only about half the amount, perfect!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jess! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Sharon says
I can’t wait to make this recipe for my family. Guten free with almond flour sounds great. I have one question. We have found that Erythitol Sugar substitute works well in our recipes. Is it ok to use that instead of the coconut or cane sugar? Thank you and I will tell you how it turns out!
It may work! Let us know how it goes.
Nina says
Just tried out this recipe today with a bunch of preschoolers. We had to make some adjustments because of nut allergies – so we replaced the almond milk and flour with oat milk and flour. Fourteen preschoolers (from 4-5 years of age) all had a hand in helping make the recipe. It was a blast! We were able to get 19 cupcakes from a batch. And they were a huge success! Kids and adults alike enjoyed them. I’m new to a plant-based lifestyle, so I haven’t had a lot of experience baking without eggs or milk, but if every bake I attempt is as delicious as this was I definitely won’t miss them! Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Whoop! You are very brave! We’re so glad they turned out well and were enjoyed =) Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Sara says
Hi there!
If I’m using a 10×3-inch round pan, what baking time would you recommend?
We would say bake as instructed and then insert a toothpick and continue baking in 3-4 minute increments until it comes out clean. Hope that helps!
Brianna says
This was delicious! I used regular eggs but followed the recipe otherwise and it was amazingly moist and perfectly sweetened. I used a cream cheese icing with lemon zest as well and it was a crowd pleaser :)
Yum! We’re so glad to hear it, Brianna! Thanks for sharing!
Lisa Jensen says
I made the cashew buttercream frosting in the tangy version to put on the carrot cake. It wasn’t quite tangy enough so I added a teaspoon of tahini, which worked very well along with about a teaspoon of lemon juice to bring out that cream cheesy tang. It was great on the lovely carrot cake. Thank you for such great recipes!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lisa! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Lauren Blankenbeker says
Hello Dana! I very much enjoyed this recipe. I made it for my birthday cake and my family loves it. We are not gluten free and I usually have a hard time getting gluten free recipes to win the crowd over, but this one will definitely need to be made again for my gluten free friends. We are a plant-based family and my husband (and kids) frequently check out your website for recipes. This carrot cake takes the cake…. carrot cake that is;) Thanks for all your hard work and creativity.
-Lauren
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Lauren!
Claudia Dulude says
I have made this scrumptious carrot cake several times. It’s my husband’s favorite and as a side note he’s not vegan nor vegetarian.
Whoop! We’re so glad you both enjoy it, Claudia! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Jo says
Can I sub the sugar with blended dates with some liquid?
Hmm, we haven’t tried that but if you do let us know how it goes!
Andrea says
Love this carrot cake. I modified it slightly based on what I had in my cupboards. I skipped the almond flour and doubled up on my mix of rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch, and a wee bit of coconut flour. I used canola oil in place of coconut oil, and used blue agave syrup instead of maple syrup. For the frosting I used daiya brand vegan cream cheese and earth balance.
It’s very moist, a little more dense than an evil gluten carrot cake, but still good texture! Really impressed for my first time doing a vegan carrot cake!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Andrea! So helpful. xo
Desiree Olive says
Excited to try this. I want to use swerve sugar instead of real, do you think it would yield the same result?
Hi there! We aren’t sure but we’re guessing it would require half the amount as it’s likely more sweet? Let us know how it goes!
Zsofia Melczer says
I made this cake now for my 5 years old son for his birthday. But in cup-cakes (baking time was less, around 35 min). The result was fantastic!!! Super tasty, fluffy, flavours in balance. Nobody can says it doesn’t contain wheat, sugar and eggs – the taste is similar. No! It is better! :) I modified the gf flour (1 cup gf oat, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 cup brown rice flour). I absolutely recommend, thank you Dana!
So wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
Beth says
Hi! After searching Hi and Low for a vegan carrot cake recipe, I can’t wait to try this this week! I just wondered though- am I able to swap out the almond flour and gluten free flour for just plain or self raising flour?
Thanks!
We haven’t tried that, but it should work. However, I would recommend keeping the almond flour because it adds a nice crumb to the cake and the flavor is lovely.
Renee H. says
I made this cake for a birthday celebration and IT WAS SO GOOD! I’m not vegan but my mom and sister are and they absolutely loved it. The non vegan, non GF family members were also very impressed. Hands do this cake can compete with any carrot cake I’ve had vegan GF or not. I’m super excited to make it again. I’m going to try making it into cupcakes and see how it turns out.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Renee. We are so glad to hear everyone enjoys it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Amanda says
If not vegan and using real eggs what is the quantity? Thanks!
We recommend subbing 1 small chicken egg per 1 flax egg.
Lin says
I am so excited to try this! Looks so yummy….
Genia says
This cake is delicious! I used all purpose flour in place of the GF blend, but used almond flour with it. The cake was moist, sweet and even better leftover! I made the cashew buttercream frosting and felt that they the lemon zest made it tangy enough! The only thing I’ll do differently next time is add more raisins! ?
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Genia! Thanks for sharing! xo
Amy Smithwick says
I’m allergic to apples, is there a good substiute for the apple sauce in this recipe?
Hi Amy, perhaps another fruit puree/mash, such as banana, stone fruit, or sweet potato?
Alice F Humphrey says
Hi just want to know if this rescipe really good and moist just like a regular carrot cake? I have tried others and they said it was moist etc, and I followed the ingredients to the letter, but the cake was not.
Thank you
Hi Alice, yes! Feel free to read comments from other readers for their feedback.
Julie Vander Baan says
Hi Dana, I am excited to try your awesome recipe – I’ve been eyeing this one for a while. I wondered if you think I could make the cakes ahead of time and freeze them until I am ready to thaw, frost and serve them? They would likely be in the freezer for 3 days max. Or is critical to baking the cakes the same day?
Thanks for all you share, you are an incredible inspiration.
That should work! We haven’t tried it ourselves, but according to most professional bakers it’s actually ideal to bake ahead of time, freeze and thaw for moist cakes! Let us know how it goes!
Sonia says
Hi – what size pans did u use for this carrot cake? Looks like 3 6inch pans. I want to use 2 8inch pans. Is bake time the same? I assume everything else is fine.
Thanks
Sonia
The bake time should be the same! Just monitor as they bake. Yes, mine were 3 6-inch!
Jo says
Can you make this recipe with regular flour if there is no gluten allergy? Will it produce the same results? Do I still need to use almond flour as well?
I think all purpose or spelt would work well here! I’d still use almond flour/meal if I were you :D
Hope that helps! Let us know how it goes.
Alison says
I made this cake following the recipe exactly and was told by everyone who ate it that it was the best carrot cake they’d ever eaten.
Only thing is I’m not sure why you said it would only last 3-4 days in the fridge ? this lasted fine for a week for me
Great recipe! many thanks
Hi Alison, we are so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing! 3-4 days is a conservative estimate, but that’s great to hear that it lasted longer for you!
Marisela BC says
I really want to make this recipe but don’t have flaxmeal to make the flax egg. ..Would aquafaba work? If so what wound be the amount suggested?
Thank you!
We would recommend a chia egg over aquafaba in this recipe. Let us know if you give it a try!
GinxAZ says
Danger, Will Robinson! This cake is crazy good! I just tasted a corner and now I’m afraid to be left in the same room! Made with all 1:1 flour and raisins, no nuts.
haha YAY!
Kim says
I was wondering what you could substitute for the maple syrup. Any ideas?
Hi Kim, you could try honey (if not vegan) or your favorite sweetener. Let us know how it goes!
Selena Hernandez says
I used agave nectar and it turned out delicious.
Jill says
I am not a baker (yet?) but I made this for my husband for his birthday. We were going to a dinner party and I wasn’t going to bring the desert (I was afraid to offer this on a first try that afternoon) but it turned out so beautifully I brought it on a whim. Everyone (except my picky 4-year-old who doesn’t like the texture of shredded carrot) LOVED it. Although I was initially daunted by the list of ingredients, I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make! I don’t know that I was incredibly precise in my measurements and I’m such a novice but it was so, so good. Now I’m planning to make it for a Thanksgiving gathering! Thanks for helping me have yummy success in baking! I’ve only tried making cupcakes from scratch a few times over the years and didn’t have great results until now!
*** I used cane and coconut sugar and no nuts or raisins
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jill. We are so glad you enjoyed this 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
Grace says
How much all purpose flour should I use? 3 cups or 1 1/2?
3 cups should work! Let us know how it goes!
Grace says
How would I substitute all-purpose flour?
Hi Grace, we haven’t tried it, but it should work! We would recommend using the full amount of almond milk called for!
Grace says
Would this recipe work as cupcakes? How many would it make?
It should yes! I’m guessing 10-12.
Mikaela Savelkouls says
Hi! I am wanting to make this cake bigger as the first time I tried it was quite small! If I wanted it to be double the size how should I adjust the recipe? Is it okay to just double it? Thank you!
Yep! We have a function just above the ingredients in the recipe box that allows you to adjust serving size! Just be sure to adjust cook time as needed if altering the size of the pans suggested.
Alysss says
How would I make this recipe using all purpose flour? I don’t have GF flour blends and just want to keep it simple with all purpose flour.
Thanks!!
Hi Alyss, we haven’t tried it, but it should work! We would recommend using the full amount of almond milk called for!
Marie-Hélène says
Hi Alysss ! I made this recipe with regular flour (1 for 1) and it turned out fluffy and great ! I even subbed coconut oil for vegtable oil as I didn’t have some on hand and it turned out perfect too! Just goes to show how versatile this recipe is ;)
Melissa says
Hi! I am planning on making this cake tomorrow, but would like to add raisins. What amount should I add to this recipe, and would it need more liquid to keep it moist?
Thank you!
Hi Melissa, we think it would be okay to add raisins without any additional substitutions. Let us know how it goes!
John says
I do have a question concerning the gluten free flour mixture.
I have gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour and was wondering if I could use that in place of your gluten free mixture ?
The ingredients are very similar ; white rice flour , whole grain brown rice flour , potato starch , whole grain sorghum flour , tapioca flour and xanthan gum .
I think that should work! Let us know how it goes, John!
John says
The gluten free baking flour worked quite well .
I also changed the sugars from 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup cane sugar to a scant 1/2 cup cane sugar – the ” taste testers ” will let me know how they like it . I also used the cashew butter cream frosting – I used the whole 13.5 ounce can of coconut cream instead of only 1/2 cup – whoops !! I added more coconut oil -2 tablespoons to compensate . After the second time freezing I put it on the cake – looks quite good now .
Thanks for the recipes
John
Thanks for sharing, John!
Hi says
I don’t have almond meal or almond flour of the gluten free flour blend. Could I sub coconut flour? What if I use whole wheat flour in place of this ingredients….how much would I need ?
Hmm, it’s hard to say. Coconut flour likely won’t work here on its own – it’s too absorbent and dense. As for whole wheat flour, it would probably work if subbing for the almond flour and gluten-free blend 1:1. Let us know if you give it a try!
Kira van den Berg says
Hi, is there something I could use instead of applesauce? My stomach might not react very good to apple.
Hmm, perhaps another fruit puree/mash, such as banana, stone fruit, or sweet potato?
Jenny says
This is so delicious. I’ve made it twice now. For the dry sugars, I use 1/2 cup coconut sugar and 1/4 cup raw sugar, which is a nice combination. The first time I made it, the flavour was good but the cake was a bit too moist (maybe because I use a slightly different gf flour blend). So, the second time I reduced the plant milk to 1/4 cup (almond milk), which gave a perfect texture.
Both times I used a 2/3 batch of the Cashew Buttercream Frosting (tangy version, but with lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar) – so good.
Thanks Dana for another great recipe. :-)
Ella says
Hey I was wondering if you think using all spelt flour instead of your flour mix and almond meal instead of almond flour would work okay ?
Hi Ella, we haven’t tried that, but we think it might work! Let us know if you give it a try!
Sofia Imas says
I made this for my mom’s birthday the other day and it was a total hit!! She and everyone who tried it loved it!! Everyone was amazed it was vegan :)) We’re still devouring the leftovers hehe. Thank you so much for this recipe, I look forward to trying out your other ones! Love from Cyprus.
So glad everyone enjoyed it, Sofia! Thanks for the lovely review!
Kitty Krell says
Though I have yet to make this (tomorrow) I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your suggested substitutions; many newly vegan are in the dark as to what they COULD use. I know a good recipe when I review one and this is 5 star all the way!
Aww thanks so much Kitty. We appreciate your support!
Pauline Bouvier-Davis says
These are great. I make them as muffins and freeze the leftovers. I add pecans instead of walnuts (less bitter) also a bit of unsulphured coconut and sometimes i even add pineapple. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for sharing, Pauline!
David G. says
Dana,
This is simply THE BEST HEALTHY CARROT CAKE EVER! Comes out great every time and I’ve made it numerous times! The best part is the no-guilt Cashew Vegan Buttercream Frosting!
When I crave a dessert, this is one of my go-to recipes for a healthy alternative!
Thank you for working this recipe up to be the BEST!
So glad you enjoy it, David! Thanks for the lovely review!
Sarah says
I think this may be the best thing I’ve ever baked. This cake is SO GOOD! It’s truly addicting. I made one for myself for my birthday, and my boyfriend and I have been slowly portioning out the frozen leftovers over a few weeks to make it last! Thrilled I get another chance to make one this weekend for a friend and hopefully score more leftovers :)
Thank you for the amazing recipe! I think it will be my go-to for celebrations of all kinds.
Whoop! So glad to hear it, Sarah! xo
Dana says
As you said, it is truly insanely delicious!! I baked one of these for my hubby for his birthday yesterday and he hasn’t stopped talking about it. Other family went crazy about it, so I’ve shared it with a few folks. This recipe is a winner! I can’t wait to make it again! The reactions I got when telling peeps this was vegan and gf were priceless! Thanks so much for this recipe!!
Thanks for sharing!!
Robyn Field says
Hands down my favorite cake recipe. Everyone I have made it for LOVES it. Even a friend who never liked carrot cake raved. Recipe is perfect – I used three small eggs in place of flax. It also turned out of a pyrex baking dish perfectly. Bets with the cream cheese vegan frosting.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Robyn!
Isabelle says
Can you explain the difference between almond meal and almond flour please
Thanks
Hi Isabelle, see our recipe FAQ for info on this.
Robyn Field says
Thanks so much for the egg substitute info…I couldn’t find your reply to my original comment but wanted to acknowledge receiving it. The cake came out fabulously! I LOVE this recipe. Waiting for dessert tonight will be a challenge! Lol
Happy Memorial Day All!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Robyn!!
Robyn Field says
My guest devoured it! No one could believe it was dairy free. It really is the best cake recipe on the planet. ?
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Robyn. We are so glad everyone enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Robyn Field says
I love this recipe more than words can say!! If I want to substitute eggs would it be three eggs? Thanks so much.
I would actually say 2 large or 3 small!
Terra says
Can I use all purpose flour in place of ALL or SOME of the flour in this recipe (specifically the gluten free flour blend)? I need a yummy egg free recipe for my daughter, and this looks great, but I don’t have quick access to the flours from the blend.
That should work!
Katie says
Did the all purpose flour work?
Lisa says
So I don’t bake or at least I haven’t baked anything from scratch since I was a teenager, but recently due to health problems I went vegan and I’ve been following Medical Medium protocols, but I wanted a birthday cake damnit! So I did it. It was a huge undertaking for me. I made my own almond milk, my own apple sauce, I substituted oat flour for the white rice flour in the all-purpose flour blend that you make, mainly because I couldn’t find anything about the Medical Medium suggesting white rice flour, but all the other flours were fine. I also subbed lemon juice for the apple cider vinegar in the frosting. This cake is amazing!! My daughter is extremely fussy and she and everyone else in my family loved it. It was definitely worth the six hours it took me to make?. Seven if you include the frosting. I have bookmarked your website and I will be baking on special occasions from now on!!! Thank you so much for your creative ingenuity!! Not to mention all the time you put into trying out different versions of your recipes!! Truly grateful!
So glad you enjoyed it, Lisa!!
Molly Mitchell says
I can’t believe how delicious this cake is. My partners mom has a gluten and dairy intolerance, and I made this for mother’s day. Her super picky husband almost got thirds! Everyone loved it.
I managed to sneak some leftovers to share with my neighbors, who immediately begged for the recipe. Overall, a total hit. Can’t wait to make again.
Thanks for sharing, Molly!
Anna says
This looks so yummy! How would you adjust baking time/temperature if I wanted to make this into a loaf?
I would say you’d need a pretty large loaf pan – maybe even divide it into two? And adjust baking time accordingly – it should be pretty similar in two pans, but much longer in 1 pan.
Jen says
Hope this isn’t a dumb question but it the nutrition count for a slice consisting of 3 layers?! Or is that wishful thinking? ;)
It is for 1 small slice of three layers.
Jen says
But with no frosting?
Jen says
I mean in terms of the nutrition info – that’s without frosting?
It is calculated without frosting.
Jen says
Oh sorry forgot to add – I’m not really meant to have granulated sugars – can they be subbed for more maple syrup or would this affect the structure of the cake? Or maybe erythtitol would work?
Hi Jen, we think all of those options will impact the structure, but if you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
Allison says
I have been searching for a vegan carrot cake recipe, so this is very exciting. My question is if this can be adapted into a cupcake recipe, and if so, how long should they bake for? Thanks!
You can check the comments for guidance from others who’ve tried it. But the short answer is yes, bake at the same temperature but just for less time.
April Greene says
This cake sounds wonderful!! Could I sub coconut flour for the almond flour?
Coconut flour has a different texture, flavor, and is more drying than almond flour. Check the comments (by using control find) to see if anyone else has had success!
Cheryl C says
I’m coordinating a work event with 350+ guests. We’ll serve carrot cake at the reception. I couldn’t find anyone who made it with V or GF for the few who will need it that way, so decided to make it myself. I gave this recipe a trial run and fed it to a half dozen coworkers. It was a WIN!!! I used the cream cheese frosting which was scrumptious.
When I make the carrot cake for the event I will be sure to frost and chill the cake for a few hours as it slices much better when cold.
Yay! Thanks for your review, Cheryl! xo
Kaylah says
If I were going to make this recipe but make them as cupcakes instead of one cake layer how would you change the cooking time? Thank you!
Hi Kaylah, we would recommend using our carrot muffins recipe as a guide for baking. Hope that helps!
Sadeta says
WOW.. I just made this cake for Easter…Its wonderful..Love it. Thank you for sharing with us.
alegre says
what a cake!!! made it for the weekend and was great, already people at work asked for the recipe
substitute with regular flour and frosted with soy cheese and icing sugar
Sandra says
Made this last night as it seemed super easy and I’m not a very good cake baker lol. Turned out nicely! I used a bundt pan (10-inch?), subbed 3 regular eggs, 1/2 cup almond meal and 1 cup oat flour plus my own GF flour blend, and coconut sugar. All this into account, the cake didn’t rise/fluff as much as I had hoped, but it baked through well. I took that risk :) . Also, I used Nutiva Coconut Manna (aka butter) as frosting, justed melted it a bit and added some vanilla and stevia to taste. Overall, a great recipe for vegans, ovo/lacto-vegetarians, gluten sensitive, etc. Would make again!
Marissa says
Thank you for an amazing recipe! I had to do a gluten free, dairy free dessert for Easter dinner, but also wanted the “normal” guys eating to take back their prediction that it wouldn’t be a “real dessert.” This one did the trick! I used the coconut sugar option instead of brown sugar, subbed half of the applesauce out for crushed pineapple, and ground up organic GF sprouted oats into flour for the GF flour blend. Yum! Will be using this again!
So glad to hear it Marissa!
Catherine says
Hi! Thank you for the recipe. My family – most importantly my son for whom I made it – loved this cake. GREAT flavor. I used coconut sugar instead of the white sugar. I didn’t have any almond flour, so I did 1 1/2 cup of Bob’s Red Mill AP GF flour blend and then 1/3 cup of coconut flour (since it absorbs so much liquid). It turned out well. I might even try a little less coconut flour or a little more applesauce next time to ensure it doesn’t dry out. For icing, I used Kite Hill cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla and it turned out perfect.
So glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for sharing your modifications!
Alix says
I made this cake for my husband as he loves carrot cake but I am gluten intolerant and he is allergic to eggs. It turned out SO well. It’s moist + delicious and fluffy! Paired it with your vegan cream cheese icing and he is raving about it! I definitely recommend making the flour blend, as I’ve had a lot of recipes in the past not work because of my flour choice. Thank you so much for all the awesome recipes you post, they always work out for us and are so delicious!
Gizella says
I just made it for Easter . It was delicious ! I used regular flour instead gluten free and turned out great !
LynA says
I made this carrot cake for Easter and it was outstanding. I followed the recipe with only the following changes – I used King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour instead of making my own blend and I omitted the walnuts. I made the 3 six inch cakes and baked for 40 minutes. I cooled it completely and wrapped and stored it at room temp until the next day when I frosted it and served it up. I made my own cream cheese frosting -1 stick of vegan butter, 4 oz (1/2 tub) of Myokos cream cheese, 2 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tsp . vanilla extract. Everyone raved about the cake with several non-vegan family members fighting for the last of it. Seriously – make this cake!!! Thank you, Dana, for another fantastic recipe!!
So glad to hear it! Thanks so much for sharing your modifications!
Jakini Auset says
I made the cake and cream cheese frosting for Easter dinner dessert for my girlfriend. Success! She loved it! I also made the powder sugar for the frosting, too using organic sugar and arrow root. I use a bunt cake pan, though. I love your recipes and baking tips. I’m looking forward to taking your food photography class. Thank You for all you do! Jakini Auset
So glad to hear it, Jakini! Thanks for sharing!
Nan says
I made this and although the flavor was good, it looked nothing like the picture above. It was a very heavy cake, more like a bar. Not impressed at all and I followed the recipe exactly. Clearly the picture above is not the recipe listed.
Hi Nan, sorry to hear this didn’t turn out as expected! It sounds like something definitely went wrong! What type of gluten-free flour blend did you use? Is it possible that it contained coconut flour or some sort of other dense flour that would cause it to be heavy? We haven’t had this problem!
Laura says
Can I sub one egg per flax egg?
Yes, that will work!
Amber says
Hello, I’m wondering if I can just substitute 3 eggs for the 3 flax eggs? Or should I do more or less? I saw it varies per recipe so I’m wondering if you did any tests for this specific cake. Thanks!
Amber says
I just saw that someone else already asked this! Never mind! Thanks! Love your recipes and can’t wait to try this one!
Yes, that should work!
Alexandra Jackson says
Is it possible to use store bought egg replacer instead of flax eggs? Thanks!
Hi Alexandra, We haven’t tried that, but other readers have done so with success. Hope that helps!
Alyssa says
I’d love to use a loaf pan for this. Could it work?
Hi Alyssa, we haven’t tried it, but that might work! Another reader tried it and ended up with it being too dry so uou may have to play around with the cooking time. Hope that helps!
Kitty says
I really want to try this as carrot cake is absolute favourite and I’ve been seriously missing cake since discovering food intolerances :(
However I can’t have flaxseed! What would you suggest instead?
Hi Kitty, if you can have chicken eggs, you can sub 1 small chicken egg per 1 flax egg. Hope that helps!
Katherine says
Can you sub something else for the flax eggs? I’m allergic to flax and it’s not an option for me. Also, how would regular flour hold up with the almond flour? Hoping to make this Sunday for Easter.
Hi Katherine, if you can have chicken eggs, you can use 1 small chicken egg per 1 flax egg. Other readers have had success using regular flour in place of GF. Hope that helps!