Carrot Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting (contains dairy, contains gluten)

Originally posted: May 13, 2010. Last modified: June 4, 2019 by Anjali Lalani. This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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This delicious Carrot Cake was one of the first egg-less recipes I came across awhile back. My aunt, who was visiting us from Texas, made this cake during Christmas for everyone. I am a sucker for carrot cake, and this was hands down one of the best I had ever had. The combination of carrots, pineapples, nuts, and spices topped with Cream Cheese Frosting made for a dangerously satisfying moist cake!

I instantly asked her for the recipe and it hasn’t failed me since! My parents are a huge fan of this cake and I try to make it every year for one of their birthdays. This recipe makes 3 cakes. You can either opt to make three separate cakes, or layer them and make one giant cake. I personally like to layer them on top of each other with frosting in between. I’ve also decorated the finished product with some fresh coconut and chopped walnuts.

I really hope you give this cake recipe a try…it’s well worth the effort and you will not be disappointed!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The perfect moist delicious carrot cake recipe with your favorite cream cheese frosting!

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: carrot cake recipe, vegan cake recipe, vegan carrot cake recipe

Servings: 8" round cakes

Calories: 3029kcal

Author: Anjali Lalani

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teasp baking soda
1/2 teasp baking powder
8 oz. can crushed pineapples , reserving the juice
1 1/2 cup oil
2 cups carrots , steamed and mashed
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 teasp nutmeg powder
1/2 teasp cloves powder
1 1/2 cups walnuts , chopped
1 cup sweetened coconut , shredded
3 tbsp vegan sour cream
raisins
little amt. of pineapple juice , if needed

For Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz vegan cream cheese
5 tbsp unsalted vegan butter
1/2 teasp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
fresh lemon juice , optional

INSTRUCTIONS

To Make the Cake:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl, except for the cream cheese frosting.
Line the bottom of three 8" pans with wax paper. Split batter evenly between all 3 pans and bake three separate cakes, each for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool cake layers in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.
Invert the cake and pan and hit the bottom of the pan until the cake pops out onto the cooking rack (note that this should happen pretty quickly. If it is stuck, take a butter knife and run it along the edge of the cake and try again).
Repeat with other layers and allow all layers to cool completely.

For Cream Cheese Frosting: (see notes below)

Mix all the ingredients with a stand mixer or hand mixer.
For a lemony flavor, add a little amount of fresh lemon juice.

Cake Assembly:

Place one layer, rounded side up, on cake plate, spread an even coat of frosting to within 1/4 inch of the edge.
Place second layer, rounded side down, on frosted layer. Spread an even coat of frosting to within 1/4 inch of the edge.
Place third layer, rounded side up, on frosted layer. Coat the sides of the cake with a layer of frosting. Swirl more frosting on the side, forming a 1/4-inch ridge above the top of the cake.
Spread remaining frosting over the top of the cake, just meeting the built-up ridge around side and frost the side of the cake. Leave the top smooth for decorations.

NOTES

Nutritional Information below - serving size is each 8" round cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting - depending on how you serve this cake, you may need to double the cream cheese frosting recipe above.

Frosting helps seal in a cake's moisture, and add another element of flavor and texture. The key to frosting a cake well is to make sure the layers are cool and free of crumbs before you apply the frosting.

For decoration, sprinkle shredded coconut all over the cake sides and top. Alternatively, coat the side of the frosted cake with chopped walnuts. Orange food coloring can also be added to the frosting to decorate the top of the cake with frosting swirls and shapes.

NUTRITION

Did you Make this Recipe ?Mention @VegetarianGastronomy or tag #vegetariangastronomy!

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Comments

Pina

January 10, 2011 at 5:01 am

This is the best carrot cake recipe I have made. I made it vegan using vegan sour cream and it came out great. I followed the recipe exactly but opted to not put the shredded coconuts and walnuts in the cake batter and it still cooked well and came out super moist and very delicious. You would never know that it is eggless or vegan. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I will be making this cake over and over again =)

Reply
Gastronomers - Amman & Anjali

January 11, 2011 at 7:24 pm

Thanks Pina! And thanks for the tip on making this vegan – I’ve been meaning to try that out!

Reply
803b6e10-79a1-11e0-a837-000bcdcb2996

November 01, 2011 at 7:09 pm

I’ve made this cake four times now and each time it just gets better. One of my faves now for sure – thanks for sharing! 🙂

Reply
Gastronomers - Amman & Anjali

November 03, 2011 at 12:26 am

Thanks for the comment! My husband unfortunately cannot eat carrots anymore, so I don’t get to make it as often as I used to. But it’s one of my favorite cakes so i’m glad others are enjoying it!

Reply
Neil

October 15, 2013 at 4:07 am

Wow loved the carrot cake. It was perfect! My mom tried it out today and is planning to make it for my birthday 😀

Reply
- anjali
  
  October 15, 2013 at 4:20 am
  
  This is by far my favorite cake recipe! Turns out perfect every-time! Awesome that she made it and you loved it! Happy early birthday!
  
  Reply
Neha

April 10, 2014 at 7:35 pm

Does the t,T stand for tablespoon or teaspoon?

Reply
- anjali
  
  April 10, 2014 at 9:23 pm
  
  Hi Neha, sorry about the confusion. I have since then changed my way of denoting tablespoons vs. teaspoons but have yet to go back and fix all my older recipes. I went ahead and updated the recipe above for this cake so it is clear. Let me know if you have any questions! And I really hope you get a chance to try out this cake recipe with the cream cheese frosting…it is one of my favorite cakes and absolutely delicious!!
  
  Reply
Amy Dalal

December 31, 2014 at 8:56 pm

Hello Anjali I had a question, I made the cake as is but realized does the coconut and walnut get mixed in with the batter as it said mix in all ingredients minus the cream cheese frosting for the cake I’m hoping I did this correctly as I mixed it all in and then was going to top it with more coconut and walnuts later? Making this now so hope it turns out.

Reply
- anjali
  
  December 31, 2014 at 10:00 pm
  
  Hi Amy! Yes the shredded coconut and walnuts (and raisins if using) get mixed into the batter. Basically everything except cream cheese frosting. Then when I decorate, I make a frosting layer in between the two cake layers and then cover the entire cake with frosting. I coat around the frosting with more chopped walnuts (this is extra and not listed in the recipe) and cover the top frosted cake with shredded coconut (again, this is extra and not listed in the recipe). Hope that helps! BTW…i typically double the amount of cream cheese frosting when decorating this cake. I’m so excited you are making this cake!! It’s one of my favorites! Hope it turns out well. Let me know or send me a picture of the final cake! Happy New Year!
  
  Reply
Amy Dalal

January 02, 2015 at 1:38 am

Words cannot do justice to this delicious cake! This was the first cake I’ve ever made and I’m glad it was this because it turned out perfectly. If I ever do the 3 layers I’ll double the cream cheese frosting recipe. Thank You so much for this recipe! I’m excited to take it to a dinner party soon

Reply
Amy Dalal

January 02, 2015 at 1:40 am

Words cannot do justice to this delicious cake! This was the first cake I’ve ever made and I’m glad it was this because it turned out perfectly. If I ever do the 3 layers I’ll double the cream cheese frosting recipe. Thank You so much for this recipe! I’m excited to take it to a dinner party soon

Reply
- anjali
  
  January 02, 2015 at 5:42 am
  
  I am SO excited that you loved this cake!! I keep trying to get everyone to make it because it is absolutely one of my favorites! Not to mention it looks great when serving for others. Thanks for trying it out and sharing the picture of the final product! Hope they enjoy it over at the dinner party! And I’ll be sure to edit the recipe for doubling the amount of cream cheese frosting for all three layers. Thanks for catching that. I think you’ve inspired me to develop another fun cake recipe! Happy New Year!
  
  Reply