This recipe for Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting started out as something called a "Carrot Cake Breakfast Bake" Simply because the ingredients are reminiscent of a sort of baked carrot cake oatmeal. But after one bite of this moist and rustic treat I realized it was totally dessert-approved and could easily rival traditional frosted carrot cake. And the best part: this cake is free of refined flour and there is no powdered sugar in the cream cheese frosting.
Flavors. Nutty walnuts, thick bits of sweet carrot, spices, orange zest, tender sweet organic raisins and that cream cheese frosting on top is everything you want from a carrot cake frosting .. minus the animal products. Try my recipe and you will be enjoying this healthy-delicious, easy carrot cake in a flash!..
Share this cake with someone you love!..
Flour free. I have been using homemade oat flour in a few recipes lately - like these Fresh Blueberry Muffins, and I love it. Instead of using "flour" I simply take whole rolled oats and process them for 1-2 minutes in my Vitamix (or food processor) and in seconds, I have silky, rustic oat flour. I keep it kinda textured so there are still a few whole oats in the mix.
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake. This recipe uses homemade oat flour made by processing whole rolled oats in my Vitamix.
Powdered Sugar Free. This date-sweetened frosting is so creamy, sticky, fluffy and delicious. I was a bit afraid that the dates would turn the frosting brown, but instead it turned a textured caramel color that is actually kinda gorgeous.
Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
By Published 05/06/2013
Moist and nutty-sweet carrot cake bursting with rustic carrot flavor. A healthy date-sweetened cream cheese frosting on top.
Ingredients
- Cake:
- dry:
- 3 ½ cups oat flour (I used homemade from rolled oats, processed in my Vitamix)
- 3 tablespoon ground flax seed (chia seeds can also be used)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinch of cayenne (optional)
- wet:
- 2 ½ cups non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed is best + a pinch of orange zest
- ¼ cup vegan buttery spread or virgin coconut oil, melted
- 1 ½ cups vegan sugar (raw turbino or coconut sugar are options - maple or agave could also be subbed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- fold into cake batter:
- ⅓ cup raw walnuts, chopped
- ⅓ cup raisins (or sub chopped dried apricots)
- 2 ½ cups grated carrots
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8oz. vegan cream cheese
- 4oz. vegan buttery spread
- 1 ½ cups pitted Medjool dates
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- Cake Topping: fresh orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease your cake pan with vegan butter, parchment paper or oil spray - set aside.
- Prep: Process your oats into flour, process your flax seeds and finely chop your shredded carrots. Easy tip: I actually used a bag of pre-shredded carrots, stuck them in my Vitamix for 1 minute to process them into a "finely chopped" state. Easy! You can also shred your own carrots.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients, toss well.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry bowl and fold.
- Fold in the carrots, nuts and raisins. Your "batter" will be VERY textured and thick. Not like a typical smooth cake batter.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan, smooth down with a spatula and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes - or until the edges brown and start to pull away from the pan. (You could also make these into muffins, or layer cakes!)
- While the cake is baking, you can add all your frosting ingredients to a food processor or Vitamix. Process until smooth. Using a spatula, scoop the frosting into a small bowl and place in the fridge to chill.
- Allow cake to fully cool before spreading frosting. Frost + add fresh orange zest on top. Serve chilled. Store in the fridge, covered. This cake will stay good for up to one week. If it begins to dry up a bit you can microwave a few seconds before serving to re-soften.
Yield: pan size: 13" x 9" (one cake)Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 40 mins. Total time: 55 mins. Tags: cake,carrot cake,dessert,carrots,vegan,gluten free,dates,healthy,snack,walnuts
A Vitamix is a good idea for this recipe. Buy one here with free shipping!
Disclosure: I am a Vitamix affiliate and any links to their products are via my affiliate account.
Ellie Gee says
what other flour can i use instead of making oat flour? can i use all bob's red mill gluten all purpose baking flour?
BaltimoreMama says
I wanted to love this but I must say ... the frosting turned out pretty gross. I'm guessing maybe I did something wrong based on everyone else's reviews. Still looking for a stellar vegan cream cheese frosting without processed sugar.
Courtney Miller says
Well, I have bad news. This recipe *might* work as a cake! but it's terrible as cupcakes. They stick to the cups, so I tried a batch with a greased pan and no cups.... Still no go. 4 dozen cupcakes in the trash. I'm glad I didn't start on the frosting... Best of luck...
Moni Musial says
This is my first experience with vegan baking and I was happy that it was easy and supper delicious! All my friends and family loved it and I got many compliments, my dad was also shocked that it was vegan! 😀 Thanks for this recipe
nate says
rachel, you can certainly make your own cream cheese. 8oz tofu, 1/2 cup cashews (ground). and i use silken non-gmo firm. no disrespect to kathy, the mastermind of this delicious, decadent, magnificent carrot cake! you can basically through all the frosting ingredients in together adding the dates, butter, and if you wanted to get it all over with throw in the zest although it looks great on top as you can see by the pictures. really, really amazing recipe here, highly recommended
Pedro Alves says
Turbino sugar is sugar in disguise! If it has sugar, it's not healthy.
Aimee says
Ha, vegan butter tastes exactly the same a dairy butter. Don't let the word "vegan" fool you into thinking its weird and/or flavorless.
Peter Brown says
Put rolled oats in a coffee grinder or seed and spice grinder and grind till they form a powder. I use my coffee grinder. By the way for any recipe that has wheat flour in it you can substitute half the flour with oat flour without affecting the result.
Supermarket Diva says
I'm not a Vegan, but like to find healthy alternatives. To a non vegan, vegan butter sounds weird, can I use pumpkin puree instead of vegan butter? Also, I would probably make the icing out of Greek yogurt and powder sugar.
Kathy Patalsky says
No the cream cheese has a thickness that tofu doesn't have.
Rachel says
Could I substitute silken tofu for the cream cheese?
What should I eat for breakfas says
hahaha, I think you're roght 🙂
ERF says
Oh my goodness, please don't eat this for breakfast. It
has 2 sticks of butter, a cup and a half of sugar, plus all the sugars from the
dried fruit. I suppose if you usually eat commercial granola or other cereal for
breakfast, this isn't much worse, but please please don't eat this for
breakfast. Yummy - absolutely, good way to start your day - noooo. 🙁
Nikki says
Thanks so much for this recipe! We had family come in from out of town and my daughters and I made this cake and everyone loved it! I did add a little bit of maple syrup to the frosting.
disqus_LHZZYo24hM says
Could I substitute the sugar for honey? or maple syrup?
FreeRunKitchen says
I just made this cake and it turned out amazing. Tweeked it a little but I will be sharing it on my blog. Thanks SO much for the inspiration. 🙂 Love your blog and your photo's are amazing. I am still very new at the whole blog scene but it's people like you that help me to be inspired and boundless with creativity.
Aruna Advaney says
This looks decadent. Carrot Cake is one of my favorite. Will this work if I omit the flax seed?
Ttrockwood says
Coconut sugar can be swapped equally to cane sugar. Best source would be online or from a health food store. Whole foods has it but for $$$$
Roger Lee says
I left out the carrot and replaced with parsnip,out of curiosity....really nice,I also used tinned pumpkin purée in the frosting try it..it's a revelation!
Hayley Foy says
Looks delicious! Is there a good vegan cream cheese you can buy in England? and how do you make your own oat flour?
Trisha says
Hi, after reading your post and several others..I'm curious as to why you don't use Earth Balance? I've never used vegan butter before so I'm always looking for alternatives to help! thx.
Monica says
I made this today and was disappointed to see that my cake didn't rise. I looked back at recipe and noticed it doesn't call for baking soda- only powder. Is this correct? That being said I made it for my mom for Mother's Day so wont know how it tastes until tomorrow.
Kaitlin says
I made this this week for dinner with dad & grandma (who are omnivores). They loved it, and of course I did too! It is super moist, and the frosting is amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
One suggestion I have is to process the dates before adding the cream cheese and buttery spread if you aren't using a high quality blender or food processor. I threw everything in the food processor at once, and it took forever to grind the dates down because the cream cheese and buttery spread kept jumping above the blade and sticking to the bowl, so the blade was cutting nothing at all.
Kelly Gentry says
My mouth is watering just reading it and your pictures are just making want to run home and make it! I love that there isn't powdered sugar in the frosting!
Ginny McMeans says
I love this carrot cake recipe. I can't wait to try it and especially want to have it for company.
Kathy Patalsky says
I will double check the dimensions, I found that as the standard size online for sheet cakes, but I should have just checked my own pan! Will correct this's eking, thanks Jeannette
Marcia says
Okay, it's official...you are my new BFF! I LOVE carrot cake and have been trying to find a recipe worthy of my time and HERE IT IS! Saying "Thank You" really isn't enough but I sincerely mean it. I can hardly wait to get busy in the kitchen! Oh YUM! I know people with Diabetes will be so happy. Kathy, you are just the best!
Jeannette Jacobe says
The recipe says it makes a 18x24 sheet cake but your picture shows it in a 13x9 pan. Does it really make two pans worth? I can't possibly make that much cake for just the two of us.
Marlies Hager says
brilliant! i am so doing doing this! pumpkin and carrot would be delish together!
Rayna W. says
I love carrot cake, and it's nice to see a version that I can eat without feeling guilty. It looks great!
Guest says
That'a great idea! I will try the canned pumpkin as I don't "do" earth balance anymore.
Ashley says
Yeah I don't use earth balance either but I really wanted to make this cake; It turned out great! I thought it was better the 2nd day -- after being refrigerated it hardened up a little and was the perfect cake texture! 🙂
Kim Bayne says
OMG...are you kidding me?? This is incredibly mean of you to dangle that cake before my eyes and when I lick my screen...I can't taste it!!!! I am forlorn...shall have to go make this NOW...seriously...it looks DIVINE!
Ashley says
Thank you!! I subbed canned pumpkin for the earth balance in both the cake and the frosting. I used 1 cup dates and added a little splash of maple syrup to the frosting. Awesome recipe!
Silver Sage Health & says
Amazing!
Fast-Paced Foodie says
Perfect timing!! I almost bought a slice from Whole Foods today, but didn't want the added oils. Ive cut Earth Balance out, but for a treat, I suppose it isnt too bad 🙂 Thanks for sharing your hard work and dedication to vegan goodness!!
Melanie Blais says
Looks amazing! I would love to make this but I cannot have cane sugar...any alternative suggestions?
Kaitlin says
Another one I have to try! I'm totally making this for dinner with Grandma on Friday. 🙂
Guest says
It's in the middle of the pictures! After the recipe there is one picture, it's after this one!
Melanie says
Ooh this looks incredible! Thanks for posting the link to the seed grinder too. I'm gonna have to get one of those!
Kathy Patalsky says
Liz it is the image amazon link right below the Vitamix and blendTec links.. Do you see it now?..
Sonia Womble says
I cant see the link either
Liz says
Yes, Kathy, thank you! It wasn't popping up earlier so thanks for fixing it.
Guest says
I was thinking if you put the almonds in a baggie and pummel them with a hammer, to at least break them up a bit, would they be okay in the coffee grinder after being broken up?
Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Carrot cake is my FAV! And you totally healthified this! Yum!
beachmama says
I use an inexpensive coffee grinder to grind my flax seeds. You can grind walnuts but almonds are a bit too hard. For almonds I use my Cuisinart or VitaMix.
beachmama says
You truly are a genius in the kitchen Kathy! I've always felt torn about using powdered sugar and never considered dates . . . you're brilliant!
Liz says
I think you left out the link for your nut.seed grinder. Can you please amend the post so I Can check it out? I'm super curious about it!
spabettie says
this sounds so incredible, I'm all over that frosting, LOVE that you used dates instead of sugar...
Melissa S. says
This looks amazing! I can't wait to get home and try it out!
kopns says
Oh, I too love using dates in frosting! My first try at it was for a caramel type frosting on an apple n spice cake. Just before dumping in the brown sugar called for in the recipe, a lightbulb came on in my head and I tried dates instead. Incfedibly tasty!
Natalie says
Oh wow, this looks amazing! I actually think I have all the ingredients in my fridge/pantry. I was going to make some cookies this afternoon but now i'm very tempted to make this!
What should I eat for breakfas says
I can totally make it and eat it for breakfast. It is so healthy plus it will be like eating cake for a breakfast.