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Healthy Vegan Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

March 23, 2015 by Ceara 124 Comments

Cream Cheese Carrot Cake Vegan3

OH my word, friends. This Healthy Vegan Carrot Carrot Cake Loaf is one to remember! This might just be my new favorite quick bread. Moist, soft and flavorful vegan carrot cake topped off with a thick layer of Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Let’s just say this Vegan Carrot Cake did not stand a chance around here… it was gone in under 2 days. Yum!

vegan carrot cake

It’s funny how food is SO cultural. There’s a going joke in Belgium about a person walking into a bakery asking for carrot cake and the baker walking out with some carrot sticks and a cake. The people who I’ve mentioned carrot cake to here (and don’t get me started on Zucchini Bread LOL) look at me like I might have a third eye. 😉

And I have to admit, the idea of putting vegetables into a cake does seem kinda strange if you haven’t grown up on eating veggie breads like chocolate zucchini bread, pumpkin bread and carrot cake. Did you grow up on carrot cake or does the whole idea of carrots in a cake seem kinda odd to you!?

Why would you grate carrots into a cake?! And then stick a thick layer of cream cheese icing on top?!

the carrot cake

Because the results are oh soooo amazing! 😀 I mean, look at that Soft Vegan Carrot Cake and thick layer of Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing. Nom nom nom.

Carrots do something magical to cakes. They are super saweeeeeet and add in a lot of moisture to quick breads. Which is why it’s easy to make an Oil-Free Vegan Carrot Cake like this one that tastes totally moist, soft and delicious.

dark brown cane

Don’t be scared off by the seemingly long ingredients list. Spice cakes like this one always have a few more ingredients because of all the spices. I’ll break them down here for you.

Orange Juice + Lemon Juice + Orange Zest  – Add such delicious flavor and depth to this vegan carrot cake. The orange undertones are out-of-this-world! The lemon juice helps the cake to rise.

Cinnamon + Nutmeg + Ginger – The main spices in this vegan carrot cake that bring it to life. Feel free to use a bit less of each if you are sensitive to spices.

Finely Grated Carrots + Applesauce – The key to a super moist carrot cake is making sure that your carrots are finely grated. My food processor grater is not fine enough. I grated the carrots for this cake on the finest side of my grater by hand. Believe me, it’s worth it! The applesauce acts as an oil-replacer and steps the softness of this vegan carrot cake to a whole new level!

Maple Syrup + Dark Brown Cane Sugar – Add so much flavor and moisture to this cake. I love baking with dark brown cane sugar – it does amazing things to cakes and cookies. If you don’t have Dark Brown Cane Sugar on hand you can sub regular brown sugar with an extra teaspoon of molasses.

cream cheese icing

If you do make this Vegan Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting or any other recipes from my kitchen, it makes my week hearing about it! healthy vegan carrot cake Insta it to me @CearasKitchen with hashtag #CearasKitchen (so I don’t miss it!), Tweet  it to me @CearasKitchen or Facebook it to me via the Ceara’s Kitchen Facebook Page! <3

Wishing you a wonderful week everyone!
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healthy vegan carrot cake

4.5 from 19 reviews
Healthy Vegan Carrot Cake Loaf {Oil Free!}
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
45 mins
Total time
1 hour 5 mins
 
This Healthy Vegan Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing is so soft, moist + delicious! Feel free to eat this carrot cake with or without the icing!
Author: Ceara
Recipe type: American
Cuisine: Dessert
Serves: 12 slices
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
  • 2 cups spelt flour*
  • ½ tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ⅓ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Wet ingredients
  • 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax seed + 6 tbsp water)
  • 6 tbsp orange juice*
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • ½ tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ cup applesauce*
  • ½ tbsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup dark brown cane sugar (or dark brown sugar)*
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1½ cups finely grated carrots
Vegan Cream Cheese Icing
  • ½ cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes or overnight
  • 1½ tbsp maple syrup
  • 1½ - 2 tsp lemon juice
  • pinch sea salt
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
Directions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F/180. Prepare a loaf pan with coconut oil, non-stick cooking spray, or line with parchment paper (to be completely oil free). If making the icing, boil water and soak cashews while preparing the cake.
  2. In a large size bowl, add flax seed and water and leave to thicken up while preparing the dry ingredients.
  3. In a medium sized bowl, add and mix dry ingredients together until evenly dispersed.
  4. When the flax has reached an egg-like consistency add the rest of the Wet Ingredients (Orange Juice through to Finely Grated Carrots). Whisk together until well combined. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined making sure not to over-mix the batter.
  5. Pour carrot cake batter into the loaf pan and even out the top with the back of a spatula. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clear. The amount of time the Carrot Cake takes to bake will depend on your oven - mine took 38 minutes.
  6. Remove Cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the loaf pan and leave to cool on a cooling rack.
Prepare Icing
  1. Drain and rinse soaked cashews (make sure your cashews are thoroughly soaked for the icing to be silky smooth). With an immersion or small blender blend the cashews together with maple syrup, lemon juice (1½ tsp), sea salt, vanilla extract and optional cinnamon until silky smooth (this took me about 3 minutes). Taste test and add an additional ½ tsp of lemon juice if necessary (I prefer it will 2 whole tsps of lemon juice). The icing should be thick like traditional cream cheese icing. If necessary add a little bit of water if the icing is too thick.
  2. Once carrot cake is cool, ice cake with icing and garnish with optional walnuts or pecans.
Notes
1) Can also use white whole wheat or all purpose flour
2) Replace applesauce with melted coconut oil or vegan butter-y spread (recipe will no longer be oil-free.
3) Use pineapple juice or apple juice instead of orange juice for a different spin on this recipe!
4) Replace Dark Brown Cane Sugar with brown sugar + 1 tsp of molasses or regular sugar + 1½ tsp of molasses (or you can just leave out the molasses altogether).
3.5.3226

healthy vegan carrot cake

Filed Under: All Recipes, Breads, Cake, Fall, Low Fat, Maple Syrup, Oil Free, Refined Sugar Free, Snacks, Spelt Flour, Spring, Sweet Eats, Winter Tagged With: cake, carrot, cinnamon, healthy, Vegan, with

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Comments

  1. Beauty Fashion says

    March 15, 2023 at 10:49 pm

    Good web site! I truly love how it is easy on my eyes and the data are well written. I am wondering how I could be notified whenever a new post has been made. I’ve subscribed to your RSS which must do the trick! Have a nice day!

    Reply
  2. Patty says

    September 27, 2020 at 1:22 pm

    Turned out great! I followed the recipe exactly, sans the frosting,(don’t need the extra calories)!
    This will be my go-to for a replacement for banana bread or pumpkin bread. Thank you!🙏👍

    Reply
  3. M says

    August 24, 2020 at 5:05 pm

    Very disappointed with this one. Baked for extra 30 minutes, yet came out raw in the middle despite the top starting to burn. Waste of time and ingredients

    Reply
  4. Linda says

    August 31, 2019 at 5:45 pm

    I didn’t make the frosting but the carrot cake is delicious!

    Reply
  5. maroula says

    June 10, 2018 at 12:52 am

    Hi Ceara,
    This cake looks amazing. I was just wondering if you can replace the orange juice with non dairy milk?

    Reply
  6. Lisa says

    April 22, 2018 at 12:22 pm

    Your cake looks wonderful! I’ve been searching for a carrot cake that’s vegan and oil-free! Do you think I could use almond flour for the cake? I love that the frosting is cashew based!

    Reply
  7. Tia says

    March 15, 2018 at 10:32 pm

    This looks fantastic! I am definitely going to try it! One question…. my daughter found this and wants me to make it, but she is deathly allergic to cinnamon. Would you suggest nutmeg, allspice, or some other substitute? I have traditionally avoided recipes with cinnamon for her so I’m not great at subs, but I’d love to make her this while she recovers from surgery.

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 16, 2018 at 8:05 pm

      I would just leave out the cinnamon – allspice typically has cinnamon in it so avoid using if your daughter has an allergy! Nutmeg would be a great sub! Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Danielle says

        January 4, 2020 at 10:45 am

        Hi, allspice is its own distinct spice. It is not a combination of other spices.

        Reply
  8. Rachel says

    September 12, 2017 at 12:26 am

    Love this recipe Ceara! Ive been making it almost weekly! Me and my boyfriend have been wen enjoying it as a nice health snack with our coffee 🙂
    And it’s nice and easy to make!

    Reply
  9. JESSICA says

    July 30, 2017 at 8:06 pm

    I want to make this cake for my dad but he’s diabetic. Can I use stevia as a sugar substitute and still have it taste decent? Lol

    Reply
  10. Yechezkel Schatz says

    March 4, 2017 at 12:01 pm

    Thank you so much, Ceara! I’ve always loved carrot cake, but since I went vegan it never even occurred to me to go looking for a recipe that would enable me to enjoy it again. The cake was delicious and the icing was heavenly. Here are a couple of notes from my experience:
    For the cake:
    * I’m not a huge fan of nutmeg, so I reduced the quantity of nutmeg (and also slightly reduced the quantity of powdered ginger). I made up for it by adding allspice (which I like very much) and a dash of ground cloves.
    * I was afraid I’d run out of maple syrup, so I used mostly pure date syrup (we call it “silan”). About 80% of the half cup that your recipe calls for was date syrup, and the rest was maple syrup. I also replaced the brown sugar with powdered jaggery.
    For the icing:
    My blender was just not powerful enough to achieve a creamy texture, so I used a wet grinder (which I bought in India). I also added 1 tbsp of shredded coconut. Like I said, it was heavenly!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 5, 2017 at 8:56 pm

      So happy you enjoyed the carrot cake! Thank you for the lovely feedback! 🙂

      Reply
    • Sirlyne says

      May 23, 2017 at 10:26 pm

      I am anticipating making this recipe as I make carrot cake every week. Can you substitute the brown sugar with a diabetic sweetener??

      Reply
  11. Marie says

    February 23, 2017 at 1:51 am

    Just made this today and added some shredded zucchini as well. Absolutely delicious! Thank you for the post 🙂 Will be making this over and over again!

    Reply
  12. Amal says

    November 3, 2016 at 3:23 pm

    Hi!

    When i tried this, the icing wasn’t white. It was like beige. Is it supposed to be like that?

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      November 20, 2016 at 2:58 pm

      The icing does have a bit of a “beige” tone because of the maple syrup (and it may be darker depending on the maple syrup you use) and nuts.

      Reply
  13. Kylie says

    August 17, 2016 at 6:18 pm

    Instead of grating the carrots could you blend them in a blender and then add them to the mix?

    Reply
  14. Claire says

    August 12, 2016 at 4:01 pm

    Love this recipe! Made it today and had to stop myself from eating the batter straight from the bowl! The cake was delicious warm, and then with the frosting later this evening. I didn’t have spelt flour so used self-raising whole wheat flour, and subbed the brown sugar with coconut sugar and a teaspoon and a half of molasses. The cake has a delicious spicy zingy taste and my husband loves it. No mean feat as we have just moved to a whole foods plant based way of eating and he is missing cakes and biscuits. As several attempts at different recipes, this is the first he has loved.

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      August 15, 2016 at 7:43 pm

      So happy you and your hubby loved the cake! Your lovely comment made my day! 🙂

      Reply
  15. Jacky says

    August 9, 2016 at 3:03 pm

    How much icing does this make? I want to use the icing on a different carrot cake recipe and want to make sure there’s enough for 2 dozen cupcakes. I’ll probably double it at least.

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      August 15, 2016 at 7:45 pm

      It makes enough for one cake. Definitively double (or triple) if you are going to be icing 2 dozen cupcakes!

      Reply
  16. Bree says

    August 4, 2016 at 11:38 am

    OH! Can I use ground oat flour instead of spelt flour or reg/whole wheat flour? I would like to make this and don’t have spelt flour, thanks!

    Reply
  17. Ruth Marshall says

    July 21, 2016 at 9:50 pm

    This cake is delicious!! I think I squeezed out too much carrot juice and so I added some water, was worried that I had over mixed it, but managed to mix in the dry ingredients just barely and it came out beautifully – cooked all the way and even, lovely. I did not quite achieve the silky texture with the cream cheese icing so I cheated and added confectioners sugar, and that was very tasty.

    I do have issue with the prep time of 20 minutes. Finely grating 1.5 cups of carrots is more than 20 minutes work in itself.

    Reply
  18. Steve says

    July 4, 2016 at 6:47 am

    I make this delicious cake frequently but recently started to squeeze some of the water from the carrots and get better results. I bake at 370 for 45 minutes and the moistness level is *perfect*. I also add 1 cup of chopped walnuts and 3/4 raisems. So delicious.

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      July 6, 2016 at 9:45 pm

      So happy you’re enjoying the cake, Steve!

      Reply
  19. Patrice says

    June 1, 2016 at 6:46 pm

    Can I replace the maple syrup with honey?

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      June 2, 2016 at 9:05 pm

      Yes!

      Reply
      • Yasmin says

        June 27, 2016 at 7:30 am

        Hi Ceara,

        Can I sub the brown sugar with coconut sugar?

        Thanks

        Reply
        • Ceara says

          June 27, 2016 at 7:30 pm

          Yes!!

          Reply
  20. Steven Feinberg says

    April 24, 2016 at 12:35 am

    I’ve made this cake a dozen times now and its fantastic! Thanks !

    Reply
  21. Nardia says

    April 7, 2016 at 4:08 am

    Hi, I just made this cake, and the taste is delicious, although it didn’t rise as mice as I thought and wasn’t as fluffy. The bottom part was a bit rubbery and chewy? Maybe my oven was too hot? Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      April 10, 2016 at 10:52 pm

      Hi Nardia,

      This cake should be moist, soft and fluffy. Did you over-mix your dough or mix it until it was just combined? Over mixing your dough can be a culprit in chewy baked goods! I only mix my breads until they are *just* combined! 🙂

      Reply
    • Bev says

      July 31, 2016 at 8:38 am

      I agree . Although I haven’t made this I know when I make anything with applesauce it turns out to wet and rubbery! 😟

      Reply
  22. Emmi says

    March 17, 2016 at 3:54 pm

    Hi! Can i replace the egg with somenthing else? i don’t have flax seeds. thanks for the recipe btw!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 20, 2016 at 10:04 pm

      You can also make this cake with a chia egg – replace the flax seeds with chia seeds 1 for 1! 🙂

      Reply
  23. Evan says

    March 14, 2016 at 11:47 pm

    Hey.. how many times should I multiply this recipe to make a 3 layer 1/2 sheet cake..thank you. ..please reply via personal email, e.fraum1846@gmail.com

    Best,
    Evan

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 20, 2016 at 10:30 pm

      Hi Evan,

      I have never made this as a layer cake. I would suggest at least doubling the recipe. I love to know your results if you end up making it! Enjoy 🙂

      Reply
  24. Gabriele says

    February 21, 2016 at 9:31 am

    I thought the batter is too dry, but the pie turned out to be crazy good! Soft and full of floavours. I skipped cashew topping (no doubt it is perfect!), but added less healthy one – powderd sugar and lemon juice glaze. Sweet’n’ sour suites here great as well.
    Thanks for rhe delightful recipe! Greetings from Lithuania 😉

    Reply
  25. Mary says

    February 3, 2016 at 9:27 pm

    Am I missing something? I don’t see where it says how much carrots to add.

    Reply
    • Denise Tarrant says

      February 10, 2016 at 5:09 pm

      Hi,
      I would like to make this recipe into
      cake form.
      Would I need to go ahead and double
      this recipe to put into two cake pans.
      Would your recipe work in an 8×13?
      Thanks!

      Reply
  26. Kellie Lee says

    December 22, 2015 at 1:49 am

    THIS WAS AMAZING!! Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂 I ommitted the sugar and replaced it with a banana and a couple of blended dates instead and also added in 1/4 cup of raisings and 1/4 cup of shredded coconut and pumpkin seeds; perfection! Also subbed the flour with 1 cup wholewheat flour, 1/2 cup almond meal and 1/2 cup buckwheat flour ^_^ thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      January 2, 2016 at 9:06 am

      Yay! Happy you enjoyed the carrot cake. 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!

      Reply
  27. Sara says

    December 5, 2015 at 7:51 am

    I have been looking for a healthy cake recipe for my son’s first birthday party, and this is THE ONE. I reduced the ginger and increased the cinnamon, I used pineapple juice and lemon zest instead of orange, and I made 12 mini-cupcakes (15 minutes), 9 full size cupcakes (15-20 minutes), and a 4-inch round baby cake (25 minutes). I tested 2 batches, and this truly is THE ONE. Now all I have to do is decorate it with that yummy frosting, and it will be a birthday smash cake! And I probably shouldn’t eat all the cupcakes before the party…we’ll see how that goes.

    Reply
  28. June says

    November 28, 2015 at 10:39 pm

    Your walnut & zucchini cake is the best, this one looks great & uses lots of carrot, can’t wait to make it.
    I love your recipes, they already have the substitutes & they really work. One question, does the oven temp refer to fan forced or regular conventional oven?

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      December 1, 2015 at 11:45 pm

      Thank you so much for your kinds words and lovely feedback, June! So happy you enjoy my zucchini cake!

      I have made this in both kinds of oven. Adjust the baking time based on the type of oven you are using! The oven temperature and time here are based on a regular convention oven!

      Reply
  29. Bj Rose says

    November 27, 2015 at 11:46 pm

    I made this carrot cake at the weekend and it is exceptional! All my guests were blown away by it. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      December 1, 2015 at 11:45 pm

      So happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂 Thank you for the lovely feedback!

      Reply
  30. Belen says

    October 4, 2015 at 4:15 pm

    Hi,
    Im super excited about baking it later! Carrot cake is my favourite and I love trying healthy/vegan recipes. Do you think the maple syrup is necessary? Could i not use it and add more sugar instead? If not, will honey work just fine (not vegan anymore though)?
    thanks!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      October 4, 2015 at 4:29 pm

      Hi Belen,

      You could try replacing the maple syrup with another liquid sweetener but if you use honey it’s a lot sweeter than MS so you might have to reduce the sugar and play around with the sweetness. Would love to know your results when you make it! 🙂

      Reply
  31. Dominica says

    August 29, 2015 at 5:37 am

    OH MY. This recipe is the holy grail of carrot cake. I baked this today and had to wait to try it until I got home from work so it was a good thing to look forward to haha, anyways, it was amazing. I actually had no maple syrup so I used agave instead. I chose to add chopped pecans and some chopped dried Apple and it made such a yummy little addition to the cake. I let my cahsews soak for about 8 hours and it made a great silky icing. It was a bit thick so I added a few tbsp’s of rice milk, an extra few tsp’s of cinnamon, also I only added a teeny drop of agave because I prefer to use equal in icings so they aren’t high in sugar. Overall it was lovely and can’t wait to eat all the rest of it in the days to come, will definitely be making this again (:

    Reply
  32. Lavender Bee says

    August 28, 2015 at 7:06 pm

    Ceara,
    The carrot cake came out of the oven half an hour ago, OMG it’s so delicious. I can’t believe it’s healthy. The faux cream cheese frosting is brilliant. Thank you for such an wonderful recipe. I did add a handful of currants. It will be perfect for the winter holidays with all the warm spices.

    Reply
  33. @healthyvegangirls says

    August 25, 2015 at 10:17 pm

    Loved this recipe!! I made it into smaller cup cakes and it worked so well!
    I froze most of them so they have lasted me a while for uni/work lunches! Such a great, guilt-free treat 🙂

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      August 26, 2015 at 8:29 pm

      I so need to make these into cupcakes now 🙂 So happy you enjoyed them!! Thank you for the wonderful feedback!

      Reply
    • ashleigh anderson says

      September 8, 2015 at 1:30 pm

      Did you put the icing an them and freeze them as well? If so, how did that turn out?

      Reply
      • Ceara says

        September 11, 2015 at 1:08 am

        Hi Ashleigh, I’ve never frozen this cake with the icing. I would recommend freezing the carrot cake (I’ve done this before and it works well) and making the icing fresh or a day in advance before defrosting the cake!

        Reply
  34. Lianne says

    August 6, 2015 at 7:36 am

    Hi Ceara! This cake looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it! But before I do, I was wondering if you could answer some of my questions. 1) Is it okay if I use regular butter instead of applesauce, and would I need to melt it? and 2) Could I just use honey instead of the dark brown sugar and maple syrup?

    Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      August 9, 2015 at 7:01 pm

      Hi Lianne,

      I am not sure if replacing the applesauce with regular butter would work because I’ve never tried it. You can try using melted butter/oil! The cake is incredibly moist without the oil though.

      I think you probably can replace the maple syrup with honey but I wouldn’t replace the brown sugar with honey because the batter will be too wet.

      Happy Baking!!! Would love to know your results if you end up baking this cake!

      Reply
  35. Racine says

    July 4, 2015 at 1:04 pm

    We just enjoyed this for a special holiday breakfast and my whole family loved it! I am a huge carrot cake fan and was looking for something exactly like this – an oil free, vegan way to enjoy carrot cake for breakfast. We are gluten free so I replaced the spelt flour with a 50/50 blend of oat and sorghum flours and it turned out perfectly.

    Thanks for an awesome recipe!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      July 10, 2015 at 1:42 pm

      Thank you so much for the great feedback, Racine!! So happy you and your family enjoyed it 🙂

      Reply
  36. Polly says

    July 2, 2015 at 3:59 pm

    Is it possible to replace the flour with bob’s redmill all purpose baking or 1 to 1 baking flour or other gluten free flour blend? Thank you:)

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      July 10, 2015 at 1:47 pm

      I am not sure because I have never subbed 1 for 1 baking flour but I have had some readers do it with success! I would love to know your results if you end up trying it 🙂

      Reply
  37. Karamela says

    June 8, 2015 at 11:46 pm

    food is totally cultural thing! carrot in my – central europe – region is a veggie supposed to be in a soup more than to be a part of sweet tooth 😀 so that’s the cultural background fighting against carrot in cakes..
    but later on i find out there is actually something traditionally czech made out of carrot.. it’s kind of pastry (batter is simply softly grated carrot and flour and a bit of oil – coconut oil is working well) filled with plum jam which can be easily replaced by any other jam or even chocolate ..and than my biased friends had to admit that carrot fits actually perfectly into sweet baking haha and suddenly carrot cake became a quite popular all over the europe and they are all ok with that. eh customs and traditions and cultural difusion right?!
    i’ll try your recipe one day!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      June 12, 2015 at 9:16 am

      That carrot dessert sounds delicious!! <3 Plums and carrots sound like a delicious combo!! 🙂 Thank you, Karamela!

      Reply
  38. Maia says

    June 3, 2015 at 2:55 am

    Hi! This looks so so good! I’m baking a carrot cake for some of my friends who are very picky, and I’m not vegan but I love baking vegan items and using healthier recipes! I had a few questions! First – Could you use this recipe and bake it into either round cake pans or into cupcakes, and still have it work without adjusting the recipe? Also – would it work with Coconut Sugar? Thank you so much! 🙂

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      June 3, 2015 at 5:26 am

      Hi Maia! Thank you for your kind words 🙂

      You can certainly replace the dark brown cane sugar with coconut sugar. I had feedback from one reader that she did this and it worked out just fine. If you have a bit of molasses on hand, you could add in a 1 tsp along with the coconut sugar to make up for the molasses normally used in the dark brown cane sugar. If you don’t have any on hand, it will be delicious either way 🙂

      I’ve also baked these into muffins (makes around 11) and they work just fine. You’ll have to adjust the baking time (only around 17 – 22 minutes depending on your oven). Hope this answers all your questions! Would love to hear your results if you end up trying them!! 🙂

      Reply
      • Maia says

        June 3, 2015 at 1:06 pm

        Thank you so much! I definitley think I’m going to try them! One last question I forgot to ask – Is there anyway I can add raisins into the recipe, and do you know if I’d need to adjust anything? Thank you again, and I’ll let you know how they turn out!

        Reply
        • Ceara says

          June 4, 2015 at 6:49 am

          You can definitively add in some raisins!! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out 🙂 Happy Baking!

          Reply
  39. Tess says

    May 20, 2015 at 3:35 pm

    I am making this cake right now and it smells so delicious!
    I have just finished the frosting and it turned out amazing, even with my super crappy immersion blender.
    I adjusted the recipe a little bit. I added dates to the frosting instead of maple syrup, and some orange zest instead of vanilla extract, and omg it is so tasty I cannot stop licking the freaking stuff.
    Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      May 21, 2015 at 6:21 am

      Thank you SO much for your feedback, Tess!! I am so happy you enjoyed the cake and frosting! I also use a cheap immersion blender around here – it’s crazy how smooth you can get the frosting with it 🙂 I love your addition of dates and orange zest – sounds absolutely delicious!!

      Reply
  40. Linda Wiseman says

    May 15, 2015 at 4:44 pm

    This looks so amazing! I love carrot bread, cake, cookies, etc…. Can’t wait to try this recipe and I love that it’s vegan too!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      May 16, 2015 at 4:35 pm

      Yay! Thank you so much, Linda! 🙂

      Reply
  41. Charlotte says

    May 1, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    This looks absolutely amazing! Thank you! Can I use chia-eggs instead of flax though? And how much in real eggs does the recipe call for?
    Also wondering if I can use buckwheat flour?
    Cant wait to try it, thank youuuu! xx

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      May 1, 2015 at 4:49 pm

      Hi Charlotte! Yes, chia eggs should work fine although I have never tried them with this carrot cake myself. It’s the equivalent of two chicken’s eggs used in this recipe. I do not think this recipe would work with buckwheat flour – I would stick with the spelt flour or try another wheat flour alternative (like a GF 1 for 1 flour maybe?!). I have only tried this recipe with flax eggs and spelt or whole wheat flour so would love to know your results! Happy Baking 🙂

      Reply
  42. Loveena says

    April 29, 2015 at 8:46 am

    I made the carrot cake last night and it was DELICIOUS! I’ve printed many recipes from your list before, and I keep thinking that I’ll make one of the goodies listed here and now finally made my first carrot cake. I used 100% rye flour (next time I think I will mix various flour), so it came out more like a bread. I did not have maple syrup, so used organic raw honey and substituted the walnuts for almond. The icing was to die for, I had to stop myself from eating all of it before icing the cake. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      May 1, 2015 at 10:07 am

      I’m so happy that you’ve been enjoying my recipes and enjoyed the carrot cake and the icing, Loveena 🙂 This icing is to die for! Whenever I make this I make sure to make extra to spread a bit extra on the warm carrot cake! Thank you so much for the feedback!

      Reply
  43. Samantha says

    April 19, 2015 at 11:04 pm

    This is ANAZING!! My kids love it too.

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      April 20, 2015 at 5:45 am

      So happy you and your kiddies enjoyed the cake, Samantha!! 🙂

      Reply
  44. Tracy says

    April 16, 2015 at 4:21 pm

    WOW – this looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      April 17, 2015 at 7:22 am

      Yay! Let me know if you end up making it!! Happy Baking!

      Reply
  45. Richa {VeganRicha.com} says

    March 31, 2015 at 6:38 pm

    love that icing and the perfectly moist carrot cake!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 31, 2015 at 7:15 pm

      Thank you so much, Richa! The icing + the moist carrot cake really is wonderful! 🙂

      Reply
  46. italia caruso says

    March 28, 2015 at 1:29 pm

    I want one now! it looks so good!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 29, 2015 at 8:10 am

      Thank you so much, Italia!

      Reply
  47. Izzy says

    March 27, 2015 at 5:19 am

    Oh no! Everyone needs to know what carrot cake is and how delicious it is!! This looks so awesome, Ceara!! I’ve been working on a carrot cake recipe and I can’t stop eating it! I love your icing 🙂

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 27, 2015 at 7:21 am

      I know, right!?! 😀 Carrot Cake is definitively one of my favorite cakes ever!! I can’t wait to see your GF carrot cake recipe, Izzy!! Have a great weekend!

      Reply
  48. Laina says

    March 26, 2015 at 10:17 pm

    Made this today and it’s so delicious!

    In case anyone does what I did, I thought I’d share this just for you. I passed over the instructions about using a small blender or immersion blender. So when I made the icing, I used my Vitamix. After a few tries of blending and scrapping down the sides, I realized this just wasn’t going to work.

    I don’t own a small blender or immersion blender so I needed to come up with an idea and pronto! I didn’t have extra cashews so I doubled the recipe, but in place of cashews I haved the amount using almond flour instead.

    It worked perfectly. After scrapping a couple times, the vitamix took over and did its job. Yay! The color of the icing is a little darker, but I don’t mind – it tastes great!

    Also, I used 1/4 cup white whole wheat and 3/4 uncle ached all purpose flour. I was going to use oat flour, but I forgot to blend some before using my food processor for the carrots.

    I think I forgot to use the maple syrup in the cake batter, but it was still plenty sweet. I used xylitol with the molasses for the sugars.

    The baking took 45 minutes and could have probably used another 10, but I was impatient and took it out. It’s nice and moist and delicious. Can’t wait for DH to come home and have a piece.

    Thanks so much for a delicious, healthy recipe!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 27, 2015 at 9:44 am

      Thank you SO much for your feedback, Laina!!

      I’m so happy that you enjoyed the carrot cake! 🙂 If you make the frosting again I think it would work well in the vitacost if you doubled/tripled the recipe, I recommend using a small blender just because it’s such a small batch! I love your baking improvisation of adding the almond flour – sounds absolutely delicious! Thanks again for the kind words and taking the time to leave such detailed feedback on your results. Have a great day 🙂

      Reply
  49. Manali @ CookWithManali says

    March 25, 2015 at 1:11 am

    looks so good! can’t believe it’s Vegan! Wohooo! 😀

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 25, 2015 at 9:07 am

      Thanks so much, Manali!! 🙂

      Reply
  50. Michele @ Two Raspberries says

    March 24, 2015 at 11:43 pm

    I LOVE carrot cake but haven’t made it since going vegan! this looks amazing pinning and totally trying this later 😉 YUMMM

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 25, 2015 at 9:06 am

      YOU neeed this right now then!! Wish I could send you a piece girl 🙂 Let me know if you end up trying it 😉

      Reply
  51. Cailee says

    March 24, 2015 at 4:06 pm

    Oh wow!! This looks amazing!! Another great recipe!! Also, you’ll be so proud of my Ceara! I’ve been eating so vegan lately!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 24, 2015 at 7:07 pm

      Thanks so much, Cailee!! And that is AMAZING! Go vegan!! 🙂 <3 Have a great week girl!

      Reply
  52. Hadia says

    March 24, 2015 at 11:11 am

    Oh my, Ceara! This looks absolutely tempting and I pretty sure it tastes just as it looks! The frosting too is fabulous. I really need a large piece of your carrot cake right now with my coffee!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 24, 2015 at 7:13 pm

      <3 Thank you so much as always, Hadia! I wish I could send you some to enjoy with your morning cuppa coffee :) Have a great week!

      Reply
  53. Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel says

    March 24, 2015 at 12:07 am

    its funny ive been looking and looking for a carrot cake recipe and have had a hard time deciding which one to choose, so im choosing yours! clearly THIS is what i want to make. thank you!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 24, 2015 at 7:06 am

      Yay! I’m so happy that you chose mine! It took me so long to come up with my favorite carrot cake recipe and this one is so moist, soft and delicious! <3 Let me know how it turns out, Kelsey! Happy Baking 😀

      Reply
  54. GiGi Eats says

    March 24, 2015 at 12:05 am

    THIS LOAF! OMFGGGG SO good looking – sexier than Brad Pitt, no joke!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 24, 2015 at 7:05 am

      HA! Thanks, Gigi!! That’s what I was going for with this carrot cake 😉 😀

      Reply
  55. mira says

    March 23, 2015 at 9:20 pm

    Love carrot cake and this one looks so good Ceara! I’m in the perfect mood for carrot cake, need to make it soon 🙂

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 24, 2015 at 7:04 am

      Thanks so much, Mira!! Yes! It’s that time of year – time to make/eat all the carrot cake! LOL! 😀

      Reply
  56. Medha @ Whisk & Shout says

    March 23, 2015 at 6:45 pm

    I’m dying that this is vegan!!! It looks great and I love carrot cake and haven’t had it (as far as I can remember) since becoming vegan 🙂 Bookmarking this one!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 24, 2015 at 7:01 am

      Yay!!! You haven’t had carrot cake since going vegan!? That’s just wrong 😉 😀 Wish I could send some to you, Medha! 😀 Thanks!

      Reply
  57. Lori @ TheHealthMinded.com says

    March 23, 2015 at 6:12 pm

    Oh I love how you can see the carrot swirls in the cake. Cinnamon on anything is great by me, so I will pin for sure!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 24, 2015 at 7:01 am

      I love the carrot swirls too, Lori!! My fave <3 Thanks so much for the kind words and pin! 🙂

      Reply
  58. Leah M @ love me, feed me says

    March 23, 2015 at 4:08 pm

    So happy I have all the ingredients for this! I’ve been looking so forward to this recipe ever since you started teasing 😉

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 24, 2015 at 7:00 am

      Yay!! I just saw your post on Instagram, Leah! Thank you so much for sharing your creation! I’m so happy you enjoyed the carrot cake! <3

      Reply
  59. The vegan 8 says

    March 23, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    Another winner Ceara!! Looks to die for delicious and mouth-watering! I love the orange juice and zest in it, reminds me of the orange loaf I recently made, love the citrus element it adds! It looks just perfect with all that frosting on too top, yum!!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 24, 2015 at 6:59 am

      Thank you so much, Brandi!! <3 The orange juice and zest really bring this cake to the next level! 😀 I need to try your orange loaf - sounds absolutely delicious!!

      Reply
  60. Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says

    March 23, 2015 at 2:30 pm

    This carrot cake loaf looks absolutely incredible, Ceara! I love all the hearty and healthy ingredients in here! It sounds perfect with your vegan cream cheese frosting too! I can just see how soft and flavorful this is from the pictures! I would have no problem finishing this off in no time too! Love it!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 23, 2015 at 2:46 pm

      Thanks so much, Kelly! <3 The Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting really IS the icing on the cake - such a nice finishing touch!

      Reply
  61. Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says

    March 23, 2015 at 1:43 pm

    I love loaves like this!! You totally don’t miss all the eggs in these kinds of quick breads. Love this!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 23, 2015 at 2:44 pm

      Thanks so much, Dorothy!! 🙂 You def. don’t miss the eggs in quick breads like this at all! Have a great day!

      Reply
  62. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says

    March 23, 2015 at 12:02 pm

    This sounds so delicious. I had only tried carrot cake for the first time last year and I ave seriously been missing out. It is my favourite cake now.

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 23, 2015 at 12:44 pm

      One of my favorite cakes as well, Dannii! Thank you!!

      Reply
  63. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

    March 23, 2015 at 11:11 am

    Wow this carrot cake loaf looks so incredible, Ceara! I’m literally in awe of how amazing this looks. Your pictures are gorgeous! I love the cinnamon cream cheese icing. I think I could eat it with just my spoon! Pinning this one. Hope your week is off to a great start!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 23, 2015 at 12:46 pm

      Thanks so much for the kind words and pin, Gayle! 🙂

      Reply
  64. Laura says

    March 23, 2015 at 11:03 am

    Food is totally cultural! Where I live, people always make butter lambs for Easter. You know, butter molded in the shape of a lamb. Anywhere else they think you are a total weirdo! Exactly what you said, carrot is magic is cake! I love carrot cake and your cinnamon inspired frosting. Cinnamon is awesome regulating blood sugar! Have a great week!!!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 23, 2015 at 12:47 pm

      I’ve never heard of butter lambs for Easter! How cool! I love learning about all the food traditions every where in the world 🙂 Have a great week too!

      Reply
  65. Ginny McMeans says

    March 23, 2015 at 10:23 am

    That is just amazing! You are the best baker!

    Reply
    • Ceara says

      March 23, 2015 at 12:51 pm

      You are so kind my friend! Thanks so much, Ginny!

      Reply
      • Anna says

        March 15, 2016 at 8:24 pm

        Would it be ok to leave out the orange zest and replace the orange juice with just some almond milk? Also, could I reduce the maple syrup to 1/4 cup and add a couple tablespoons of almond milk(maybe 2 or 3?) to make up for the liquid? (I would use a little stevia to make up for the sweetness)

        Thanks! This looks delicious! 🙂

        Reply
        • Ceara says

          March 20, 2016 at 10:27 pm

          Hi Anna,

          I am not sure if this would work. The maple syrup adds moisture and sweetness to the bread so I wouldn’t reduce it/leave it out! Would love to know your results if you make it! Enjoy 🙂

          Reply

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