I’m just going to get right to it- this carrot cake is my favorite cake of ALL TIME. I request it every year for my birthday, make it every year for Easter, and in the time in between, look for any and every opportunity to make it again! The best part? It’s honestly pretty healthy (in terms of eating cake). But any dessert with a vegetable in it’s title can be considered healthy…right?! That is, until I slather on inches of luscious cream cheese frosting- my favorite part of the entire cake- so don’t skimp 😉
OK but really- compared to regular cakes, this one ranks in the health-ier category. Slowly I’ve adapted my Grandma’s recipe to make it my own, and I offer tons of ingredients swaps below:
Want less fat? Cut half the oil with applesauce. More protein? Cut half the apple sauce with greek yogurt too!
I already sliced the sugar content down 1/2 cup from the original recipe, and replaced the white sugar with beet sugar, which you can even split half and half with Vitafiber to reduce the sugar content even more. (20% off with the code VFELLENW20 through the clickable link).
You can split half the all-purpose flour with spelt flour- a whole grain alternative that adds even more nutty flavor.
Mixing in walnuts to the batter and garnish on top, adds a healthy dose of omega-3s to the dessert
And before I forget, speaking of *healthier* there is an entire can of pineapple (HELLO FRUIT) and 2 cups of carrots (VEGGIES FOR THE WIN) taking up the bulk of the batter while adding micronutrients and an incredible amount of moisture, make this cake incredibly soft… my favorite part about it!
In order to make this vegan, I’ve been replacing the 3 eggs for a couple years with 1T baking soda + 3T vinegar, which works perfectly. Because I only eat this on special occasions, I was always OK with just eating regular cream cheese frosting- because it literally MAKES the cake! But, I know that body doesn’t always respond well to dairy, so I was eager to see if it was possible to create a vegan alternative. Luckily, this year I was introduced to Kite Hill products- the only brand I’ve found to make good-tasting vegan cheese. So, I simply took my regular cream cheese frosting recipe and replaced it with dairy-free cream cheese and vegan butter AND IT WORKED LIKE A DREAM! OH MY GOD, I’M YELLING BECAUSE IT’S SO DAMN GOOD. Yes, you’re going to want to pile it on THICC because this frosting is incredible!
While we’re talking about butter, I have personally made the decision that organic, grass-fed butter seems to be better for you than vegan butter. Vegan butter is ultimately just margarine- processed vegetable oils- which of course in small amounts is fine, but my intent for being plant-based is to eat as minimally processed as possible. So, it makes sense in my mind, that so long as the butter is coming from a high-quality source, it seems closer to its natural state, and in that case, a little bit better for you. If you’re a strict vegan, go with the vegan butter! But if you keep an open mind, I’m now sticking with the real thing…but spring for the most humane, natural brands, such as Vital Farms.
If you’re mostly vegan, how do you feel about butter? I never cook with it, just use it for baking from time to time, because it is truly irreplaceable for flavor + texture in desserts like cookies. But, do you think it’s better to stay entirely plant-based? Or are you more for going closer to nature and think it’s better to deviate on occasion to the real thing, so long as it’s organic and sourced sustainably?
I hope you are as obsessed with this vegan Carrot Cake as I am- because I’m already itching to make it again. Don’t forget to pile on the nuts, raisins, and coconut to the top to really bring it together! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
- Yield: 8 slices
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
Carrot Cake {vegan}
This carrot cake is my FAVORITE dessert of all time- the softest cake filled with pineapple, raisins, nuts, and carrots is then slathered in luscious cream cheese frosting that is good enough to eat by the spoon! I love to store this in the fridge and eat it cold- it seems to make the cake even more moist and flavorful!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces unsweetened applesauce* - (in a measuring cup this ends up being ~3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup oil - canola, walnut, or coconut (coconut will create a slightly denser cake)
- 1 cup brown sugar - packed
- 1/2 cup beet sugar**
- 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice - drained
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 2 cups flour***
- 1T + 2 tsps baking soda
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 2 tsps cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans - plus more for topping!
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut - optional
- 3T apple cider or white vinegar
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2 8-ounce containers Kite Hill Plain Cream Cheese Alternative**** - room temperature
- 1 stick butter, vegan butter or grassfed - room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Whisk together the apple sauce, oil, and sugars until combined.
- Drain and rinse the pineapple. In a food processor, finely chop the carrots- add both to the other ingredients and stir to combine.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. Mix until evenly combined. Fold in the raisins, chopped nuts, and coconut (if using).
- Last, add the vinegar and mix until fully incorporated to the batter so it can react with the baking soda.
- Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray. Evenly distribute batter between the two pans. Bake on the center rack of your oven for 25-45 minutes. I know- this is a huge discrepancy, but it has had this much variance depending on the oven I use! Bake until golden brown and a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans slightly, then flip out on to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- FOR THE FROSTING: Bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add both and whip until smooth. Add the sugar, 1 cup at a time and whisk until incorporated. Add the vanilla- careful not to add too much or it will tint your white frosting! Add additional sugar or even a pinch of sea salt to taste.
- To assemble: Place one cake layer on the plate or stand you want to serve on. Spread 1/2 the frosting over the top, then place the second layer of cake over the frosting. Spread remaining frosting over the top, garnish with additional raisins, nuts, and coconut, if desired. Store in the refrigerator, and serve chilled!
*The applesauce can also be halved with greek yogurt, or all of it can be replaced with another 1/2 cup oil
**This can be split with stevia or Vitafiber, or simply replaced with regular white sugar
***This can be split 1 cup AP flour and 1 cup spelt flour. A gluten-free AP flour substitute could also be used to make the cake gluten free
****Kite Hill is the only vegan cream cheese I have ever found to like. Of course, if you like another brand, feel free to use it- but I can't vouch for the flavor! If you're not vegan, Neufchatel will do too 🙂
Allergens
