Description
This vegan and gluten-free carrot cake recipe is moist, flavorful, and tastes just like the real deal! Plus it’s topped with a soy-free “cream cheese” vegan frosting that is incredible.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Ingredients:
- 2.5 cups (12.5 ounces) gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (I used Bob’s Red Mill GF All-Purpose Baking Flour), plus extra for dusting the pans
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of ground cloves
- pinch of ground ginger
- 1 pound carrots, peeled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 4 flax eggs (*1/4 cup ground flaxmeal and 3/4 cup water, see instructions below*)
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- (optional: 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts)
Vegan Gluten-Free “Cream Cheese” Frosting Ingredients:
- 8 cups gluten-free powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) vegan butter or margarine
- 3 Tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Adjust oven rack to the middle position, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Use cooking spray or butter to thoroughly grease the inside of either:
- -1 13×19-inch baking pan, or
- -2 9-inch round cake pans, or
- -3 8-inch round cake pans
- Then dust the inside of each pan with gluten-free flour until the grease is completely covered and no spots of the pan are visible.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves and ginger together until combined.
- In a food processor fitted with the large shredding disk, shred carrots. Then transfer them to the mixing bowl with the flour. Wipe clean the food processor bowl, and fit with the metal blade (in place of the shredding disk). Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar and flax eggs and process until frothy and throughly combined, about 20 seconds. With processor running, add oil in a steady stream. Process until egg mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 more seconds.
- Transfer egg mixture to the large bowl with the carrots and flour. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture until thoroughly combined. If using nuts, stir them in until combined.
Pour batter evenly into the prepared pan(s). Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about:
- -30-35 minutes for the 9×13-inch baking pan
- -25-30 minutes for the two 9-inch round cake pans, or
- -18-23 minutes for the three 8-inch round cake pans
- Let cake cool completely in the pan(s) on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen. Remove cake, if transferring to a different serving platter, and frost as desired.
How To Make Vegan Gluten-Free “Cream Cheese” Frosting:
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, and mix until smooth and combined. If the frosting is too thick, add in some extra milk to thin. If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar to thicken.
Notes
**To make the flax eggs, simply stir together 1 Tbsp. flaxmeal (freshly-ground) and 3 Tbsp. of water until combined PER EGG.
(This recipe called for 4 eggs, so you would times those amounts by 4.)
Then refrigerate the mixture for at least 15 minutes, remove and whisk again, and the mixture should be thick and sticky.
*Cake recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.