I’ve had a dozen versions of carrot cake since going vegan. First, there was the recipe that used so much baking powder to create a fluffy cake that you could taste it in the finished product. There was one that tasted like banana bread. Then there was the tropical version with coconut and pineapple and macadamia nuts from a renowned cookbook I will not name, that was so sickeningly sweet I could barely choke it down. Missing from my life has been a no-frills, simple, traditional carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
For me, this cake hits the spot. The recipe below makes two cakes about 1″ in height, and as such is designed for stacking. Make the full recipe for a two-layer carrot cake. Alternatively, you can halve it, make it in an 8×8″ pan, and slice and stack the resulting square into 6 or so pieces.
But first, a story. If you sit in any one place in West Philly for long enough, you’re bound to hear the cries of “Carrot Cake Man, carrot cake!” Carrot Cake Man, as he’s known, walks around the city all day with a huge tray of individually wrapped pieces of carrot cake balanced on one shoulder, hawking them on the cheap to anyone within earshot. He bakes the cake in his home kitchen, and I like to imagine neighborhood kids lured in by the promise of sweets only to be buried under a landslide of carrots and plastic wrap. The cake isn’t vegan, but I hope someone out there will take Carrot Cake Man’s guerrilla tactics as inspiration to start their own traveling vegan cake business. (And I don’t mean the yuppie kind, either.) Maybe you could even do it from a tall bike.
- 2⅓ c all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp flax seed meal
- ¾ c warm water
- 1½ c sugar
- 1 c oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 c shredded carrots
- 1 c walnuts, chopped
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese
- ¼ c margarine, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 c powdered sugar
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Line two 8×8″ pans with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour through salt).
- In a large bowl, whisk together flax seed meal and water. Beat in sugar and oil.
- Add vanilla and carrots and mix until combined.
- Add dry mix and stir until moistened.
- Fold in walnuts.
- Pour equal parts into pans.
- Bake for 18-20 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool in pans 10 minutes.
- Use a knife to loosen edges of cake from pans.
- Using parchment paper, lift cakes out of pans. Let cool fully on wire racks.
- To make Cream Cheese Frosting, beat together cream cheese and margarine. Add vanilla and powdered sugar; whip until smooth. Don’t overbeat; in my experience, store-bought vegan cream cheese has a tendency to get runny.
- To assemble, carefully remove parchment paper from one cake. Frost with cream cheese frosting, layer, and decorate with marzipan if desired. Serve chilled.
59 comments
Jenny says:
Jul 30, 2012
This is the best carrot cake ever!!! We have actually made it 3 times in the last 2 wks! Lol!!! The only thing we changed was to use melted coconut oil, a handful of shredded coconut, and 3tsp cinnamon, 3/4 tsp ginger, 3/8tsp cloves & 3/4 tsp nutmeg. We also baked it in a 13×9 pan and cooked it for about 25-30 min.
claryn says:
Aug 15, 2012
Wow, you are totally dedicated to the pursuit of carrot cake! Thanks Jenny!
Andrea says:
Mar 23, 2013
Thanks for the info on time, as I just put it in a 13×9 pan myself! I’m not vegan myself, but three of my kids can’t have milk and one can’t have eggs, soy or nuts either. We use coconut oil, no walnuts, no frosting but everyone is eagerly awaiting anyway! (We’re juicing carrots and this is a great way to use the pulp.)
while my brain was brewing storms: a weeks worth of photos of the day – july 23 to july 29th 2012 « wholly eats! says:
Jul 31, 2012
[…] cake! i’ve never made one before so i did a quick google search and came across a great vegan blog with a classic carrot cake recipe that sounded simple enough. the only thing i was missing was the […]
Amanda says:
Feb 25, 2013
This was an amazing carrot cake. I adapted it and credited you on my blog. Its an all around cooking blog but I always promote my readers into trying all kinds of different baking and I’m loving your blog and the baked goods are great. http://messinkitchn.blogspot.com/2013/02/carrot-cupcakes-vegan.html
claryn says:
Feb 25, 2013
Thank you, Amanda! Glad you liked the cake 🙂
Sunshinebreeze says:
Aug 11, 2012
I can’t wait to try this! If its as delicious as your zucchini bread I know I’m in for a treat!
Monica says:
Sep 5, 2012
I want to use this recipe for cupcakes. Is there any reason why that wouldn’t work?
Olivia says:
Jan 20, 2013
This recipe is amazing! I made them into cupcakes and they turned out perfectly. I baked them at the same temp. and for the same amount of time and they were perfectly moist.
claryn says:
Jan 21, 2013
Yay! Glad you dug them, Olivia 🙂
sweets says:
Sep 29, 2012
WOW…this carrot Cake looks really cool…i really hope to try it and see how it is!
Sydney says:
Nov 7, 2012
I made this cake for my husband’s 30th birthday – he recently went vegan and I thought it would be hilarious to give him a cake made out of vegetables (in all fairness, he does really, really love carrot cake). This cake was absolutely amazing. I accidentally dropped a large capful of nutmeg into the bowl (with no regrets) and I only had Earth Balance vegan butter instead of margarine, but other than that, I didn’t change a thing. I made two 9-inch rounds with the icing layered between them, and on top. Our non-vegan friends ate the remaining half of the cake after my husband was done with the first half. Really, really delicious. More recipes, please!
Freya says:
Dec 17, 2012
I made this and served it to 6 non-vegan friends. They loved it but admittedly I did use real cream cheese, because my husband had some in the fridge that was about to go bad if I didn’t use it. The flax seeds give it a really healthful taste – but not in a bad way! I wonder next time about putting pineapple in in or coconut. Otherwise, great recipe.
claryn says:
Dec 18, 2012
Go for it next time! I usually want my carrot cake on the simple/not super sweet side, but I respect different strokes 😉
Katy says:
Dec 20, 2012
my non vegan friend is in love with this recipe’. she says that it is hands down her favorite carrot cake and, i’ll have to agree with her. this really is the best recipe’ ever. i only change the topping and the nuts. i make my own coconut whipped cream and use that instead of cream cheese(so thick and yummy!) and i use pecans AND walnuts. i also decorate the outside with nuts as well when im done. its SO good.
Jonathan says:
Dec 30, 2012
Made this as a birthday cake for my wife; we’re both vegans. After becoming vegan, I despaired of ever finding a carrot cake recipe that would satisfy my wife’s love for this dessert.
This recipe was absolutely delicious – texture was spot on, superb flavor, and the frosting was nearly indistinguishable from cream cheese frosting. It really made my wife happy on her birthday, and that makes me happy. Thanks so very much for the recipe!
claryn says:
Dec 30, 2012
Aw, glad you both liked it, Jonathan!
carrie says:
Jan 6, 2013
i’ve made this carrot cake many times and i always get rave reviews! best carrot cake i’ve eaten!
TORTA DI CAROTE | Maria Cristina Polzonetti says:
Jan 16, 2013
[…] qui per leggere la ricetta originale. Share this:FacebookStumbleUponGoogle […]
My First Ever Attempt at Carrot Cake « To Second Chances says:
Feb 3, 2013
[…] recipe that allowed me to make a delicious cake with the ingredients I had a home. Thank you Claryn for an awesome recipe and a really moisturized […]
Dinae says:
Feb 24, 2013
Love this recipe. I made a carrot cake waffle recipe with it, adding 1 2/3 cups flour and 1 2/3 cups water, 1 T and 1 t vinegar and 1t ground ginger, everything else the same. I top it with caramel sauce and cream cheese ice cream (vegan, of course). The great thing about a recipe this easy/good already is that it’s easy to experiment with. I’ve also substituted “energy egg replacer” for flax with good results. Anyway great recipe, thanks!
claryn says:
Feb 24, 2013
Whoa, that is so awesome! I’ll have to try that some time. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Tee says:
Mar 14, 2013
It’s after midnight, March 14, 2013. I have carrot cupcakes/muffins in the oven. I alternated a Classic Carrot cake recipe by the Joy of baking lady and what I did is pretty close to this recipe. I felt very accomplished after reading this recipe. I will definitely print it out and add it to my collection. Thanks for sharing.
claryn says:
Mar 14, 2013
Haha, awesome! I’m not really familiar with Joy of Baking, but great minds think alike 😉
C says:
Mar 19, 2013
If you have egg replacer, can you use their package instructions instead of using the flax/water combo? If so, how many “fake eggs” would you use? Thanks!
Birthday Carrot Cake! | Vegan Today says:
Apr 28, 2013
[…] tiny marzipan carrots I made. I was planning on making marzipan carrots, and then I saw a tip on Hell Yeah, It’s Vegan to brush on a little cocoa powder to make them look fresh-from-the-earth. It made such a […]
Yen says:
Apr 30, 2013
Loved it! Thanks very much for the recipe! These cupcakes taste healthy and are still carrot cake. I made cupcakes with it and baked for about 16 minutes. I also blogged about it.
Generally I mix up my flaxseed and water a few minutes before baking, but I don’t know how necessary it is. That way all my flaxseed soaks up water.
Vegan carrot cake cupcakes | Baking and Math says:
Apr 30, 2013
[…] adapted from hellyeahitsvegan because I can’t […]
Jamie says:
May 13, 2013
I LOVE carrot cake, and have been wanting to make one since I went vegan. This cake was one of the best, if not the best, carrot cakes I’ve ever had- vegan or not. It is moist and so, so delicious. The texture is perfect. Even my boyfriend, who is very skeptical of vegan baked goods, loved it. I was a little freaked out by the amount of flax in the recipe, but it worked perfectly and I can’t taste it at all. This cake does not taste at all “healthy” to me… but that isn’t what I was looking for!
The one issue I had is that the frosting (more like icing) was extremely runny (and I was careful not to over-mix). I found out that leaving it in the fridge overnight before putting it on the cake made a HUGE difference. It was much easier and much less messy. I have made a vegan cream cheese frosting before- that recipe called for veg shortening instead of margarine and it was much thicker and more like frosting- did not run. I think if I make this recipe again I will try using 1/2 Earth Balance buttery spread and 1/2 Earth Balance shortening instead of all buttery spread.
Jamie says:
Oct 11, 2013
How high does the cake turn out to be? The picture makes it appear to be a rather thin looking cake….
Jenny says:
Apr 21, 2014
This was a big hit with my family! I overcooked it slightly, do I won’t make that mistake next time- but everyone still loved it. And the frosting is out of this world!
Thank you!!
Cakes and More Cakes | My Tiny Kitchen Assistant says:
Apr 22, 2014
[…] the weekend I had planned to make a carrot cake. Even though our weekend travel plans changed, I still had all of the ingredients and wanted to […]
MB says:
May 22, 2014
can chia seeds be subsituted for flax??
claryn says:
May 31, 2014
I haven’t tried using chia gel in this particular recipe, but if you try it, let us know how it works out!
Friday Fun: The Vegan Challenge Week 3 – CARROT CAKE and a Father’s Day Menu | prancer who knits says:
Jun 13, 2014
[…] The vegan carrot cake by Oh Hell Yeah It’s Vegan I shared during Week 1 was delicious. I took a picture but it doesn’t do it justice so just take my word for it. Jon ate three pieces the night I made it. And it was a hit at work. People were amazed it was vegan and even asked for the recipe. […]
Friday Fun: The Vegan Challenge – It’s a Wrap! | prancer who knits says:
Jun 29, 2014
[…] completing The Vegan Challenge. From exploring breakfast options to baking an absolutely delicious carrot cake, it’s been interesting. The end result for me is I feel less fluffy. I will continue to […]
Daniel says:
Nov 27, 2014
Amazing recipe! I’ve tried it lots of times, and it always amuses everybody. Just one thing: in 20×10 cm pans, it works better to cook it at 370 F°.
Betty says:
Jan 15, 2015
I made this for my husband’s 30th birthday (who warned me he was super picky about his carrot cakes) for a bunch of non-vegans and they all loved it! Even his grandmother, who refused to touch my weird vegan baking in the past had a piece and was clearly surprised with how good it was. Awesome recipe.
Anna says:
Jan 26, 2015
My non-vegan family left me in charge of the carrot cake… and now will they be glad they did! it is SO GOOD (yes i already stole a slice)
Sandy Smith says:
Feb 16, 2015
Is there any reason we can’t make this in one pan for 1 thicker layer? I don’t bake much and that would be so much easier.
Heather says:
Sep 9, 2015
The commenter above said she does a 13×9 pan and it works out just fine:
Andrea says:
Mar 23, 2013
Reply
Thanks for the info on time, as I just put it in a 13×9 pan myself! I’m not vegan myself, but three of my kids can’t have milk and one can’t have eggs, soy or nuts either. We use coconut oil, no walnuts, no frosting but everyone is eagerly awaiting anyway! (We’re juicing carrots and this is a great way to use the pulp.)
Sandy says:
Sep 13, 2015
Thanks!!
Mästerlig morotskaka | flickan & kakorna says:
Mar 28, 2015
[…] för ett recept på en blogg med det fantastiska namnet Hell Yeah It’s Vegan! Receptet finns här och jag följde det ingrediensmässigt med nedanstående små ändringar. Om du inte har […]
Morotsmuffins | flickan & kakorna says:
Mar 28, 2015
[…] ordnar en gång per höst och vår. Jag använde samma recept som när jag gjorde morotskaka; originalrecptet halverat och i övrigt samma ändringar som då, vilket gav 12 muffins. Jag använde min egen cream […]
Michelle says:
Apr 4, 2015
I just made this and it. was. delicious! I just added raisins and substituted some of the sugar for agave. Thanks for the recipe! Happy Easter =)
diany says:
Apr 14, 2015
this is an amazing carrot cake! i made it and covered it w/ melted chocolate & it was spectacular!!!! thanks!
Heather says:
Sep 9, 2015
I just made this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday. It was out of the park awesome! I did do heaping amounts on the cinnamon and nutmeg and I added a 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom and 1/2 cup of rasins. I omitted the nuts from inside the cake because my boyfriend is picky about that and just did toasted walnuts on top! I texted the photo to my family and friends and they all thought it could be in a magazine. The taste is even better though! Brought it into work for some non vegan co-workers to try and it was a huge success. Next time I think I will half the oil with applesauce to make it just a tad healthier. Thanks for the awesome recipe! 🙂
Jennifer says:
Sep 27, 2015
This is the best Carrot Cake! Vegan or non-vegan! When my fiancé and I went vegan we never thought we were going to enjoy a carrot cake again! I will be using this recipe for our wedding cupcakes! Only thing I do different is add Pecans instead and double or triple the spices. We love Vegan Cream Cheese icing so we doubled the recipe!=)
Debbie says:
Oct 5, 2015
I want to incorporate applesauce or pineapple or both. Can someone please tell me how much I should add and where to cut back elsewhere in this recipe? Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Loretta says:
Oct 13, 2015
Cut back the oil by half and add applesauce. Use 1/2 cup pineapple juice in place of 1/2 cup of the water. That would probably work pretty well.
Olga says:
Nov 26, 2015
I made this cake today for Thanksgiving dinner! It is awesome!! Thank you so much for the recipe! I used regular cream cheese and butter instead of margarine. I’m not vegan, but vegetarian (don’t eat eggs). Came out great!!
Tori says:
Nov 30, 2015
I made this carrot cake for my non-vegan family members & friends at Thanksgiving, and it was amazing. My family loved it and my friends didn’t even know it was vegan (I was worried they would tell by the icing – vegan cream cheese and butter work just as well as the real thing)! The cake turned out super moist and super sweet – I even subbed in 1/4 cup of apple sauce for 1/4 of the oil. This just goes to show that a vegan diet doesn’t mean you have to miss out on your favorite treats 🙂
Loretta says:
Dec 21, 2015
I’ve made this recipe like 10 times since october.
My boyfriend’s first birthday while vegan and he was scared he might not get any cake, so I made him a huge cake with your recipe and he and every person at the party loved it!
Thanks so much!
Jasmine says:
Jan 14, 2016
Is there a substitute for the flax seeds?
Wanda stewart says:
Jan 30, 2016
Can I leave out the flax seed and walnuts and the cake still be good my daughter loves mad maxs carrot cake but they quit selling it not enough people ordered it thank you as I want to make this today for her birthday
Weslie says:
May 22, 2016
This cake is really yummy. I just made it and I am so happy. And I didn’t even put the frosting on. I did make some substitutions: Applesauce instead of oil and half and half whole wheat flour and all purpose flour. I also used half the sugar because I’m not really a sweet tooth. Still good. Saving this recipe. Thank you!
Tara says:
Oct 9, 2016
I made a test batch of this before making it for my non-vegan mom and her friends for her bday and it was good but a little too sweet and oily so for the real thing I made the following changes: doubled the spices and added allspice, used chia seeds instead of flax (just because I didn’t have flax), used half a cup of oil and half a cup of almond milk instead of a full cup of oil, and only 1c of sugar instead of 1.5. Everyone raved that it was the best carrot cake they’ve ever had and then when I told them it was vegan they were blown away!
Ozzie says:
Sep 6, 2017
I made this cake two weekends ago and…………………………………… it was delicious. I used all the ingredients and used coconut oil and used brown turbanio sugar grounded up. It tasted so much better when warm though. I used cake flour instead. I squeezed some lemon juice in the cream cheese icing (Kite Hill cream cheese brand). yummy….. My first carrot cake was a hit. I think the next time I will add allspice seasoning. Thank you so much! 🙂
Veganaeire says:
Sep 23, 2017
Best vegan carrot cake recipe I have made to date. It made it into my home cookbook. Moist, not too sweet (but still sweet enough), and taste like a classic. Nice work Hell Yeah It’s Vegan!