Vegan Carrot Cake with Frosting
This vegan carrot cake with frosting is a classic dessert turned 100% plant-based, made with grated carrots, warm spices, chopped hazelnuts, and a soft vegan cream cheese frosting on top. It bakes in a single pan in about 25 minutes, uses no eggs and no dairy, and can easily be made gluten-free. If you have ever wondered whether a carrot cake can be moist, tender, and properly indulgent without any animal products, this is the recipe that proves it.
The cake that turned me into a believer
Carrot cake is something that seemed odd to me at first — vegetables? In a dessert? I think it’s safe to say that I was a little reluctant. After the first bite, I thought “Hmm… interesting”. And after the second, I was completely hooked. The classic carrot cake remains one of my favorite desserts ever! 🙂
And now that I think about it, you can pretty much enjoy this cake without guilt, because you’re getting your veggies in and all of the health benefits of nuts at the same time. To think you can benefit from all of these things whilst enjoying a piece of cake… it’s like a dream come true, I know! In fact, try this little experiment: give some carrot cake to a 5-year-old and ask them to tell you the secret ingredient. I’ll bet they won’t be able to tell it contains any trace of vegetables!
What goes into this vegan carrot cake
Every element here earns its place. Here is what each ingredient brings, so you can shop and swap with confidence:
- Grated carrots — the heart of the cake. They melt into the crumb as it bakes, adding natural sweetness and keeping every slice moist. Grate them finely so they cook through evenly.
- Olive oil — a liquid fat keeps the cake tender and stops it drying out the way butter-based sponges can once cooled.
- Brown sugar and Medjool dates — the sugar gives lift and a light caramel note, while the chopped dates fold in extra natural sweetness and little pockets of chewiness.
- Almond milk — the dairy-free liquid that brings the batter together. Any unsweetened plant milk works here.
- Flour — the structure of the cake. Use a gluten-free blend if you need to; a 1:1 baking blend swaps in directly.
- Hazelnuts — chopped and folded through for crunch and a toasty depth that pairs beautifully with the spices.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger — the warm spice trio that makes a carrot cake taste like a carrot cake. Do not skip them.
- Baking powder and baking soda — your two rising agents, giving the cake its rise and soft crumb.
- Vegan cream cheese frosting — blended with lemon juice, vanilla, and icing sugar for that tangy-sweet finish on top.
Why I use vegan cream cheese for the frosting
Today I decided to use vegan cream cheese because I want this recipe to be delicious, easy, and quick! You simply beat the cream cheese with lemon juice, vanilla, and icing sugar using a hand mixer on low until it turns fluffy and well-incorporated. The one thing to watch is overmixing: cream cheese frostings can loosen and turn runny if you beat them too hard or too long, so stop the moment it is smooth and holds a soft peak. The lemon juice is not optional either — that touch of acidity is what gives the frosting its signature cream cheese tang and keeps the sweetness in check.
Tips for getting it right
- Whisk the oil, sugar, and vanilla properly. Give them a few minutes until the sugar starts to dissolve before adding the milk — this builds the base that carries the cake’s texture.
- Sift the dry ingredients in. Sifting the flour, raising agents, and spices together removes lumps and distributes the spice evenly so no bite is bland and no bite is overpowering.
- Fold gently once the flour is in. Overworking the batter develops the flour and can make the cake dense and tough. Combine just until you no longer see dry streaks.
- Check for doneness by the edges. The cake is ready at around 25 minutes, when it is lightly golden on the edges. A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting. Let the cake rest about 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool all the way. Frosting a warm cake will melt the cream cheese and slide right off.
Substitutions and variations
- Make it gluten-free: swap the regular flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, exactly as noted in the recipe.
- Change the nuts: walnuts or pecans stand in nicely for hazelnuts if that is what you have, or leave them out entirely for a nut-free cake.
- Adjust the sweetness: if you prefer to dial back on refined sugar, take a look at these healthy sugar alternatives to guide your swaps.
- Any plant milk works: almond milk is my choice here, but oat, soy, or rice milk all bring the batter together the same way.
Storing and making it ahead
Because of the cream cheese frosting, keep this cake in an airtight container in the fridge, where it stays soft and fresh for up to 4 to 5 days. If anything, chilling lets the spices settle and deepen, so day two often tastes even better than the first. You can bake the cake layer a day ahead and hold it, well wrapped, at room temperature, then make the frosting and assemble on the day you plan to serve. The cake base also freezes well unfrosted — wrap it tightly and thaw at room temperature before frosting. If you love desserts you can prep in advance, you might also enjoy my roundup of vegan no-bake desserts, my vegan pumpkin muffins for another spiced autumn bake, or this cozy crustless pumpkin pie when you want something equally warm and comforting.
If you’re going to try my vegan carrot cake with frosting, make sure to tell me how it went! Leave a star rating below and drop a comment with how yours turned out — whether you swapped the hazelnuts, went gluten-free, or piled the frosting on extra thick. I read every single one. 🙂
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Vegan Carrot Cake with Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrots grated
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar light
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 ½ cup flour use GF if needed
- ½ cup hazelnuts chopped
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon ground
- ½ tsp nutmeg ground
- ½ tsp ginger ground
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 Medjool dates
For the vegan frosting:
- 1 cup vegan cream cheese
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2/4 cup icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a baking pan.
- Peel and grate the carrots and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, and vanilla for a few minutes until the sugar starts to dissolve. Then stir in the milk.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and gently combine.
- Stir in the hazelnuts, dates and grated carrot.
- Transfer the batter into the baking pan and cook for about 25 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges.
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare the frosting:
- Combine all the frosting ingredients into a bowl with a hand mixer on low. Mix until well-incorporated and fluffy. Do not overmix!
- Spread the cream cheese on the cake and sprinkle with grated carrots and finely chopped hazelnuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It contains no eggs and no dairy. It is made with olive oil, almond milk, and vegan cream cheese in place of butter, eggs, and traditional cream cheese, so every ingredient is plant-based.
Absolutely. Swap the regular flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend and the rest of the recipe stays exactly the same. The carrots, oil, and plant milk keep the crumb moist, so the gluten-free version bakes up just as tender.
The most common cause is overmixing. Beat the cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla, and icing sugar on low speed only until fluffy and well-incorporated, then stop. Beating too hard or too long loosens the frosting. Chilling it briefly before spreading also helps it firm up.
Because of the cream cheese frosting, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. The spices actually deepen over the first day or two, so it often tastes even better the next day.
Yes. You can bake the cake a day ahead, wrap it well, and keep it at room temperature, then frost on serving day. The unfrosted cake base also freezes well; wrap it tightly and thaw at room temperature before frosting.
Walnuts or pecans are the natural substitutes and pair well with the warm spices. You can also leave the nuts out entirely for a nut-free cake without changing the rest of the method.
This is honestly one of my favorite desserts and I never tried to make it vegan. Turns out it’s super easy and the taste is the same as the “original” one. Thank you for the inspiration, I love your blog!
Thank you!