This easy one-bowl carrot cake is fluffy, moist, gluten-free, and vegan, topped with creamy dairy-free cream cheese frosting. Perfect for Easter or any occasion!
Both my sister and I have birthdays in April. Since the date of Easter changes every year, sometimes my sister’s birthday falls on the holiday and sometimes mine does. I actually made this delicious carrot cake for our birthdays!
I seriously think that the first person who put carrots in cake was a genius. Finely grated carrots bring moisture to the cake. Not only do they make it healthier, but their natural sweetness pairs perfectly with the spices and reduces the amount of sugar needed!
TEXTURE OF THE CARROT CAKE
Fluffy, moist, and light. No one in my family is a fan of dense, gooey cake, which is why everyone loved this fluffy and airy carrot cake! What’s even more surprising is that my boyfriend approved of the cake — and he doesn’t eat gluten-free or vegan! Topped with creamy, thick frosting made with coconut cream and vegan cream cheese, I don’t think anyone could resist this cake!
INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTES FOR GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN CARROT CAKE
Below are the key ingredients and some highlights for this delicious carrot cake:
Gluten-free flours: I used a combination of almond flour, gluten-free oat flour, and tapioca flour. To make the cake nut-free, substitute the almond flour with more oat flour. I made my own oat flour by grinding gluten-free rolled oats in a blender or food processor.
Powdered erythritol: I wanted to reduce the sugar in this cake, so I chose this sugar-free sweetener to replace part of the coconut sugar. Make sure it’s finely ground, or it won’t dissolve easily. If you don’t mind more sugar, you can use all coconut sugar instead. For US measurement, substitute ⅕ cup coconut sugar for ⅓ cup powdered erythritol; for metric, simply substitute 1:1.
Coconut sugar: You can substitute coconut sugar for powdered erythritol, but not the other way around — coconut sugar adds a special flavor that perfectly complements the spices.
Unsweetened applesauce: A perfect egg replacer for carrot cake. It adds moisture and makes the cake softer.
Coconut oil: Melt it completely before use. You can substitute any liquid oil like canola or grapeseed oil.
Carrots: Make sure they’re finely grated.
Spices: I used ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Spices are what make carrot cake wonderful — don’t skip them!
INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTES FOR VEGAN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Coconut cream: I used Siam’s full-fat coconut milk. Chill the can overnight to get solid coconut cream. Save the remaining coconut water for other use.
Vegan cream cheese: Let it soften at room temperature before use, or the frosting will become lumpy.
Powdered erythritol: To keep the frosting sugar-free, I used powdered erythritol, which makes the frosting slightly less firm than traditional powdered sugar. As mentioned above, make sure it’s finely ground so it dissolves easily.
TIPS
Do not overmix: Oat flour is a great binding agent, similar to gluten in wheat flour. However, overmixing will make the cake dense and gummy.
Cake pan size: This is a 4-inch diameter three-layer carrot cake (a bit small for some of you, I know!). The same amount of batter can make a 6-inch two-layer cake. Baking time may take 5–10 minutes longer.
Storage: Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
