Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This is the BEST vegan carrot cake, incredibly moist, tender, lightly spiced, and topped with a rich, tangy vegan cream cheese frosting. Made with pantry staples and full-fat coconut milk for that classic soft crumb, this bakery-style carrot cake is perfect for birthdays, holidays, or anytime you’re craving a nostalgic dessert.
Servings: slices (makes a two layer 8-inch round cake)
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake:
- 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup(s) white sugar
- ½ cup(s) brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon(s) salt
- 2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon(s) ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon(s) nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon(s) ground cloves
- ¾ cup(s) light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
- 1 cup(s) full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon(s) apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon(s) vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup(s) grated carrots lightly packed
Optional mix-ins (choose 1–2):
- ½ cup(s) chopped walnuts or pecans
- ½ cup(s) raisins
- ½ cup(s) drained crushed pineapple
For the Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz(s) vegan cream cheese (brick-style)
- ¼ cup(s) firm vegan butter (I used Earth Balance, see notes)
- 2 ½ - 3 cup(s) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
- Pinch(s) salt
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Prepare the pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla.
- Combine the batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until combined. The batter will be thick. Fold in the grated carrots and any optional mix-ins without overmixing.
- Bake: Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 25–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Beat the base: Add the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter to a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Add sugar: Add powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until thick, creamy, and spreadable. Beat in the vanilla and salt. If the frosting feels too soft, chill it for 20–30 minutes to firm up.
Assemble the cake:
- Frost: Place one cake layer on your serving plate and generously frost the top. Add the second layer and frost the top and sides as desired. Finish with chopped nuts or a dusting of cinnamon if you like.
Notes
Storage & Make-Ahead: Store leftover cake covered in the fridge for 4–5 days. The cake stays incredibly moist.
To make ahead, bake the layers up to 2 days in advance and store them (unfrosted) tightly wrapped in the fridge. You can also freeze the baked layers for up to 3 months, then thaw before frosting. Coconut-Free Substitute: Replace the 1 cup coconut milk with ½ cup thick vegan yogurt, plus ½ cup plant-based milk (soy or oat recommended). Gluten-Free Option: Only use a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend (with xanthan gum). Texture will be slightly softer and more delicate, but still good. Vegan Cream Cheese Tip: Use brick-style vegan cream cheese, not the softer tub version. Tub-style cream cheese contains more water and often leads to runny frosting. Vegan Butter Tip: Choose a firm vegan butter meant for baking. Spreadable-style margarines are too soft and won’t hold frosting structure. Frosting Decorating Tip: For a cute bakery-style finish, set aside a few tablespoons of frosting and tint it with a little orange and green food coloring. Use piping bags with small round or leaf tips to pipe tiny carrot shapes on top of the cake. It’s simple, adorable, and perfect for spring celebrations or Easter!
To make ahead, bake the layers up to 2 days in advance and store them (unfrosted) tightly wrapped in the fridge. You can also freeze the baked layers for up to 3 months, then thaw before frosting. Coconut-Free Substitute: Replace the 1 cup coconut milk with ½ cup thick vegan yogurt, plus ½ cup plant-based milk (soy or oat recommended). Gluten-Free Option: Only use a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend (with xanthan gum). Texture will be slightly softer and more delicate, but still good. Vegan Cream Cheese Tip: Use brick-style vegan cream cheese, not the softer tub version. Tub-style cream cheese contains more water and often leads to runny frosting. Vegan Butter Tip: Choose a firm vegan butter meant for baking. Spreadable-style margarines are too soft and won’t hold frosting structure. Frosting Decorating Tip: For a cute bakery-style finish, set aside a few tablespoons of frosting and tint it with a little orange and green food coloring. Use piping bags with small round or leaf tips to pipe tiny carrot shapes on top of the cake. It’s simple, adorable, and perfect for spring celebrations or Easter!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving (recipe makes 12 servings) | Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 2229IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg
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