Description
This Vegan Carrot Cake is a moist and flavorful plant-based dessert featuring freshly grated carrots, warm spices, and crunchy walnuts. It is layered and frosted with a creamy vegan Swiss meringue buttercream and decorated with colorful carrot designs and candied walnuts. Perfect for celebrations or any occasion that calls for a delicious dairy-free, egg-free treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter
- 340 ml soy milk (divided)
- 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 150 ml olive oil
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons orange zest
- 400 g all-purpose flour (sifted)
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 150 g soft brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 280 g carrots (freshly grated)
- 125 g walnuts (finely chopped)
Vegan Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 1 batch vegan Swiss meringue buttercream (prepared separately)
Candied Walnuts
- 100 g chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
Carrot Decorations
- 90 g powdered sugar (divided: 60 g for orange mix, 30 g for green mix)
- ½ teaspoon freeze-dried raspberry powder (or strawberry/beetroot powder)
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon carrot juice
- ½ teaspoon matcha powder
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon soy milk
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to fan-forced 160°C (320°F) or conventional 180°C (356°F). Line the base of three 6-inch cake tins or two 8-inch cake tins with parchment paper circles and spray the sides with oil spray to prevent sticking.
- Make vegan buttermilk: In a medium bowl, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir well and allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes so it curdles, creating a vegan buttermilk substitute.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Add olive oil, vanilla extract, and orange zest to the vegan buttermilk. Whisk thoroughly to combine all wet ingredients evenly.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, granulated sugar, soft brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and sea salt. Set aside.
- Make the batter: Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients bowl. Gently whisk to combine, being careful not to overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the freshly grated carrots and chopped walnuts until just incorporated.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake tins. For 6-inch tins, bake for 30-40 minutes; for 8-inch tins, bake for 35-45 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a skewer into the center—it should come out clean. If not, bake for an additional 5-10 minutes as necessary. Allow cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Frosting: Prepare the vegan Swiss meringue buttercream separately. Place one cake layer on a turntable and use an offset spatula to smooth a layer of frosting on top. Freeze for 5 minutes to set, then repeat with remaining cake layers. Use the leftover frosting to cover the sides and top of the cake evenly, smoothing with a cake scraper for a clean finish.
- Candied walnuts: In a pan over gentle heat, combine walnuts, granulated sugar, and vegan butter. Cook while tossing constantly for 5-7 minutes until the sugar melts and the walnuts are fragrant and caramelized. Remove from heat, spread the walnuts on parchment paper to cool, then roughly chop.
- Carrot decorations: Prepare the orange mix by combining 60 g powdered sugar with raspberry powder, turmeric, and carrot juice until smooth. For the green mix, blend 30 g powdered sugar with matcha powder, vanilla extract, and soy milk. Transfer each mix into separate piping bags and trim the tip when ready to decorate.
- Decorate: Pipe carrot designs along the cake sides using the prepared orange and green icing mixes. Garnish the top and bottom edges of the cake by pressing chopped candied walnuts into the buttercream using an offset spatula for a decorative finish.
Notes
- Allow the vegan buttermilk to sit for the full 10 minutes to achieve proper curdling, essential for the cake’s texture.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter once wet and dry ingredients are combined to avoid a dense cake.
- If you do not have vegan Swiss meringue buttercream prepared, consider using a store-bought vegan frosting as an alternative.
- For best results, use fresh finely grated carrots and chop the walnuts finely for even distribution.
- The candied walnuts can be stored in an airtight container once cooled for up to a week.
- Feel free to substitute orange zest with lemon zest for a slightly different citrus note in the cake.
- Make sure the cake layers are completely cooled before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting.
