Hey there peeps! Easter is just around the corner and you know what that means? Easter themed treats! My family usually isn’t the type to go on easter egg hunts (our house is too small for us to be able to “hunt”) but we do enjoy themed baked goods no matter what the occasion. Plus celebrating with people I love through the food I make puts me in a light mood.

This Moist Vegan Carrot Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting is a classic and it had to be shared one way or another. It’s perfectly moist with that quintessential cream cheese frosting, made vegan through some secret ingredient concoction (all pantry staples. trust me on this one). I’ve actually been making this buttercream frosting for a long time and making tweaks to it over the years. It’s creamy, buttery, not too sweet and has a subtle tang which complements the carrot cake so well.

A Word on Carrot Cakes

Everybody has their own idea of the perfect carrot cake. Some like it to be very chunky with lots of nuts and raisins. Others like it with booze. Then there are others who are team pineapple and add crushed pineapple into the cake. To get the record straight right from the beginning, this is my favorite way to make carrot cake, modest and unadorned. Essentially, an au naturel carrot cake except for a bit of piping because I couldn’t help it. You can even decorate this as a naked cake if you want to follow in that direction.

The carrots are grated thinly to weave effortlessly into the batter and to avoid, as Coral Lee would put it, a salad-y texture. Meanwhile the mashed banana has a dual purpose in making this soft and moist while adding an extra oomph of flavor. You won’t taste the banana but it will add a more complex flavor that makes this carrot cake stand out. Lastly, me and my family are not too big on raisins so you won’t find it in my carrot cake. However, I included it as an option in the recipe for you. Other variations to make this cake your own would be:

Play around with nuts. Try pecans or pistachios. Toasting the nuts is great too
Use chopped dates instead of raisins (I do this often)
Soak raisins in your favorite booze (Bourbon or Rum are great options) then add to the batter
Replace the mashed banana with crushed pineapple for a fruity carrot cake
Substitute the all purpose flour for a gluten free flour blend or whole wheat pastry flour
Switch up the frosting with coconut whipped cream or a classic buttercream
Have fun with the fillings and dollop some chocolate hazelnut spread in between the cake layers

There are so many ways to jazz up your carrot cake to truly make it yours. Just have fun and enjoy the process!

How to Assemble a Layer Cake

This Moist Vegan Carrot Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting is perfect for beginners and gives you the foundation and confidence to tackle future cake projects. It may seem daunting at first but keep reading on for all the tips.

Once your cakes are cool, remove them from the pan and check if the cakes baked up with a slight hump which often happens. If there is a hump, the first thing you need to do is create a flat base. Using a serrated knife or a cake leveler, hold the knife parallel to the edge of the cake where you want to begin trimming. Make small incisions with the knife, giving the cake a quarter turn per incision. Continue this process, cutting deeper every turn and making sure to keep the knife parallel. Eventually, when you reach the center of the cake, lift off the cake trimmings and save to nosh on later. Voila! A leveled cake plus a well deserved snack for you!

After this, I like to freeze the cake layers to make them extra firm and easy to decorate on. This is optional but highly recommended if you have the time. To assemble, place one cake layer (bottom side down) on your cake board or turntable. Dollop about 1 cup of frosting at the center then use an offset spatula/spoon/knife to spread the buttercream to the edges. Place the second cake layer on top (bottom side up) and press it down slightly so it adheres well to the frosting. Dollop some buttercream on top then spread to the sides of the cake. Using an offset spatula to cover the whole cake in a thin layer of buttercream. At this point, the cake layers will be peeking out like a naked cake. This will serve as your crumb coat which will prevent crumbs from going all over your frosting later. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer to set. Meanwhile, relax and take a sip of something soothing while you wait.

Now we get to the fun part: cake decorating! Start with adding buttercream at the top center of your cake, spreading with a spatula and letting the buttercream droop down to the sides. Continue covering your cake with buttercream and smoothing out with a spatula/cake scraper until you are satisfied. I have to be honest this step takes me forever! If you want a more rustic look you can do swirls which is also a great option.

For the carrots, I used a #10 piping tip and #349 for the leaves (the smallest leaf tip you have will work). You can check this article for a step by step breakdown.

Just A Few Tips

• Canola oil can be substituted with another neutral tasting oil or melted vegan butter.
• The buttercream recipe makes enough to cover the cake plus extra for decorating. If you have no plans to do extra decorating, use ¾ of the buttercream recipe.
• I know what you’re thinking. Apple Cider Vinegar in frosting…!? But trust me it works. Use the recipe as a guide and adjust the amount of vinegar if you want more tang.

Share how much you love this Moist Vegan Carrot Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting by leaving a rating/comment down below! Can’t wait to see all your gorgeous cakes!

Print Recipe

Moist Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A moist fragrantly spiced vegan carrot cake with carrots, bananas and walnuts. Enveloped in a fluffy lemon cream cheese frosting for a delicious cake.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Dairy Free, Fall Recipes, Vegan

Servings: 1 8-inch cake

Calories: 430kcal

Ingredients

• 312.5 g (2½ cups) all purpose flour ,sifted
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 220 g (1 cup) ripe banana ,mashed
• 200 g (1 cup) brown sugar
• 200 g (1 cup) white sugar
• 180 mL (¾ cup) plant based milk ,room temperature
• 110 mL (½ cup) canola oil
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 380 g (3 cups) finely grated carrots ,about 3 med. sized carrots
• 117 g (1 cup) chopped walnuts
• 80 g (½ cup) raisins or dates* ,optional

Lemon "Cream Cheese" Buttercream

• 480 g (4 cups) confectionary sugar ,sifted
• 1½ tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 340 g (1½ cup) vegan unsalted butter ,softened

Instructions

Carrot Cake Layers

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Butter the insides of the pan and sprinkle with a thin layer of flour. Shake off the excess flour by tapping the sides over a trash bin or sink (see notes in the post for a visual).
• In a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Give it a quick whisk to combine. Pour in the mashed banana, sugars, milk, canola oil, and vanilla and stir until a few streaks of flour are left. Add in the carrots, walnuts and raisins if adding and mix until everything is distributed.
• Divide batter evenly among the two cake pans and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted at the center comes out clean. You will also notice the cake releasing from the sides of the pan. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then with a dull knife release the sides of the cake from the pan then lift the cake from the pan. Set aside until completely cool then place in the fridge/freezer or go straight to the next step.

Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

• While waiting for the cakes to cool, make the buttercream. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. Set aside.
• Using a mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Pour in the lemon mixture and continue to beat until you get a fluffy creamy frosting. If you find that the butter gets too soft (happens often where I am) place the bowl in the fridge/freezer for a few minutes then whip again.

Assemble the Cake

• On your turntable or cake board, place a smear of buttercream at the center of the cake board to keep your cake from sliding during decorating. Place one cake layer (bottom side down) on the board. Dollop about 1 cup of buttercream over the cake and spread evenly to the edges. Top with the other cake layer (bottom side up) then cover with a thin layer of buttercream (crumb coat). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes then cover all over with frosting.
• To make the the little carrots, separate ⅔ of the leftover buttercream and tint with orange food coloring. Color the other ⅓ with green food color (or matcha for a natural dye). Fill your piping bags and pipe the body of the carrot with a tip #10 all over the cake in a pattern. Next, pipe the leaves with a #349 tip. Serve immediately or refrigerate until set. Enjoy!

Notes

*To make cupcakes, fill cupcake liners until ¾ full and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted at the center comes out clean. 

*Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or wrap slices in cling wrap and freeze for up to a month. If refrigerating, cover the exposed slices with a piece of bread to keep it from drying it out (I don’t usually bother for this cake since it gets eaten so quickly and it stays amazingly moist for days).

Recipe adapted from Nora Cooks

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