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Carrot Cake

prep time: 30 min | bake time: 40 min | total time: 3.5 hrs

Make this eggless Carrot Cake once and fall in love for life! The cake is moist, sweet, and spiced with cinnamon, featuring grated carrots and a hint of vanilla. It's perfect for celebrations or as a cozy dessert and is topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. The recipe is simple to prepare, and with a few ingredient swaps, it’s easily vegan and dairy-free.
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Eggless Carrot Cake

I’ve only met a few people in this lifetime who don’t love carrot cake and I have a feeling it’s because they didn’t have this Carrot Cake! If you didn’t think eggless baking could be moist and decadent – think again – this eggless carrot cake is unbelievably moist, and delicious and has the perfect balance of cinnamon sweetness. Carrot cakes are one of those desserts that can easily be breakfast and are perfect for daytime celebrations. They are light but dense, neutral yet packed with flavor and there’s a vegetable in there so they must be healthy too right? This recipe is the perfect sweet treat for everyone to enjoy thanks to the egg free batter, and simple dairy free options.

I make This recipe a year-round favorite in my household and often make it. The frosting is just perfection. I’m not a fan of those super thick, overly sweet frostings that many people pair their carrot cake with – it’s just not my vibe. I really appreciate a good cake to frosting ratio that doesn’t hurt my teeth from all the sugar but to each their own – you can truly put whatever frosting you want on this cake and it will still be divine! Don’t wait for Easter or whenever it is socially acceptable to eat carrot cake – make it ASAP and make it a year round favorite at home as I did!

What You’ll Need To Make Eggless Carrot Cake

  • 2 x 8-inch Round Cake Pans (20cm)
  • Box Grater

Carrot Cake Ingredients

  • Milk: Adds moisture and helps create a tender crumb. Use plant-based milk for a dairy-free version.
  • Cane Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and keeps the cake moist.
  • Vegetable Oil: Ensures the cake is rich and tender. Use any neutral oil such as sunflower or canola.
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances and helps incorporate all the ingredients into one cohesive flavor.
  • Baking Powder: A leavening agent that gives the cake its rise and fluffy texture.
  • Baking Soda: Works with the vinegar to create bubbles, contributing to the cake’s lightness and tender structure.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the batter, providing structure to the cakes while keeping it soft.
  • Cinnamon: The most complimentary ingredient to carrots. Cinnamon warms up the cake batter and helps bring the cake to life. 
  • Salt: Added to enhance all the flavors of the other ingredients and tie it all together. 
  • Grated Carrots: No carrot cake is complete without carrots! They add the color, the flavor and just the right amount of sweetness and texture. 
  • Walnuts: Optional but my goodness they take this take to another level. They are nutty, add a bit of crunch and dimension to the texture.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

  • Butter: Creates a smooth and creamy base. Swap for vegan butter for a dairy-free version.
  • Cream Cheese: Provides the classic tangy flavor. Use dairy-free cream cheese for a vegan option.
  • Powdered Sugar: Necessary for sweetening the butter and cream cheese to make an ideal icing.
  • Vanilla Extract or Cinnamon Powder: Enhances the flavor of the frosting and ties all the flavors of the cake together.

Let’s Talk Carrots

Fresh carrots are essential for this cake’s moist texture. Use fine grates for more moisture or larger grates for texture. High-moisture carrots, like red or leafy varieties, may need gentle patting to remove excess water, while regular orange carrots work perfectly without additional preparation. For a carrot cake, the moisture content from the carrots is essential for texture and flavor.

Carrots come in various types around the world, and they all are generally suitable for baking. When grating carrots for the cake, finer grates release more moisture, helping to keep the cake moist. Larger shreds release less moisture but add more texture. You can use a box grater or a food processor to grate carrots. 

Here’s How Carrots Moisture Content Affects The Cake:

  • High-Moisture Carrots: Cylindrical carrots with green leafy tops, a common variety in UK, US, Brazil or red carrots found in India may have a higher moisture content. Gently press the grated carrots with a paper towel to remove just the excess surface moisture if needed. This helps prevent the batter from becoming too watery, which could make the cake overly dense or soggy.
  • Low & Medium Moisture Carrots: Regular Orange carrots and Danvers (long carrots with narrow tips found in major grocery stores in the US) may be slightly drier. You can use this variety of carrots for my carrot cake recipe. You usually don’t need to remove excess moisture. Grating them, measure and use them directly into the batter will provide the right balance of moisture and sweetness.

How to Make Moist Egg-Free Carrot Cake

Prepare the Batter

Start by preheating the oven and greasing two round cake pans. Combine milk, light brown sugar, cane sugar, oil, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Mix until smooth, then add the dry ingredients. Fold in grated carrots and walnuts or pecans (optional) for a flavorful batter.

Bake the Cake

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake until golden brown and firm to the touch. Allow the cakes to cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.

Make the Frosting

Whip butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and creamy. Chill the frosting for a few minutes if needed.

Assemble the Cake

Trim the cake layers for an even surface, then frost and layer them. Apply a crumb coat, chill, and finish with a thick layer of frosting. Decorate with cake crumbs or chopped walnuts for a beautiful presentation.

Why You’ll Love This Eggless Carrot Cake

There are so many reasons to love this moist and flavorful cake! It has all the delicious flavors of a classic Carrot Cake but the added bonus is that it egg free and can easily be made vegan if necessary. It’s super easy to make and the instructions are straight forward. It can be enjoyed any time of the day and is not too heavy. You can customize this cake to fit your dietary and personal preferences and it will still turn out amazingly! Celebrate with this cake and spread the love, everyone will fall in love at first bite!

Eggless Carrot Cake Frequently Asked Questions

I would not recommend using store bought grated carrots for this recipe. Freshly grated carrots would be ideal for better moisture, flavor and structure. Pre-grated carrots are generally drier and less flavorful.

Yes! Use a plant-based milk instead of whole milk. Ensure your frosting is also dairy-free by using vegan butter sticks for baking and vegan cream cheese such as Vio life, Tofutti etc. 

Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you need to keep it longer, refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Make sure to let it come to room temperature before serving.

Yes! You can freeze the cake either whole or in slices. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and it will keep for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

Absolutely! Chopped walnuts/pecans and raisins/currants or shredded/desiccated coconut can be added for extra flavor and texture. Just be sure to adjust the batter consistency if needed.

Cream cheese frosting is a classic choice that complements the cake’s flavors beautifully. You can also use vanilla buttercream or dust it with powdered sugar.

Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready.

Yes! You can bake the cake a day or two ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Just frost it closer to the time you plan to serve.

Watch This Video For Carrot Cake

Tips for Making the Best Eggless Carrot Cake

  • Grate Your Carrots Fresh: Freshly grated carrots provide the best moisture and flavor and avoid pre-grated ones.
  • Don’t Overmix: Mix the batter just until combined to keep the cake light and fluffy.
  • Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensures even mixing and a smooth batter.
  • Chill the Frosting: Chilling helps achieve the perfect consistency for spreading and decorating.
  • Decorate with Cake Trimmings: Use leftover trimmings to add a rustic touch to your cake.

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Meet Saloni

I’m a former pastry chef with a love for breads, cakes and everything in between! My recipes are easy to follow, egg free and are designed to be shared with others!

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5 from 8 votes

Carrot Cake  

Make this eggless Carrot Cake once and fall in love for life! The cake is moist, sweet, and spiced with cinnamon, featuring grated carrots and a hint of vanilla. It's perfect for celebrations or as a cozy dessert and is topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. The recipe is simple to prepare, and with a few ingredient swaps, it’s easily vegan and dairy-free.
Author: Saloni Mehta
Rate
Yield: 10 servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Setting Time: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 30 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Ingredients

  • 270 ml Milk*
  • 165 g Light Brown Sugar
  • 170 g Cane Sugar*
  • 180 ml Vegetable Oil
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 300 g All Purpose Flour
  • 1½ tsp Baking Powder
  • 1½ tsp Baking Soda
  • 1¼ tsp Cinnamon Powder
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • 300 g Carrots (roughly 5-6 medium size) peeled and grated
  • 70 g Walnuts toasted and chopped (optional)
  • 60 g Walnuts toasted and chopped (optional as a decorative topping)

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

  • 340 g Cream Cheese* room temperature
  • 340 g Butter* cut into cubes
  • 300 g Powdered Sugar* sifted
  • 2 tsp Vanilla or Cinnamon Powder
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Instructions

Carrot Cake Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
  • Grease 2 x 8inch (20 cm) round cake pans with oil & line it with baking paper.
  • In a bowl combine milk, oil, vanilla extract, light brown sugar and cane sugar. Mix with a hand whisk or an electric whisk until sugar has dissolved.
  • Add all the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt) into the liquid ingredients. Mix until it is combined and smooth.
  • Add grated carrots, and walnuts & fold the batter gently until it is fully mixed.
  • Divide the cake batter equally between the cake pans.
  • Bake for 40-45 min or until firm to touch.
  • Cool the sponge cakes completely on a cooling rack. Trim a thin layer of the cake before layering it with cream cheese frosting.Reserve the cake trimmings for decorating the cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions

  • Use a mixing bowl fitted with paddle attachment or you can use a handheld electric whisk.
  • Whip the butter until it is light and fluffy on medium speed with an electric whisk.
  • Add sifted powdered sugar in 2 parts.
  • Mix on medium speed until it is light - smooth for 4-5 minutes.
  • Add cream cheese & vanilla and mix until combined.

Cake Assembly Instructions

  • Trim a thin layer of both cakes to level them with a serrated knife to ensure they stack evenly.
  • Place a small amount of frosting on the center of your cake stand or serving plate.
  • Place one layer of the cake on the prepared cake stands or plate.
  • Add 8-9 scoops of cream cheese frosting and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.
  • Place the second carrot cake on top of the frosting.
  • Apply a crumb coat by spreading a thin layer of cream cheese frosting over the entire cake. This layer seals in any crumbs and creates a smooth surface for the final coat. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  • After the crumb coat has set, apply a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Smooth it out or create a pattern with an offset spatula.
  • Prepare a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and fill it with the remaining cream cheese frosting. Pipe the frosting on the cake.
  • Decorate it with cake trimmings.
  • Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set and make slicing easier.
  • Once the cake has chilled and the frosting is set, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to fully develop. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Cup vs weighing scale: The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams.
  • Before you start to make any recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the process will go smoothly and easily.
  • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with for accuracy.
  • Milk: You can use any dairy-free unsweetened milk (like almond, soy, oat) or dairy based whole milk.
  • Sugar: Cane sugar can be substituted with granulated sugar or castor sugar. Ensure the sugar is vegan-friendly (some sugars are processed with bone char) or use organic cane sugar.
  • Butter: Use dairy-free butter sticks or any butter of your choice.
  • Cream Cheese: Use dairy-free cream cheese or any plain full fat cream cheese of your choice.

Did you try this recipe? Leave a review!

25 Responses

    1. Hi Baori,
      I will not recommend using olive oil, coconut oil or butter for this recipe because it will make the cake structure quite dense. If you prefer a healthier oil alternative then I will suggest that you use “light olive oil” that is formulated for cooking purposes.

      Reply

  5. Looking so good will try soon ..one query ..as u add milk ..there is no vinegar added to milk ..as generally buttermilk is made so that the cake as rise and moisture…so should I skip or add vinegar

    Reply

    1. Hi Baori,

      That’s a great question. I have made this recipe on several occasions and I don’t think it needs buttermilk for the cake rise. Although If you wish to add then I will suggest to add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to milk. Let us know if it worked! 🙂

      Reply

    1. Hi Seema,
      That’s a great question. Although I have not tested this recipe with whole wheat flour. I will suggest to use a 50-50 ratio of whole wheat flour and plain flour. Let us know if it worked.

      Happy Baking!

      Reply

  13. Hi Thanks for your prompt response 🙏🏽. We’re an elderly couple so we like to avoid the frosting. Can this quantity be baked in an 8×8 inch pan? Or do I have to halve it?

    Reply

    1. Hi Misriya, I will suggest that you reduce this by half for 8×8 inch pan. I have tested this recipe as a single layer carrot cake and it turned out great! Hope you enjoy it.

      Reply
5 from 8 votes

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