The best Eggless 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.
Yield: 10 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Ingredients
- 270 ml Milk* room temp; see notes for options
- 165 g Light Brown Sugar
- 170 g Cane Sugar* or castor sugar
- 180 ml Vegetable Oil or any neutral 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; see notes for options
- 340 g Butter* cut into cubes; see notes for options
- 300 g Powdered Sugar* sifted; or icing sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla or 1tsp Cinnamon Powder
Instructions
Carrot Cake Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃).
- Grease 2 x 8-inch (20 cm) or 3 x 6-inch (15cm) round cake pans with oil & line it with baking paper.
- Peel and grate the carrots using a box grater or food processor.
- In a bowl combine milk, oil, vanilla extract, light brown sugar and 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, cinnamon 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.
If you're using red Indian carrots or carrots with a high water content, be sure to squeeze out the excess moisture after grating and then add them to the cake batter.
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.
In warm weather, use cool room-temperature cream cheese soft enough to blend smoothly but still slightly chilled. If it's too warm, the frosting can become runny and won't whip up as stable.
Cake Assembly Instructions
- Trim a thin layer of both cakes to level them with a serrated knife to ensure they stack evenly. Reserve the cake trimmings for decorating the cake.
- Break the cake trimmings into smaller pieces, then pulse in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Cover and set it aside.
- 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 prepared 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!
For clean slices, chill the frosted carrot cake to firm up the frosting. Run a sharp serrated knife under hot water, then dry it. Use a gentle sawing motion to cut through the cake without pressing down and compressing the soft crumb. Wipe the knife clean and repeat between each slice.
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.