Why you’ll love this dairy free carrot cake
Carrot cake has always been a favorite of mine. The tender, spiced cake layers, the cream cheese frosting. What’s not to love?
The cake itself bakes up into two thick layers with moist, almost melted carrots throughout. As far as mix-ins go, sometimes we skip them and sometimes we don’t. I know this can be a touchy subject for some. I’m personally team walnut pieces, but my kids aren’t big fans, so we have been leaving them out.
Either way, this cake delivers that classic carrot cake flavor without the dairy, and you will absolutely love it.
More dairy free Easter recipes: dairy free quiche / dairy free lemon bars / dairy free hollandaise sauce / dairy free scalloped potatoes
Ingredient notes:
- Neutral oil – Canola, vegetable or really any neutral oil will work. Avoid strong oils like unrefined coconut or extra virgin olive oils.
- All-purpose flour – I have not tested this cake with any alternative flours. If you want to make this gluten free, I recommend using 1:1 flour, but I can’t guarantee the results.
- Orange zest – This is totally optional, but it adds a little pop of brightness to the cake. I highly recommend it.
- Cornstarch – For some reason, dairy free cream cheese tends to get runny when it’s mixed with sugar and the added starch helps stabilize it. It thickens the frosting and helps it hold up without becoming runny.
- Dairy free cream cheese – We use Violife vegan cream cheese for this frosting. I’ve found that it works best in frosting without getting runny.
- Vegetable shortening – I’ve added this to the frosting to help it stablize at room temp. If you prefer not to use it, just swap an additional stick of dairy free butter.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Melissa’s tips & tricks:
- Shred your carrots. Coarse shreds don’t soften as much during baking so I like to use the fine side of a box grater to get nice thin carrot shreds.
- Make ahead tip: The unfrosted layers can be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day, or frozen for up to 1 month, and the frosting will keep for about 1 week in the fridge. So to cut down on overwhelm, I typically do all of my baking and making the day before I plan to assemble.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this as a sheet cake instead of a layer cake?
Yes. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan and bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean — start checking around 35–40 minutes. You’ll have plenty of frosting to cover a sheet cake generously.
Can I freeze carrot cake?
You can freeze the unfrosted cake layers for up to 1 month. Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a zip-top bag or airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting. Frosted slices can also be frozen, though the frosting texture may change slightly after thawing.
More dairy free cake recipes: dairy free vanilla cake / dairy free birthday cake / dairy free chocolate cake / peanut butter and jelly cake
Ingredients
- 4 large carrots - peeled and finely shredded (about 2 1/2 – 3 cups / 300g)
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour - 330g
- 1 cup brown sugar - 225g
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar - 150g
- 1 cup neutral oil
- 4 large eggs - 200g
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 8-ounce container dairy free cream cheese - 200g, room temperature
- 1/2 cup dairy free butter - room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening - room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened, plain dairy free milk
- 1/2 cup cornstarch - 60g
- 1 pinch coarse salt - optional
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar - 600-720g
Instructions
- Mise en place. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.Then, grate the carrots and measure out your ingredients before you begin.
- Coat the carrots. Place the shredded carrots in a small bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of flour until evenly coated. Set aside.
- Make the batter. In a mixing bowl, whisk the remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together until combined. Set the bowl aside for later.In a separate bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), mix the oil, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and orange zest until smooth and well combined.Next, add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.Then, add the carrots to the bowl, along with any optional mix-ins and stir until evenly distributed.
- Bake the layers. Divide the batter between your prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or the tops have fully set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool for at least 10 minutes before turning them onto a wire cooling rack.
- Make the frosting. With an electric mixer, beat the dairy free cream cheese, dairy free butter and shortening until combined.Then, add vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of dairy free milk, cornstarch and salt.Next, mix in powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, until the frosting has reached your desired consistency.
- Assemble your cake. When the cake layers have completely cooled, spread a layer of frosting on top of one, then add the next layer. Use the rest of the frosting to cover the cake.If you have extra frosting, it can be used for piping or discarded.
