Vegan Layered Carrot Cake

Make my super easy layered carrot cake at home - perfect for Easter and Spring time!

If you are not a fan of carrot cake, then this blog post most certainly isn't for you, though I do hope I can try and persuade you. My first experience of carrot cake was the huge one from Costco, which I have to say is delightful - I used to eat all of the cake scraping off the cream cheese icing till last, sounds gross I realise but it was so sweet and creamy I've never had anything better.... until now. I don't know the fundamental ingredients for Costco's carrot cake but I knew I had to make a vegan version and I think I nailed it. I've made 3 layers of sponge, filled with walnuts, carrots (yep) and a little spice and I've finally nailed my vegan cream cheese icing. I'm ecstatic with this cake and I truly feel you will be too. The key to this cakes' beautiful moisture I find is too grate the carrots on the finer side of your grater, the carrots release more of their water content that way which seeps into the sponge for delicious cakes!

If you love carrot cake and Easter recipes.... 

Check out my other cake recipes for more inspiration!

• Vegan Chocolate Easter eggs with fillings
• Easter Cookie Bars
• Chocolate Easter Egg Cookies

Recipe

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes
Serves: 8-10

Makes x2 6 x 4 inch cake layers or x3 thin 6 inch cake layers

Notes:

• I find Oatly to be the best brand for vegan cream cheese as I have found that other vegan cream cheeses are more watery and do not create a thick consistency for an icing. 
• If you can't get ground flaxseed you can also use chia seeds to make the vegan egg. 
• Make sure to buy a block of vegan butter not in a tub as this will be too soft when making the icing. 

Ingredients

Cake

• 300g Self-raising flour
• 300g Light brown sugar
• 50g Caster sugar
• 230g Grated carrots
• 2 Flax eggs = 30g flaxseed + 60ml water
• 120ml Vegetable oil
• 70ml Soya milk
• 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 75g Walnuts chopped
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 2tsp Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

Icing

• 230g Cream Cheese  
• 200g vegan butter 
• 400g Icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180℃ and grease and line x2 6 x 4 inch cake tins with baking paper.
2. Prepare the flax egg in a small bowl and leave to form a gel-like consistency for about 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and oil till combined then whisk in the flax egg. 
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Add the carrots and mix.
5. Add the wet ingredients into the bowl and mix till combined to a thick batter. Then fold in the walnuts. 
6. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
7. Meanwhile make the cream cheese icing.
8. In a large bowl using an electric whisk, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and continue to beat until mixed together - don't overman as the mixture can become soupy. 
9. Gradually add the icing sugar and keep adding till you reach desired sweetness. You should have a thick spreadable mixture, again don't over mix this. If your cream cheese icing is not as thick, put it in the fridge for about an hour to firm up before you spread it on the cake. 
10. Once the cakes have cooled completely, spread or pipe the cream cheese on one layer then top with the second layer and spread more on top and around the sides. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Christina 

xx