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Gluten-free vegan carrot cake

Get the Recipe: Vegan Carrot Cake (Gluten-free)

This vegan carrot cake is the perfect sweet treat to enjoy with a cup of tea! Fudgy, moist, and well-flavoured, it's easy to make together with a slightly zesty frosting. Dairy-free, gluten-free. 

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1 1/2 cups rice flour, (1 3/4 cups)
  • 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
  • 2 cups coconut sugar
  • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup chickpea flour
  • 2 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp xanthan gum
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 3 cups plant based milk
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup grated carrot
  • 6 flax eggs, (6 tbsp ground flaxseed soaked in 3/4 cup water for 5 minutes)

For the frosting

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp orange juice
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla essence

Equipment

  • Conventional oven
  • 3 8-inch cake tins
  • Mixing bowls x 3

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/350 F and lightly grease 3 8-inch cake tins with vegan butter.
  • To a large mixing bowl, add the rice flour, buckwheat flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, chickpea flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and ground ginger. Stir together well.
  • To a different bowl, add plant based milk, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and grated carrots, and mix together.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry together with a flax egg. Mix together until well-combined. The batter should be on the thicker side, but still easy to pour.
  • Pour an equal amount of batter into the cake tins and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the centre.
  • When the cakes are ready, transfer them to a cooling rack and allow to cool fully either in the fridge or on the counter before adding the frosting.
  • To make the frosting, add the vegan butter, icing sugar, orange juice and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Use a handheld or stand mixer to whisk until very smooth. I would recommend leaving the frosting in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
  • Add a thick layer of the frosting to one of the cake sponges, then place the second cake sponge on top. Repeat the process once more, finishing with a layer of frosting on top of the cake.

Video

Notes

  • Make sure that the cake sponges cool down fully before adding the frosting. I would recommend allowing them to chill in the fridge for best results.
  • If you want to, you can add chopped nuts of your choice, such as walnuts or pecans.
  • For a more fluffy texture, reduce the amount of carrots used by half.
  • I would recommend weighing the ingredients for the best results. See the recipe card for an automatic conversion to metric amounts of each ingredient.
Calories: 412kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 172mg, Potassium: 289mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 36g, Vitamin A: 276IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 140mg, Iron: 1mg