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Super easy and healthy carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Super easy and healthy carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, a vegan cake that is so light and airy. Great on any occasion, not only Easter!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Cake, Dessert
Calories: 276
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Carrot cake ingredients
  • 225 gr white whole wheat flour (or sub spelt flour or regular all purpose flour)
  • 180 gr coconut sugar (or sub (organic) light brown sugar)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 100 gr coconut oil
  • 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 300 gr carrot (grated)
  • 80 gr walnuts (chopped)
  • 1-1½ tsp orange zest (to taste)(use the juice for the frosting)
Cream cheese frosting
  • 450 gr (vegan) cream cheese (for thinner layers use only 300 gr)
  • 150 gr powdered sugar or xylitol (for thinner layers use only 100gr)
  • 1½ tbsp orange juice (for thinner layers use only 1 tbsp)
Garnishing (optional)
  • a handful (caramelized) walnuts (or)
  • a handful mini Easter eggs (or)
  • a handful toasted shredded coconut (or)

Equipment

  • 8 inch/ 20cm Ø cake pan

Method
 

Bake the carrot cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/360F and lightly grease a 8 inch/20cm Ø cake pan with (coconut) cooking spray or oil.
  2. In a large bowl I add flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. I stir to combine it all with a large wooden spoon.
  3. If your coconut oil is solid, gently melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan at low heat.
  4. Add the liquid coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, the grated carrot, orange zest and chopped walnuts to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon. The batter will still look a bit too dry so let it rest so the carrots can release some of their water. After 5-10 minutes mix it again shortly. It should have the right consistency now.
  5. Pour the batter into the greased cake pan and bake it for about 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. I usually check after 30 minutes to ensure I am not over baking my cake. If still too wet, I give it another 5 minutes and check again.
  6. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool off. The first 10 minutes in the cake pan, after that, take it out of the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack.
Make the cream cheese frosting
  1. While the carrot cake is cooling off, make the cream cheese frosting. In a large mixing bowl add all the frosting ingredients and beat it all together with a whisk (or you can use a food processor for this as well) until thoroughly combined.
  2. When the frosting is ready and the cake has cooled off completely, take a large knife and cut the cake in half horizontally. Spread a layer of frosting on the bottom half of the cake and place the other half on top of it. Finish it off with another layer of frosting on top of the cake.
  3. Optionally garnish the carrot cake with some (caramelized) chopped walnuts or, mini Easter eggs or even toasted shredded coconut.
  4. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Notes

Nutritional information:
the information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.