Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me… Happy birthday to me!
Hey, guys. It’s my birthday and I made myself a cake, ’cause that’s how I do.
The wait is over – let’s make cake!
This cake is simple, requiring just 1 bowl to make! Plus, it requires basic ingredients you likely have on hand right now.
The recipe is adapted from my Vegan GF Carrot Apple Muffins, but it needed some tweaking to get that cake-like texture.
I tested this recipe for 3 days straight (oy) until I finally ended up with this perfected version. I served it to friends (non-vegan and non-gluten-free folks) and none of them could tell that it was special-diet friendly. Score!
The base of the cake is coconut oil, applesauce, flax eggs, maple syrup, and almond milk. Organic brown sugar and cane sugar add the perfect amount of sweetness while leaving the cake light and fluffy. And for gluten-free flours, I went with almond flour and my go-to gluten-free blend.
The result is a light, airy, fluffy carrot cake that retains its moisture without being mushy (the ultimate goal). Once cooled, it’s frosting time!
For frostings, I included several options. After taking a vote on Twitter, it seemed many of you wanted to see both a vegan buttercream and a cashew buttercream. But guess what? I provide 6 frosting options below!
For my cake, I went for classic Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting – I couldn’t resist. But really, any of the options would be amazing! Just depends on how creative and healthy you want to be.
I hope you all LOVE this carrot cake! It’s:
Tender
Fluffy
Moist
Perfectly sweet
Carrot-packed
& Insanely delicious
This would make the perfect birthday cake or cake for summer celebrations, wedding showers, cookouts, and beyond! It’s insanely flavorful, rich, moist, and undetectably vegan and gluten-free. Those who are gluten-free will be happy to know there isn’t any oat flour in this cake. I also included nut-free, oil-free, and refined-sugar-free options in the notes.
If you’re into cake (who’s not?), be sure to check out our other cakes: Vegan Birthday Cake, The Best Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes, Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes, Vegan Pumpkin Cake, Vegan Pumpkin Roll, Vegan Apple Gingerbread Cake, and Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake!
If you try this recipe, let us know how it goes! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
1-Bowl Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 3 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
- 7 ½ Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil* (or sub other neutral oil)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 scant cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup organic brown sugar* (or sub coconut sugar)
- 1/4 cup cane sugar* (or sub coconut sugar)
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 – 1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk* (or other non-dairy unsweetened milk)
- 1 ½ cups loosely packed grated carrot
- 1 ½ cups almond flour* (I didn’t test with almond meal, but I think it would work)
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour blend*
- 3/4 cup chopped raw walnuts* (if preferred, omit, or sub 1/2 cup (70 g) raisins)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Butter and flour two 8-inch, 1 9×13-inch, or 3 6-inch round pans with coconut oil or vegan cooking spray and dust with gluten-free flour (adjust number/size of pans if altering batch size). Shake out excess. Set aside.
- Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl by mixing flaxseed meal and water and let rest for 5 minutes. To the flax eggs, add oil and maple syrup and whisk to combine. Next, add applesauce, sugars, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
- Add lesser amount of almond milk (3/4 cup or 180 ml as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and stir. Add grated carrot and stir. Then add almond flour and gluten-free flour blend and stir. The batter should be thick but pourable. If too thick, add remaining almond milk 1/4 cup or 60 ml as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). If adding walnuts, add at this time and stir.
- Divide evenly among cake pan(s). Bake for 40-50 minutes or until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When you press on the top, it shouldn’t feel too spongy, so don’t be afraid of over-baking! The gluten-free blend just takes a little longer to bake. Also, note that the size of pan you use will vary baking time.
- Remove from oven and let rest in the pans for 15 minutes. Then carefully run a knife along the edges and gently invert onto cooling racks to let cool completely.
- NOTE: This cake needs to cool completely. It benefits from plenty of airflow, and the flavors develop as the cooling process goes on. If short on time, you can speed the cooling by placing the cakes in the refrigerator or freezer until very cool to the touch.
- Once cooled, you can serve as is or frost! For frosting, you have several options! See options above.
- Store leftovers at room temperature, covered, for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or covered well in the freezer for several weeks. However, it’s best when eaten fresh.
- Do note that, if using vegan cream cheese or yogurt in the frosting, the cake should be stored in the refrigerator. From the refrigerator, let set out for 10-15 minutes before serving so it warms a bit and becomes more tender. Let thaw completely from the freezer.
Video
Notes
*I used brown and cane sugars because they provided the best texture (fluffy and tender) for the cake. I also tested with coconut sugar, and although it was sweet enough, the texture was more dense. But, if coconut sugar is preferred, it still turns out well!
*If almond/nut-free, sub the almond milk for rice, hemp, or light coconut milk. And sub the almond flour for another nut/seed flour (such as hazelnut, sunflower seed, or brazil nut). If you can’t tolerate nuts or seeds, try subbing more gluten-free flour blend or oat flour. And omit the walnuts or sub raisins.
*I used my go-to gluten-free flour blend. If subbing your own blend, know that the results may vary. You can also use an equal amount of our NEW 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the gluten-free flour in this recipe.
*Recipe adapted from my Vegan Carrot Apple Muffins.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without frosting.
Suzanne says
I have made this several times and is my go to! Thank you for this recipe. It is really excellent. The only changes I made was coconut sugar and I always add vanilla to cakes. People are amazed it is vegan and gluten free.
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear it, Suzanne. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Marina says
I tested this cake out a few weeks back as I’m planning to make it for my boyfriend’s uncle who can’t eat white sugar. Before I comment anything else, I just want to say the cake is delicious! Everybody that tried it liked it. I made a greek yogurt, heavy cream and honey frosting for it and it all paired really well and wasn’t too sweet.
__________________________________
I used most of the ingredients as noted, but had to use some substitutes.
• I combined honey and date syrup in place of maple syrup, because we don’t have access to it where I live.
• I used just coconut sugar for the whole cake
• And for the flour, I used oat flour and mixed in a bit of spelt.
I’m thinking all these substitues combined made my cake dense and doughy on the inside and it didn’t rise that much. The cake was delicious, but I was expecting a fluffier and airier sponge like the one I saw in the pictures of the post.
I originally baked this in a 9×13 inch baking sheet for about 45 minutes and let it sit about 10 additional minutes in the oven turned off. Not sure if that also attributed to the consistency.
The uncle’s birthday is this weekend so I’m going in for round two. I’ll try using coconut and brown sugar together this time. And I’ll see if I can find a GF flour blend in a store near me hoping that affects the consistency a bit. I’d like to have it rise a bit more so I can cut it in 2 layers and add some frosting between them.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Marina! We do think the substitutions likely made it dense and doughy, especially the oat flour. Finding a GF blend is a good move for the next round :) Keep us posted!
Sue says
Finally, a cake our whole family can enjoy even with gluten, egg, and dairy all off the menu. I had to sub some other flours since I was low on the usual GF blend. I used cassava, sweet rice, and coconut, with psyllium husk as a binder. I upped the carrots a bit since coconut and psyllium need extra moisture. With the cream cheese frosting, it was good!
Yay! We’re so glad the whole family can enjoy this one :) Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Sue! xo
Chrysann says
Thank you for creating and sharing your recipe for an allergen free carrot cake that is both light and moist. Amazing results today when we made it! We did sub coconut milk for almond and added .5 tsp more cinnamon, a bit of cardamom and a dash of nutmeg.
I love your recipes! Thank you again!
Aw, thank you for your kind words and lovely review, Chrysann! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes. Your additions sound wonderful :)
Tiffany says
I love trying your recipes! I was hoping to make this into a bundt cake for Easter. Is that possible for this recipe?
Hi Tiffany, sorry we didn’t get back to you before Easter! We haven’t tried this one in a bundt pan, but it might turn out too dense. It will definitely need more time. Let us know if you try it!
Asia says
I’ve made this in a bundt pan a couple times now, and it worked out very nicely :)
It’s been a family favourite for a few years now. Thank you!
Thanks so much for sharing, Asia! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy it. xo
Marie says
Hi can I use Bobs 1:1 GF flour blend?
Yes! It’s the closest store-bought alternative to our DIY blend. We hope you love the cake!
Jen says
Hi! I would like to make this for Easter dinner. Since I will be doing a lot of cooking I’d like to make the day before. Will it be just as good? Any recommendations?
Hi Jen, It’s best when fresh, but will still be delicious the next day! If making the cake in advance, it would be best to leave it unfrosted until the day of serving. After baking the cake, let it cool fully on a cooling rack, then transfer the unfrosted cake to a sealed container (such as a plastic bag) and leave at room temperature overnight (though you can also store in the refrigerator especially if you’re in an especially hot/humid climate, it will just be more prone to drying out in the refrigerator). If also preparing the frosting the day before, transfer to a bowl, cover, refrigerate, then set it out 10-15 minutes before you frost the cake. If you don’t have time on Easter to frost the cake, then it’s best to store the frosted cake in the refrigerator. We hope that helps! Have a lovely Easter!
Erica says
Hi, Dana, I only have a loaf pan, no cake pans. What number of slices setting do you recommend to best fill a loaf pan with this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Erica, a half batch (adjusting serving size of 6 slices) should fit well in a loaf pan…but it will need to bake for longer to cook through, and we aren’t positive if it will bake in the center if it’s that thick. Do you have an 8 x 8 inch baking pan? A half batch in that would be better!
Alyssa says
I made this cake for my mom who is vegan and can’t have gluten, it was as delicious as a vegan gluten free cake can be! I made my mom proud today, thank you!
Aww, we LOVE this, Alyssa! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Sara says
Do you think I could use regular flour instead of the gf blend? I have almond flour so I can use that as noted but I am not gluten free but idk if that would change the texture too much
Yes! Just start with slightly less because it’s more absorbent :)
Kaitlyn says
Delicious! Great texture, which can be hard to achieve with gluten free flour. I would definitely recommend this one. :)
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy this one, Kaitlyn. Thank you for the wonderful review! xo
Kaitlyn says
Hi!
How do we know if we should add 3/4 or a cup of milk? It says either. Thanks! Love your recipes!
Hi Kaitlyn, thank you for your kind words! You’ll start with 3/4 cup and add more only if needed. See step 3!
Kaitlyn says
Thank you!
Veganmonster says
This was fantastic!! Super easy and pretty quick to make. Made a cream cheese frosting and we loved it so much. Light and delicious. Made it as a birthday cake and definitely will be making it again! Thank you so much for doing the work and sharing!!!!
Aw, we’re so glad you enjoyed the cake and will be making it again! Thank you for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Chrissie B says
I made this cake with my daughter’s. They had so much fun making it with me! Plus it tasted amazing! They couldn’t believe it had carrots in it and my youngest is dairy free, so she was thrilled!!! I will definitely make it again. Thank you.
Aw, we love that you all had fun and enjoyed the cake! Thanks so much for sharing, Chrissie! xo
Cari says
Could I substitute crushed pineapple instead of apple sauce?
That should work! Other readers have reported doing so with success :)
Amulya kolli says
Hey!
Im curious if i can use one and half of oat flour and one and half of wheat flour? Would that make the cake too dense?
Hi Amulya! We think that might make the cake a bit too dense, but let us know if you do any experimenting!
Sam says
Hi! I know this is a vegan site, but could I use eggs in the recipe instead of flaxseed eggs? Thank you!
Hi Sam, yes, you could replace the flaxseed meal + water with 3 eggs. We haven’t tested with this modification, but other readers have reported it works. Hope that helps!
Rhi says
Hi. Could I use wholemeal flour instead of the gf blend please? If I can is it a 1:1 swop? I love your recipes.
Hi Rhi, thanks so much for your kind words! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! We think wholemeal flour might make it too dense, but you could definitely use all-purpose flour (starting with slightly less and adding more, as needed). Another idea we’d feel more confident about recommending would be 1/2 all-purpose and 1/2 wholemeal, but we haven’t tried it ourselves. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Maria says
Hello. I wanted to know if I can sub the apple sauce for mashed banana? Thanks!
Hi Maria, We suspect it might make the cake too moist and give it a slight banana flavor, but we aren’t sure! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try.
Mie says
Hi, This looks amazing. I would like to know if I could make one layer with thick frosting instead of 3 layers? Is there anything to adjust? Thanks!
We think this recipe would work as 1 layer cake in an 8 or 9 inch cake pan or even an 8 x 8 square pan. It might need to bake a bit longer!
Marta says
Hey, I did it in one pan. Will it be okay? Will time be longer?
Hi Marta, yes, that’s okay! The timing will be similar. Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Erica O’Neil says
I intend to make this for my son’s first birthday! Do I need to squeeze any extra water out of the grated carrots?
Hi Erica, it’s not necessary! You can add the grated carrots right into the batter. We hope your son loves the cake! xo
Erica O says
I made a practice 9×13 of this and it was so good I *might * have eaten 1/4 of it on the first day…. Without frosting! It’s that good.
For his actual birthday I want to do it in muffin/cupcakes cups. Would the oven temp be the same, but shorter cook time? Perhaps 32-36 min like your muffin recipe this was adapted from? Any other recs? Thanks!! Love all your recipes!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Erica! The oven temp will be the same, but definitely test them around the 28-30 minute mark. Otherwise the instructions will stay the same! We hope this helps. xo
Erica O says
The cupcakes/muffins turned out fantastic by the way! Checked them around 32 and let them go until 40 I think. It’s nice that you can bake them longer like you said and it leaves a nice crispy top layer!!! They were a hit at the party and none were left! Thank you!!
Yay!! We’re so glad the cupcakes were a hit at the party! Thank you for sharing, Erica! xo
Mayana says
Can I user traditional flour in place of gluten free? Thank you
Hi Mayana, we haven’t tried it, but other readers have mentioned subbing the GF flour blend with regular all purpose with success (keep the almond flour though for best results). We’d suggest starting with slightly less and adding more as needed. Let us know how it goes!
Julia says
As the resident birthday cake-maker of my friend group, I try to mix up what types of cakes everyone gets and have it always be GF/V so everyone can enjoy.
I used almond meal instead of almond flour and it worked great! I added a few extra spices (nutmeg, clove, ginger, and a sprinkle of cardamom). I also paired it with a peach ginger compote I whipped up for in between the layers. Added some vanilla frosting on top and grated some fresh ginger.
It was a big hit! Some friends said this was their favourite out of the cakes I have made.
Woop woop! Saving this one ◡̈
Sounds incredible, Julia! Thank you so much for the lovely review and for sharing your additions!
Bianca says
I love the recipe! I want to make this cake for my husband’s birthday. Would replacing the flax egg with chicken eggs work? What would be the quantity?
Also, can I replace or skin the maple syrup?
Thank you so much!
Hi Bianca, You could replace the flaxseed meal + water with 3 eggs – we haven’t tested with this modification, but other readers have reported it works! Honey or agave would be alternative options to the maple syrup. Hope that helps!
Amy says
I made this for a vegan niece’s birthday. No one knew it was vegan but she and I. What a hit. I added raisins as well. I then made it for our cemetery association fall festival cake auction. For a person I knew would be there that has an egg allergy and gluten issue. It brought $800!!!! It is an amazing recipe. Quickly becoming a good to recipe.
Wow, so amazing!! We’re so glad it was a hit. Thank you for sharing, Amy! xoxo
Margaret says
I love this recipe! Would it work if I replaced half of the almond flour with coconut flour? I have a surplus so I’m hoping to put it to use. Thanks!
We’re so glad you love this recipe, Margaret! We wouldn’t recommend coconut flour because it will yield a dense and slightly gritty result. But if you still want to try it, keep in mind it’s much more absorbent (probably at least 4 times!) so you won’t need as much of it.