Moist vegan carrot cake with easy orange frosting

A moist, fruity, lightly-spiced vegan carrot cake recipe that’s easy to whip up in a food processor or by hand. A wonderful treat for tea-time or anytime!

While it wouldn’t be Rosh Hashanah without it, we cannot live on honey cake alone, right?! Over the course of YomTov I like to have a variety of sweet treats, cakes and baked goods available. I think it’s important to have plenty of choice to share with family and friends.

Delicious vegan cake

This delicious vegan carrot cake came about after I decided to ‘veganise’ my tried-and-trusted carrot cake recipe, in honour of a vegan friend.

I’ve been experimenting more and more with vegan baking and it’s possible to get really delightful results with only a little effort. This moist, fruity, lightly-spiced cake is a world away from the dry and tasteless results we fear when baking without eggs or dairy.

Vegan carrot cake – Traditional ingredients

Carrots are a traditional ingredient on Rosh Hashanah, although you’re usually more likely to see them in tsimmes or a carrot salad! However, a slice or two of this gorgeous vegan carrot cake will convince you to add them to your baking as well.

I say “a slice or two” because it’s almost impossible to limit yourself to just one! Especially if you’re a carrot cake fan, like me. Perhaps it’s my age but these days I’ll usually even choose carrot cake over a brownie. What’s happening?!

What’s in it apart from carrots?!

To make this deliciously moist vegan carrot cake, you will need the following ingredients:

• carrots – obviously!
• raisins
• bananas – add sweetness and moisture
• an orange – zest in the cake, juice in the icing
• mixed spice – or whatever sweet spice blend you prefer e.g. pumpkin pie spice
• soft light brown sugar – I used light muscovado sugar
• oil – I use sunflower oil but any neutral vegetable oil is fine
• self-raising flour
• bicarbonate of soda
• icing sugar – also called powdered sugar or confectioners sugar, if you want to make the icing

An easy, foolproof recipe

More and more people are becoming vegan for both health and environmental reasons, so having a great vegan cake recipe tucked away will serve you well. This one is really easy, especially if you use a food processor. Just be sure to mix the grated carrots and raisins into the cake batter by hand, so they don’t get pulverised. 

Frosting – Less is more

I like my cake to be the star of the show, so I don’t usually add much in the way of frosting. That’s why I only gave this vegan carrot cake a simple orange glaze. If you want to go all-out with the frosting, you can find a vegan ‘cream cheese’ frosting recipe at Veggie Desserts.

Rosh Hashanah and beyond!

While this vegan carrot cake is a perfect addition to your Rosh Hashanah baking, it’s also good at any time of year. Serve with a cup of tea, and add a dollop of vegan yogurt or whipped coconut cream for an indulgent treat.

Vegan Rosh Hashanah treats

If you’re after more vegan bakes and desserts for Rosh Hashanah (or anytime!) try squidgy date flapjacks, spiced apple challah, ‘head of a fish’ shortbread cookies, apple and raisin cupcakes, or creamy vegan malabi with pomegranate.

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📖 Recipe

Vegan carrot cake with easy orange frosting

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A moist, fruity, spicy vegan cake, perfect for Rosh Hashanah or anytime.

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Cake

Cuisine American, European

Servings 9

Calories 454 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 medium carrots (approx 175g)
• 115 g raisins
• zest of an orange
• 175 g soft light brown sugar
• 175 ml sunflower oil
• 1½ medium bananas (approx 150g)
• 175 g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1½ teaspoon mixed spice (or use pumpkin pie spice, speculaas, or your preferred sweet spice blend)

For the orange frosting

• 175 g icing sugar (powdered/confectioners sugar)
• 1-2 tablespoon orange juice

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 20cm (8 inch) square tin with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.
• Peel and grate the carrots. Put into a large bowl with the raisins and orange zest, and set aside.
• In the food processor, blend the sugar, oil and bananas, to give a thick, smooth mixture. (Alternatively mash the bananas with a fork and then whisk in the sugar and oil.)
• Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spice, and process (or beat by hand) to give a thick batter.
• Combine the batter with the carrots, raisins and zest and mix well. Transfer the mixture to the lined baking tin and use a spatula to level the surface.
• Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 40-50 minutes until risen and brown, and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven. Take the cake out of the tin and remove the paper. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

To decorate

• Beat the icing sugar with just enough orange juice to give a thick but still runny icing. Once the cake is completely cold, drizzle the icing over the cake and allow to set for at least a few minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegan carrot cake with easy orange frosting

Amount per Serving

Calories

454

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

20

g

31

%

Saturated Fat

 

2

g

13

%

Sodium

 

141

mg

6

%

Potassium

 

271

mg

8

%

Carbohydrates

 

69

g

23

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

41

g

46

%

Protein

 

3

g

6

%

Vitamin A

 

2282

IU

46

%

Vitamin C

 

4

mg

5

%

Calcium

 

31

mg

3

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword cake, carrot

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More Rosh Hashanah recipes

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More vegan baking recipes

Or if it’s vegan cake recipes you’re after, how about vegan chocolate babka, or vegan spiced apple cupcakes?