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. 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 – an essential in a carrot cake, in my opinion
- 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 and bicarbonate of soda – for a lovely light and well-risen cake
- 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 drizzle. 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. Enjoy it with a cup of tea for a snack. Or 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
Ingredients
- 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.
- 2 medium carrots, 115 g (¾ cup) raisins, zest of an orangePeel and grate the carrots. Put into a large bowl with the raisins and orange zest, and set aside.
- 175 g (⅘ cup) soft light brown sugar, 175 ml (¾ cups) sunflower oil, 1½ medium bananasIn 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.)
- 175 g (1⅓ cups) self-raising flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1½ tsp mixed spiceAdd 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
- 175 g (1½ cups) icing sugar (powdered/confectioners sugar), 1-2 tbsp orange juiceBeat 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
More Rosh Hashanah recipes
You might also like to check out this epic list of 80+ Rosh Hashanah recipes, or this one which features the best side dishes for Rosh Hashanah.
More vegan baking recipes
Or if it’s vegan cake recipes you’re after, how about vegan chocolate babka, or vegan spiced apple cupcakes?
Tayler
The orange frosting totally sends this carrot cake over the top! It’s our new favorite dessert!
Helen
Thanks Tayler. So glad you like the orange frosting as much as we do!
Katherine
What a lovely moist carrot cake! I love the drizzle frosting.
Helen
Thanks Katherine. Love me a bit of a drizzle 😂
Toni
This is such an amazing dessert!! The orange frosting is so good!! This is something I’d make again and again!
Helen
Thanks Toni! We love it too, especially during the Autumn/Winter season.
Casey
Mmmmm this was such a treat! The orange icing was divine–such a hit even with my non-vegan friends!
Helen
Thanks Casey! Agree – I’ve served it to non-vegans and they didn’t even suspect! 🙂
Choclette
That sounds delicious Helen. Bananas really help to make vegan cakes extra scrummy I’ve found.
Helen
Thanks Choclette. I love banana in cake – makes it really moist and delicious.
Tim
This was delicious when I tried yours, Helen. I’m off shopping now to see if I can match it!
Helen
Thanks Tim! Good luck 😀
Caren
Can I make in advance and freeze this cake?
Helen
Hi Caren. I haven’t tried freezing this cake so I can’t say for sure but I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be fine if you freeze the plain cake. Add the frosting (if you want frosting!) after it’s thawed and you’re ready to eat it. Enjoy!
Patty at Spoonabilities
What a great recipe to have for my vegan friends. This looks so yummy – and love the orange frosting too!
Helen
Thanks Patty. It’s always good to have a vegan cake recipe on hand, just in case!
Andrea
After years of the same old thing, I’m loving new ideas like this one for the Holidays. It is a perfect carrot cake.
Helen
Thanks Andrea. I agree – you can have too much honey cake after a while…
Sapana
This was so easy to make and so delicious!! Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Helen
Thanks Sapana – glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Beth
This looks delicious! Pretty sure I have never seen anyone eat only 1 piece of carrot cake, so I may have to double this recipe!
Helen
LOL Beth! Sounds like a plan!
Caitlyn Erhardt
This looks so moist and tasty! Can’t wait to share this with my vegan friends!
Helen
Thanks Caitlyn! It’s deliciously moist 🙂 I hope your vegan friends enjoy it.