Is this vegan carrot cake healthy?

This cake is made with whole-food ingredients and contains plenty of healthy fats, fiber, and other important nutrients. That said, it’s still quite rich. Even though it’s made with wholesome ingredients, it is still a dessert.

Can I freeze the cake?

Yes. You can freeze individual slices for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply place them in the refrigerator overnight.

Can this carrot cake be made gluten-free, for example with oat flour?

I haven’t tested it myself, but it should work in principle. Keep in mind that oat flour absorbs more liquid than whole-grain spelt flour, so you may need to increase the amount of water in the batter slightly.

How long does the carrot cake keep?

Stored in the refrigerator, the cake stays fresh for about 4–5 days.

Can I use different nuts?

Instead of ground walnuts, you can also use ground almonds, hazelnuts, or even shredded coconut.

Best Healthy Vegan Carrot Cake (Sugar-Free & Oil-Free)

Description

This healthy vegan carrot cake is made without refined sugar or oil. Instead, date, and applesauce provide natural sweetness and moisture, while walnuts and cashews add healthy fats. The result? An incredibly moist, wholesome, warmly spiced, and naturally sweetened vegan carrot cake that tastes amazing!

Ingredients

Scale

Carrot Cake Base

2 cups (250 g) whole-grain spelt flour*
½ cup (50 g) ground walnuts** (or almonds)
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 ¾ cups (200 g) grated carrots (~2 medium-large carrots)
1 cup (250 g) unsweetened applesauce
2 cups (250 g) pitted dates
½ cup water (or soaking water from dates)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional: ½ cup (50 g) chopped walnuts
Optional: ⅓ cup (40-50 g) raisins

Cashew Frosting

1 1/3 cups (180 g) raw cashews
½ cup (80 g) pitted dates
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
3–5 tbsp plant milk, unsweetened

Optional Decoration

chopped walnuts or pistachios
grated carrots
carrot cake syrup

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Instructions

Soak dates and cashews

Cover the dates for the cake with hot water.
In a second bowl, cover the frosting dates and cashews with hot water. Let soak for 15 minutes.

Prepare cake batter

Grate the carrots.
Preheat oven to 365°F (185 °C).
Mix flour, ground walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a large bowl.
Drain the dates, press out excess water and blend with (soaking) water, applesauce, vinegar, and vanilla until smooth.
Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and stir gently. Don't overmix! Or the cake will become very dense.
Carefully fold in grated carrots and optional walnuts or raisins.

Bake the cake

Divide batter between three 6-inch silicone cake pans***. Bake 28–32 minutes until golden and set.
Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Make frosting

While the cake is in the oven, drain soaked cashews and dates.
Blend with lemon juice, vanilla, and plant milk until smooth.
Chill in the fridge.

Assemble the cake

Spread frosting evenly on the three layers. Then stack carefully.
Decorate with walnuts if desired.
Refrigerate until serving.

Notes

*Flour choice: The recipe works with either 100% whole-grain flour or a mix of whole-grain and spelt flour. Using only whole-grain flour makes the cake slightly denser.

**Grinding walnuts: You can grind walnuts in a food processor. Don’t blend too long or they’ll turn into walnut butter.

***Using metal pans: If using regular cake pans, grease them well or line them with parchment paper.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (out of 12)
Calories: 318 kcal
Sugar: 21.7 g
Fat: 12.2 g
Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
Unsaturated Fat: 9.1 g
Carbohydrates: 43.3 g
Fiber: 6.2 g
Protein: 7.7 g