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A square slice of carrot cake with maple cashew frosting, toasted nuts and date caramel.
Rachelle Johnson

Vegan Carrot Cake with Maple Cashew Frosting

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Finely grated carrots, dates, maple and warm spices give this vegan carrot cake its cozy flavor. Almond flour, oat flour and tapioca form the cake, with a measured flax mixture to help hold the crumb together. Toasted walnuts and pecans bring texture, and the maple cashew frosting makes a smooth, generous finish. Add the date caramel and nut crunch when serving, after the cake has cooled completely and had time to settle.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 38 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Suitable For
Gluten Free
Vegan
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Carrot Cake
  • 2 cups finely grated carrots
  • 1 ½ cups almond flour
  • 1 cup certified gluten-free oat flour
  • ½ cup tapioca starch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • 9 tablespoons warm water
  • ¾ cup Medjool dates soaked and blended into paste
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
  • ½ cup chopped toasted pecans
  • ⅓ cup raisins
  • ¼ cup chopped dried pineapple
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
Toasted Nut Crunch
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • Pinch sea salt
  • Pinch cinnamon
Maple Cashew Frosting
  • 1 ½ cups raw cashews soaked 4–6 hours
  • ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tablespoons coconut cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch sea salt
Warm Date Caramel Sauce
  • 1 cup Medjool dates soaked
  • ½ cup warm almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Equipment

  • 8-inch square baking pan
  • parchment
  • oven
  • baking tray
  • small bowl
  • 2 mixing bowls
  • whisk
  • spatula
  • skillet
  • High-Speed Blender
  • cooling rack
  • refrigerator

Method
 

Make the Cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. Mix the ground flaxseed with the 9 tablespoons warm water for the cake.
  3. Spread walnuts and pecans on a baking tray and toast for 6–8 minutes until fragrant. Let cool slightly.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, oat flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
  5. In another bowl, whisk the flax mixture, date paste, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla and almond milk until smooth.
  6. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until fully combined.
  7. Stir in grated carrots, raisins, dried pineapple, and toasted nuts.
  8. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
  9. Let the mixed batter rest for 5 minutes before baking.
  10. Bake 35–38 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
  11. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Toasted Nut Crunch
  1. In a skillet over medium-low heat, toast pecans and walnuts with maple syrup, cinnamon, and sea salt for 3–4 minutes.
  2. Transfer to parchment paper and cool until crisp.
Make the Frosting
  1. Drain soaked cashews.
  2. Blend cashews, maple syrup, almond milk, coconut cream, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt in a high-speed blender until silky smooth.
  3. Chill for 20–30 minutes for best texture.
Make the Date Caramel Sauce
  1. Blend soaked dates, almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and sea salt until smooth and glossy.
  2. Warm gently before serving if desired.
Assemble
  1. Spread the maple cashew frosting generously over the cooled cake.
  2. Drizzle with warm date caramel sauce.
  3. Finish with toasted nut crunch and a light sprinkle of cinnamon.
  4. Let sit 10 minutes before slicing for the best texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 497kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 10gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 286mgPotassium: 529mgFiber: 7gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 3104IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 160mgIron: 3mg

Notes

Advance preparation
Soak the frosting cashews for four to six hours, drain and blend as directed. Soak and drain the dates before blending; measure the cake's 3/4 cup dates before making the paste. Soaking, complete cake cooling and frosting chilling are additional to the 68-minute preparation and baking estimate.
Flax and crumb
Use 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 9 tablespoons warm water. Rest the mixed batter for five minutes before baking. Finely grate the carrots; coarse shreds are harder to distribute and can interrupt the crumb.
Baking and cooling
Use the square pan option. Begin checking at 35 minutes; a toothpick should show a few moist crumbs, with no wet batter. Continue baking if needed. Cool completely before frosting and let the finished cake stand ten minutes before slicing.
Frosting and caramel
Chill the frosting for 20–30 minutes for a firmer spreading texture. It can be made two days ahead and kept refrigerated. Warm the caramel gently and spoon over individual slices for an easy finish.
Storage
Keep the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within four days. Refrigerate promptly after serving.

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