How to Make Easy Vegan Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe
When it comes to baked goods, carrot cake is a classic. But what if you’re looking for a Vegan Carrot Cake Loaf that’s just as delicious, moist, and flavorful without any animal products? Well, you’re in the right place! This vegan carrot cake loaf is easy to make, packed with spices, and topped with a tangy lemon glaze that brings out the cake’s natural sweetness.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 150 g ¾ cup + 1 Tbsp light brown soft sugar
- 65 g ⅓ cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 120 ml ½ cup sunflower oil (or another mild-flavored oil)
- 120 ml ½ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (e.g., soy milk)
- 2 tsp cider or white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
- 140 g 1 cup + 2 Tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- 65 g ½ cup + 1 Tbsp wholemeal flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 240 g 8.5 oz grated carrot
For the Lemon Glaze:
- 175 g 1 ½ cups icing (powdered) sugar, sifted
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened non-dairy yogurt optional
- Juice of ½ lemon plus extra as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 4.5 x 8.5-inch loaf tin and line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the light brown soft sugar, caster sugar, oil, non-dairy milk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and lemon (or orange) zest until smooth.
- Prepare the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift the plain flour, wholemeal flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk gently until just combined. Avoid over-mixing to ensure a light loaf.
- Add Grated Carrots: Fold the grated carrots into the batter until evenly mixed. Optionally, fold in raisins or chopped walnuts for added texture.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and spread it level. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Let the cake cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then carefully lift it out using the parchment paper and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Lemon Glaze: While the cake cools, whisk the sifted icing sugar, non-dairy yogurt (optional), and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust with extra lemon juice if necessary to achieve a thick but pourable consistency.
- Glaze the Cake: Once the cake is completely cooled, pour the glaze over the top and spread it evenly. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
-
- Accurate Measurements: For best results, use a digital kitchen scale to measure ingredients in grams, as cup measurements can be inconsistent.
- Optional Add-ins: Feel free to add raisins, chopped walnuts, or even shredded coconut for a different texture and flavor.
- Oil Substitutes: If you prefer, you can use melted coconut oil or olive oil, though these will slightly change the flavor profile.
- Glaze Alternatives: If you don’t have non-dairy yogurt, you can skip it or simply use lemon juice and powdered sugar for the glaze.
- Calories: 285
- Total Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 180mg
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugars: 26g
- Protein: 3g