Vegan gluten-free carrot cake with tangy cashew yogurt frosting on top for the perfect creamy complement to this healthier cake. Simple and SO yummy!
What started as a mission to make a favorite cake for a girl for her birthday (a.k.a. happy b-day from me to myself) turned into a week long cake baking marathon. There have been fail cakes and win cakes and I’m-not-sure-if-this-is-a-fail-or-a-win-I’ve-eaten-too-much-cake cakes and at least four pounds of carrots and moments where I wanted to cut and run back to chocolate cupcakes instead and enough leftovers to pretend it’s my birthday for the next three weeks. Oh, and that one cake I sat on.
I think I even uttered the words “I hate carrot cake” at one point. And by uttered I mean texted in all caps to a bestie I knew could relate. But I take it all back now. I cannot be held responsible for what I say after back-to-back recipe testing flops and a jar of frosting casualty all in the same day.
But finally I bring you a simple, healthy, frosted, damn GOOD carrot cake. And it just so happens to be vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free too! But those details aren’t nearly as fun as the flavor and the frosting. Especially the frosting.
I can’t blame all of the fails on ingredient chemistry, there was quite a bit of indecision on my part too. First I tried it with a mix of quinoa and almond flour – good but um hello expensive and not low fat or grain-free. Then I tried a paleo mix of coconut, almond, and tapioca flours – just a big floppy, gooey, unbaked-inside fail. Okay so take out the coconut and just use almond – yummy but too dense. And finally I went back to my roots and just used oat flour – SUCCESS!
I would describe the wonderfully light and defined crumb that’s moist yet not gummy, but you can just see for yourself…
Before you read any further, I need to warn you that this ingredient list isn’t the shortest. You could even call it long compared to my usual keep it simple style. It’s not complicated though, and still comes together with maybe 10 minutes (15 max if you count the frosting prep) of work.
On this not-the-shortest list is:
- applesauce
- coconut sugar
- lemon juice
- vanilla extract
- nondairy milk
- tapioca starch
- oat flour
- spices (cinnamon + ginger)
- baking powder and soda
- salt
- CARROTS
- (optional) walnuts
Nothing crazy, right?
And then there’s the frosting. Ohhhhhhh the frosting – my tangy, creamy, luscious true love ♡ Yeah I’m one of those corner piece of cake people who goes for maximum frosting surface area. I kept it under control here with a very normal person ratio of frosting to cake, but once you taste this goodness you’ll be adding more mid piece too.
While not a traditional cream cheese frosting, it does still have that TANG that compliments carrot cake so well. Inspired by my friend Brandi’s vegan strawberry cream cheese recipe, the base is a mix of cashews and non-dairy yogurt. The cashews are what make it thick and even thicker after refrigerating. The yogurt in combination with lemon juice is what makes it tangy. Unless your yogurt is sweetened you will need a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup too, plus vanilla and salt to balance out the flavor.
You do need to soak the cashews pre-blending so the frosting comes out just as smoooooooooth as can be, so don’t forget that step the night before. You want it to be as thick as can be but still blend. If it keeps getting stuck when you turn up the speed either use the tamper or set the blender to a lower speed (like 2-3) and just let it run for longer.
If I was blowing out 24 candles right now my wish on at least 13 of them (gotta save some for life and stuff) would be for YOU to bake this cake and frost it and taste it and adore it right along with me. And you shouldn’t deny a birthday girl her wish.

Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 9 pieces 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
Vegan gluten-free carrot cake with tangy cashew yogurt frosting on top for the perfect creamy complement to this healthier cake. Simple and SO yummy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250g) unsweetened applesauce*
- 2/3 cup (110g) coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) nondairy milk**
- 1/3 cup (50g) tapioca starch***
- 2 1/2 cup (300g) oat flour****
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup (180g) grated carrots
- 1/2 cup (60g) chopped walnuts ((or pecans))
Cashew Yogurt Frosting
- 1 cup (120g) raw cashews (soaked overnight)
- 1/3 cup (75g) nondairy yogurt
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- To a mixing bowl, add the applesauce, coconut sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and milk. Whisk to combine.
- Add the tapioca starch, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Fold in the grated carrots and walnuts.
- Transfer to a baking pan (I used a 9×9″ square pan, but round is fine too) that has been lightly sprayed with oil or lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting.
- Drain the cashews. Combine all the frosting ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and very creamy. If it gets stuck at a higher speed, reduce the speed to low and let it blend for a while (30-60 seconds).
- Spread onto the cooled cake and ideally refrigerate until the frosting is set (at least 2 hours). Or you can eat it immediately, but the frosting will be quite soft.
- Slice and enjoy! Keep leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
*You can substitute with non-dairy yogurt or pumpkin puree, but the applesauce adds extra natural sweetness so I recommend it. **I used light canned coconut milk. You can use almond milk or other types of nondairy milk from a carton, but the cake won’t be as moist. ***You can substitute with arrowroot or corn starch. ****For a grain-free option, try this recipe instead.
Keywords: baking, cake, dessert, gluten-free, oat flour, vegan
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The fact you sat on the cake made me laugh SO HARD! It sounds just like something’s I would do lol. I hope you had a lovely Birthday xxx
Ha I mean everyone sits on a cake at least once in their life, right?😂 Thank you lovely!
Hello 🙂
My dad is gluten free and vegan. His 50th birthday is tomorrow and I wanted to make him this cake because he used to love carrot cake before his diet change 10 years back. I noticed that you said you can sub the coconut milk for regular nondairy milk but it may not be as creamy- do you have an recommendation for what nondairy milk would be the best option if I want the cake moist? He’s allergic to coconut 🙁
The richer the milk, the more moist and decadence the cake. So carton milk (that is mostly water) would be the least ideal, but something like homemade cashew or almond milk would be great here. I hope it turns out wonderful and your Dad loves it🤗
I once left the cake I had just made for my father on the roof of my car. Yep. Then drove away. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
Oh nooooooo!! That’s the stuff that’s only supposed to happen in movies😭😭😂
This cake looks so delicious!
Love all the ingredients- they’re not only yummy but also healthy 😊
I hope you had a great birthday 😘
★★★★★
Thanks for coming over to check it out Bianca🧡
🎶Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday, dear Natalie,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUU!🎶
Be grateful you don’t have to actually listen to us sing! 😂 I hope you had an amazing day, my friend!! Mmmm, a week long cake baking marathon sounds like a dream (although I know how not fun trials can be). Now did you literally or figuratively sit on a cake?! 😆 OMG, I loooooooove carrot cake…it’s seriously one of my absolute favorites and I’d even take it over chocolate because cream cheese frosting is everything. That tangy, decadent, creamy goodness – YUM! Looks to me like you nailed the texture of the cake, too (those close up shots are kinda killing me)!! The ingredient list might be a little longer than your typical recipe, but holy smokes, I’d say it’s worth it…plus they’re ingredients people most likely have on hand – not to mention the super simple process ❤️ Happy 24th, Natalie!!! Sending lots of love your way!!
Hehe well I sang in my head the entire way through pretending it was you and it sounded BEAUTIFUL🤗 Oh and the cake sitting was very literal–frosting-covered shorts and all😂😂 For me birthdays were always the debate between carrot or chocolate, but I actually think I prefer carrot too🙊 YES it’s all about that tangy frosting contrast! I am actually snacking on the results of an almond flour trial with it, much more dense but sooooo moist and yummy. I might just post it anyways even though it’s not fluffy classic b-day cake texture. Anyways, THANK YOU for all the sweet messages and bday love yesterday❤️❤️ Happy new week!
This looks yummy! I plan on making it later this week! 🙂 I just have a question regarding the frosting. After soaking the cashew overnight, do I dump out the water? Or does it go into the blender along with the cashew? If I do need to add water, how much is needed? Thanks and a belated happy birthday! 🙂
Ah I’m so glad you asked, I forgot to specify! You drain the cashews before adding them to the blender. The maple syrup and yogurt will be enough liquid to blend, you want it as thick as possible. Hope you enjoy and thank you 🙂
Do you use the Vitamix blending bowls for the frosting?
You certainly can, although I just used the 32oz vitamix container and it worked fine 🙂
I have been hesitant to buy the blending bowls. The 32 ounce container sounds better, but I don’t think it is available for the Ascent series.
Both are great for different reasons, but the smaller container is more versatile than the cups in my opinion. You are correct, there is no 32oz for the Ascent, but I have this 48oz and I use it all the time: https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/shop/48-ounce-container-with-self-detect
The 48 oz container looks like it would be too big for smaller amounts like this frosting? Does the 48 oz have a smaller base than the low profile 64 oz?
Yep, it has a narrower base which so it works a lot better for small amounts. Almost as good as the 32oz 🙂
It probably wasn’t fair to ask so many Vitamix questions, but your experience really matters. Thank you.
Oh no worries at all! I am actually a brand ambassador for them (and avid user obviously!), so always happy to answer any and all questions 🙂
This looks wonderful! Is there a substitution for the oat flour? Maybe banana flour? Unfortunately I can’t eat gluten ,grains or seeds on my autoimmune diet. Thanks,
Hi Ling! I’ve only tested it with almond flour and it came out delicious but much less fluffy so I still want to experiment with it more before posting. But if you want to try it, you will need to sub 3 cups almond flour, increase the tapioca starch to 1/2 cup, and bake for longer (about 45 minutes) Hope that helps!
Sounds incredible! I love the sound of that frosting. 😍
That frosting on cardboard and I’d eat it😆 Okay maybe not cardboard, but lettuce…DONE. Thanks girl!
This is so amazing!!! I was just looking for a healthy carrot cake recipe. You are my favorite YouTuber thank you sooo much for all your efforts😄
★★★★★
Perfect timing! Thank you for the kind words of support Sherilyn, that means a lot❤️
This looks amazing!! Thanks for posting! My dad loves carrot cake but hasn’t had it since going gluten free a few years ago. Now I can make it for his birthday!! Plus, I’m dairy free so I can eat it! Yay! I have my fingers crossed that someday you’ll make a gluten and dairy free spice cake! Hehe that’s my favorite. Have a super happy birthday! 🎊
★★★★★