The warm cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, tender pieces of grated carrots paired, and a tangy cream cheese frosting create a dessert that’s both comforting and impressive. Let’s dive into this carrot cake that proves you don’t need eggs to create a showstopper dessert!
The conundrum many of us are facing these days: making a tasty dessert for the spring holidays, but eggs are scarce and expensive. And when you do get your hands on some eggs, be honest, you’d rather use those eggs for Easter brunch.
Carrot Cake is a dessert that I love to make every spring for my husband and I, but we’ve got our eggs reserved for weekend breakfasts. That’s when I decided to experiment with an eggless carrot cake! The result is this dense, moist cake filled with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and grated carrots.
What ingredients do I need for this eggless carrot cake?
You’ll need 16 ingredients total. I know that’s a lot, but it’s mostly things you probably have in your cupboard or easy to find at your favorite grocery store.
- All-purpose flour – Spooned and leveled or weighed with a digital kitchen scale.
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar – I didn’t test this with dark brown sugar, but since it has more molasses than light brown sugar, I wouldn’t swap those two out.
- Ground cinnamon – brings warmth to the cake.
- Ground ginger
- Ground nutmeg
- Baking soda – When it reacts with the distilled vinegar, it will help the cake rise as if it had eggs in it!
- Salt – I used table salt.
- Water
- Distilled white vinegar
- Vanilla extract
- Oil – Canola or vegetable oil will do.
- Grated carrots – no need to dry them.
- Cream cheese
- Butter – I like to use unsalted butter.
- Powdered sugar – Thickens the cream cheese frosting. For a sweeter, less tangy frosting, add more powdered sugar by 1/2 cup until you reach the desired sweetness.
What equipment do I need to make this cake?
You won’t need a lot of equipment for this recipe!
- 8×8 baking dish or pan
- Cooking spray to grease the dish/pan.
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment
How do I make this recipe?
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8 baking dish or pan with cooking spray, and set it aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
Pour in the water, vinegar, vanilla extract, and oil. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to mix everything until the batter is thick and wet and there are no hidden pockets of flour.
Fold in the grated carrots.
Pour the batter into the greased baking dish, place the cake on the middle rack of the oven, and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top of the cake is brown and the edges of the cake are starting to pull away from the edges of the pan. You can also insert a toothpick in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Set the cake on a cooling rack, and let it rest until it reached room temperature.
After the cake has cooled completely, make the cream cheese frosting. Add the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to blend them until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and once you’ve added the second cup, increase the mixer to high speed to create a fluffy frosting.
Once the frosting is smooth and creamy, spoon it on top of the cooled cake, and spread it out evenly.
Add pecan halves on top, if desired, and serve at room temperature or chilled.
Store the cake in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
How do I store this cake?
Because of the cream cheese frosting, you’ll want to keep this eggless carrot cake in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure it’s covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. Avoid leaving the cake at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
You can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months! I suggest freezing the cake before adding the frosting and making the frosting fresh right before serving.
Why didn’t my cake rise very much?
Make sure your baking soda isn’t expired, and make sure you don’t overmix your ingredients. You can leave a few small lumps of flour in the batter.
Are there any ingredient substitutions I can make?
There aren’t many substitutions I recommend, but…
- You can use salted or unsalted butter for the frosting.
- Canola or vegetable oil will work for the cake.
- You can add a pinch of salt to the frosting to balance out the sweetness.
- I don’t recommend using dark brown sugar because it has more molasses than light brown sugar. It may affect the end result.
Can I add pecans or walnuts to the cake batter?
Absolutely! They’ll add a nice nutty flavor that will complement the brown sugar and spices. I suggest adding 1 cup of your choice of nuts and chopping them finely.
Why did my cake come out too dense?
It could be because the ingredients were overmixed or there was too much moisture in the cake. If the carrots have a lot of liquid, I suggest drying them on a paper towel or draining them in a fine mesh strainer.
You shouldn’t experience this issue because I did add extra flour to the recipe to accommodate for this.
What other eggless recipes can you recommend?
Try this eggless chocolate cake, aka Wacky Cake! It’s also dairy free.
And these Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies are incredible. Same great chewy texture as regular cookies.
Eggless Carrot Cake
Equipment
- 1 8×8 baking dish or pan
- Cooking spray to grease the baking dish
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
Eggless Carrot Cake
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 300 grams
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 175 grams
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed 50 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- ⅓ cup vegetable/canola oil
- 1 cup grated carrots
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar 230 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8 baking dish or pan with cooking spray, and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
- Pour in the water, vinegar, vanilla extract, and oil. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to mix everything until the batter is thick and wet and there are no hidden pockets of flour.
- Fold in the grated carrots.
- Pour the batter into the greased baking dish, place the cake on the middle rack of the oven, and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top of the cake is brown and the edges of the cake are starting to pull away from the edges of the pan. You can also insert a toothpick in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- After the cake has cooled completely, make the cream cheese frosting. Add the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to blend them until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and once you’ve added the second cup, increase the mixer to high speed to create a fluffy frosting.
- Once the frosting is smooth and creamy, spoon it on top of the cooled cake and spread it out evenly.
- Add pecan halves on top, if desired, and serve at room temperature or chilled.
- Store the cake in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
Notes
- Keep the cake stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and do not leave it at room temperature for longer than 2 hours due to the cream cheese frosting.
- To speed up the grating process for the carrots, I recommend using a food processor with a grater attachment.
- Make sure your baking soda is fresh and unexpired to get the best rise on the cake.
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