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    You are at:Home»Dairy-Free Recipes»Dairy Free Desserts»Richly Satisfying Carrot Crumb Cake

    Richly Satisfying Carrot Crumb Cake

    31
    By Hannah Kaminsky on March 22, 2015 Dairy Free Desserts, Dairy-Free Recipes

    There is never a bad time for carrot cake, as far as I’m concerned, but something about the gentle sunshine, fresh air, and renewed hints of warmth particularly call for this earthy sweet treat. Cream cheese frosting, slathered with abandon in thick, creamy flourishes is the topping de rigueur, but for the tender beginnings of spring, the more delicate, if no less rich, finishing touch on this carrot crumb cake makes for a more contemporary approach.

    Impress and delight with this moist, sweet and tender Carrot Crumb Cake Recipe. It is naturally dairy-free, soy-free, and vegan!

    Incorporating the very best part of another garden party favorite, the venerable coffee cake, a nutty almond-infused topping crowns this tender orange-hued carrot crumb cake. Five-spice powder lends a unique warmth to each bite, instantly erasing thoughts of any chill that may remain from a lingering winter breeze. As a complete package, it’s an ideal balance of elements to bridge the seasonal gap.

    And although each moist slice manages to pack in a generous serving of shredded carrots and the recipe “just happens” to be vegan, there’s certainly no mistaking this satisfying carrot crumb cake dessert for rabbit food.

    Special Diet Notes: Carrot Crumb Cake

    By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free, vegan / plant-based, and vegetarian.

    For nut-free carrot crumb cake, omit the slivered almonds and substitute coarsely ground oats for the almond meal.

    5.0 from 1 reviews
    Richly Satisfying Carrot Crumb Cake
     
    Print
    Prep time
    30 mins
    Cook time
    60 mins
    Total time
    1 hour 30 mins
     
    Author: Hannah Kaminsky
    Serves: 10 - 12 Servings
    Ingredients
    Vegan Carrot Cake
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour or white-wheat flour
    • 2½ teaspoons five-spice powder
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 3 cups shredded carrots
    • ½ cup slivered, toasted almonds
    • ½ cup pitted, chopped dates or raisins
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage (almond milk or your choice of type)
    • ½ cup olive oil
    • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
    • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Crumb Topping
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour or white-wheat flour
    • ½ cup almond meal / almond flour
    • ½ cup coconut sugar or dark brown sugar, firmly packed
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • Pinch salt
    • 4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
    Instructions
    1. For the carrot cake, preheat your oven to 325ºF and lightly grease and flour the interior of a tube pan (approximately 10 inches in diameter).
    2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, five-spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to thoroughly combine. Add the shredded carrots, almonds, and dates, tossing to thoroughly coat and incorporate.
    3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk beverage, oil, applesauce, vinegar, and vanilla. Once the liquid mixture is fairly smooth, pour it into the bowl of dry ingredients. Use a wide spatula to bring the batter together with as few strokes as possible, being careful not to over-mix. Just stir until only a few lumps remain.
    4. Transfer the cake batter into your prepared pan, spooning it evenly around the ring. Smooth out the top with your spatula so that it rests in one even layer.
    5. For the crumb topping, simply combine the flour, almond meal, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil while stirring with a fork, just until the mixture comes together into big clumpy crumbs. Go slowly so as not to fully saturate the dry ingredients; a little bit of oil goes a long way.
    6. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over your unbaked batter before gently sliding the pan into your preheated oven. Bake for 60 - 75 minutes, until golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake pulls out cleanly, with just a few moist crumbs clinging to the sides at most.
    7. Let cool completely before removing from the pan, slicing, and serving.
    3.2.2925

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    Hannah Kaminsky

      Hannah is the author of My Sweet Vegan, Vegan Desserts, and Vegan a la Mode. She is a professional photographer, food stylist and recipe creator. Hannah blogs many of her crafts, photos, and food creations at Bittersweet.

      31 Comments

      1. Theresa on March 11, 2018 12:31 pm

        This was a huge hit for my Easter brunch last year so I’m planning on making it again this year! This year I may have a guest with a gluten intolerance. Has anyone had any success converting this recipe to gluten free? I did see the recommendation above to try a GF flour blend.

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on March 11, 2018 1:19 pm

          Glad it worked out so well! I haven’t tried it yet, but perhaps someone else has.

          Reply
      2. Shruthi Achut on July 11, 2017 2:52 am

        Hi Alisa ,
        Greetings ! I was wondering if I could use whole wheat flour / millet flour instead of white wheat flour ?

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on July 11, 2017 7:47 am

          You can use whole wheat flour (white wheat flour is whole wheat flour, it’s just a lighter wheat berry, but the same structurally). I haven’t tested with a gluten-free flour like millet though. It would be more fragile with millet since the recipe also doesn’t use eggs.

          Reply
      3. Caroline on June 3, 2017 6:29 am

        Hi alisa! I’m planning to make this for a birthday and saw that cupcakes would be a substitute for a tube pan. do you have any idea how long they may need baking? I’m assuming less than the 60-75 minutes that the tube pan would need?

        Thanks!

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on June 3, 2017 7:49 am

          It’s hard to say on an exact time, but I would start checking on them at around 20 minutes. Enjoy!

          Reply
      4. Dee on March 11, 2017 12:31 am

        Hi, how can I make this gluten free? Thank you.

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on March 11, 2017 10:37 am

          I haven’t tested it gluten-free, so I unfortunately can’t give you a definitive answer on that Dee. My best guess would be to swap in your favorite gluten-free flour blend. Preferably one that had at least a bit of binding, like gums.

          Reply
      5. Karen on December 4, 2015 10:38 am

        What is 5 spice powder? What would be a good spice substitute? I am making this for a friend who has a milk allergy soon. Thanks for your help!

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on December 6, 2015 2:28 pm

          Hi Karen, 5 spice is a spice blend that’s sold among the other spices, you can find it in most grocers, even Walmart! Here are some brands for reference: 5 Spice Powder. It’s a Chinese blend that you can make at home, but though it’s simple, it does use a couple spices not always found in western households. If you want, you can simply substitute mostly ground cinnamon, and some ground fennel or anise and cloves, if desired.

          Reply
          • Karen on December 6, 2015 2:40 pm

            Awesome, thanks for the info!

            Reply
      6. Rae on October 18, 2015 3:39 pm

        I just made this using coconut oil instead of olive and it was amazing! A bit hit with a largely non vegan dinner crowd. Will definitely make again

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on October 19, 2015 7:29 am

          Fantastic! So glad you enjoyed it Rae.

          Reply
      7. Pingback: Vegan Recipes to Impress a Carnivore Part III

      8. Carolyn on April 3, 2015 12:13 pm

        I don’t need the recipe to be vegan, could I sub butter for the olive oil?

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on April 3, 2015 2:03 pm

          Hi Carolyn, butter isn’t traditionally used in carrot cake – it’s traditionally oil-based – but you can try if you would like. I suggest using just a different baking oil if olive is the problem for you. Butter will change the outcome a bit, but you might like it.

          Reply
          • Carolyn on April 4, 2015 11:19 am

            Thanks! 🙂

            Reply
      9. Amy on March 25, 2015 10:32 am

        Could I use rice flour? I’m celiac.

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on March 25, 2015 1:02 pm

          Hi Amy, do you eat eggs?

          Reply
      10. Shinee on March 23, 2015 12:49 pm

        Wow, this carrot crumb cake looks so good. Even after a weekend full of carrot cake testing, I’m craving this! Yum!

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on March 23, 2015 1:53 pm

          A whole weekend? That’s a lot of carrot cake! But I know how it goes. I had to make gluten-free and top allergen-free carrot cupcakes (no eggs, gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, etc.) with frosting for a magazine a few years back. I tested them 16 times and ended up back on a minor tweak to my original recipe! Carrot cake can be so awesome but so particular!

          Reply
      11. Jen on March 23, 2015 9:53 am

        I don’t have a tube pan, guessing I can use a reg cake pan? or a springform pan?

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on March 23, 2015 11:06 am

          I would use this chart for conversions Jen: http://allrecipes.com/howto/cake-pan-size-conversions/

          Reply
      12. Kirsten on March 23, 2015 5:56 am

        Hannah,
        What a great idea for a cake! I’m a fan of both carrot cake and crumb toppings like on coffee cake, so I know marrying the two would be a wonderful match.
        Great job!

        Reply
      13. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables on March 23, 2015 4:47 am

        Oh man, I could just eat the crumb topping straight up with a spoon 😉 This looks delicious!

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on March 23, 2015 7:37 am

          I’m a crumb lover too Liz!

          Reply
      14. Arman @ thebigmansworld on March 23, 2015 3:09 am

        Wow, that cake looks incredible- I actually want to take a bite of my screen!

        Reply
      15. cristina on March 22, 2015 9:47 pm

        I like this variation of using a crumb topping instead of a cream cheese based one – what a great idea! I’ve been cravin’ a good carrot cake these days but have thought better of making one because of the calories…using a crumb topping like this will change my mind! 🙂

        Reply
      16. Rachel Farnsworth on March 22, 2015 9:23 pm

        I’m always looking for a carrot cake recipe I can absolutely love. I assume you can make this without the raisins/dates?

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on March 23, 2015 7:38 am

          Of course!

          Reply
      17. Elizabeth Warren on March 22, 2015 9:23 am

        This sounds so good! I can’t wait to try this recipe.

        Reply

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