Vegan Strawberry Carrot Cake
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This moist and fluffy Vegan Strawberry Carrot Cake is frosted naked style and it's topped with fresh strawberries for a beautiful spring cake that will impress!
If you love carrot cake, check out my Brown Sugar Carrot Cupcakes, Orange Ginger Carrot Cake, or my Carrot Cake Baked Donuts.
Table of Contents
I was invited to a dinner party last month, and my friends who were hosting are vegan. Whenever I make vegan cake, I always try to share with them as they are some of my best vegan taste testers. But, the party was also full of many of our friends — who are all not vegan. So, I wanted to make a vegan cake that would please everyone.
Last time this friend group was together, I brought my Orange Ginger Carrot Cake, and everyone went nuts for that cake! So, if you like that cake you will love this Vegan Strawberry Carrot Cake! My friend group consistently requests carrot cake, but being the baker that I am, I always want to bring something new and fun!
This organic cake is a moist, fluffy vegan cake, and you can serve it to your friends who aren't even vegan! Delaney even ate an entire piece and said he would have had seconds if it wasn't all gone! And, that's saying a lot as Delaney is so picky! So, when you're in need of a vegan cake, then this Vegan Strawberry Carrot Cake is it!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Vegan Cake: This Vegan Strawberry Carrot Cake is a moist and fluffy vegan cake. I use organic vegetable shortening for the frosting which makes a light and sweet vegan frosting that is very similar to American buttercream.
Easy AF: This organic cake is a show stopper, but it is so easy! I love making naked cakes like this because they look so impressive, but they are incredibly easy! And this carrot cake is no exception. If you have a piping bag and decorating tip, it's so simple to make this beautiful vegan cake.
Spring Flavors: This Vegan Strawberry Carrot Cake is bursting with the flavors of spring. Light and moist carrot cake with a hint of cinnamon also has the addition of sweet strawberries. It's topped with a vegan buttercream, then I add more fresh strawberries on top and the combination of the sweet strawberries with the lightly cinnamon carrot cake is just so good!
Organic Cake: While you can get a carrot cake at any grocery store bakery these days, making your own at home with organic ingredients is going to taste so much better than anything you'd buy at the store!
Ingredients
- Carrots: Make sure to grate the carrots using a fine grater, not a large grater. Using a large grater may seem like a good idea as it's faster, but this creates larger pieces of carrot that don't bake in as well and can leave the cake with a gummy, weird texture.
- Strawberries: I use organic fresh strawberries, but you can also use frozen for inside the cake if you need to. Just thaw them in the fridge for 24 hours and strain off the excess moisture. You can also top this vegan cake with freeze dried strawberries if you use frozen (if you're making this outside of strawberry season!).
- Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar for natural sweetness.
- Canola Oil: I use organic canola oil because its the most neutral flavor oil and works great for cakes. If you are avoiding seed oils, you can use avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil.
- Coconut Milk: I use organic coconut milk, which is my favorite vegan milk. It not only has the best flavor, but I think its most similar to traditional whole milk as its high in fat and super creamy.
- Vanilla Extract: Use a high quality vanilla extract, like Simply Organic.
- All Purpose Flour: I use organic all purpose flour whenever making carrot cake. This higher protein content flour is great for cakes with fruits and veggies that have added moisture.
- Cornstarch: I use organic cornstarch, which helps hold this organic cake together as there are no eggs.
- Baking Powder: Use baking powder, not soda. Be sure to check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info on leavening agents.
- Salt: Use fine sea salt.
- Cinnamon: I use organic Korintje cinnamon, which is my favorite. For more info on the different varieties of cinnamon, check out my post Best Cinnamon to Bake With.
- Powdered Sugar: I use organic powdered sugar for the frosting, be sure its sifted well so there are no lumps.
- Vegetable Shortening: I use organic vegetable shortening for the frosting. This one I'm using is my favorite vegan option. I also like Miyoko's vegan butter too.
Tools Needed
- Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer for ease, but a hand mixer also works.
- 6-inch Cake Pans: You'll need three 6-inch cake pans to bake this carrot cake.
- Parchment Paper: I always use nontoxic parchment paper cake rounds to ensure the carrot cake comes out easily.
- Piping Bag: You'll need a large piping bag to pipe the frosting.
- Decorating Tip: I use Ateco tip #827, but you can use any open star tip and get the same look.
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
To make the batter: Chop the strawberries into small pieces.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the strawberries, cane sugar, grated carrots, canola oil, coconut milk, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined.
Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon in that order. Mix on low until combined. Transfer to the prepared cake pans, about 269 grams each, and spread evenly.
Step 2
Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the cake pans.
Step 3
To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the vegetable shortening, powdered sugar, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Mix on low to combine, then increase speed to high and mix for 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again until light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #827.
Step 4
Place the first cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Pipe a spiral, starting at the outer edge and working your way in, to cover the cake layer with frosting completely. Top with the second cake layer, repeat this process with the third layer. Then spiral again on the top to finish the cake. Top with strawberry slices (optional). Watch the video below for exactly how to frost this!
Baker's Tips
- Make sure to use a fine grater for grating the carrots. You don't want to use a grater that is like pizza cheese size, you want smaller than that! This ensure that the moisture in the carrots is evenly distributed throughout the cake.
- Make sure to check to see if the cake is done before removing it from the oven. This carrot cake is very moist, so if you need to bake it a few minutes longer if it doesn't look done, then definitely do that!
- Make sure to allow the cake to cool completely before frosting it. This ensures that the frosting will not melt on the cake.
- Make sure to store leftover cake in an airtight container (like a cake dome or tupperware) to preserve its moist texture. That way when you put in the fridge, it won't dry out.
FAQ's
Yes, feel free to use extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil if you prefer. I use canola here as it provides the most neutral flavor.
Yes, of course! Feel free to use your favorite vegan butter for the frosting. If I'm using vegan butter, I really like Miyoko's best.
Yes you can. However, with a naked cake it needs to be covered otherwise it will dry out as the sides are not covered in frosting. So, if you do make this the day before, be sure to store it in a cake dome so it doesn't dry out. Alternatively, you could bake the cakes layers the day before and then just assemble the cake the day of your party. And if you do make this ahead of time, don't add the strawberries until right before serving.
Store extra cake in an airtight container in the fridge.
Craving More?
Vegan Strawberry Carrot Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Batter
- 113 grams strawberries (de-stemmed)
- 226 grams cane sugar
- 113 grams carrots (finely grated)
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 191 grams all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 226 grams vegetable shortening
- 454 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 3 tablespoons coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Topping
- strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- To make the batter: Chop the strawberries into small pieces.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the strawberries, cane sugar, grated carrots, canola oil, coconut milk, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon in that order. Mix on low until combined. Transfer to the prepared cake pans, about 269 grams each, and spread evenly.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the cake pans.
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the vegetable shortening, powdered sugar, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Mix on low to combine, then increase speed to high and mix for 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again until light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #827.
- Place the first cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Pipe a spiral, starting at the outer edge and working your way in, to cover the cake layer with frosting completely. Top with the second cake layer, repeat this process with the third layer. Then spiral again on the top to finish the cake. Top with strawberry slices (optional).
- Store in a cake dome in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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This vegan cake is so good!