This eggless carrot cake is soft, tender, perfectly moist and its sweet and balanced spice flavor is perfect. The velvety cream cheese frosting and crunchy walnuts are the perfect finishing touch. This is truly the BEST carrot cake made without eggs.
If you are Indian or familiar with Indian food then you might know there is a popular, classic Indian sweet made with carrots. Yes, it is carrot halwa (Gajar ka halwa). Just like that carrots can be used in baking like cake, muffins, cupcakes, etc. It is equally delicious like halwa. Trust me, try it out yourself.
Those pretty looking orangy-red flakes of grated carrot in the cake give beautiful color and texture to the cake. It also provides sweetness and moisture to the cake.
The addition of cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg give spiced flavor to the cake. Trust me, spices are not overpowering at all. It has a balanced flavor of spice and sweetness.
Here is what you'll need for the carrot cake batter made without eggs.
Watch: carrot cake without eggs
You see, this eggless carrot cake is easy to make, let’s see the step-by-step process with detail instructions and make it even easier.
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) for at least 10 minutes.
- Start by toasting the walnuts. Spread them on the baking sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes. Let them cool and the chop. Alternately, you can dry roast them in a pan on the stovetop.
Toasting nuts is purely optional. But I highly recommend toasting them. It gives a nice deep nutty flavor with some extra crunch. - Grease the 9-inch round cake pan with butter or oil. Or spay with nonstick cooking spray.
How to make Eggless Carrot Cake?
1) Take dry ingredients (all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt) in a bowl.
2) Whisk well till everything is incorporated well. Or you can sift the dry ingredients. Keep it aside.
3) In another bowl, take oil and sugar.
4) Whisk using wire whisk for few minutes, you will have a grainy mixture.
5) Now add milk and water.
6) Also, add pure vanilla extract and again whisk really well till everything is mixed and incorporated.
7) Now add half of the flour mixture.
8) Mix using a whisk.
9) Then add remaining flour mixture.
10) Start mixing with a whisk and halfway through switch to a spatula and mix till everything comes together. Do scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl while mixing. Do not overmix.
11) Now add grated carrots.
12) Fold them in with a spatula.
13) Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Spread the cake batter evenly using a spatula.
14) Bake into the preheated oven of 25-30 minutes. Check the cake by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean then the cake is ready. Remove it from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then remove it from the pan by inverting on the rack. Let it cool down completely.
15) While its cooling make the cream cheese frosting. Detail instructions in the recipe card below.
16) Make sure that cake is cooled completely before you start frosting. Spread the even layer and garnish with chopped walnuts. I have kept it casual by spreading on top only. You can cover the sides if you want.
Few notes, worth reading
- Preheat the oven first. Then prepare the cake pan. After that start making the batter.Because you don’t want the batter to sit longer while the oven is preheating. So as soon as the batter is ready, pour into the pan and it goes into the preheated oven for baking.
- Walnut substitute: You can use pecans.
- Adding nuts into the batter. Yes, you can add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans, almonds. Even you can add raisins. Add them along with carrots and fold them in.
- Make it a double layer cake. Yes, we need a two-layer cake for birthdays, anniversary or special occasions. Double the recipe, divide into two cake pans and bake. Baking time will be more by about 5 minutes or so. Because we are baking two at a time. Also, double the frosting amount and decorate as you want.
Q. How to get a clean cut of the slice?
First, use the sharp knife. Slice the cake once, dip it into the warm water and wipe it clean. Then make another cut. Voila, you will have a nice clean slice of cake. No more frosting ruining the looks of the slice. So every time you slice, dip the knife in warm water and wipe it dry.
Q. Baking powder or Baking soda gives aftertaste?
I got a few queries mentioning that they get the after taste of baking soda or baking powder. I can say, always use fresh soda and powder. If anything is older than 6 months, it might give the aftertaste. Please check the expiration taste before using in the recipe.
Check out more eggless cake recipes
Eggless mango cake
Eggless chocolate cake
Eggless tutti frutti cake
Eggless orange cake
Eggless lemon cake
Eggless Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups All purpose flour (Maida)
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons Oil * use flavorless oil
- ¾ cup White granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Milk
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup Carrot grated
- 2-3 tablespoons Walnuts or pecans, chopped (for Garnishing)
For cream cheese frosting:
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 113 grams or 4 oz Cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup Powdered sugar (Confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar)
- ½ teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease the 9-inch round cake pan.
- Start by toasting the walnuts. Spread them on the baking sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes. Let them cool and the chop. Alternately, you can dry roast them in a pan on the stovetop.
- Take dry ingredients (all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt) in a bowl. Whisk well till everything is incorporated well.
- In another bowl, take oil and sugar. Whisk using wire whisk for few minutes, you will have a grainy mixture.
- Now add milk, water, vanilla extract and whisk really well.
- Now add half of the flour mixture. Mix using a whisk.
- Then add remaining flour mixture. Start mixing with a whisk and halfway through switch to a spatula and mix till everything comes together. Do scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl while mixing. Do not overmix.
- Now fold grated carrots in the batter with a spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Spread the cake batter evenly using a spatula.
- Bake into the preheated oven of 25-30 minutes. Check the cake by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean then the cake is ready. Remove it from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then remove it from the pan by inverting on the rack. Let it cool down completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- While its cooling make the cream cheese frosting. Take softened butter and cream cheese in a bowl. Whisk till smooth (use wire whisk, do by hand or use a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment).
- Now sift the powdered sugar in it, beat it again till smooth, fluffy and shiny. You will feel its spreading consistency. It may take about 3-4 minutes.
- Now add vanilla and beat again till mixed. The frosting is ready.
- Make sure that cake is cooled completely before you start frosting. Add dollop in the center of the cake, spread evenly using a spatula or butter knife.
- Garnish with chopped walnuts.
Notes
- I got a few queries mentioning that they get the after taste of baking soda or baking powder. I can say, always use fresh soda and powder.
- Walnut substitute: Pecans, Almonds
- Adding nuts into the batter. Yes, you can add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans, almonds. Even you can add raisins. Add them along with carrots and fold them in.
- Make it a double layer cake. Yes, we need a two-layer cake for birthdays, anniversary or special occasions. Double the recipe, divide into two cake pans and bake. Baking time will be more by about 5 minutes or so. Because we are baking two at a time. Also, double the frosting amount and decorate as you want.
- How to get a clean cut of the slice? First, use the sharp knife. Slice the cake once, dip it into the warm water and wipe it clean. Then make another cut. Voila, you will have a nice clean slice of cake. No more frosting ruining the looks of the slice. So every time you slice, dip the knife in warm water and wipe it dry.
I really LOVED your recipe!
I never leave comments anywhere but I wanted to thank you for the very clear step-by-step photos and explanation so I could not mess it up, haha. I've been struggling for years to find tasty alternatives for my egg-allergic brother and this is one of the best recipes I tried so far. The one I made now was not for him, I just ran out of eggs and this was a perfect last minute find. But I will make one for him one day for sure.
The only things I changed was no nutmeg and instead of water I used freshly squeezed orange juice. I added some walnuts to the mixture and raisins which I soaked in the orange juice first. A little bit of the zest from the orange to the carrot rasp and a little bit of the mixed rasps on the top of the cake for color.
For icing I improvised with greek yoghurt, powdered sugar, little bit of honey and orange juice.
My husband normally never likes carrot cake but asked me if I could make it more often.
And I will!
Very glad that this cake recipe worked.
True orange and carrot is a good flavor combo.
Thank you for the detailed feedback.
I never leave internet reviews. I have been using your recipe for a few years and made it again the other week. I thought it is about time to thank you for the recipe! My son is allergic to eggs so that is what made me try this recipe. He loves it! We all love it and I am not even a carrot cake fan. I can honestly say this is the best cake I've ever made from scratch! It's just perfect!
I usually double the recipe and bake it in a 9 x 13. It works out well.
Thank you, Kanan!!
Thank you so much for the review.
good to know that doubling the recipe works.
Love this recipe. Extremely moist. Wondering if this can be made into cupcakes? If so how long would you recommend for the baking time? Thank you
Yes you can bake into cupcakes.
Start with baking time 18-20 minutes and check if needed more or not. I can't give you the exact time as I have never made into cupcakes.