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.
The cake mixture was really hard...I had to add more liquid to be able to pour the batter into the cake tin. I used extra milk.
I have never faced that issue.
Did you use US measuring cups?
Instead of cake, can I use it to make muffins?
In that case how long would I need to keep it in the oven and at what temperature?
Thanks!
Yes you can bake into muffin pan.
Baking Temp will be same - 350°F (180°C)
Baking Time - around 20 minutes and check if it needed more. I can't give you the exact time because I have not tried personally.
I'm curious how this would turn out if i used a bundt pan. Do you have tips about using a bundt pan for this instead of a cake pan?
Yes you can. Depending on the size of your bundt pan, you may need to increase the batter quantity.
For 7 1/2 inch bundt pan, above quantity works fine.
For 9 inch bundt pan, you'll need 1.5x the batter.
For 10 inch bundt pan, you'll need to double the recipe.
plus, baking time also vary. I can't give you exact time since I have not tried. You'll have to figure it out yourself.
what can i replace the nutmeg with?
Skip the nutmeg.
Hey there. So i tried this cake out on the 8th of april. And it was moist and the best ever.
But tried it again last week but was very dry and tasted like baking powder.
Can i please havr the original recipe before it was amended.
Thanks
Recipe is not changed. It is the same since I posted in 2015. I have just changed the pics and write up with more details.
Please read the FAQ about the taste of baking powder. I have covered that issue.