The Sage Vegan: Orange Carrot Cake
Hi, this is Sage. Thanks for checking out my Orange Carrot Cake recipe. I made this in honor of my little brother. He has a bad allergy to all nuts except for almonds. When I was at Veggie Grill I ate their delicious carrot cake and thought about the fact that my brother wouldn’t be able to eat it because it has nuts in it. Then I got the idea to make not only a carrot cake my brother could eat, but an orange carrot cake. One of his favorite drinks is orange carrot juice so I knew it would be a good combination that he’d really like. It is like a regular carrot cake but without the nuts and raisins (yuck!). And the orange gives it a more interesting flavor. I also think it is a good dessert for second helpings! I hope you like it!
Here are the ingredients. This recipe is based on a Vegan Carrot Cake recipe by Love & Lemons. I just made a few changes to make it my own!
For the cake:
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup unsweetened, smooth applesauce
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp orange extract
- 1 cup cane sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 cups grated carrots
For the frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup vegan shortening
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- zest of one medium orange
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and lightly grease a 9 x 13 rectangular cake pan. My Mom made this recipe at the same time as me and made cupcakes instead of a cake. That way we could work side by side and we had twice as much Orange Carrot Cake!
Always begin by washing your hands really well. Next, wash, peel and grate your carrots. I tried grating some of the carrots but it was hard and you have to be very careful. So my tip is for kids to peel but parents to grate.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, whisk the applesauce, almond milk, vanilla extract, orange extract, cane sugar and oil. Mix the dry and the wet ingredients together, then stir in the grated carrots.
Now pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly.
If you want to make cupcakes like my Mom, pour the batter into cupcake liners. Either way, bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
While your cake is baking you can make your frosting.
We used Mattie’s Vegan “Cream Cheese” Frosting recipe but added orange zest to complement the batter and give it a brighter color! Use an electric mixer to blend together all the frosting ingredients except for the orange zest. Once the frosting is smooth, gently fold in the orange zest.
When the cake is finished baking, wait for it to cool down completely before frosting. Otherwise the frosting will melt.
And that’s my Orange Carrot Cake! Hope you love it!
Everything looks so yum. I am inspired as a vegan and food lover I am always on the hunt for exciting and new recipes to try for the family. I feel like I have found a home
Wow, your comment has made our day. Thanks for visiting One Happy Table! I hope you’ll continue to find lots of great recipes here that your family will love!
These look delicious! Do you think they would turn out the same if I used gluten-free flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Maddi! I think the cake will still be yummy but it will be different of course. Try using an all-purpose g-f flour and let us know how it turns out! – Lauren (Sage’s Mom) 😊
Yummy looking, Sage. Thanks for making the Orange Carrot Cake and sharing the recipe with us. Let’s make this together the next time we see each other. Okay? Love, Grandmommy
I love orange and carrot, too!! We’ll try these without the oil and let you know how it turns out! Your pictures make it look super yummy and I’m sure your little brother was so happy you made something for him. 🙂 Keep up the great work!
Thanks! I think it’s great to limit oil sometimes. I might try that sometimes to try to limit my oil. I can’t wait to see the results. P.S Canon loved the cake. — Sage
Sage, I love your blog, your recipes, and your photos. Your mom must be so proud of you. I know I am. And I am going to try the carrot cake. I want to eat more vegan now that I have serious health issues. You brighten my day. Thanks.
Thanks! I hope more people become vegan. I think animals have as much importance as we do. I really want people to see that. I also think it is very important for younger kids like me to learn how to cook vegan. — Sage
This recipe made my mouth water! I can only imagine how happy Canon was that you made something especially for him. You win the Best Big Sister award!!
Thank you! Canon really liked it and I’m glad he finally has a carrot cake he can enjoy! — Sage