Easter

Vegan Simnel Cake

March 28, 2020 by hannahhossack 1 Comment

Vegan Simnel cake – this eggless and dairy free version of the traditional British Easter fruit cake with marzipan is just as good as the original. A light vegan fruit cake is filled with a layer of marzipan and topped with traditional marzipan decorations. The perfect cake for an Easter celebration!

Simnel cake may not be as popular an Easter treat as chocolate eggs and hot cross buns but it is one of my favourite Easter bakes.

I really love fruitcake and could eat marzipan by the block, so this light, moist fruit cake that is both filled and topped with marzipan is just about my ideal cake!

I was really keen to create a vegan Simnel cake recipe that is just as delicious as the original, and I am extremely pleased with how well this one turned out.

It is moist and flavourful, packed with plenty of dried fruit and topped with a generous helping of marzipan. Fruit cake heaven!

What Is Simnel Cake?:

Simnel cake is a traditional bake at Easter in the UK. It consists of a light fruit cake (less rich, heavy and boozy than a Christmas fruit cake) which has a layer of almond marzipan in the middle.

It is topped with another layer of marzipan and 11 balls of marzipan representing the twelve apostles, minus Judas. Though some have 12 balls to include Jesus. Now I’m an atheist but the more marzipan the better I say!

It was actually originally baked by serving girls for their mothers on Mothering Sunday when they were allowed to return home, but for a long time has been associated with Easter instead.

This vegan version is really easy to make and you would never be able to tell that it doesn’t contain any eggs or dairy!

How To Make Vegan Simnel Cake:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

Start by greasing a deep 20cm/8inch round cake tin and lining it with a DOUBLE layer of baking parchment on both the base and sides – this helps to stop the cake from catching round the edges.

Whisk together plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice (pumpkin spice) in a large bowl.

Add cubed vegan block butter and rub it in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and no lumps of butter remain.

Stir in light brown soft sugar (you can also use dark brown), finely grated orange and lemon zest, mixed dried fruit, dried cranberries and glace cherries until well combined then stir in soy milk to form a batter.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared tin and spread it level. Roll 200g of the marzipan out into an approx 18cm/7inch circle and place it on top of the batter. Spoon the remaining half of the batter on top of the marzipan and spread it level.

Bake the cake for about 1 ½ – 2 hours until firm and springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre but not into the marzipan comes out clean.

You’ll have to test a few times and use your own judgement on when it is ready, it can be hard to tell because of the marzipan. Cover the cake loosely with tin foil after an hour if the top starts to get too dark.

While the cake is baking make a syrup to brush over it once it is baked, this helps to keep it nice and moist so don’t skip it! You can use either orange juice or rum which you heat with sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and brush the top generously with some of the syrup. Leave it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then very carefully turn the cake out onto a wire rack (it is delicate when warm so be gentle!).

Brush the cake all over with the rest of the syrup, you can turn it over and brush some on the underside if you like. Leave it to cool completely then store in an airtight container.

The following day, use some marzipan to make 11 equal sized balls. I used a digital scale to ensure they were all the same size – I went for 15g per ball.

Roll the rest of the marzipan out on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Cut around the base of a 23cm/9inch round cake tin (or similar sized plate) with a sharp knife to get an even circle that is slightly larger than the width of the cake.

Place the cake top side down on a plate so the bottom is now the top. Use small scraps of marzipan to fill in any holes to create a totally flat surface. Brush the top of the cake with apricot jam then place the round of marzipan on top.

Use your fingers to crimp around the edge then place the marzipan balls on top in a circle. Use a chefs blowtorch to carefully toast the marzipan. You can also place it under a grill if you don’t have a blowtorch but make sure that you keep a really close eye on it!

Toasting the marzipan is totally optional so just skip this step if you are worried about it!

Top Tips:

For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

If you want a plain fruit cake then you can omit the marzipan.

You can swap the dried fruit for different kinds as long as you keep the same overall weight. I used a bag of mixed dried fruit (the kind that is sold for fruit cakes – raisins, sultanas, currants and candied peel) and some dried cranberries and glace cherries. Chopped dried apricots, figs and dates would all work well.

I really recommend using the kind of vegan butter/margarine that comes in a foil wrapped block, not the spreadable kind in a tub which has too high a water content for baking. I use Naturli Vegan Block but Stork, Vitalite or Tormor Blocks will all work. In the US something like Earth Balance Buttery Sticks would be the right kind of product to use.

I brush the cake with a sugar syrup when it comes out of the oven which helps to keep it moist. I do not recommend skipping this step.

Ideally you should bake the cake the day before you want to decorate it as it needs to be cold before you add the marzipan decorations and fruit cake takes a long time to cool.

The cake will keep for a week or more in an airtight container at room temperature.

More Vegan Easter Recipes:

: Vegan Hot Cross Buns

: Vegan Carrot Cake

: Vegan Easter Biscuits

: Vegan Coconut Layer Cake

: Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns

: Vegan Carrot Cake Loaf

If you tried this recipe why not tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Simnel Cake

Vegan Simnel cake - this eggless and dairy free version of the traditional British Easter fruit cake with marzipan is just as good as the original. A light vegan fruit cake is filled with a layer of marzipan and topped with traditional marzipan decorations. The perfect cake for an Easter celebration!

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Keyword cake

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Servings 11 people

Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

380 g (3 cups + 2 Tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin spice)
190 g (⅔ cup + 2 Tbsp) vegan block butter (NOT the spreadable kind. I use Naturli Vegan Block) cubed
190 g (1 cup + 1 Tbsp) light brown soft sugar (or dark brown)
finely grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
300 g (10 ½ oz) mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants and candied peel)
100 g (3 ½ oz) dried cranberries (or more mixed dried fruit)
100 g (3 ½ oz) glace cherries (or more mixed dried fruit) quartered
225 ml (¾ cup + 3 Tbsp) unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy is best)
700 g (24 oz) marzipan
about 2 Tbsp apricot jam

Syrup:

100 ml (7 Tbsp) rum or orange juice
80 g (scant ½ cup) granulated sugar

Instructions

Bake the cake the day before you want to decorate it. Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°fan/325°F/gas mark 3. Grease a deep 20cm/8inch round cake tin and line it with a DOUBLE layer of baking parchment - this helps to stop the cake from catching round the edges.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice in a large bowl.
Add the cubed vegan butter and rub it in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and no lumps of butter remain.
Stir through the sugar, orange and lemon zest, mixed dried fruit, dried cranberries and glace cherries until well combined then stir in the milk to form a batter.
Spoon half of the batter into the tin and spread it level. Roll 200g of the marzipan out into an approx 18cm/7inch circle and place it on top of the batter. Spoon the remaining half of the batter on top of the marzipan and spread it level.
Bake the cake for 1 ½ - 2 hours until firm and springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre but not into the marzipan comes out clean. Cover the cake loosely with tin foil after an hour if the top starts to get too dark.
While the cake is baking make the syrup. Place the rum/orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and brush the top generously with some of the syrup. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then very carefully turn the cake out onto a wire rack (it is delicate when warm so be gentle!).
Brush the cake all over with the rest of the syrup, you can turn it over and brush some on the underside if you like. Leave to cool completely then store in an airtight container.
The following day, use some of the remaining marzipan to make 11 equal sized balls. I used a scale to ensure they were all the same size - 15g per ball. Set aside.
Roll the rest of the marzipan out on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Cut around the base of a 23cm/9inch round cake tin (or similar sized plate) with a sharp knife to get an even circle that is slightly larger than the width of the cake.
Place the cake top side down on a plate so the bottom is now the top. Use small scraps of marzipan to fill in any holes to create a totally flat surface. Brush the top of the cake with apricot jam then place the round of marzipan on top.
Use your fingers to crimp around the edge then place the marzipan balls on top in a circle. Use a chefs blowtorch to carefully toast the marzipan. (This step is optional!). Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
If you want a plain fruit cake then you can omit the marzipan.
You can swap the dried fruit for different kinds as long as you keep the same overall weight. I used a bag of mixed dried fruit (the kind that is sold for fruit cakes - raisins, sultanas, currants and candied peel) and some dried cranberries and glace cherries. Chopped dried apricots, figs and dates would all work well.
I really recommend using the kind of vegan butter/margarine that comes in a foil wrapped block, not the spreadable kind in a tub which has too high a water content for baking. I use Naturli Vegan Block but Stork, Vitalite or Tormor Blocks will all work. In the US something like Earth Balance Buttery Sticks would be the right kind of product to use.
I brush the cake with a sugar syrup when it comes out of the oven which helps to keep it moist. I do not recommend skipping this step.
Ideally you should bake the cake the day before you want to decorate it as it needs to be cold before you add the marzipan decorations and fruit cake takes a long time to cool.
The cake will keep for a week or more in an airtight container at room temperature.
Cake adapted from: https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/recipes/all/phil-spiced-fruit-cake-with-rum-glaze/

Vegan Hot Cross Buns

March 9, 2020 by hannahhossack 6 Comments

Vegan hot cross buns – these eggless and dairy-free vesions of the classic British Easter treat are perfectly soft, fluffy and full of flavour. Served split, toasted and buttered they make a wonderful breakfast or snack.

It just wouldn’t be Easter without hot cross buns. The soft, lightly spiced fruity buns are the ultimate Easter food here in the UK but traditionally they aren’t vegan friendly as they contain milk, butter and egg.

More and more supermarkets are creating vegan varieties now, but a shop bought one is never going to beat a freshly baked home-made hot cross bun and fortunately they are really easy to veganize.

These vegan hot cross buns are easier to make than you might think and are beautifully soft, fluffy and full of flavour. You would never be able to tell the difference between these and a traditional egg and dairy laden one.

How To Make Vegan Hot Cross Buns:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

Making your own vegan hot cross buns isn’t difficult, but it does take a few hours. Most of that is hands off time however so you can do other things at the same time.

If you want, you can also split the work over two days – make the dough in the evening and let it rise the the fridge overnight then continue with the rest of the recipe in the morning.

If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook I would really recommend using it for this recipe. The dough is quite sticky and it’s much easier to work with in a mixer.

Start by mixing white bread flour, caster sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice, salt, instant yeast and orange or lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Add the yeast to one side of the bowl and the rest of the ingredients to the other. Yeast doesn’t like to come into direct contact with salt and sugar.

Heat vegan block butter in a pan until it is melted. (I use Naturli Vegan Block, it is the absolute best vegan butter for baking). Remove the pan from the heat and add unsweetened non-dairy milk. (Soy is best but any will work (except tinned coconut milk)).

The mixture should be lukewarm. If the butter resolidifys then you can heat it up gently until it is melted again but make sure that is doesn’t get hot. If it does then set it aside until it has cooled until it is just warm.

Pour the butter mixture into the bowl of flour and mix with a wooden spoon until no dry spots remain. The dough should be quite sticky.

Turn the stand mixer onto a medium-high speed and let it knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl cleanly.

You can knead the dough by hand on an un-floured surface if you dont have a stand mixer but be prepared to get sticky!

Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover (I use a shower cap) and set aside to rise until it has at least doubled in size, about 1 1/2-2 hours in a warm place.

Alternatively, you can place the dough in the fridge and let it rise overnight instead. The following morning, let it come up to room temperature for half an hour or so before continuing with the recipe.

Once the dough has risen, give it a brief knead to knock it back then flatten it out into a rough rectangle, scatter over the sultanas and mixed peel, roll it up and give it a good knead to evenly distribute the fruit.

Divide the dough into twelve even portions and roll them into balls. I use a digital scale to portion mine out evenly – weigh the ball of dough and divide that number by twelve, that gives you the weight each individual bun should be. Mine worked out to be 100g each.

Try to make sure that there isn’t much fruit on the outside of the bun as it can catch and burn in the oven.

Place them on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, leaving a gap of about 1-1.5cm (1/2 inch) between each one and flattening them very slightly with your hand.

Loosely cover the tray and set aside to rise until about doubled in size, around 45-60 minutes. The buns should now be touching each other and spring back slowly if you gently poke one with a finger. If it springs back quickly they need a little longer.

The Crosses:

Hot cross buns are traditionally topped with a flour paste cross. This is totally optional however, it doesn’t add to the flavour at all so you can leave them off if you prefer.

To make the paste for the crosses, mix plain flour with enough water to make a thick but pipeable paste. Place it in a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle (about 3mm).

When the buns have risen pipe a cross on top of each one. If you’ve got them well lined up on the tray you can just pipe in one long line across the row.

Bake the buns for about 25 minutes until deep golden. I use a probe thermometer to check they are cooked all the way through, the internal temperature should reach 94C/201F.

Once the buns are baked, brush them all over with maple syrup to give them a good shine. You can also use golden syrup or smooth apricot jam but you will need to heat them up until they are melty first.

Top Tips For The Best Vegan Hot Cross Buns:

For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

If you want, you can split the work over two days – make the dough in the evening and let it rise the the fridge overnight then continue with the rest of the recipe in the morning.

If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook I would really recommend using it for this recipe. The dough is quite sticky and it’s much easier to work with in a mixer.

The recipe will work using plain (all-purpose) flour, but bread flour gives the best texture.

Make sure that your yeast hasn’t expired! Out of date yeast can lead to bread that doesn’t rise.

The best way to tell if bread is baked properly is to check the internal temperature with a probe thermometer. It should reach at least 94°C/201°F.

The hot cross buns are best eaten on the day they are baked but they will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days in which case they are best served toasted.

Can I Freeze Them?:

Yes, these vegan hot cross buns freeze well. Freeze them in an airtight container on the day they are baked (make sure they have cooled completely first).

Allow to defrost at room temperature then refresh in a low oven before serving.

More Vegan Easter Recipes:

Vegan carrot layer cake

Vegan Simnel cake

Vegan coconut layer cake

Vegan Easter biscuits

Chocolate orange hot cross buns

Vegan carrot cake loaf

If you tried this recipe why not tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.

5 from 5 votes

Vegan Hot Cross Buns

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine British

Keyword bread

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Rising Time 3 hours

Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes

Servings 12 buns

Calories 289 kcal

Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

Vegan Hot Cross Buns:

500 g (4 cups + 2 Tbsp) white bread flour
75 g (1/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin spice)
1 tsp salt
finely grated zest of 1 orange or lemon
10 g (3 tsp) instant/fast action yeast
80 g (1/3 cup) vegan block butter (I use Naturli Vegan Block)
300 ml (1 1/4 cups) unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy is best)
200 g (7 oz) sultanas
50 g (1 ¾ oz) candied mixed peel

Crosses:

50 g (scant 1/2 cup) plain flour
60 ml (1/4 cup) water
maple syrup/golden syrup/apricot jam to glaze

Instructions

Tip the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice, salt and orange or lemon zest to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Mix well to combine.
Heat the butter in a pan over a low heat until it is melted. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the milk. The mixture should be lukewarm. If the butter resolidifys then you can heat it up gently until it is melted again but make sure that is doesn’t get hot. If it does then set it aside until it has cooled until it is just warm.
Pour the butter mixture into the bowl of flour and mix with a wooden spoon until no dry spots remain. The dough should be quite sticky.
Turn the stand mixer onto a medium-high speed and let it knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl cleanly.
Alternatively you can knead the dough by hand on an unfloured surface but it is quite sticky.
Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover (I use a shower cap) and set aside to rise until it has at least doubled in size, about 1 1/2-2 hours in a warm place.
Alternatively, you can place the dough in the fridge and let it rise overnight instead. The following morning, let it come up to room temperature for half an hour or so before continuing with the recipe.
Once the dough has risen, give it a brief knead to knock it back then flatten it out into a rough rectangle, scatter over the sultanas and mixed peel, roll it up and give it a good knead to evenly distribute the fruit.
Divide the dough into twelve even portions and roll them into balls. Try to make sure that there isn’t much fruit on the outside of the bun as it can catch and burn in the oven.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, leaving a gap of about 1-1.5cm (1/2 inch) between each one and flattening them very slightly with your hand.
Loosely cover the tray and set aside to rise until about doubled in size, around 45-60 minutes. The buns should now be touching each other and spring back slowly if you gently poke one with a finger. If it springs back quickly they need a little longer.
While the buns are rising preheat the oven to 200°C/180°fan/400°F/gas mark 6 and prepare the paste for the crosses.
Place the plain flour in a bowl and gradually stir in enough water to form a thick but pipeable paste. You may not need all of the water. Place the paste in a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle (about 3mm).
When the buns have risen pipe a cross on top of each one. If you’ve got them well lined up on the tray you can just pipe in one long line across the row.
Bake the buns for about 25 minutes until deep golden. I use a probe thermometer to check they are cooked all the way through, the internal temperature should reach 94C/201F.
Remove the buns from the oven and brush them all over with maple syrup to give them a good shine. If you are using golden syrup or apricot jam instead you will need to gently warm them up until they are runny first. Allow the buns to cool before serving.

Recipe Notes

For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
If you want, you can split the work over two days – make the dough in the evening and let it rise the the fridge overnight then continue with the rest of the recipe in the morning.
If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook I would really recommend using it for this recipe. The dough is quite sticky and it’s much easier to work with in a mixer.
The recipe will work using plain (all-purpose) flour, but bread flour gives the best texture.
Make sure that your yeast hasn’t expired! Out of date yeast can lead to bread that doesn’t rise.
The best way to tell if bread is baked properly is to check the internal temperature with a probe thermometer. It should reach at least 94°C/201°F.
The hot cross buns are best eaten on the day they are baked but they will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days in which case they are best served toasted.

Vegan Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

February 28, 2020 by hannahhossack 1 Comment

Classic vegan carrot cake – a delicious eggless and dairy free version of carrot layer cake which is filled and topped with creamy vegan cream cheese frosting. It is so good you won’t be able to tell the difference! This is the perfect cake for Easter, Mother’s Day or any celebration.

This amazing vegan carrot layer cake with cream cheese frosting is the ultimate vegan carrot cake!

It consists of two layers of soft, moist, perfectly spiced carrot cake which is filled and topped with creamy vegan cream cheese frosting. It is a wonderful cake for celebrations such as Easter and Mother’s Day.

Topped with a scattering of chopped pistachios and a few dried rosebuds it makes for a beautiful centrepiece!

How To Make Vegan Carrot Cake:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

Start by whisking together the wet ingredients – caster sugar, light brown soft sugar, sunflower oil, non-dairy milk, lemon juice, vanilla extract and orange or lemon zest.

Add the dry ingredients – plain flour, wholemeal flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt.

Whisk gently until no lumps of flour remain, be careful not to over-beat the batter however as that can make the cake tough.

Add the grated carrots, and if you are using any mix-ins such as nuts or raisins add them now too. Fold through until well combined.

Divide the batter evenly between two 8 inch round greased and lined cake tins and spread it level. Bake for about 35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave the cakes to cool in their tins for ten minutes then very carefully turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes are very delicate when they are warm so be gentle.

To make the cream cheese frosting, place softened, room temperature vegan block butter in a large bowl. Drain any excess liquid from room temperature vegan cream cheese and pat it dry with paper towels; add it to the bowl with the butter.

Whisk the butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer until they are well combined. Add sifted icing sugar and a bit of xanthan gum and whisk well until the frosting is smooth and creamy. If the frosting is too soft, pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up a bit before icing the cake.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting:

I find that vegan cream cheese frosting can be quite tempermental and prone to splitting or becoming runny. You generally either need to use vegetable shortening instead of butter/margarine or add a vast amount of icing sugar to combat this.

I’ve discovered a secret weapon however – xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is a thickening agent and stabiliser commonly used in gluten free baking. It is vegan friendly and can be found in the baking section of most supermarkets.

Adding a small amount to the cream cheese frosting helps to prevent the ingredients from separating, making for a lusciously smooth, creamy frosting.

Top Tips:

1.For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

2. Use a standard sized grater for the carrots rather than a fine one for the best texture.

3. I like to use sunflower oil for baking as it has a very neutral flavour, but you can use another mild flavoured oil instead. Or you can use olive oil or melted coconut oil if you don’t mind the flavour coming through.

If you use melted coconut oil make sure that your milk is at room temperature so that the oil doesn’t resolidify.

4. You can mix a couple of handfuls of raisins or chopped walnuts into the batter along with the grated carrots if you like.

5. Make sure that you allow the cakes to cool completely before adding the frosting and slicing into it.

6. When making the frosting it is very important that the butter is soft and at room temperature, and the cream cheese is also at room temperature, otherwise the frosting is more likely to split.

How Should I Store This Vegan Carrot Cake?:

Once the cake has been frosted, it is best stored in the refrigerator as the frosting can become a little soft at warm room temperature. Ideally it should be eaten on the day it is assembled but any leftovers will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

The cakes can be baked the day before you make the frosting and assemble the cake. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

The un-iced cakes can be wrapped and frozen for up to three months. I do not recommend freezing the frosting as it is likely to have a detrimental effect on the texture.

The frosting is best made when you are ready to assemble and serve the cake.

More Classic Vegan Cakes:

Vegan Victoria sponge cake

Vegan chocolate fudge cake

Vegan lemon drizzle cake

Vegan ginger cake

Vegan fruit cake

Vegan coffee and walnut cake

Vegan banana cake

Vegan apple cake

Vegan coconut cake

If you tried this recipe why not tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Carrot Cake

Course Dessert

Cuisine baking

Keyword cake

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Servings 12 people

Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

Vegan Carrot Cakes:

200 g (1 cup + 2 Tbsp) light brown soft sugar
100 g (½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
180 ml (¾ cup) sunflower oil (or another flavourless oil)
180 ml (¾ cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla exract
finely grated zest of 1 orange or lemon
230 g (2 cups minus 1 Tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
100 g (¾ cup + 2 Tbsp) plain wholemeal flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
¼ tsp salt
360 g (12 ½ oz) coarsely grated carrot

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting:

150 g (5 ⅓ oz / ½ cup + 2 Tbsp) vegan block butter (NOT the spreadable kind. I use Naturli Vegan Block) softened
225 g (8 oz) vegan cream cheese (I use Asda own brand) room temperature
450 g (4 ½ cups) icing (powdered) sugar sifted
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
chopped pistachios to decorate (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease two 20cm/8inch round, (ideally 5cm/2in deep) cake tins and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
Whisk together the light brown soft sugar, caster sugar, oil, milk, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon or orange zest in a large bowl.
Add the plain flour, wholemeal flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
Whisk gently until no lumps of flour remain. Be careful not to over-beat the batter however as that can make the cake tough.
Add the grated carrots and fold through until well combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins, spread it level and bake for about 35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then very carefully turn them out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
To make the cream cheese frosting, place the softened, room temperature butter in a large bowl. Drain any excess liquid from the room temperature cream cheese and pat it dry with paper towels; add it to the bowl with the butter.
Whisk the butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the sifted icing sugar and xanthan gum and whisk well until smooth and creamy. If the frosting is too soft, pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up a bit before icing the cake.
Place one of the cooled cake layers on a cake stand or serving platter and spread over some of the frosting. Place the other layer on top and ice it as you like - the recipe makes enough frosting to cover the sides if you wish.
Decorate with chopped pecans, walnuts or pecans as you like.

Recipe Notes

For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
Use a standard sized grater for the carrots rather than a fine one for the best texture.
I like to use sunflower oil for baking as it has a very neutral flavour, but you can use another mild flavoured oil instead. Or you can use olive oil or melted coconut oil if you don’t mind the flavour coming through. If you use melted coconut oil make sure that your milk is at room temperature so that the oil doesn’t resolidify.
You can mix a couple of handfuls of raisins or chopped walnuts into the batter along with the grated carrots if you like.
Make sure that you allow the cakes to cool completely before adding the frosting and slicing into it.
When making the frosting it is very important that the butter is soft and at room temperature, and the cream cheese is also at room temperature, otherwise the frosting is more likely to split.

Carrot, Pineapple And Pistachio Cake

March 20, 2018 by hannahhossack 5 Comments

Carrot, pineapple and pistachio cake – a delicious tropical twist on carrot cake topped with a luscious cloud of cream cheese frosting.

I baked this cake a while back but thought that I would wait until nearer Easter to share it. I love carrot cake all year round but Easter does feel like the most appropriate time for it and this cake would be perfect for feeding a crowd at a Spring gathering….

Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns

March 13, 2018 by hannahhossack 8 Comments

Chocolate orange hot cross buns – a delectable chocolatey twist on the classic Easter bread. Perfect for breakfast or a snack. Includes instructions to make a vegan version.

It feels like we only just had Christmas but now it is somehow nearly Easter already; I don’t know where the time has gone! I need to do some more Easter themed baking to blog but for now I do have these chocolate orange hot cross buns to share with you….

Vegan Lemon Almond Cake With Coconut Whipped Cream & Macerated Strawberries

March 7, 2018 by hannahhossack 11 Comments

Vegan lemon almond cake with coconut whipped cream and macerated strawberries – a light, moist vegan lemon and almond cake topped with a cloud of coconut whipped cream and sweet macerated strawberries. The perfect cake for Spring!

This vegan lemon almond cake is really quick and simple to make, but it looks very pretty topped with it’s cloud of whipped coconut cream and mound of juicy strawberries; no decorating skills required!

It would be a lovely cake to make for occasions such as Easter or Mother’s Day, not that it needs a special occasion to be baked at all….

Hot Cross Bun Chocolate Truffles

April 1, 2017 by hannahhossack 2 Comments

I only realised a couple of days ago just how close we are to Easter. This year seems to be flying by already and while I am relieved that Winter is over and the weather is warming up, time does seem to be passing by at an alarming rate. I hadn’t planned any Easter recipes at all so whipped up these hot cross bun chocolate truffles so that I at least had something Easter related on the blog….

Hokkaido Milk Bread Hot Cross Bun Loaf

March 8, 2016 by hannahhossack 35 Comments

The best part about any holiday or celebration is the food, and more specifically, the baked goods; cakes and breads feels so much more special if you only consume them once a year.

My favorite Easter bake is hot cross buns, though I do also love Simnel cake, but I have a particularly weak spot for sweet enriched breads. I generally bake at least one batch of hot cross buns around Easter time every year; I decided to do something a little different this year though and baked a hot cross bun loaf using my hokkaido milk bread recipe as the base….

Coconut & Cherry Swiss Roll

February 23, 2016 by hannahhossack 32 Comments

Spring is beginning to feel a little bit more like a reality; don’t get me wrong, it is still cold and wet out, but the sun has been making a more regular appearance, it no longer gets dark quite so depressingly early and the first of the daffodils have begun to flower. It is also only a month till Easter and I have already begun planning my Easter bakes and am craving hot cross buns and Simnel cake. To celebrate the change in the seasons I did what I always do when there is cause to rejoice – I baked a cake….

Nielsen-Massey Carrot Cake With Vanilla Bean Icing

April 7, 2015 by hannahhossack 36 Comments

This post is part of Nielsen-Massey and Baking Mad’s Easter baking campaign, where they asked baking bloggers to try one of their twenty four delicious vanilla based recipes. They asked me if I would like to take part and I jumped at the chance as I love Nielsen-Massey vanilla so was very happy to be sent some for free!…

Easter

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Vegan Hot Cross Buns

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Vegan Carrot Cake

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All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.

All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.

All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.