Carrot Cake with “Cream Cheese” Frosting (Gluten & Dairy Free)

It is a BIG year in the Steinbock household! Dr. Roy is turning 50 this month, I recently celebrated my 45th, and all three of our kids are about to graduate! Mia will be starting middle school, Leo high school, and Layla is headed off to college in the Fall. (And, yes, I can’t talk about any of this without crying!)

I have been taught that special celebrations always deserve special desserts. Am I right?!

When I asked Roy what kind of dessert he wants to celebrate his 50th birthday, I had a hunch he would say carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. It’s always been a favorite of his, but our attempts and gluten and dairy free versions over the years have not lived up to his fond memories. That is, until now 🙂

This carrot cake is flavorful, moist, and tastes like the classic. While I won’t pretend that a dairy-free cream cheese frosting can ever live up to the “real” thing, this one is tangy and not overly sweet.

If you are looking for a healthier frosting (just because the powered sugar is organic and unbleached, it is still just sugar!) then I suggest our cashew cream frosting from this recipe.

Enjoy!

Dr. Roy’s 50th Birthday Carrot Cake with “Cream Cheese” Frosting (Gluten & Dairy Free)
by Debbie Steinbock

Ingredients:

3 cups finely shredded carrots (approx. 1 lb.)

dry ingredients
2 ½ cups Bob’s Red Mill GF 1 to 1 Baking Flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground allspice
⅛ tsp. ground cloves

wet ingredients
4 large eggs
¾ cup coconut sugar or maple sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
¾ cup melted coconut oil
¼ cup plant-based milk

dairy-free cream cheese frosting
½ cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance), softened
8 oz. vegan cream cheese (such as Kite Hill)
3 cups organic powdered sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9×13 glass Pyrex pan with coconut oil and set aside. 
2. Shred the carrots (I use the shredding attachment that comes with my Cuisinart food processor) and set them aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
4. Next blend the wet ingredients together (I use my food processor for this as well).
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and use a large spoon to stir to gently combine. Add in the shredded carrots and stir until everything is well mingled.  
6. Pour the cake batter into the greased pan and bake for 35-40 minutes on the middle oven rack.
7. Make the “cream cheese” frosting: Using a hand mixer or a food processor, combine the frosting ingredients until they are smooth and creamy. 
8. Once the cake has cooled, use a spatula or frosting knife to spread the frosting over the entire cake.