Enjoy a tasty vegan and moist spelt flour carrot cake. Made without eggs, it's filled with carrots, applesauce, and ground almonds, moistened with oil, and topped with coconut cream frosting and cinnamon.
Make this spelt flour cake or The Best Carrot Coconut Cake; they are both perfect for Easter or any occasion.
This spelt carrot cake with coconut frosting stays moist for days, thanks to applesauce and oil. Made with spelt flour, grated carrots, and ground almonds, this egg-free, vegan treat is packed with essential nutrients and suitable for various dietary needs. Try the Vegan Apple Cake next! For more sweet recipes made without eggs, try Spelt Flour Banana Bread or Eggless Almond Cookies.ย
The spelt carrot cake recipe is super easy to make; you wonโt even need a mixer to stir the batter. Just mix a few ingredients, bake the cake, and top it with the whipped coconut cream.
The topping is versatile; you can use our delicious vegan coconut frosting, but you could also use regular cream cheese frosting or buttercream or sprinkle the carrot cake with spelt flour cake and powdered sugar.
If you like baking with carrots, try a more traditional carrot cake recipe next time: Carrot Cake Traybake, Carrot Almond Cake, and Nigellaโs Carrot Cake Muffins.
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๐Recipe ingredients
Carrots: Use freshly grated carrots for optimal moisture; avoid pre-shredded ones from the grocery store, as they tend to be dry, and that will affect the texture of the spelt flour carrot cake.
You will need 14 oz/ 400g of peeled carrots. Due to their varying sizes, it's best to weigh them for accuracy. Grated, this should yield roughly 4 ยฝ cups, but it's better to measure precisely than to guess.
Spelt flour is a type of flour made from spelt, an ancient grain similar to wheat but with a nuttier flavor. Due to its higher protein and fiber content, spelt flour is often used as a healthier alternative to regular wheat flour. It can be utilized in baking spelt bread, cakes, and other recipes like our spelt flatbread.
You can buy white spelt flour and whole meal flour. You will need the white sort for this vegan carrot cake recipe.
Ground almonds (almond meal), not almond flour. Ground almonds (meal) are ground with their brown skin still on while almond flour is made from blanched almonds.
Applesauce adds moisture and sweetness to the spelt carrot cake while reducing the need for additional fats like oil or butter. It also improves the cake's texture, making it moist and tender. Use the rest of the applesauce to make Apple Tiramisu.
Oil: Use neutral-tasting oil like canola, vegetable, or grapeseed oil. Olive oil is not suitable for this recipe. If you like baking with oil, try these moist Cinnamon Apple Muffins with Oil, one of our most popular recipes.
Coconut cream: For the coconut cream frosting, refrigerate a can of full-fat coconut milk overnight. This chilling process separates the solid cream from the liquid. Carefully scoop out the solid parts without shaking the can. Reserve the remaining liquid for other recipes like soups or curries.
Other ingredients: Granulated sugar, baking powder, a little bit of almond milk (or another vegan milk), vanilla extract, cinnamon, powdered sugar (icing sugar), and a pinch of salt.ย
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ณHow to make carrot cake with spelt flour?
- The day before: Remember to place one can of full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator!
- Preparations: Grate carrots on the fine side of a box grater. Grease and line a baking dish with parchment paper. Preheat the oven.
Step #1: Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add the shredded carrots and all the wet ingredients, stirring the carrot mixture with a spoon.
Step #3: Pour batter into the prepared tin and place it on the middle rack in the oven.
Step 4: Bake the spelt flour carrot cake for about 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let it cool completely in the pan.
Step 5: Gently open the coconut milk can without shaking it. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the thickened cream from the top, leaving the liquid behind in the can.
Step #6: Shortly, beat the cream with an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar and beat again until fluffy.
Step #7: Spread the coconut frosting over the top of the cake evenly.
Step #8: Sprinkle with cinnamon and cut it into squares. For a firmer frosting, refrigerate for about 1 hour before slicing and serving.
๐Expert Tips
Measurements: I tested this spelt flour carrot cake recipe using both metric and cup measurements, but I still strongly recommend using a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) for measuring the ingredients. It is difficult to get the right amount of grated carrots when using a cup, as you might pack them much looser or tighter than I do. Measuring flour in cups is also tricky.
Coconut cream: Allow the can of coconut milk to chill in the refrigerator overnight to separate the cream from the liquid. Be careful not to shake the can before opening to ensure easy separation of the cream. Try our Vegan Coconut Brownies; they are also topped with this delicious frosting.
Sweetness: Adjust the sweetness of the frosting to your preference by adding more or less powdered sugar; 50 g/ ยฝ cup was super sweet for us, but you can add up to 75 g/ ยพ cup.
โRecipe FAQs
You can typically use a 1:1 ratio to replace spelt flour with all-purpose wheat flour. However, since wheat flour absorbs less liquid than spelt flour, you may need to reduce the amount of liquid in your recipe slightly or use just a bit more wheat flour. I would add 1 tablespoon extra all-purpose flour to this recipe or leave out the milk.
Yes. You can use cream cheese frosting, vanilla buttercream, or a lemon glaze. If you prefer to leave it plain, sprinkle it with a bit of powdered sugar (and maybe coconut flakes) before serving. Try these cake recipes and use any of the frosting/toppings used there: Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Walnut Cake with Buttercream, or Zucchini Bundt Cake with lemon glaze.
Refrigerate it in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Allow the spelt flour carrot cake to come to room temperature before serving (about 30 minutes).
You can freeze the unfrosted dessert for 2-3 months. The frosting is not suitable for freezing.ย
๐ฐMore bakes made with veggies
๐Recipe
Spelt Flour Carrot Cake
Equipment
- Baking dish about 23x33 cm/ 9x13 inches
Ingredients
Carrot cake (Note 1):
- 400 g carrots about 4 ยฝ cups grated/14 oz, Note 2
- 250 g spelt flour 2 cups/ 9 oz, Note 3
- 100 g ground almonds 1 cup/ 3.5 oz, not almond flour
- 200 g granulated sugar 1 cup/ 7 oz
- 2 ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 75 g applesauce โ cup/ 2.5 oz
- 120 ml neutral-tasting oil ยฝ cup canola, vegetable or grapeseed oil
- 2 tablespoons vegan milk almond, oat, soy
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coconut frosting:
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk only the solid part, Note 4
- 50 g powdered sugar ยผ cup/ 1.7 oz and up to 75 g/ ยพ cup/ 2.5 oz
- cinnamon to sprinkle on top of the cake
Instructions
- Chill coconut milk: Remember to place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator the day before making the frosting.1 can full-fat coconut milk
- Preheat the oven to 180ยฐC/ 360ยฐF. Grease and line the baking dish with parchment paper.
Carrot cake:
- Carrots: Peel and then weigh the needed amount of carrots. Grate them on the fine side of a box grater. Set them aside.400 g carrots / 14 oz
- Dry ingredients: Combine spelt flour, ground almonds, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.250 g spelt flour / 2 cups/ 9 oz + 100 g ground almonds / 1 cup/ 3.5 oz + 200 g granulated sugar / 1 cup/ 7 oz + 2 ยฝ teaspoon baking powder + 1 teaspoon cinnamon + ยฝ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Wet ingredients: Add grated carrots, applesauce, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine using a spoon.75 g applesauce / โ cup/ 2.5 oz + 120 ml neutral-tasting oil / ยฝ cup + 2 tablespoons vegan milk + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Bake: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the spelt carrot cake cool completely in the pan.
Coconut frosting:
- Coconut cream: Gently open the coconut milk can without shaking it. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the thickened cream from the top, leaving the liquid behind in the can.
- Whip coconut cream: Beat the cream with an electric mixer for 30-40 seconds. Add the powdered sugar and beat again until fluffy, about 1 minute.50 g powdered sugar / ยผ cup/ 1.7 oz
- Frost carrot cake: Spread the coconut frosting over the cooled cake evenly.
- Sprinkle the topping with cinnamon. For a firmer frosting, refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour before cutting it into squares and serving it.
Notes
- Measurements: I've tested the recipe using both metric and cup measurements, but I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) for precise results. Measuring grated carrots and flour with cups can vary greatly depending on how tightly or loosely you pack them. With a scale, you can ensure accuracy and consistency in your baking.
- Carrots: Use freshly grated carrots for optimal moisture; pre-shredded ones tend to be dry, affecting the cake's texture. You will need 14 oz/ 400g of peeled carrots. Due to their varying sizes, it's best to weigh them for accuracy. Grated, this should yield roughly 4 ยฝ cups, but it's better to measure precisely than to guess.
- Flour: To replace spelt flour with wheat flour, you can typically use a 1:1 ratio. However, since wheat flour absorbs less liquid than spelt flour, you may need to reduce the amount of liquid in your recipe slightly or use just a bit more wheat flour. I would add 1 tablespoon extra all-purpose flour to this recipe or leave out the milk.
- Coconut cream: Remember to refrigerate the coconut milk overnight. This chilling process separates the solid cream from the liquid. Reserve the liquid left in the can for other recipes like soups or curries.
Ashley Judd says
This cake looks so delicious and festive! I love it that itโs vegan!
Marvellina says
oh my goodness. This looks heavenly. So moist and I always have a thing for coconut!!
Brie says
I looove how moist this cake is Adina! And fresh coconut, what a cool idea, I can't wait to pick one up and give this tasty cake a try. BTW the new site design is gorgeous, from the recipe card to how your mouthwatering photos are featured it's all so pretty and bright.
grace says
i've never worked with fresh coconut, though i'd like to! this looks perfectly fluffy and moist and must be so delicious!
rosita vargas says
Se ve muy rico su cake Adina,tiene un hermoso color saludable,tengo en casa un vegano y un vegetariano,sus receta me maravillan,abrazos.
Olla says
I am making this for one of my children school for ww2 its a inspiration she will be amazed !!!!
Rosa says
I never realized that using fresh coconut gives an intenser taste than dried coconut. This cake looks and sounds delicious!!
Kate @ Framed Cooks says
Carrot cake and coconut cake are two of my faves, so I know I am going to love this one, AdinaQ
Agness of Run Agness Run says
I didn't know that a cake with carrots can be made, Adina! Great recipe.
Laura Dembowski says
Sparkling water is such an interesting addition here. I too love any carrot baked good and have made more than my fair share, but it's never enough ๐
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
This looks delicious! And I can't say that about every vegan dessert I see :). I love the addition of coconut!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
This cake looks so moist! I love carrot cake and this sounds simply delicious!
Denise Browning says
Hi, Adina! What a great combination. I love carrot cake... most often I eat mine topped with a milk chocolate ganache but would be thrilled to try it with coconut.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
It looks so lovely golden and soft fine crumbs are so beautiful and tempting.