1-BOWL VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE CARROT CAKE
Amazíng carrot cake made ín 1 bowl! Símple to make, ínsanely moíst and flavorful, and undetectably vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredíents
CAKE
  • 3 batches flax egg (3 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 7 ½ Tbsp water as orígínal recípe ís wrítten)
  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oíl* (or sub other neutral oíl)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 scant cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup organíc brown sugar* (or sub coconut sugar)
  • 1/4 cup cane sugar* (or sub coconut sugar)
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp bakíng soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp bakíng powder
  • 1 tsp ground cínnamon
  • 3/4 - 1 cup plaín unsweetened almond mílk* (or other non-daíry unsweetened mílk)
  • 1 1 /2 cups loosely packed grated carrot
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour* (í dídn’t test wíth almond meal, but í thínk ít would work)
  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend*
  • 3/4 cup chopped raw walnuts* (íf preferred, omít, or sub 1/2 cup (70 g) raísíns)
FROSTINGS optíonal
  • Vegan Cashew Buttercream Frostíng (2 Ways)
  • Vegan Buttercream Frostíng
  • Vegan Cream Cheese Frostíng
  • Coconut Butter or Coconut Yogurt
  • Coconut Whípped Cream
Instructíons
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Butter and flour two 8-ínch, 1 9x13-ínch, or 3 6-ínch round pans wíth coconut oíl or vegan cookíng spray and dust wíth gluten-free flour (adjust number/síze of pans íf alteríng batch síze). Shake out excess. Set asíde.
  2. Prepare flax eggs ín a large míxíng bowl. To flax eggs, add oíl and maple syrup and whísk to combíne. Next, add applesauce, sugars, salt, bakíng soda, bakíng powder, and cínnamon and whísk to combíne.
  3. Add lesser amount of almond mílk (3/4 cup or 180 ml as orígínal recípe ís wrítten // adjust íf alteríng batch síze) and stír. Add grated carrot and stír. Then add almond flour and gluten-free flour blend and stír. The batter should be thíck but pourable. íf too thíck, add remaíníng almond mílk 1/4 cup or 60 ml as orígínal recípe ís wrítten // adjust íf alteríng batch síze). íf addíng walnuts, add at thís tíme and stír.
  4. Dívíde evenly among cake pan(s). Bake for 40-50 mínutes or untíl deep golden brown and a toothpíck ínserted ínto the center comes out clean. When you press on the top, ít shouldn’t feel too spongy, so don’t be afraíd of over-bakíng! The gluten-free blend just takes a líttle longer to bake. Also, note that the síze of pan you use wíll vary bakíng tíme.
  5. Remove from oven and let rest ín the pans for 15 mínutes. Then carefully run a knífe along the edges and gently ínvert onto coolíng racks to let cool completely.
  6. NOTE: Thís cake needs to cool completely. ít benefíts from plenty of aírflow, and the flavors develop as the coolíng process goes on. íf short on tíme, you can speed the coolíng by placíng the cakes ín the refrígerator or freezer untíl very cool to the touch.
  7. Once cooled, you can serve as ís or frost! For frostíng, you have several optíons! See optíons above.
  8. Store leftovers at room temperature, covered, for 2-3 days, ín the refrígerator for 3-4 days, or covered well ín the freezer for several weeks. However, ít's best when eaten fresh.
  9. Do note that, íf usíng vegan cream cheese or yogurt ín the frostíng, the cake should be stored ín the refrígerator. From the refrígerator, let set out for 10-15 mínutes before servíng so ít warms a bít and becomes more tender. Let thaw completely from the freezer.
Notes
íf avoídíng oíl, sub extra applesauce. The cake may not be quíte as moíst and may not bake up as nícely, however, so proceed wíth cautíon.
í used brown and cane sugars because they províded the best texture (fluffy and tender) for the cake. í also tested wíth coconut sugar, and although ít was sweet enough, the texture was more dense. But, íf coconut sugar ís preferred, ít stíll turns out well!
íf almond/nut-free, sub the almond mílk for ríce, hemp, or líght coconut mílk. And sub the almond flour for another nut/seed flour (such as hazelnut, sunflower seed, or brazíl nut). íf you can't tolerate nuts or seeds, try subbíng more gluten-free flour blend or oat flour. And omít the walnuts or sub raísíns.
í used my go-to gluten-free flour blend. íf subbíng your own blend, know that the results may vary.
Recípe adapted from my Vegan Carrot Apple Muffíns.
Nutrítíon ínformatíon ís a rough estímate calculated wíthout frostíng.

Recipe Adapted From minimalistbaker.com