Vegan Cardamom Carrot Cake

A perfectly moist and flavorful Vegan Cardamom Carrot Cake that's topped with a simple non dairy yogurt glaze. 

Carrot cake is synonymous with spring time, especially Easter. So, with the holiday being a little over a week away I'm sharing my take on this classic springtime dessert. This Vegan Cardamom Carrot Cake is everything you'd expect a carrot cake to be with an added punch of flavor from cardamom. Add the slightly tangy, slightly sweet yogurt glaze and this cake is pure deliciousness. The whole family really enjoys it!

Cardamom is what sets this cake apart from most carrot cakes, giving it a little something extra special. It adds a lovely complex flavor with hints of citrus and spice. Of course, if you're a regular around here, then you already know of my love for this spice. These cookies, this pie and this french toast all demonstrate that love. So, it's really no surprise to find it in this cake.

We prefer our sweets to be not so sweet, so this cake doesn't have as much sugar as most. With the slightly sweetened yogurt glaze, we think this cake is sweet enough. But, if you prefer something sweeter, a simple powdered sugar glaze instead of the yogurt glaze, would be a great option. Simply combine powdered sugar with a tiny bit of non dairy milk and stir until thin enough to drizzle.

For this cake, I chose a 10 inch bundt pan (12 cup capacity), since I wanted not only a cake for a crowd, but also a pretty cake with minimal effort. My cake decorating skills are not the best so a bundt pan offers the perfect solution to creating a beautiful cake. Spoon on the glaze and add a sprinkling of nuts and viola, beautiful cake! If you don't have a bundt pan or are a skilled decorator, you can also use a 9 x 13 cake pan or 2-9 inch rounds. Be sure to adjust bake time accordingly.

We hope you enjoy this cake as much as we do  and if you try it, let us know how it turns out! Leave a comment below or snap a pic and tag it @weelittlevegans on Instagram so we'll be sure to see it!

5 from 1 vote

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Vegan Cardamom Carrot Cake

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

55 mins

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

 

Course: Dessert

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Melissa

Ingredients

Bundt cake:

• 3 cup white whole wheat flour, sifted
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cup non dairy milk
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 ¼ cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup applesauce
• ⅔ cup oil such as coconut, avocado, grape seed, etc.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ½ cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional

Yogurt glaze:

• 1 cup non dairy yogurt, plain and unsweetened I use Kite Hill almond milk yogurt.
• 3-4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon ground cardamom optional

Instructions

Bundt cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12 cup bundt cake very well. Dust with a light coating of flour as well to prevent sticking. Set aside. 

2. Combine non dairy milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for a few minutes to curdle. 

3. In a large bowl, whisk together sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom and cinnamon. Set aside. 

4. After milk has curdled, add the sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Whisk to combine well.

5. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients and stir just to combine. 

6. Add carrots and nuts, if using, and fold into the batter. 

7. Transfer batter to prepared bundt pan.

8. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, checking at 50 minutes and then every 5 minutes for doneness. The cake should spring to the touch and a skewer inserted should come out clean. My cake was ready at 55 minutes. 

9. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely on a wire rack. 

Yogurt glaze:

1. While cake is baking, prepare glaze by whisking all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed. 

2. After cake has cooled completely, drizzle desired amount of yogurt over the top of cake and sprinkle with more chopped nuts, if desired. I use half of the glaze on the cake and then serve each slice with an additional drizzle. 

Recipe Notes

• You can use a 9 x 13 or 2- 9 inch round cake pans instead of bundt pan. Adjust baking times accordingly. 
• For a bit more sweetness, make a powder sugar glaze by combing 1 ½ cups powdered sugar and 1-2 tablespoon non dairy milk until thin enough to drizzle. Use this in place of the yogurt glaze.