Egg-Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 Today I'm sharing another DELICIOUS egg-free cake recipe!  This recipe is also free of milk and butter.

Known as depression era cakes or pantry cakes, this series of egg-free cakes is made with ingredients that are fairly inexpensive and that you usually stock in your pantry (not including any frostings).  They are easy to make and a wonderful treat!  

While you might think a cake without eggs would be dense, it will surprise you to know that it is not at all.  This cake is light, fluffy and delicious, and there is no way anyone eating it would guess there aren't any eggs the recipe.

These recipes have been so popular that I just created a free eBook that is a collection of them all plus 2 additional egg-free cake recipes.  Enter your email address and we'll get it sent right to you.

You'll notice in the photos that the cream cheese frosting is slightly runny.  I used non-dairy cream cheese which was a lot softer than dairy cream cheese and I also reduced the powdered sugar by half.  It was softer but absolutely yummy!  Once it was stored in the refrigerator the frosting set up nicely.

Ingredient Notes:

• Water - this cake is absolutely delicious using water.  If you would like a slightly richer version, replace it with milk (dairy or non-dairy).
• Vinegar - you can use white or apple cider vinegar (you will not taste the vinegar in the finished cake).  The vinegar plus the baking soda is the leavening agent in this cake allowing it to be egg-free.
• Oil - use any oil you have on hand, preferably one with little to no taste (i.e. not extra virgin olive oil).  If you would like to use an oil that is solid at room temperature (like coconut oil or palm oil), melt it first.  If you're looking for substitutions, I have successfully substituted half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce without any noticeable change to the cake.
• Sugar - you can reduce this slightly if you would prefer a less sweet cake. 
• Powdered Sugar (frosting) - you can reduce this by as much as half if you prefer.  It will, however, make the frosting a little bit runnier.

Making The Carrot Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment.  

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  

3. Add water/milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla to dry ingredients.  Stir with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour.  Stir in carrots just until incorporated.  

4. Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top.  Bake 30-35 minutes, or until center is firm and toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.  

5. Serve as is, with a dusting of powdered sugar, with your favorite frosting, or with the DELICIOUS cream cheese frosting recipe included.  

Additional DELICIOUS Egg-Free Depression Cake Recipes:

Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake Sweetened With Maple Syrup
Egg-Free Rhubarb Cake With Cinnamon Sugar Crunch Topping
Egg-Free Cranberry Orange Snack Cake
Egg-Free Apple Pie Cake
Egg-Free Banana Bread Cake
Egg-Free Blueberry & Lemon Cake

Egg-Free Chocolate Cake with Optional Peanut Butter Frosting

printable recipe here

Egg-Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

makes 1 - 8x8" cake

cake ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water or milk (dairy or non-dairy)
5 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots

cream cheese frosting ingredients:

1/4 c. butter (dairy or non-dairy), softened
4 oz. cream cheese (dairy or non-dairy), softened
1 t. vanilla 

2 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Add water/milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour. Stir in carrots just until incorporated.

Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until center is firm and toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.

Serve as is, with a dusting of powdered sugar, with your favorite frosting, or with the DELICIOUS cream cheese frosting recipe below. Store in the refrigerator if using the cream cheese frosting.

To make the optional cream cheese frosting:   In a medium bowl, with a hand mixer blend the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla.  Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time and blend until smooth.  Frost the completely cooled cake.

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