Spring is finally here, which means it is carrot cake season. I love a good carrot cake. I especially enjoy a small slice with my morning masala chai.
But with the exorbitant egg prices in the Bay Area, baking cakes has become increasingly expensive. So I have come up with this Eggless Carrot Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Is the carrot cake moist and tasty? Yes.
- Do I miss the eggs? No.
- And is it teen approved? Yes.
My kids have been enjoying it as an after-school snack as part of recipe testing.
Carrots in sweet and savory preparations
With their naturally sweet flavor, carrots are delicious in both sweet and savory preparations. I adore heirloom carrots that come in various shades of orange, yellow, white and purple. They vary slightly in taste, but mostly they look pretty on a platter, especially simply roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper and some everyday spices.
One of my mother’s favorite preparations was cubed carrots and green peas cooked in oil and all the Indian spices, best eaten with Indian flatbreads along with some kind of lentil soup or daal for a balanced meal.
In my house, shaved heirloom carrot salad is on repeat, where I marinate the shavings in a citrus-olive oil dressing and garnish with some herbs.
Back to this Eggless Carrot Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
How do I avoid eggs? I don’t use flaxseed meal or vegan egg substitutes. Instead, plain yogurt, along with the leavening agents such as baking powder and baking soda, provides the necessary moistness, lightness and body to the cake. I use a mixture of butter and oil for fat.
Ingredients for the Eggless Carrot Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
The ingredients for the Eggless Carrot Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting are:
Eggless Carrot Loaf Cake
- Neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Plain yogurt
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Leaving agents: like baking powder and baking soda
- Salt
- Spices: like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
- Carrots
- Desiccated unsweetened coconut
- Toasted walnuts
- Candied ginger
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
How to make the Eggless Carrot Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
It is important to note that finely grated carrots are a key here for a good, moist loaf cake. You do not want coarsely grated carrots, as they will alter the texture. The water content in carrots adds more moisture to the loaf.
In my opinion, any baked food with carrots is incomplete without spices. I use cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg for all the extra flavor. Additional ingredients such as desiccated coconut, toasted walnuts and candied ginger truly elevate this carrot cake.
(Candied ginger is available at most well-stocked grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s, or you can find it online.) I love biting into slightly chewy candy and crunchy, toasty walnuts in the cake.
Tips for baking the loaf, without burning the top
Loaf cakes take a long time; this one bakes for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Be sure to cover the cake at the 45 minute mark, so the top doesn’t brown too much.
I recommend checking for doneness at the 1 hour mark, and then baking it for 10 more minutes if a knife poked into the center emerges with wet batter sticking to it.
You want the loaf to completely cool before applying the cream cheese frosting, which you can quickly whisk together with room temperature cream cheese, unsalted butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
Simply apply the frosting on top of the loaf with a spatula for a low-key, snacking cake. Or if you fancy, decorate it like I do: Place the frosting in a piping bag with a French star tip to pipe pretty patterns on top of the loaf.
I also make cute carrot rosettes by rolling thin carrot strips (use a mandolin or a peeler to get the thin strips). I place them on top of the frosting, along with rosemary sprigs, to create an abstract representation of carrots on the top.
A slice is best served with a hot beverage — my preference always being masala chai.
Where can I find desiccated unsweetened coconut?
Desiccated unsweetened coconut can be found at your local grocery store or online.
Where can I find candied ginger?
Candied ginger can be found at Trader Joe’s or at your local grocery store or online.
What kind of loaf pan should I use?
Use this loaf pan for your loaf cake needs! I have this pan and used it for years.
What is the best way to store the cake? And the leftovers?
Store the cake cut into slices and stored in a tupperware, outside for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for upto a week. Store the slice at room temperature for 30 minutes before eating it.
What kind of french star tip should I use if I want to do decoration like the pictures?
Use a french star tip from Ateco. I have the set and have used it for many years now.
Other carrot recipes on my blog are:
- Garam Masala Roasted Carrots with Pistachio Whipped Goat Cheese
- Roasted Carrots, Cannellini Beans and Goat Cheese Dip
- Carrot and Chai Masala Cake with Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting
If you make this recipe, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.
XO
Amisha
*First published in S.F.Chronicle.com linked here *
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Eggless Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Eggless Carrot Loaf Cake
- 1/2 cup neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil
- 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
- 1/2 cup desiccated unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup candied ginger, chopped into small pieces
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 5 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional for decorating
- 1 (12-inch) piping bag
- French star tip size #4
- Thin carrot strips
- Rosemary sprigs
Get Recipe Ingredients
Method
Make the Eggless Carrot Loaf Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, add the oil, butter and sugars, and whisk until well combined and smooth.
- Add the yogurt and vanilla extract and whisk again until well combined and smooth.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices like ground cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Whisk until just combined; there may be some specks of flour.
- Add the carrots, coconut, walnuts and candied ginger, and mix well to combine with a rubber spatula.
- Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, making sure it adheres to the pan walls with an overhang for easy removal.
- Pour the batter into the pan and smoothen the top with a spatula.
- Gently bang the loaf pan a couple of times against a surface to remove any air bubbles in the batter.
- Place the pan onto the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Place a piece of aluminum foil on top at the 45 minute mark to keep the top from getting too dark.
- Check for doneness at the 1 hour mark by poking the middle of the loaf with a sharp knife. If the knife comes out clean, the loaf is done. If there is wet batter, then it needs about 10 more minutes.
- Once the cake is baked, remove from the oven and cool completely for about an hour. Remove the loaf from the pan using the parchment paper overhang.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese and butter, and whisk well until smooth and homogenous.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and whisk until well combined.
Finish the cake
- Evenly spread the cream cheese frosting on top of the loaf. Or, if you’d like to decorate it, add the cream cheese frosting to the piping bag with the tip attached and secure the top. Pipe the frosting onto the loaf.
- Roll each of the thin carrot strips tightly and place them on top of the frosting. Add rosemary sprigs to mimic abstract carrots.
Note:
Store the loaf in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, bringing slices to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Where can I find desiccated unsweetened coconut?
- Desiccated unsweetened coconut can be found at your local grocery store or online.
Where can I find candied ginger?
- Candied ginger can be found at Trader Joe’s or at your local grocery store or online.
What kind of loaf pan should I use?
- Use this loaf pan for your loaf cake needs! I have this pan and used it for years.
What is the best way to store the cake? And the leftovers?
- Store the cake cut into slices and stored in a tupperware, outside for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for upto a week. Store the slice at room temperature for 30 minutes before eating it.
What kind of french star tip should I use if I want to do decoration like the pictures?
- Use a french star tip from Ateco. I have the set and have used it for many years now.
