This Eggless Carrot Cake is moist and topped with a not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting. It’s a simple one-layer cake that’s perfect for when you don't want a large layer cake.
Reasons to love
- Moist and tender with a perfect crumb, generously packed with plump raisins and chopped walnuts.
- Not too sweet Philadelphia cream cheese frosting that balances the cake’s natural sweetness without overpowering it.
- A simple, elegant one-layer cake—ideal for intimate gatherings or when you want a delicious dessert without the fuss of multiple layers.
- No pineapple here, so the classic carrot and spice flavors really shine through.
- Made eggless and still rises beautifully, proving that you don’t need eggs to make excellent cakes.
Moist Carrot Cake Without Eggs
Wondering how to get your carrot cake moist without using eggs? Enter the dynamic duo: buttermilk and baking soda! When combined, the acid in buttermilk reacts instantly with baking soda, creating carbon dioxide bubbles that help the cake rise beautifully during baking.
Using brown sugar not only adds a subtle caramel flavor but also locks in moisture, keeping your cake tender even as it cools.
Plus, finely grating the carrots (instead of coarse) enhances both the flavor and moisture, giving you a perfectly soft, flavorful crumb every time.
The white cream cheese frosting is silky smooth, tangy and luscious, similar to the one used in the one layer lemon cake recipe. I hope that you give this cake recipe a try soon! You'll love how amazing it is with a lush tenderness, without any eggs.
How fine to grate carrots for carrot cake?
Aim for finely grated carrots—they add extra moisture for a tender, moist texture and ensure the carrots soften fully during the short baking time. Finely grated carrots also distribute evenly throughout the batter, almost melting into the cake. For best results, use the fine side of a box grater.
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Eggless Carrot Cake
Equipment
- 8-inch Cake Pan
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup 125 g all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- ½ cup 120 ml vegetable oil
- ½ cup 120 ml buttermilk
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons cup white sugar 75 g
- ¼ cup packed golden brown sugar 50 g
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Addional ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups finely grated carrot 162 g, 2 to 3 medium
- ½ cup 62 g chopped toasted pecans, additional for topping
- 3 tablespoons golden raisins
Frosting
- 2 ounces 56 g cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons 29 g unsalted butter, room tempearture
- ¾ cup 90 g confectioners sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ pinch salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C), grease a 8-inch round baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Add all dry ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add all wet ingredients into a larger bowl and whisk for about 1 minute, until smooth. Fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula until just combined. Don't over mix. Stir in the carrots, chopped pecans and raisins.Pro Tip: Grate your carrots using the fine side of the box grater.
- Transfer batter into the prepared cake pan, spread evenly and bake for 27 to 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes clean.
- Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely,
Frosting
- Add cream cheese and butter into a medium bowl, beat with a electric beater, on high for about 1 minute or until light and creamy.
- Add confectioners sugar, vanilla extract and salt, beat for an additional minute or fluffy. Spread frosting on top of the cake and sprinkle chopped toasted pecans on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
How to make carrot cake without eggs (step-by-step)
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
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Storage tips
- Room Temperature: While cream cheese frosting technically requires refrigeration, most bakers (even pros) agree it’s safe to leave a frosted cake at room temperature for up to 1 day—especially in cooler climates.
- Cake Layer (Unfrosted): Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let it sit at room temperature to soften before spreading.
- Fully Assembled Cake: Once frosted, the iced cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen (well-wrapped) for about 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
💡 Tip: Let the cake come fully to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and that soft, moist texture that clings to the fork!
Recipe tips
- Toast your pecans – Toasted pecans bring out a deeper, nuttier flavor and better texture. Skip raw pecans for best results.
- Nut-free option – Simply leave out the pecans to make the cake without nuts.
- Skip pre-shredded carrots – Always grate your own using the fine side of a box grater. Freshly grated carrots add more moisture and blend better into the batter.
- Swap in walnuts – Not a fan of pecans? Chopped walnuts work just as well in this recipe.
- Soften your butter and cream cheese – For a smooth, creamy Philadelphia-style frosting, make sure both are fully softened to room temperature before mixing.
Recipe FAQs
This eggless cake can be baked in an 8-inch round pan. To serve a larger crowd, simply double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13-inch rectangular pan, or divide the batter between two round pans to create a classic double-layer cake.
Double the cake batter to make two 8-inch layers (baked in separate pans), and triple the Philadelphia frosting since you'll need extra to cover the sides and between the layers.
More easy cake recipes with cream cheese frosting
- Bursting with citrus flavor, this lemon cake is like a slice of sunshine—moist, fluffy, and made completely from scratch.
- Ideal for fall gatherings, pumpkin cream cheese cake features a plush, tender crumb and a rich cream cheese swirl baked right in—no extra frosting needed.
- With its soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, the pumpkin loaf cake is lightly spiced and not overly sweet, making it the perfect Fall treat.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Kitchen at Hoskins on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
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