Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

These vegan carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese icing are soft, perfectly spiced, and packed with freshly grated carrots. They have that classic homemade flavour we all love - just made completely plant-based. That's right, these carrot cake cupcakes are vegan - completely free from dairy, eggs, and nuts! 

They are perfect for spring gatherings, birthdays, Easter or just because you’re craving something cosy. This recipe is simple, reliable, and absolutely crowd-pleasing.

Equipment you will need:

• Large mixing bowl
• Metal sieve
• Grater
• Cupcake pan
• Cooling rack
• Piping bag and icing tip (I use 1M)

Which vegan butter to use?

My favourite vegan/dairy-free butter is Flora Plant Based Block Butter Alternative (salted or unsalted). Using tub based butters will not work well as they are too soft.

Which vegan cream cheese to use?

I like using Tesco's Free From Soft Cheese or Violife Creamy Cheese. If you don't have access to them, any dairy-free cream cheese you have access to should work, you just have to make sure you're buying an unflavoured one! I also recommend leaving this in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Total Time: 2 hours

Servings: 8 cupcakes

Diet: Vegan

These cupcakes are simple, wholesome, and completely crowd-pleasing - whether you’re vegan or not.

Ingredients

• 165g plain flour
• 1 ⅓ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g light soft brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 165g grated carrot
• 40g dairy-free butter (melted)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 80ml dairy-free milk
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 100g dairy-free butter (I recommend block butter)
• 300g icing sugar
• 80g dairy-free cream cheese

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180˚ celsius fan, and line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases. 
2. In a small bowl, stir together the 80ml of dairy-free milk and apple cider vinegar and leave to sit for 10 minutes. This will create a buttermilk. 
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, sift together the plain flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
4. Stir in the light soft brown sugar, then sift in the ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
5. Fold in the grated carrot.
6. Stir in the 40g melted dairy-free butter, vanilla extract and buttermilk.
7. Spoon the batter into the cupcake cases, filling each about ¾ full.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. 
9. The cakes will be springy to the touch when ready.
10. Leave the cupcakes in the tin for 3 minutes, then remove the cupcakes (keeping them in the cases) and transfer to cool completely on a wire cooling rack. 
11. Begin by lightly beating the 100g dairy-free butter until softened. 
12. Slowly fold in the icing sugar, gently mixing until combined.
13. Mix in the dairy-free cream cheese, slowly folding it into the mixture until fully combined. 
14. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip/nozzle and pipe a swirl onto the cupcakes.

Notes

• Use finely grated carrots for a smoother texture.
• tore cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
• If the icing is too soft, chill it in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes before piping.

Did you make this recipe?

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