Vegan Carrot Zucchini Cake made with almond and white rice flour and topped with cashew frosting. A delicious seasonal cake that is egg-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free.
I love the natural sweetness and moisture vegetables can bring to baked goods.
Zucchini is the star of my favorite chocolate zucchini muffins and the combination of both carrot and zucchini really make some magic. This recipe is a great way to embrace zucchini season or to fit in some extra veggies!
With warm spices and a creamy frosting, this just might be your new favorite loaf cake.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Healthy recipe
- Simple ingredients
- Vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free
Ingredients and substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.
Almond flour - Gives our gluten-free cake a perfect crumb and provides a good source of protein, just like in these chocolate zucchini muffins.
White rice flour - The starchiness of white rice flour helps bind while creating a nice crumb.
Arrowroot starch (or cornstarch) - Also known as arrowroot powder, this helps bind and create a lighter texture. It is a great corn-free starch to use in gluten-free baking.
Ground flaxseed - Mixed with water or liquid, ground flaxseed forms a "flax egg," gelling to work as a binder for our egg replacer.
Coconut sugar - Instead of brown sugar or light brown sugar, this unrefined sweetener adds depth of flavor.
Maple syrup - The caramel notes of maple syrup add a wonderful depth of flavor. Plus, it's a vegan-friendly sweetener.
Lemon juice - Fresh lemon juice is just the amount of acid needed to round out the flavors.
Zucchini - Freshly grated zucchini is the start of this recipe and makes a wonderfully moist cake!
Carrots - Grated carrots combine with zucchini for one delicious zucchini carrot cake recipe.
Walnuts - Often found in carrot cake recipes, raw walnuts add flavor and crunch!
Raw cashews - Instead of a typical cream cheese frosting, cashews are transformed into a dairy-free maple frosting.
Step-by-step instructions
Before you start: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf pan (8x4x2) with coconut oil or cooking spray. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper. Make your flax eggs in a small bowl and set aside for at least 5 minutes.
Step 1: Grate the zucchini and carrots, squeeze out the excess liquid, and set aside.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Add wet ingredients and stir until the mixture is evenly combined.
Step 3: Fold in zucchini, carrots, and chopped walnuts. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake pan. Shake gently side to side to even out the batter.
Bake for 40-50 minutes in the center of oven. A toothpick should come out almost completely clean and the center should be set.
Step 4: While the cake bakes, allow your cashews to soak in hot water for at least 10 minutes. Drain the cashews and rinse them. Transfer cashews to a high-speed blender.
Step 5: Add maple syrup, almond milk (starting with 1 or 2 tablespoons, add more after blending if needed), lemon juice, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.
Blend on high until smooth.
Step 6: Use parchment paper flaps to remove the cake from the pan. Frost with cashew frosting or other desired frosting and top with additional walnuts.
Tips
- The cashew frosting can be made ahead of time.
- It is essential that the excess liquid from the zucchini is squeezed out. This will keep you from having a mushy cake!
- A box grater makes it extremely easy to get the shredded zucchini and carrot prepared.
Serving suggestions
Carrot zucchini cake is a delicious and moist dessert that pairs well with a variety of accompaniments.
Here are some ideas for what you can serve with this moist cake:
- Fresh berries
- Date caramel sauce
- Chopped nuts
- Dairy-free whipped cream
- Vanilla ice cream
FAQs
There is no need to peel the zucchini prior to grating it. When baked, the zucchini will break down in the batter.
You can freeze this healthy zucchini cake for up to 3 months. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature, then wrap the unglazed cake in plastic wrap and place in it a freezer-safe airtight container.
If you are on the lookout for a savory carrot recipe as well, Megan has a delicious roasted rainbow carrots recipe that would be perfect for any holiday table.
More zucchini recipes
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Carrot Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- ¾ cup finely grated zucchini, squeezed of excess liquid
- 1 cup finely grated carrots, squeezed of excess liquid
- 2 flax eggs 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds + 6 tablespoons warm water
- ¼ cup coconut sugar 33 g
- ½ cup white rice flour 88 g
- 1 ½ cups almond flour 157 g
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch cornstarch works too (23 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract I use Rodelle
- ½ cup walnuts chopped, extra for topping
Vegan Cashew Frosting
- 1 cup raw cashews, rinsed soaked in hot water for 10 min
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2-4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 pinches of ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf pan (8x4x2) with coconut oil or cooking spray. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Make your flax eggs in a small bowl and set aside for at least 5 minutes. Grate the zucchini and carrots, squeeze out the excess liquid, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine coconut sugar, white rice flour, almond flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Whisk to combine. Add flax eggs, coconut oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir until mixture is evenly combined.
- Fold in zucchini, carrots, and chopped walnuts. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan. Shake gently side to side to even out batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes. A toothpick should come out almost completely clean and the center should be set. Allow cake to cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
- While the cake bakes, allow your cashews to soak in hot water for at least 10 minutes. Drain the cashews and rinse them. Transfer cashews to a high speed blender.
- Add maple syrup, almond milk (starting with 1 or 2 tablespoons, add more after blending if needed), lemon juice, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Blend on high until smooth. Place cashew frosting in the refrigerator until it is time to frost.
- Use parchment paper flaps to remove cake from pan. Frost with cashew frosting or other desired frosting and top with additional walnuts. Slice and serve.
Amber
Hi there :)
Any replacement for rice flour??
Thanks!
Amber
Tessa
Hi! I haven't tested it here, but sorghum flour or brown rice flour would probably be the best substitutes.
Amber
Me again a year later…
I have sweet rice flour intended for mochi at some point- will that work?
Tessa
Hi Amber! I hope you are doing well. I do think that sweet rice flour could be a good substitute for the white rice flour in this recipe since it is a minimal amount. If there is too much sweet white rice flour, the baked goods could become too gummy. If you try it, I'd love to hear what you think!
Uzhmaa
I just made this and it came out amazing! I replaced coconut oil with Sunflower oil, and coconut sugar with Brown sugar, still tasted amazing. Thank you ! :D
Tessa
That is awesome! Thank you!!
Uzhmaa
Hi can I use vegtable oil (sunflower) instead of coconut oil? That's just what I have :)
Lauren
Tessa this looks and sounds delicious!! Carrot cake is my favorite, but I love your twist on it by adding zucchini too!
Tessa
Carrot cake is one of my favorites too. :) Thanks so much, Lauren!!