Everyone loves carrot cake; it’s sweet and moist, and every bite offers a sweet balance of carrot goodness and flavors. Although carrot cake is mostly served with cream cheese frosting to top it off, it’s not always the best option. You’re in luck if you’re a vegan looking to enjoy carrot cake without the cream cheese frosting. This article will cover how to make carrot cake icing without cream cheese.
This article covers three delicious carrot cake icing without cream cheese recipes that are ideal for vegans. You can put this frosting on any cake recipe and enjoy every bite. Interested? Let’s dive right in.
Table of Contents
Option 1: Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Carrot cake covered in vanilla buttercream frosting will excite your taste bud. It is just as good as cream cheese frosting, and the best part is how easy it is to make. Vanilla buttercream frosting is gluten-free, and the ingredients we’ll be using makes it an excellent choice for vegan carrot cake frosting. It doesn’t matter what carrot cake recipe you’re going for; this carrot cake icing will pair excellently.
A carrot cake icing without cream cheese
Ingredients to Use
- Powdered sugar: If you want the best result from your frosting, you should always use finely powdered sugar.
- Vegan butter: We suggest using Miyoko’s European Style Cultured Vegan Butter. However, you can opt for any flavor you like. You have to ensure the butter is at room temperature before using it.
- Vanilla extract: In this recipe, we’re using light-colored extract. This will maintain the color of the frosting bright. However, you can always use pure extract and still get excellent results.
- Soy milk: Although we’re using soy milk, you can choose pure, flavored milk like almond or cashew milk.
- Salt: For best results, we suggest using sea salt.
Recipe for Making Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Now that you know the ingredients for this carrot cake icing without cream cheese, below are the steps to make it.
- First, add two butter sticks to a large bowl and then beat with a stand or handheld mixer. You should beat for 3-4 minutes till the butter becomes light and fluffy.
- Next, sift the powdered sugar and then pour it into a bowl. Follow up with salt and vanilla extract.
- Now, beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes while slowly adding a tablespoon of milk. Keep up this step till you achieve the consistency you’re looking for.
- Taste the mix, and if you don’t get the flavor you like, you can adjust by adding more vanilla extract or milk. If you want a tangy flavor, add a tablespoon or two of lemon juice to get the desired result.
- It’s now time to frost your carrot cake. Pour the frosting in a clean piping bag and start frosting the cake to your preference. You should always refrigerate the cake for at least half an hour before you slice through.
Option 2: Almond Butter Frosting
One of the reasons why we love this vegan carrot cake frosting option is that it only requires two ingredients. It is easily the easiest recipe on our list, and it comes with a nutty flavor that’ll perfectly complement the spiced carrot cake. It’s also healthier than buttercream and cream cheese, making it a great vegan option.
A carrot cake icing without cream cheese
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you’ll need to make almond butter frosting for your carrot cake.
- Almond Butter
- Powdered Sugar: You can opt for the regular or sugar-free option if you want a low-carb frosting.
- Vanilla Extract:(optional)
Steps to Take to Make Almond Butter Frosting for Your Carrot Cake
- Start by softening the almond butter in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
- Next, mix in the powdered sugar in parts as you mix. Add as much as you need till you achieve a smooth and perfect texture.
- If you want more flavor, you can add vanilla extract or other extracts like a banana.
Option 3: Cashew-Based Carrot Cake Icing
You will love the cashew-based icing option for a proper vegan carrot cake frosting. It is very creamy and comes with a slightly tangy flavor. Although you don’t use cream cheese, you’ll get a similar texture once it’s chilled. Overall, it is a healthier alternative to the cream cheese frosting.
A carrot cake icing without cream cheese
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you’ll need to make carrot cake icing without cream cheese.
- Cashews: This replaces the cream cheese used for cream cheese frosting. Once you soak it up and then blend it, it becomes creaming.
- Plant-based milk: You can use almond or soy milk or simply use water.
- Lemon juice: This ingredient helps you achieve the cream cheese’s tanginess. You need just enough to get the tangy flavor without tasting the lemon.
- Cocoa butter; helps to make the frosting thicker while providing a white chocolate taste that matches with carrot cake. You can always opt for coconut oil instead.
- Vanilla extract: This is crucial and cannot be left out of this recipe.
- Icing sugar: This sweetens the frosting; you can always opt for maple syrup instead.
Steps to Make Cashew-Based Carrot Cake Icing
- First, soak your fresh cashews in warm water for at least two hours. Once the two hours are up, drain out the water and blend the cashews with the milk and other ingredients.
- Keep blending till you achieve a smooth consistency. Ensure there are no bits of cashews left; you can alternate between low speed and high speed as you blend.
- If it’s a baked cake, refrigerate the frosting for at least 2 hours to make it more spreadable and solid.
- For a carrot cake that’s not baked, you don’t have to refrigerate it. Simply pour the frosting into the middle of the carrot cake and spread it around with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula.
FAQs
- What can I use in place of cream cheese in frosting? You can use cashews following the third recipe in this article. Alternatively, almond butter also works.
- How do you thicken frosting without cream cheese? You can use powdered sugar to thicken your frosting without adding cream cheese. After chilling, you should only add more powdered sugar if the frosting doesn’t reach the desired thickness.
- Can I use mayo instead of cream cheese? Yes, it’s okay to switch the two. Mayo also provides a creamy texture and a flavor similar to cream cheese.
- What’s the most important ingredient in frosting? Sugar remains undefeated as an essential ingredient when frosting. It offers flavor, structure, and sweetness all at once.
Conclusion
Experiment with the three options above to enjoy carrot cake icing without cream cheese. These frosting options are easy to make and a fun way to mix things up with your dessert. They’re healthier alternatives to the traditional cream cheese frosting, and you can easily make them using ingredients you already have in your kitchen. Share with us you best recent carrot cake icing without cream cheese recipes.
