Carrot Cake with Lemon Glaze
This carrot cake with lemon glaze is a perfect dessert for your spring table! Packed with good-for-you carrots, you can even sneak a slice for breakfast!
Servings: 10 people
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake:
- 1/2 cup non dairy milk (I like oat milk)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (plus zest from this lemon)
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups carrots, grated (1 pound)
- 3 cups all purpose flour 435 g (just under 1 pound)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pat of non dairy butter for greasing pan
- 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar (optional)
For the Lemon Glaze
- 1 Tablespoon melted non dairy butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon non dairy milk
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Instructions
For the Carrot Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 375º.
- Before juicing the lemon, remove the zest with a microplane and set aside. Then squeeze the juice from the lemon—you will need 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice and can discard the rest.
- Mix the non dairy milk with the lemon juice.
- Add the other wet ingredients (applesauce, oil, vanilla, lemon extract, lemon zest, and sugar) and set aside.
- Grate the carrots (I use my food processor fitted with the grater dis)c.
- Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl.
- Pour the wet over dry and mix together. This will be a fairly stiff batter.
- Add the grated carrots and mix until fully incorporated.
- Grease a bundt pan with non dairy butter. I like to put a pat of butter on a paper towel and wipe it around the pan. Be sure to get in all of the nooks of the pan.
- Put turbinado sugar in the greased bundt pan and gently shake the pan around, coating it with the sugar. (this is optional, but oh so yummy! It gives the cake a slightly sweet and crunchy crust.)
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until it is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack and releasing the cake. Then allow to cool completely on the cooling rack before glazing.
For the Lemon Glaze:
- Melt the butter in a small bowl.
- Add the powdered sugar to the butter. Begin by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of non dairy milk and lemon extract into the powdered sugar mix.
- Gradually add more non dairy milk until you reach the desired consistency. 1 teaspoon total is about right for me, for a thick glaze that holds without running all over.
- Dollop the glaze onto the top of the fully cooled bundt cake, allowing the glaze to drip over the sides. (see note)
Notes
Feel free to double the glaze and reserve half for dolloping when serving. You may need to whisk it up, as the glaze will set.
You can bake these as cupcakes too! This recipe makes 18 full size cupcakes. Please bake at 375º for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.