The carrot and walnut bundt cake is the perfect choice if you want a dessert that is at once light, nutritious and incredibly aromatic. In this tasty recipe, the absence of animal ingredients such as milk, butter and eggs does not compromise softness at all, thanks to the carrot purée technique and the skillful use of extra virgin olive oil. It’s a homemade cake that smells wonderful and wholesome, perfect to welcome friends at tea time or to enjoy as an energetic breakfast that respects your vegetarian choice without giving up flavor.
If you love soft cakes try the lemon loaf, the 12-tablespoon apple cake, the warm-milk sponge cake or the Nuvola Nene bundt cake.
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OTHER VEGAN DESSERTS
Strawberry cake without eggs, butter and milk
One-bowl almond cake
One-bowl apple cake
Apple pancakes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 45 Minutes
- Portions: 7 Servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for your cake
- 1 1/3 cups carrots (peeled)
- 1 cup walnut kernels
- 1 zest of 1 lemon
- 1 1/4 cups oat milk
- 1 2/3 cups type 1 flour
- 6 tbsp cornstarch
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 packet of baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- as needed powdered sugar
Tools for preparation
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- Food processor
- Hand whisk
- Bundt pan 8 2/3–9 1/2 in (22–24 cm)
Steps to prepare the carrot and walnut bundt cake
First, prepare the moist base that will give structure to the cake: wash and peel the carrots, then cut them into thin rounds. Put them in a blender together with the walnut kernels, the grated lemon zest and the oat milk. Blend the carrots with walnuts and oat milk until you obtain a very fine purée with no coarse pieces; this step is essential so the walnuts release their natural oily part, which during baking will help keep the batter tender. Set this orange cream aside while you work on the dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, sift the type 1 flour with the cornstarch and the baking powder to ensure there are no lumps. Whisk with a hand whisk to aerate the powders, then add the salt and brown sugar, continuing to stir carefully. Make a well in the center and add the carrot and walnut purée prepared earlier. Work the batter with energetic circular movements of the whisk, starting from the center and gradually incorporating all the flour until you obtain a dense, velvety mixture with a uniform color.
Once the base is well combined, pour the extra virgin olive oil in a thin stream. Mix carefully until the oil is completely incorporated; choosing a mild extra virgin olive oil will help you obtain a soft carrot and walnut cake for many days. Now take a bundt pan about 8 2/3–9 1/2 in (22–24 cm) and, to keep the recipe completely plant-based, brush it with extra virgin olive oil on the entire surface and edges. Pour the batter and level it gently with a spatula so that it bakes evenly.
Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F and let it cook for about 45–50 minutes. Do not open the oven before at least 40 minutes have passed so as not to compromise the rise. Do the toothpick test: it should come out clean but with a slight residual moisture. Once you’ve taken the bundt cake out of the oven, it’s vital that you let it cool completely in the pan before unmolding, because the structure without eggs is fragile while warm. Only when it is completely cool, transfer it to a plate and dust with plenty of powdered sugar before serving.
Tips for a perfect result
Fresh carrots: Use fresh, crisp carrots; those that are too old may be too dry once blended.
Ingredient temperature: Make sure the oat milk is at room temperature to help the baking powder perform during baking.
Fine purée: The more thoroughly you blend the carrots and walnuts, the more the cake’s texture will resemble a moist, professional sponge cake.
Fun variations
Chocolate chips: If you want a decadent note, add 50 g (about 1.8 oz) of dark chocolate flakes to the batter; lightly flour them so they don’t sink.
Mixed nuts: You can replace half of the walnuts with almonds or hazelnuts to obtain different but equally tasty flavor nuances.
Orange aroma: If you don’t like lemon, use orange zest and replace half of the oat milk with fresh orange juice.
Storage
At room temperature: The carrot and walnut cake stays soft for 3–4 days under a glass dome or wrapped in foil.
Freezing: You can freeze it already sliced into individual pieces, wrapped in cling film, to have it ready when needed.
Now it’s your turn!
I bet you can’t wait to smell this carrot and walnut cake coming out of your oven! It’s a recipe that warms the heart and shows how tasty plant-based cooking can be. Do you plan to serve it with a good tea or do you prefer it simply dusted with sugar? Tell me in the comments below, your opinion is essential to grow our community!
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Can I use Type 00 flour?
Certainly, but type 1 gives a more rustic flavor and a more interesting texture to the carrot and walnut cake.
What can I use instead of cornstarch?
You can substitute it with potato starch or simply use only flour, although the starch makes it fluffier.
Why did the cake stay flat?
Check that the baking powder is active and that the carrot purée wasn’t excessively liquid; if the carrots release a lot of water after washing, dry them well.
