This Eggless Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Mousse is irresistibly moist and bursting with flavor, featuring tender shredded carrots and a warm hint of cinnamon. Top it with creamy, delicious cream cheese mousse, and you’ve got the perfect cake to share with your egg-free family and friends!
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This carrot cake is perfect any time of the year, but it’s extra special for Easter or a relaxed brunch with family and friends. It's moist, flavorful, and topped with creamy mousse that makes every bite delicious.
Ingredients
Eggless carrot cake ingredients
Gather the following ingredients to make the carrot cake:
- All-purpose flour - sift flour if necessary to remove any lumps. For a gluten-free dessert a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour replacement may be substituted for all purpose flour.
- Baking powder, baking soda and salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Granulated sugar
- Carrots - shred carrots before starting the eggless carrot cake recipe
- Applesauce - use unsweetened applesauce
- Vegetable oil
See recipe card for quantities.
Cream cheese mousse ingredients
- Powdered gelatin and cold water - to ensure the gelatin sets properly, always use cold water when blooming it
- Cream cheese - use full-fat cream cheese. Bring to room temperature before starting recipe.
- Granulated sugar
- Heavy cream
- Ground cinnamon
See recipe card for quantities.
Mirror glaze ingredients (optional)
The mirror glaze is an optional touch for this cake. You can also skip it and keep the cake simple, or get creative with other decorations of your choice.
- Powdered gelatin and cold water - to ensure the gelatin sets properly, always use cold water when blooming it
- Granulated sugar
- Water - in addition to using for blooming the gelatin, water is also used as a component in the mirror glaze
- Sweetened condensed milk - most often found in the baking aisle at your grocery store
- White chocolate chips
- Gel food coloring - just a few drops of your desired color are needed
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Eggless carrot cake instructions
The first step in making this dessert is to prepare the carrot cake. Just follow these easy steps below:
1 - Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
2 - Place shredded carrots and applesauce in a separate bowl. Stir to combine.
3 - Add oil to the carrot/applesauce mixture and stir well to combine.
4 - Place ½ of dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda) into carrot/applesauce/oil mixture and stir to combine.
5 - Place remaining dry ingredients into mixing bowl and stir to combine. Optional: add ½ cup of raisins, nuts, coconut, drained pineapple, etc...
6 - Pour cake batter into 10" round cake pan lined with parchment paper or sprayed with baking spray. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 350℉ (177℃) or until cake is well risen and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack to cool. Remove cake from pan once completely cooled.
Cream cheese mousse and cake assembly instructions
Once the carrot cake has cooled, it's time to make the cream cheese topping. Just follow the steps below:
1 - Place heavy whipping cream in a separate bowl and whip to medium peaks (note: Medium whipping cream peaks hold their shape but gently curl over at the tip when the beaters are lifted). Place bowl in refrigerator.
2 - Sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Set aside.
3 - Place room temperature cream cheese, ground cinnamon and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl
4 - Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer), mix together until combined and no lumps of cream cheese remain. Melt gelatin until just slightly warm and combine with cream cheese mixture.
5 - Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and fold it in carefully until it’s fully mixed. Be gentle so you don’t deflate the whipped cream.
6 - Place a 10" round cake board in bottom of springform pan. Place carrot cake into pan on top of cake board. Pour cream cheese mousse into pan and spread with a spatula. Gently tap pan on countertop to remove any air bubbles.
7 - Place pan in refrigerator for 3 hours or until cream cheese mousse is set.
8 - To remove cake from pan after the cream cheese mousse has firmed up: dip a knife in hot water, then run it around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Open the pan’s latch and carefully lift it off.
9 - Return the eggless carrot cake with cream cheese mousse to your refrigerator.
Mirror glaze instructions (optional)
The mirror glaze is optional for this cake. Instead, you can leave it plain or decorate it with things like royal icing carrots or other fun toppings.
1 - Sprinkle powdered gelatin over ¼ cup of cold water. Set aside to allow gelatin to solidify.
2 - Mix granulated sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and ¾ cup of room temperature water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on full power for 1 minute, then take it out and stir. Microwave for another minute, then stir again. Keep heating in 30-second bursts if needed until the sugar is completely melted.
3 - Place white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute at 50% powder, then take it out. Stir well. Keep heating in 30-second bursts until chips are melted.
4 - Add set gelatin to the water/sugar/sweetened condensed milk mixture. Whisk well until gelatin is fully melted.
5 - Pour melted white chocolate into bowl with sugar/condensed milk/water. Stir until well combined.
6 - Add food coloring to mirror glaze.
7 - Place a mesh sieve over a bowl. Pour the mirror glaze through the sieve to catch any unmelted white chocolate pieces.
8 - Place an instant read thermometer into mirror glaze. Set aside until glaze reaches 90℉ (32℃).
9 - Once glaze has cooled to 90℉ (32℃), remove cake from refrigerator. Place on a wire rack with a sheet pan underneath to catch any extra mirror glaze that drips off. Start pouring the glaze in the center of the cake, then move in circles outward until it covers the sides.
10 - Let glaze set for 30 minutes. Remove from wire rack and place on a serving dish. Decorate cake as desired, slice, serve and enjoy!
Equipment
Gather up the following equipment before starting this recipe for your eggless carrot cake:
- Electric mixer (hand or stand)
- Bowls, measuring cups and spoons
- Rubber spatula
- 10" round springform pan
- Parchment paper or baking spray for cake pan
- Cake board 10" round
- Thermometer (optional for making mirror glaze)
- Mesh sieve (optional for making mirror glaze)
Storage
To keep your eggless carrot cake fresh, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. When you're ready to serve it, take the cake out about an hour beforehand so it can warm up to room temperature. This helps bring out its rich flavor and soft texture.
The finished cake does not freeze well due to the cream cheese mousse topping.
Top Tip
Use room temperature cream cheese and mix it well until there are no lumps. This will make your cream cheese mousse silky smooth.
FAQ
I recommend using the medium plane of a box grater to prepare my carrots for this cake.
More egg-free dessert recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you enjoy this eggless carrot cake with cream cheese mousse as much as my friends and family have over the years!
📋 Recipe
Eggless Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Mousse
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or
- Bowls, measuring cups and spoons
- 10" round springform pan
- Parchment paper or baking spray for cake pan
- Rubber spatula
- Cake board 10" round
- Thermometer (optional for making mirror glaze)
- Mesh sieve (optional for making mirror glaze)
Ingredients
Eggless Carrot Cake
- 1 ½ Cups Shredded carrots
- 1 Cup Applesauce unsweetened
- ⅔ Cup Vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ Cup All-purpose flour may replace with gluten-free flour
- 1 Cup Granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Cream Cheese Mousse
- 1 teaspoon Powdered Gelatin
- 4 teaspoons Cold Water (to dissolve gelatin)
- 1 ½ Cups Cream Cheese, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
Mirror Glaze (optional)
- 2 ½ Teaspoon Powdered gelatin
- ¼ Cup Water cold for dissolving gelatin
- 1 ½ Cup Granulated sugar
- ⅔ Cup Sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ Cup Water room temperature
- 2 Cups White chocolate chips
- Orange gel food coloring
Instructions
Eggless carrot cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (177℃)
- Line a 10" round cake pan with parchment paper or spray with baking spray.
- Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.1 ¼ Cup All-purpose flour, 1 Cup Granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon Baking powder, ¾ teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- Place shredded carrots and applesauce in a separate bowl. Stir to combine.1 ½ Cups Shredded carrots, 1 Cup Applesauce
- Add oil to the carrot/applesauce mixture and stir well to combine.⅔ Cup Vegetable oil
- Place ½ of dry ingredients into mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Place remaining dry ingredients into mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Optional: add ½ cup of raisins, nuts, coconut, drained pineapple, etc...
- Pour cake batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until cake is well risen and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
- Place pan on a wire rack to cool. Remove cake from pan once completely cooled.
Cream cheese mousse
- Place heavy whipping cream in a bowl and whip to medium peaks (note: medium whipping cream peaks hold their shape but gently curl over at the tip when the beaters are lifted). Place bowl in refrigerator.2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- Sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Set aside.1 teaspoon Powdered Gelatin, 4 teaspoons Cold Water
- Place room temperature cream cheese, ground cinnamon and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl and mix together until combined and no lumps of cream cheese remain.1 ½ Cups Cream Cheese, room temperature, ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- Melt gelatin until just slightly warm and combine with cream cheese mixture.
- Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and fold it in carefully until it’s fully mixed. Be gentle so you don’t deflate the whipped cream.
Cake assembly
- Place a 10" round cake board in bottom of springform pan.
- Place carrot cake into pan on top of cake board.
- Pour cream cheese mousse into pan and spread with a spatula. Gently tap pan on countertop to remove any air bubbles.
- Place pan in refrigerator for 3 hours or until cream cheese mousse is set.
- To remove cake from pan after the cream cheese mousse has firmed up: dip a knife in hot water, then run it around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Open the pan’s latch and carefully lift it off.
- Return cake to refrigerator.
Mirror glaze (optional)
- Sprinkle powdered gelatin over ¼ cup of cold water. Set aside to allow gelatin to solidify.¼ Cup Water, 2 ½ Teaspoon Powdered gelatin
- Mix granulated sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and ¾ cup of room temperature water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on full power for 1 minute, then take it out and stir. Microwave for another minute, then stir again. Keep heating in 30-second bursts if needed until the sugar is completely melted.1 ½ Cup Granulated sugar, ⅔ Cup Sweetened condensed milk, ¾ Cup Water, 2 Cups White chocolate chips
- Place white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute at 50% powder, then take it out. Stir well. Keep heating in 30-second bursts until chips are melted.
- Add set gelatin to the water/sugar/sweetened condensed milk mixture. Whisk well until gelatin is fully melted.
- Pour melted white chocolate into bowl with sugar/condensed milk/water. Stir until well combined.
- Add food coloring to mirror glaze.Orange gel food coloring
- Put a mesh sieve over a bowl. Pour the mirror glaze through the sieve to catch any unmelted white chocolate pieces.
- Place an instant read thermometer into mirror glaze. Set aside until glaze reaches 90℉ (32℃).
- Once glaze has cooled to 90℉ (32℃), remove cake from refrigerator. Place on a wire rack with a sheet pan underneath to catch any extra mirror glaze that drips off.
- Start pouring the glaze in the center of the cake, then move in circles outward until it covers the sides.
- Let glaze set for 30 minutes. Remove from wire rack and place on a serving dish.
- Decorate as desired.
Andy says
Turned out great. The mousse was easier to make than I had thought. I added a few more spices, lots of walnuts and more raisins.