Easy Christmas Carrot Cake Recipe (Moist + Fruity)
This Christmas Carrot Cake pairs brandy-soaked fruit, cranberries and warm spices with the moist perfection of a classic carrot cake. It can be made on Christmas Eve, delivering all of the festive flavour of a traditional fruit cake, without weeks of prep!
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Serves: 10
Calories: 643kcal
Ingredients
- 300 g coconut sugar (sub: 280g soft light brown sugar)
- 155 ml brandy
- 130 g raisins
- 75 g dried cranberries
- Zest of 2 oranges (2 tbsp)
- Juice of 1 orange (approx 60 ml)
- 215 g coconut oil
- 375 g carrots (peeled and finely grated (peeled weight, approx 4 carrots))
- 2.5 tbsp ground flaxseed (sometimes called ‘flax meal’ (20g))
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
- 350 g self raising flour
- 1.25 tsp baking powder
- 1.75 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1.75 tsp allspice
- 0.75 tsp nutmeg
- 0.75 tsp salt
- 110 g toasted pecans (roughly chopped or crumbled into pieces)
- 60 g ground almonds
Toppings and decoration:
- A batch of our Cinnamon Orange Tofu Icing
- A sprinkling of festive decorations such as finely chopped toasted pecans, orange zest, fresh or sugared cranberries/redcurrants or pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- IMPORTANT NOTE. Please use a scale when making this recipe, do not rely on cup measurements as they will not be accurate enough.
- INFUSE THE FRUIT by adding the sugar, brandy, raisins, cranberries, orange zest and orange juice to a small saucepan and setting it over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer gently for 5 minutes.300 g coconut sugar, 155 ml brandy, 130 g raisins, 75 g dried cranberries, Zest of 2 oranges, Juice of 1 orange
- After 5 minutes, leave the pan on the heat and add the coconut oil. Stir in the coconut oil until it has fully melted.215 g coconut oil
- Set the pan aside, off the heat, to cool for at least 15 minutes. Whilst you are waiting for the fruit mixture to cool, you can carry on with the next few steps.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN to 170°C fan (190°C conventional / 375°F / gas mark 5) and line a 20cm (8”) round springform cake tin with parchment paper on the bottom and sides** (see our tip below in the notes).
- PREP INGREDIENTS. Make a ‘flax egg’ by combining the ground flaxseed with 5 tbsp water in a small dish and setting it aside for 2 minutes. This allows the mixture to thicken.2.5 tbsp ground flaxseed
- Peel, trim and then finely grate the carrots. Add the grated carrot to a large mixing bowl.375 g carrots
- MIX THE WET INGREDIENTS by adding the cooled brandy-infused fruit mixture, flax egg and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl with the grated carrot and stirring together.1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS together in a separate mixing bowl.350 g self raising flour, 1.25 tsp baking powder, 1.75 tsp ground cinnamon, 1.75 tsp allspice, 0.75 tsp nutmeg, 0.75 tsp salt, 110 g toasted pecans, 60 g ground almonds
- COMBINE DRY AND WET INGREDIENTS. Add the mixed dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir everything together gently until just combined. Don’t beat the mixture.
- BAKE. Transfer the mixture into the prepared cake tin and put in the preheated oven to bake for around 1 hour and 15 minutes. You can cover the top of the cake with aluminium foil if it is browning too much.Tip: At 1 hour 10 minutes baking time, insert a small sharp knife or skewer into the cake in 3 or 4 places (including the centre). If you see any wet batter on the knife/skewer, bake for a further 5 minutes before testing again. When the knife is coming out clean, or with just a few dry crumbs on it, then your cake is baked.
- COOL. Once baked, set the cake aside in the tin to cool for 30 minutes before removing it from the tin and placing it on a cooling rack to finish cooling fully.
- DECORATE. Once the cake is completely cold, it’s time to decorate! Try topping with our Cinnamon Orange Tofu Icing (which takes just 5 minutes to make) and a sprinkling of festive ingredients such as toasted pecans, fresh or sugared cranberries/redcurrants, orange zest and pomegranate seeds.A batch of our Cinnamon Orange Tofu Icing, A sprinkling of festive decorations such as finely chopped toasted pecans, orange zest, fresh or sugared cranberries/redcurrants or pomegranate seeds
Notes
Vegan / Dairy Free / Egg Free
Recipe inspired by: UK
* TOASTING PECANS. If your pecans are not already toasted, you can do this easily at home. Add the whole pecans to a dry frying pan (no oil) and let them toast gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they smell fragrant and nutty (around 5-10 minutes). Once they are cool enough to handle, roughly chop or crumble the toasted pecans into pieces.
Note: If your pecans are already chopped, you can lightly toast them in a dry frying pan using the same method as above, but for less time, around 3-4 minutes.
** TIP FOR LINING THE CAKE TIN. In our tests, we found it beneficial to over-line the base of the cake tin to prevent the cake from sticking. By this, we mean cut the parchment paper larger than the base of the cake tin and secure it in place with the sides of the springform pan (so that the paper sticks out around the edges).
Timings and nutritional information are just for the carrot cake itself and exclude any toppings or decoration.
Please note: This recipe was originally posted in November 2024 and was updated in November 2025.
Please check the allergens on the ingredients you purchase before use. The allergen and nutritional information provided in this recipe is intended as a guide only and is based on the specific ingredients and brands used at the time of creating the recipe, therefore we cannot guarantee that the same will apply to the ingredients you use.
Prep time excludes any inactive time.
We highly recommend you use the metric and 1x options on this recipe card for the best results. Please note that this recipe has not been tested using US measurements or increasing ingredient quantities to 2x or 3x, therefore results may vary.
Timings and nutritional information are just for the carrot cake itself and exclude any toppings or decoration.
Please note: This recipe was originally posted in November 2024 and was updated in November 2025.
Please check the allergens on the ingredients you purchase before use. The allergen and nutritional information provided in this recipe is intended as a guide only and is based on the specific ingredients and brands used at the time of creating the recipe, therefore we cannot guarantee that the same will apply to the ingredients you use.
Prep time excludes any inactive time.
We highly recommend you use the metric and 1x options on this recipe card for the best results. Please note that this recipe has not been tested using US measurements or increasing ingredient quantities to 2x or 3x, therefore results may vary.Nutrition
Calories: 643kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Sodium: 321mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 28g | Net Carbohydrates: 71g
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