You’ll love this wonderfully moist, perfectly spiced Carrot Cake Recipe. This cake is surprisingly simple to make and includes a step-by-step video for no-fail results every time. Top everything off with a simple cream cheese frosting for what truly might be the perfect cake.
If I had to choose a favorite cake recipe on my blog, I think this carrot cake recipe would be it. Maybe I’m biased, but even though I’m wildly in love with my white cake, vanilla cake (a reader favorite!) and chocolate cake, this carrot cake is hands-down the one I will reach for first every time.
There’s something about its deliriously moist crumb, the perfect amount of spices, and yes, that all-time favorite cream cheese frosting of mine. It’s sweet without being too sweet, carefully crafted with both butter and oil and just the right amount of carrots –the flavor is so good that even Zach reached for a second piece.
I know you are going to love this one just as much as we do, so let’s dig in!
What You Need
Here are a few of the key ingredients that make this carrot cake recipe the best:
- Flour. All-purpose flour works great here. I don’t recommend using cake flour for this recipe; it tends to yield a lighter crumb, and we want our carrot cake to be on the denser side.
- Sugar. A combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar (either light or dark) makes for a moist, flavorful cake.
- Spices. Both cinnamon and nutmeg create the perfect spice profile that pairs so well with the brown sugar, carrots, and nuts.
- Oil AND butter. This is the ultimate dynamic duo for cakes! Oil adds moisture (canola or vegetable oil will work) and unsalted butter adds a rich flavor. Don’t substitute one for the other–we really need both here!
- Eggs. Room temperature eggs work best, so set yours out ahead of time. If you forget, you can just place your eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes before using.
- Vanilla. We’ll add a full tablespoon of vanilla for some extra flavor. If you’ve got some homemade vanilla laying around, definitely use it here!
- Carrots. Do not use pre-shredded or “matchstick” carrots! They are way too thick to use in this carrot cake recipe, unless you like biting into discernible chunks of carrot (I do not!). I usually need about 4 carrots for this cake, and I always peel my carrots before grating them. You could use a box grater, but I prefer to use my food processor.
- Nuts. You can use either chopped walnuts or pecans, or you can leave them out entirely.
This carrot cake recipe is made complete with my cream cheese frosting. It’s so simple and a big favorite on my site. Here’s what you need:
- Butter. Since we’re adding salt ourselves, stick with unsalted butter and make sure it’s softened.
- Cream cheese. Use the brick-style cream cheese–not the spreadable kind in a tub. Your cream cheese should also be softened so it can incorporate nicely.
- Vanilla. A teaspoon rounds out the flavor of this frosting.
- Powdered sugar. We’ll add this for structure and sweetness.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
SAM’S TIP: To grate your carrots in the food processor, first use the “shred” blade. Once your carrots are shredded, switch to the standard blade and briefly pulse until the carrots are fine pieces. Don’t overdo this step or you’ll end up with carrot puree (this is also why I start by using the shred blade on my processor; I’ve found that just tossing the carrots in with my standard blade quickly breaks down the carrots too much).
How to Make Carrot Cake
- Whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the oil and butter and mix well. Then, add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Finally, stir in your vanilla extract.
- Fold in your carrots and nuts.
- Evenly divide the batter between two 8″ baking pans that have been greased, floured, and lined with parchment circles. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cakes sit in their pans for 10 minutes after baking, then invert them onto a cooling rack. Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare your frosting, frost your cake, and serve!
SAM’S TIP: While a single batch of frosting will cover this cake, I typically increase the recipe by 50% (or even double it!) to allow for a thicker coating and decoration.
Frequently Asked Questions
While you could, I personally found this carrot cake recipe to be a bit too heavy for cupcakes. Because of this, I developed a carrot cake cupcake recipe that I would recommend using instead. It’s still flavorful and delicious, but not so moist that it requires a fork for eating.
If you’re interested in more carrot cake variations, I also have a carrot cake cookie recipe you can try out, too.
Yes, you can. I’d recommend stirring in a heaping cup when you add the carrots and (optional) nuts. The amount is up to you, about a cup should be a good amount.
The best way to prevent a green carrot cake is to peel your carrots before shredding. If this step is skipped, the peels sometimes take on a green color after baking. This is harmless and the cake can still be enjoyed, but it’s not quite as attractive.
Some sources also claim that your cake may turn green if you accidentally use too much baking soda or if you don’t mix your dry ingredients well enough (and the baking soda isn’t evenly distributed).
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook.
The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) light or dark brown sugar¹ firmly packed
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (235 ml) cooking oil use canola, avocado, or vegetable oil
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (340 g) grated carrots² peel before grating
- 1 cup (125 g) chopped walnuts or pecans optional
Cream Cheese Frosting³
- ½ cup (1 stick) (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese softened (brick-style, not spreadable)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar
Recommended Equipment
- 2 8" round cake pans (see notes for using different sized pans)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare two 8-inch pans⁴ (see note for using different sized pans) by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly greasing and flouring the sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 1 cup (200 g) light or dark brown sugar¹, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Add your canola oil and melted butter and stir well (batter will be pretty stiff and thick at this point, I usually use an electric mixer or my stand mixer to combine everything nicely).1 cup (235 ml) cooking oil, ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.4 large eggs
- Stir in vanilla extract.1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Stir in carrots and nuts (if using) until ingredients are well-combined.3 cups (340 g) grated carrots², 1 cup (125 g) chopped walnuts or pecans
- Evenly divide carrot cake batter into prepared baking pans and bake on 350F (175C) for 40 minutes (toothpick inserted in center should come out mostly clean with only few moist crumbs).
- Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto cooling rack to cool completely.
- Allow cake to cool completely before covering with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until creamy, well-combined, and lump-free.½ cup (1 stick) (113 g) unsalted butter, 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese
- Add vanilla extract and sprinkle salt into the bowl and stir well to combine.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until ingredients are completely combined (be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula).4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar
- Once your cake has cooled completely, cover with frosting.
Notes
1Brown sugar
Either light or dark brown sugar will work fine, dark brown sugar will make your cake slightly more moist and rich, but light brown sugar works perfectly if you don’t have dark on hand.²Carrots (& how to grate them)
For me, this usually requires about 4 large carrots. I always peel my carrots before grating. Make sure to use the small shred of your box grater. Another way I like to prepare my carrots is to use the “shred” setting on my food processor and then switch to the blade and briefly pulse the carrots so that you have fine pieces of carrot (don’t over-do it though, or you’ll have carrot juice!). Whatever you do, don’t use store-bought “matchstick” carrots, they’re not nearly thin enough!³Frosting
A single batch of my cream cheese frosting recipe will cover this cake, but because I like a lot of frosting and will usually pipe decoration on the top of the cake, I sometimes increase the recipe by 50% or even double it.⁴Cake pans, different sizes
The following bake times have been reported by readers who have tried making this cake in different sized pans. Keep in mind bake time will generally be longer when using a glass pan, and very dark pans may require less time. The best way to test that your cake is finished baking is to use the toothpick test: a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter) or clean.- Two 9″ pans: bake for approximately 30-33 minutes.
- 9×13″ pan: bake for approximately 45-50 minutes
- Bundt pan: bake for approximately 55 minutes.
- Four 6″ pans: bake for approximately 40 minutes
- Cupcakes: See my carrot cake cupcake recipe.
Storing
If you’re eating this cake the same day you make it or within 48 hours of making it, and you are able to store it somewhere cool and dry, you do not have to refrigerate it–though you do want to store it in an airtight container. Any longer than that I would recommend storing in an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for about 5 days.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Related Recipes
This recipe was originally published August 22, 2018.
Ty
Can I use a bundt pan instead? How long would that bake for?
Sam
The cake would work in a bundt pan, but I am not sure how long it would need to bake, unfortunately. I would just keep an eye on it. 🙂
Caitlin
Any update on how long you have to bake as a Bundt cake? Trying to make for Easter tomorrow !
Katie
By far the best carrot cake ever. I wish I could post you a picture of the cake I made. I commented on your carrot cake cupcakes and I absolutely love this cake I’ve made it a million times using your recipe. My 4 year old loves it!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!!!
Sam
Thank you so much, Katie! I am so glad everyone is enjoying all of the desserts. I appreciate you taking the time to leave comments. 🙂
Cecilia
could you use a 6 inch pan? would anything change? have you also tried using other flours?
Sam
Hi Cecilia! If you use a 6 inch pan, you will have too much batter, but it will work. You would need to adjust the baking time. I have not made it with other flours. I would stick to the all purpose flour. 🙂
Gloria
Sorry to load you up with questions. If I am storing it overnight should I wait to frost it?
Sam
Hi Gloria! I don’t mind the questions, but you can frost it tonight as long as it’s not particularly hot or humid in your house. 🙂
Haven
Can I add coconut instead of nuts?
Sam
Yup!
Gloria
Hi, what if I don’t have baking powder?
Sam
Unfortunately I haven’t tried this recipe without baking powder but I wouldn’t recommend it. Sorry, Gloria 🙁
Marcia
This cake is soo delicious! It domed quite a bit while baking, which was fine because we inhaled the little mountains while it was still warm. I didn’t have dark brown sugar so I used 1.5C light brown and 0.5C sugar and it turned out great!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear it was such a hit!! Thank you so much for commenting, Marcia! 🙂
Amy
Thanks for the ratio for the light brown sugar I’m gonna try that thanks
Tara
Just made this into cupcakes, so I can share some Easter blessings with neighbors. So excited to deliver these, albeit no contact, which is a bummer. Thank goodness for delicious treats. Love love love this recipe. Be well to all.
Sam
That is so sweet of you, Tara! Thank you for letting me know how they turned out for you, and Happy Easter!
Melanie C.
Given the current state of my grocery stores, our shelves are completely depleted of most flour options. However, I found some cake flour. Can I substitute cake flour for the all-purpose flour in this recipe? If so, do I use the same amount? Thanks in advance!
Sam
Hi Melanie! I honestly haven’t tried this recipe with cake flour but I think it should work. If you are measuring by weight you will use the same weight, but if using cups you will need to substitute, for every 1 cup of all-purpose flour you should use 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons of cake flour (cake flour is lighter than all-purpose, which is why the weight is the same but the volume is different).
Karly
Hi! My mix is really thick! I feel like I did something wrong. SOS
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Karly! If you followed the directions and measured your ingredients correctly I am not sure what went wrong. Not seeing your batter in person, I am not certain of how thick your batter is. Included in this post/recipe is a video where I walk you through my process. Three minutes into the video you will see an example of what my batter looks like when I pour it into the cake pans. Looking at this, how does it compare to yours?
Andrea
Mine was the same, super thick, going to cut the cake down and try it before I serve it to anyone. I followed the steps exactly.
Sam
How did it turn out, Andrea? I would also check that you did not accidentally over-measure the flour, that could be the culprit.
Andrea
Mine turned out amazing! So so good! Time to serve it for Easter! Not sure why my batter was so thick, but it baked up perfectly
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake, Andrea! 🙂
Meryl
How did it turn out? Mine is the same super thick and I know I measured everything right. I’m about to put it in the oven and hope for the best!
Meryl
Mine was super thick too! Turned out AMAZING!!!!
Gloria
What would the cook time be if the recipe were to be halved?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Gloria! That is really dependant on the size pan you plan to use. If you are using (1) 8″ pan instead of two, the bake time will remain the same. 🙂
Joyce Collins
During our stay at home order, my husband and I are making Easter dinner and delivering to nearby family members. I have some mini loaf pans, and I was hoping to make little carrot cakes out of this recipe. Should I use this recipe or the cupcake recipe?
BTW…I LOVE your recipes. They are easy to follow and always come out!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for being a fan of my recipes, Joyce! What a sweet gesture to bake for your nearby family members. Either recipe will work for the miniature loaves. I would probably use this one and just keep an eye on it while it bakes. 🙂
Dani
I’d like to make this cake for Easter but I only have one cake pan. Is this recipe okay to be halved?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Dani! Yes, you can easily halve this recipe and bake one cake. I also have a recipe for carrot cake cupcakes that you could try as well. 🙂
Kiara
By far the best carrot cake I have ever had! 😀
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so very much, Kiara! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting. Enjoy! 🙂
Kyra L.
One of the best cakes I’ve tried
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Kyra! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂