The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
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If you’re looking for a carrot cake recipe thats perfectly moist, warmly spiced, and guaranteed to impress, you’re in the right place. My version is easy to make with pantry staples and produces consistently excellent results. Top it off with my popular cream cheese frosting for truly the best carrot cake recipe.
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’ve shared some fun and flavorful cakes like my pistachio cake, lemon blueberry cake, and tiramisu cake, this carrot cake is hands-down the classic I will reach for first every time.
There’s something about its unbelievably moist crumb, the perfect amount of warm, cozy spices, and yes, that all-time favorite cream cheese frosting. 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 reaches for a second piece.
I know you are going to love this one just as much as I 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 carrot cake:
- Flour. All-purpose flour works best here. Avoid cake flour whichi s lighter and finer and doesn’t give us the structure required for this heartier cake.
- Sugar. A blend of granulated and brown sugar is best. For the brown sugar, you can use light or dark (makes the cake a bit richer and sweeter) or use a blend of both (my preference, also what I do in my brown butter chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chip cookie recipe).
- Oil AND butter. This combo is key for maximizing the flavor and texture of the cake. While oil adds moisture (and helps keep the cake soft and moist, even after refrigeration) butter adds rich depth of flavor. A blend of these two ingredients balances flavor and texture (and it’s a trick I use in many of my cakes, like my vanilla cake recipe and chocolate cake recipe!).
- Eggs. Since we’re working with room temperature ingredients (and possibly even slightly warm butter, your eggs should be room temperature to ensure a batter that combines evenly (cold eggs can “shock” the batter and make it difficult to combine properly).
- 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 (I do the same thing for my carrot cake cookies). 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.
- Cream cheese. This is for the cream cheese frosting. Make sure you’re using brick-style cream cheese, as the tub-style can make for a frosting that’s too runny.
As always, 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 My Carrot Cake Recipe (Step-by-Step)
- 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, until the dry ingredients (and sugar) are well-moistened (an electric mixer makes this easier). 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 (if using) and make sure they are well distributed through the cake batter.
- Evenly divide the batter between two 8″ baking pans that have been greased, floured, and lined with parchment circles (key for keeping cakes from sticking!). 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 decorative piping on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
While you could, I personally found this carrot cake recipe to be a bit too heavy for cupcakes, causing them to be a bit trickier to eat in hand-held form. 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). The baking soda in my recipe is well balanced so that is not an issue you should run into if you bake my carrot cake recipe.
More Frosting Options:
Instead of cream cheese frosting, this carrot cake recipe would also be excellent with my brown butter frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, ermine frosting, whipped cream frosting, or vanilla frosting.
More Spring Recipes to Try:
Enjoy!
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The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 2 8" round cake pans (see notes for using different sized pans)
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 table 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
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 table 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 37-40 minutes (a 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This recipe was originally published August 22, 2018. Recipe is unchanged, but has been updated with new photos and more helpful information and a video.
Loved this recipe!!! Made it for my mom for Mother’s Day and she loved it!!! Thanks!
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the cake, Sara! 🙂
I know this cake is going to taste delicious! We’ve made many of your recipes and they are all fantastic. However, I am disappointed that this cake – like every other cake I make in my kitchen, has fallen in the center. I live at 7000 feet elevation. When I have added flour, as recommended by some, for the higher elevation, the cakes turn out too dry. I decided to try this one without any modifications. Can you give me some suggestions on how to keep the cakes from falling? Thanks so much! We will definitely enjoy this cake AND the yummy cream cheese frosting! (We love your videos, too!)
Hi Lynda! I’m sorry you are having issues. Unfortunately I don’t have much experience baking at altitude, maybe someone else can chime in with some help. I don’t know about adding extra flour as I would be afraid that would dry out the cakes.
Sam
Complete success! made this for my Husbands birthday, not a crumb was wasted. Everyone loved it. Thank you very much.
Wonderful! I am so happy to hear this, thank you so much for commenting, Anita!! 🙂
I made your cupcakes with this icing last week and they were amazing!!! I’m going to make the carrot cake tomorrow for my fiance’s birthday — is it okay to make the batter today, refrigerate it, and then bake it tomorrow? Just trying to save time 🙂 I’ll def make the icing fresh!
I am so glad that you enjoyed the carrot cake cupcakes, Kisha! I am glad that you are back to make the cake! Yes, you can make the batter the night before, refrigerate it, then bake in the morning. I hope that your fiance has a wonderful birthday and enjoys his birthday cake! 🙂
If I don’t have brown sugar can I substitute white sugar ?
Hi, Oyin! You can, however, the cake will not be as flavorful. Brown sugar contains molasses, which changes the texture and flavor of the cake, but the sweetness level will be the same. 🙂
Hi Sam,
I made this cake today for my husband’s birthday, It was perfect. Thank you so much.
Anita
I hope that your husband had a wonderful birthday celebration, Anita! I am happy to hear that the cake was a hit and it turned out perfectly. Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
The best Carrot cake recipe topped with walnuts ! Cravings satisfied. Thanks Sam!
I am so glad that this cake hit the spot and satisfied your sweet tooth craving, Kristen. Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
This recipe is amazing! It is a perfect balance between the sweetness and it was very moist. It was also easy to make considering that I don’t know how to bake!Thank you for sharing this!
I am so glad that you found the recipe easy to follow and delicious, Onika! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
I’m looking to make a (2) 6 inch round cakes. Should I half the recipe or bake the rest as cupcakes? And how much would you recommend for baking time?
Hi, Ana! If you halved the recipe your layers would just be thinner (closer to 1″ thick). Others have chosen to make the whole recipe and used the remaining batter for cupcakes for themselves. The choice is up to you! As far as bake time, I am uncertain of the exact time needed therefore you will just need to keep an eye on it. I hope that you enjoy the cake! 🙂
Hi,
I am trying to make your recipe but I only want to use one tray Bundt with hole. Do I still follow the exact measurements?
Hi Mary! Everything should stay the same but the bake time will be different. I’m not sure how long you would need to bake it. 🙂
Hi. Will this recipe work if the bake the cake in a loaf pan? Thanks
Hi, Chloe! Yes, that will be fine. This recipe makes enough to fill (2) 9″ loaf pans. Please keep in mind that the baking time will be different than what is listed so you will want to keep an eye on it. Enjoy! 🙂
I made this cake yesterday (after somehow managing to grate three cups of baby carrots with a microplane–yikes!) and it turned out perfect. I almost always reduce the amount of sugar dessert recipes call for, so I only added 2/3 cup of each type of sugar in this case, which worked great for my taste. I also added chopped walnuts and didn’t bother with the frosting, since I didn’t have cream cheese.
With these modifications, the cake turned out almost like a delicious quick bread and is honestly great to just eat plain. I’m sure it is even better with the frosting though, so maybe I’ll try that next time. The cake is dense (in a good way!) and super moist, also. Thanks for the recipe!
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Erin! Thanks for trying the recipe and for commenting. Excited to hear how you like it with the frosting the next time you try it. 🙂
I made this yesterday and I’m not the best Baker.
Positives, very moist.
Setbacks, too sweet.
This cake is soooo moist. I would in future add a hint more nutmeg or supplement with a tiny bit more allspice (nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves) and add less sugar. Usually I always add less sugar than the recipe says but I was really unprepared and forgot.
I think with less granulated sugar it’d be perfect.
I think it might be the frosting that makes it too sweet actually.
You can always use less frosting or less sugar in the frosting next time. 🙂
Thanks for trying my recipe, Lebene! I am glad that you enjoyed it overall. 🙂
Sadly this is the worst carrot cake I have ever made or tasted. Being far from a novice when it comes to baking, I read the recipe and thought the addition of the spices and brown sugar, some of which were not included in any other carrot cake recipe I had made in the past, would render the perfect cake. This was for my husband’s birthday because carrot cake is his favorite. But, had we not been in the middle of a pandemic where many of the ingredients are almost impossible to find, I would have put the entire cake in the trash, and started over with a recipe I had used in the past. The cake was far to dense, and all I could actually taste was the cinnamon and the sugar. From the other few comments I read, I can see many enjoyed the cake, and that is wonderful. My apologies for writing this rather scathing review, but doing so might save another from my disastrous finding.
I am so sorry that this cake missed the mark for you, Karen. I have never had this cake come out dry or dense. I am wondering if you could have over mixed your batter or mismeasured your flour. Regardless, I appreciate your feedback and I am sorry that you did not enjoy it.
This cake was soooo good! I made it for Easter, and it turned all of the carrot cake haters into carrot cake lovers! Thank you for the recipe; I am excited to try out your other recipes soon!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the cake, Ann Marie! Hopefully everyone enjoys all of the other recipes too. 😊😊
I must say this is the best carrot cake recipe ever! I am English but live in Italy and wanted that authentic taste without going crazy! I adore cooking but not baking but this was so easy, it’s amazing. Thank you and congratulations.
Would love to try a coffee and walnut next, could you help? 😉
I am so glad you enjoyed the carrot cake, Anna! I do have a coffee cake, but I do not have a walnut cake. Enjoy! 🙂