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.
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This recipe was originally published August 22, 2018.
Michelle
Best carrot cake recipe! I want to try to make it dairy free, what would you suggest to sub the butter in the cake for? margarine, oil, applesauce etc? Thank you for your help!
Sam
Hi Michelle! You could sub all oil in here but the cake won’t be quite as flavorful. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Giannie
I haven’t tried the recipe as yet because I have been searching for the best recipe and I’m so glad I came across yours! However, may I use coconut oil instead of the canola? And I read that Apple sauce is also a great ingredient, what are your thoughts on adding apple sauce?
Sam
Hi Giannie! I haven’t tried it with coconut oil so I’m not sure how it would turn out. It could work. I would not add applesauce here. This is already a very moist cake and there’s no need for it. 🙂
Giannie
I tried the recipe today and my batter came out very thick for some reason. I followed your video step by step and I don’t know what went wrong but after adding the eggs it didn’t turn watery like yours. Any recommendations on how to thin the batter?
Sam
I am so sorry this happened, Giannie! My best guess would be that there was too much flour in the mixture. I hope it goes better next time for you. 🙂
Cheryel
Can you make in a bundt pan?
Sam
It may not make enough batter to completely fill a bundt pan but you shouldn’t have any issues making this in a bundt pan. 🙂
Shelly Ortiz
Can this batter be refrigerated and baked the following day?
Sam
Hi Shelly! Honestly I haven’t tried it. I have done some research on it, but the results are inconclusive. Let me know how it goes if you try it. 🙂
Maria
Batter with baking soda/powder as the leavening agent needs to be baked as soon as possible. It reacts immediately, and stops working after a short time. It’s unlikely that your cake will raise properly in the oven the next day.
Ali
This cakes is just as delicious as the cupcakes. I made it yesterday for my husband’s birthday. Extremely moist. The icing is also delicious. It was nice delicious as well!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Ali! 🙂
Savanah
I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I’m planning to make it for my fiance’s birthday this coming week. He likes raisins in his carrot cake, is this something that could be easily added if I was already omitting the nuts?
Sam
Hi Savanah! That will work fine. Just stir the raisins in when you would stir the nuts in. 🙂
Megha
I tried this cake and it’s amazing! Had to tweak the recipe to add some Greek yogurt because my batter was too thick and added some more carrots because I had them grated already, but it turned out super.
This was my first time frosting so that didn’t go well, but the cake is sooo moist that I’ve eaten almost half of it myself.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Sunny
Would it be okay if I only have spreadable cream cheese? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Sunny! I don’t recommend the spreadable cream cheese, the frosting won’t set up very well. 🙂
Kimberly Jones
Made carrot cake absolutely moist delicious thank you berry much!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kimberly! 🙂
Diane
Hi Sam , I just love you cakes and all your desserts . I will be doing this carrot cake for the weekend and will let you know how it went ,can wait to eat it …… 😋😋and I would love to make a moka chocolate cake for my hubby for a special occasion but I can’t find it In yours listing of cake ,can you tell me if you have one PLEASE I would appreciate very much
Thank you so much for all your recipes
CHEF SAM 👩🍳
Sam
Hi Diane! I am so sorry unfortunately I do not have a mocha chocolate cake. 🙁 My normal chocolate cake is pretty tasty though. 🙂
Lisa S
Hi,
Can I use 9 inch pans instead of 8?
Sam
Hi Lisa! That will work fine you will just need to bake it for a few minutes less. 🙂
Christi
Whoops! Sorry. I have this recipe pulled up on my phone and it didn’t load properly so it took awhile before I noticed your previously posted info on a cupcake form. Thanks, again.
Christi
This looks very quick, easy, and amazing. I’m hoping to try it in more of a cupcake form, so hopefully it’ll turn out okay and if so, I will let everyone know. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Sam
I think you’re going to love it, Christi! 🙂
Kayla Denney
I made this last week (fist time ever making carrot cake) and it was hands down the best one I’ve ever had. Im still amazed with how well this turned out. Thanks Sam! Your recipes never disappoint!!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Kayla! 🙂
Elisa
Hi Sam,
After perusing made cheese cake recipes, I used yours and it was amazing!
Now for my upcoming birthday, I want to bake your carrot cake with your cream cheese frosting. I don’t have round layer pans. Do you suggest I make it in a tube pan, or in a bundt pan, or in a sheet pan (approx 11 x 16 inches)? Will all these pans fit the amount of batter? Also, any idea how long it should bake or should I just keep testing?
Thanks so much,
Elisa Greenbaum
Sam
Hi Elisa! I am so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake! For the carrot cake, the recipe as is will fit in a 13 x 9 sheet pan. It will also work in the bundt or tube pan, it just may not be quite as tall as you’d like. You can always increase the recipe to make it fill those pans or just have a shorter cake. Unfortunately I haven’t baked this in these other types of pans so I wouldn’t really be able to give you any advice on how long it would need to cook. I’m sorry. Good luck! 🙂
Jess
Hi! Absolutely love this recipe I’ve made it 3 times! I’m making it again for my brothers birthday. You said this recipe fits in a 13 x 9 pan, is that for a one layered cake or double? Thanks!
Sam
It will fit one 9 x 13. If you double the recipe you could make 2 9 x 13s. 🙂