A 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 my simple cream cheese frosting for what truly might be the perfect cake.
Today I’m re-sharing an old favorite recipe! Considering current events I was hesitant to re-share this cake as originally planned. I’ve mostly been focusing on recipes that use pantry staples, but with Easter right around the corner I wanted to share it as a small gesture of celebration (even though Easter is going to be different for a lot of us). Back to basics later this week!
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 think you guys are going to love this one just as much, so let’s dig in.
How to Grate Carrots
My carrot cake recipe uses 3 cups of finely grated carrots. This is usually about 4 large carrots for me and I always peel my carrots before grating them. You can use a box grater to grate your carrots, but I prefer to use my food processor.
To use the food processor, I’ll first use the “shred” blade, but I’ve found that this doesn’t get my carrots as fine as I’d like them to be, so I’ll then switch to the standard blade and briefly pulse the carrots until they’re 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 for my liking).
One thing you definitely want to avoid is store-bought shredded carrots (or “matchstick” carrots). Those are way too thick to use here, unless you like biting into discernible chunks of carrot (I do not).
Ingredients
Can I make this into Cupcakes?
While you could, I personally found this carrot cake to be a bit too heavy for cupcakes. Because of that 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.
Oh, and if you’re interested in more carrot cake variations, I also have a carrot cake cookie recipe you can try out, too.
How to Store
If you’re eating this cake the same day it is made or within 48 hours of making it and 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. However, any longer than that and I recommend storing refrigerated in an airtight container, where it will keep for about 5 days. I generally don’t like to keep cakes in the refrigerator (like my caramel cake) because the refrigerator can dry them out, but this carrot cake is so moist it holds up quite well in the fridge.
Before I let you watch the video below the recipe I need to talk to you about my cake decorating skills. I am not a cake decorator, but I can usually modestly frost a cake so that it looks at least presentable. The frosting job you’re about to see in this video is not an example of my finest work, at all!
My pride compels me to inform you that this was my sloppiest frosting job ever. I had to turn off the air conditioning in my house to shoot the video (my microphone picks up the noise and it sounds awful if we don’t) and at the time I shot this (it’s an old video) it was a 90+ degree day outside. I pulled the cream cheese frosting out of the fridge too far in advance and between the hot lights that I use for filming, the lack of AC, and the fact that I was right in front of my 350F oven, everything was a melty disaster, so while I’m not a cake decorator things aren’t usually that bad!
Alright I feel better now getting that off my chest 😉Enjoy!
More Recipes You Might Like:
Are you more of a visual learner? Check out my YouTube channel where I show you exactly how I make this recipe step-by-step in my own kitchen.
The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (315g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar* tightly packed (200g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup canola or vegetable oil (235ml)
- ½ cup or 1 stick unsalted butter melted (113g)
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups grated carrots** (340g)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional (125g)
Cream Cheese Frosting***
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 8 oz cream cheese softened (brick-style, not spreadable) (226g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar (500g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare two 8-inch 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.
- 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).
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- Stir in carrots and nuts (if using) until ingredients are well-combined.
- 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 carrot cake 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.
- Add vanilla extract and sprinkle salt into the bowl and stir well to combine.
- 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).
- Once your cake has cooled completely, cover with frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
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This recipe was originally published August 22nd 2018.
Krystal
This cake was perfectly moist and held up well for decorating. We ate it all up so quickly; it was incredibly delicious!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Krystal! 🙂
Yasmin Farahmand
I just made this for my uncles birthday and I’m OBSESSED!! Thank you so much for this recipe, will definitely be making this again!!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Yasmin! 🙂
Elaine Leech
This cake is delicious and easy to make. It’s just me and my husband so I flash freeze iced slices, wrap in plastic wrap and put slices in the freezer to take out and enjoy. They taste just as good as when eaten freshly baked. I have a question: is there a trick to getting the cakes to rise evenly? I always seem to have a side that didn’t rise as high as the other side of the pan. Thank you for so many wonderful recipes.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake so much, Elaine! I sometimes have problems with cakes baking unevenly. It can be due to the batter not being evenly placed in the pan, or more likely your oven is baking slightly unevenly. If it’s too bad I just use a serrated knife to level the cakes. I hope this helps. 🙂
Lo
I’ve made this recipe many times before and I LOVE it!! I had a question when I grate my carrots and put them in a bowl there’s quite a bit of liquid left at the bottom of the bowl, should I just add it in to the batter or should I try to pat my carrot shreds with some paper towel so there’s not so much liquid? Thank You!
Sam
Hmmm I would definitely remove that liquid and pat your carrots dry if possible. 🙂
Carol
Instead of round pans, could an 8” or 9” square pan be used?
Sam
Hi Carol! You can use square pans but you cake layers may be a little thin and the bake time will most likely be reduced. 🙂
John Hersey
I love this carrot cake!!
I have made this a couple of times with rave reviews. This will always be my goto for a carrot cake recipe.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, John! 🙂
Bev Sloan
Hi- this recipe is absolutely delicious. It is so moist and love the frosting. This is a keeper
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Luanda
Hi do you use cups or a scale for your measurements?
Sam
Hi Luanda! I always prefer to use my scale, but you can use cups, both are listed in the recipe. 🙂
Key
What if I am using a 9in cake pan? What will change?
Sam
The bake time will be slightly shorter.
Dhillon
Hi! Loved(!!) your carrot cupcakes and cream cheese frosting 🥰 Now I wanna try this cake. I was wondering if I could use this exact recipe for 4 6inch cakes and without having too small/not so high cake layers?
Sam
Hi Dhillon! This could make 4 6 inch cakes but the cakes would be rather thin. You would probably need to increase the recipe by 25% to make sure you have enough batter for 4 even layers.
Novz
Hi Sam, would it be ok to freeze (cooled from oven) and the cream cheese frosting ? Any tips of wrapping jn the freezer is appreciated. Thank you
Sam
You shouldn’t have any issues freezing this cake. I would let the cakes cool completely and then wrap them tightly with cling wrap and store them in the freezer. The cream cheese frosting can just be stored in an air tight container. If you want to assemble it it can be a little more difficult to freeze but just make sure to stick keep it in an air tight container. 🙂
Krista
Could this be made with a bunt pan?
Sam
Hi Krista! That would work just fine. Other readers have told me it takes 55 minutes in a bundt pan but I haven’t tried it myself to verify that time. 🙂
Juan
How many cups of batter for the recipe?
Sam
It should make about 8 cups of batter. 🙂
Riley
Yes!!! I make it this after noon and noticed I would need way more so what I did was
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
16oz of cream cream cheese
8cups of powder sugar
Ami
Do you think I could use Avocado oil instead of canola or vegetable ?
Sam
That should work fine here. 🙂
Hina
Keen to try this. How should I reduce the recipe to achieve 6 inch cake of 2 layers please? And what will be the baking temperature and time. Thank you so much
Sam
You should be able to get 2 6 inch cakes by cutting the recipe in half. The temperature will remain the same, but I’m not sure of a bake time.
Jo
I just realized I forgot to add the baking powder and baking soda! Too late now. 🙁 I’ll frost it in a bit and see what happens. It’s my husband’s birthday cake. At least I didn’t set the oven on fire this time 🔥
Sam
O no! An oven fire would be really bad news.
Jo
Well, it was very very dense without the baking soda and powder. Flavor was good. The frosting seemed like it had too much powdered sugar. It was really hard to spread. I’ll try again tomorrow 🙁
Suri
Hi!
Is it possible to use frozen carrots? Or will those release too much water? I have a ton of carrots I shredded & stuck in the freezer & would love to be able to use them if possible…
Sam
Hi Suri! I would probably thaw them first and pat them dry just to be safe. 🙂
Suri
thank you!! I will give that a try