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.
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