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    Home » Recipes » Cake

    The Best Carrot Cake Recipe (with Video)

    Updated: Mar 7, 2022 • Published: Mar 7, 2022 by Sam Merritt • 1,736 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    The Best Carrot Cake Recipe

    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.

    cream cheese frosted carrot cake on a white plate with one bite missing

    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

    overhead view of ingredients for carrot cake

    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

    collage of four photos showing how to make carrot cake
    1. Whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl.
    2. 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.
    3. Fold in your carrots and nuts.
    4. 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.
    collage of two photos showing how to frost a carrot cake after baking
    1. 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.
    2. 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.

    cake pans filled with carrot cake batter

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I use this carrot cake recipe for cupcakes?

    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.

    Can I add raisins to my cake?

    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.

    Why did my carrot cake turn green!?

    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).

    a slice of frosted carrot cake on a white plate with the rest of the cake in the background

    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.

    cream cheese frosted carrot cake on a white plate with one bite missing

    The Best Carrot Cake Recipe

    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.
    Be sure to check out the how-to video!
    4.94 from 766 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Cake
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 14 slices
    Calories: 533kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    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)
    • Mixing bowls

    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

    Serving: 1slice (calories calculated with frosting but without optional nuts) | Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 448mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 65g | Vitamin A: 4283IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg

    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.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Krystal

      April 08, 2021 at 12:37 am

      5 stars
      This cake was perfectly moist and held up well for decorating. We ate it all up so quickly; it was incredibly delicious!

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 08, 2021 at 10:07 am

        I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Krystal! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Yasmin Farahmand

      April 06, 2021 at 12:20 pm

      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!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 06, 2021 at 2:17 pm

        I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Yasmin! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Elaine Leech

      April 03, 2021 at 10:32 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 03, 2021 at 10:53 am

        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. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Lo

      April 02, 2021 at 5:29 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 03, 2021 at 4:01 pm

        Hmmm I would definitely remove that liquid and pat your carrots dry if possible. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Carol

      April 01, 2021 at 4:38 pm

      Instead of round pans, could an 8” or 9” square pan be used?

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 03, 2021 at 4:07 pm

        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. 🙂

        Reply
    6. John Hersey

      March 30, 2021 at 1:22 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 31, 2021 at 10:06 am

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, John! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Bev Sloan

      March 28, 2021 at 9:38 am

      5 stars
      Hi- this recipe is absolutely delicious. It is so moist and love the frosting. This is a keeper

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 28, 2021 at 9:26 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Luanda

      March 24, 2021 at 11:05 pm

      Hi do you use cups or a scale for your measurements?

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 25, 2021 at 10:27 pm

        Hi Luanda! I always prefer to use my scale, but you can use cups, both are listed in the recipe. 🙂

        Reply
      • Key

        March 26, 2021 at 5:50 pm

        What if I am using a 9in cake pan? What will change?

        Reply
        • Sam

          March 26, 2021 at 9:05 pm

          The bake time will be slightly shorter.

    9. Dhillon

      March 23, 2021 at 7:53 am

      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?

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 24, 2021 at 2:18 pm

        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.

        Reply
    10. Novz

      March 20, 2021 at 9:11 am

      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

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 21, 2021 at 10:15 pm

        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. 🙂

        Reply
        • Krista

          April 03, 2021 at 11:49 am

          Could this be made with a bunt pan?

        • Sam

          April 03, 2021 at 3:50 pm

          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. 🙂

    11. Juan

      March 13, 2021 at 12:16 am

      How many cups of batter for the recipe?

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 15, 2021 at 8:58 am

        It should make about 8 cups of batter. 🙂

        Reply
        • Riley

          March 15, 2021 at 7:04 pm

          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

    12. Ami

      March 07, 2021 at 8:13 am

      Do you think I could use Avocado oil instead of canola or vegetable ?

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 07, 2021 at 11:10 am

        That should work fine here. 🙂

        Reply
    13. Hina

      March 05, 2021 at 12:01 am

      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

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 05, 2021 at 9:16 pm

        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.

        Reply
    14. Jo

      February 25, 2021 at 4:27 pm

      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 🔥

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 25, 2021 at 9:20 pm

        O no! An oven fire would be really bad news.

        Reply
        • Jo

          February 25, 2021 at 10:25 pm

          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 🙁

    15. Suri

      February 22, 2021 at 3:53 pm

      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…

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 23, 2021 at 10:32 am

        Hi Suri! I would probably thaw them first and pat them dry just to be safe. 🙂

        Reply
        • Suri

          February 23, 2021 at 10:43 am

          thank you!! I will give that a try

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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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