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 all-purpose flour (315g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar¹ firmly packed (200g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup cooking oil use canola, avocado, or vegetable oil (235ml)
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted (113g)
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups grated carrots² peel before grating (340g)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional (125g)
Cream Cheese Frosting³
- 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)
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.
- 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 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.
- 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
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.
Related Recipes
This recipe was originally published August 22, 2018.
J. Beaver
I made this Carrot Cake for Easter and even people that said that they don’t like Carrot Cake had apiece. It was awesome. Loved the cream cheese icing also and I didn’t have to double it.
Sharon
This is fantastic. I also made your carrot muffin recipe it was fantastic. Thanks
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad you enjoyed them both, Sharon! 🥰
Kristin
The BEST carrot cake I’ve ever had, seriously amazing!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re SO happy you loved it, Kristin! 🥰
Jen G.
Made this cake for the first time for Easter. It was so delicious! Everyone raved about it. It was so moist. I am not sure what the crowd loved more…the cake or the decadent Cream Cheese Frosting. I did add walnuts and raisins as well as used the Dark Brown Sugar. Will be sure to make again!
Jandy
You are killing me with “your” sweet tooth !! I have made your carrot cake in the past..and returning to make again for Easter. I just signed up for your news letter after scrolling through all your receipes, can not wait to try 3/4 of them all !! Found some really great tips on things I never questioned before!!! Thank you for such easy to follow tips and receipes!!
Violeta
Amazing, recipe, as usual. I cut the recipe in half since there are just two of us, now I am sorry I did! A couple of modifications: I boiled carrots and made them super soft, like baby food. For the frosting used honey instead of sugar.
Emmy
I know I’ve commented on this before but I’m back again for Easter! All time favorite carrot cake recipe. I literally dream about this stuff 😭🥰
Angelica Robertson
I used this recipe to make a few batches of cupcakes. It actually is the recipe I used for a bake off, and it won me 3rd place. My 7 year old HATES vegetables, but he loves this carrot cake.
But every time I’ve done this recipe, it sinks in the middle. I’m not sure what to do.
Sam
Hi Angelica! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it so much! It may need an extra minute or two in the oven or it may have been slightly under-mixed. 🙁
Angela
Hi Sam! This recipe is awesome, I did it once as a loaf cake and now I want to make it as a cake. Is it okay if I bake in 24 cm pan? That is a little bit more than 9″. In that case will the baking time remain same?
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Kind regards
Sam
Hi Angela! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it! It can be made in your pan, but you will probably want to check it a few minutes earlier. Your cake will be a bit thinner as well.
Mariel
My mom and I both made this for Easter yesterday. She made hers with your white chocolate buttercream frosting. I used your cream cheese frosting and 1.5’ed the recipe, as I had 10 inch pans. They were both delicious and we were so pleased with how they came out. I’ll use this again next Easter. Thanks for a great recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum! We love that you both tried a different combination. Thanks for trusting our recipes, Mariel ❤️
Suzanne
How do I make this into a 3 layer cake using 9 inch pans?
Sam
Increase the recipe by 50%. 🙂
Stephanie Carpenter
Love, love this recipe!!! The frosting was the best I had ever used will be making this alot!! And using the frosting recipe with all my cakes . Thank you so much for sharing .
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for trying our recipe, Stephanie! We’re so happy you enjoyed it so much ❤️
Kara
Hi Sam! My cakes ended up sinking in the middle. Any idea what could’ve caused it? I haven’t eaten it yet because I made for Easter but will probably still taste great–especially with that tasty icing. Thanks for any tips!
Sam
Hi Kara! Usually the biggest culprit is under-baking or potentially your leaveners were bad. 🙁 I hope you still enjoy it! 🙂
Alexandra
What substitute do you recommend for vegetable/canola oil?
Sam
Avocado oil would be a great substitute, that or substitute for an equal amount of melted butter (won’t be as moist as with the oil that way, but still good). Enjoy!
Sharon
Hi, could I add crushed pineapple to this reciepe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Sharon! Yes, several others have added crushed pineapple to this recipe successfully ☺️
Liz
Can you make this cake using the creaming method?
Sam
I suppose it would work. 🙂
Jennifer Heisler
Why is the carrot cake recipe different from the carrot cupcake recipe?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Jennifer! We actually address this in the FAQ section 😊
Jennifer
Oh great thanks!
Shannon M Feldmann
Can I use salted butter instead and leave out the salt?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Shannon! You won’t want to leave the salt out entirely for the cake, just reduce it to 3/4 teaspoon. If you use salted butter for the frosting, you can just leave the salt out there. We have a post on using salted vs. unsalted butter that discusses this conversion, if that’s helpful 😊
Sharon
Hi, I have this in the oven now. I did find that the carrots had a lot of moisture so I did squeeze them before adding g in. I hope I didn’t ruin the recipe buy doing this, I did luck my finger after getting some batter on it,taste fantastic. I will keep you posted on how this turned out. Thanks for the great recipes.