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.
Related Recipes
This recipe was originally published August 22, 2018.
Amelia Kaiser
My mom asked me to bring a carrot cake for my dads birthday. Normally I just go buy one but this year I thought I should try it out. I wanted something simple and this recipe jumped out at me. SO good and SO easy! I used my food processor to do the carrots which was so easy and quick! 10/10 will be making this one again
MK
Made this with my teenage grandkids for their mother’s birthday and it was fabulous! Everyone raved about the cake. It is now our “go to” recipe for everyone’s birthday cake!
Vicki
I am an experiences cook and baker. I could tell by the recipe this would be good. I followed it exactly and used 2 8inch cake pans. I thought the pans were too full but wanted to follow recipe. They are in the oven now and spilled over and making a big mess and burned smell. I’m hoping i can save the cake and cover errors with frosting as its for a birthday dinner tonight. Did any one else have trouble with 8 in pans?
Sam
I’m so sorry to hear this happened, Vicki! Are your pans shallow pans? That’s the only reason I could think of this happening. 🙁
Angela Callen
I’m going to make this cake for my mom’s birthday. She likes Pineapple in it. How would I add this to the recipe?
Sam
Hi Angela! I’m sorry but I have not tried it with pineapple and I am hesitant to advise on things I haven’t personally tried. However, a few other commenters have noted that they have added crushed pineapple with success, it doesn’t look like anyone has specified an amount though, unfortunately, but I’m hoping someone who has tried will see this and chime in!
Kaitlyn Lynch
I had a fun time making this cake . I never made carrot cake before and my client loved it . I did crum coat the cake first then iced it with the remaining frosting. The frosting was absolutely perfect . It was moist and rich . I wish I could post the photo . You can see it on IG. KLC.treats
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kaitlyn! 🙂
Brittany Childers
This said to add baking soda that’s not a mistake I’ll ever make again I checked on them and they had ran out all in my stove. Now the cakes are probably ruined to so I wasted all those ingredients and prices for butter is sky high.
Sam
Hi Brittany! How frustrating to hear they ran! Yes you are supposed to use baking soda, that is not a mistake. If they ran over then either something was mis-measured or your pans may have been too shallow (standard-sized pans are fine so unless they were really short pans it shouldn’t be an issue). Have you watched the video? That may be helpful. Happy to help troubleshoot further!
Kristin Gamble
Can I use all butter instead of oil? I don’t have any oil on hand but don’t want to ruin the cake.
Sam
Hi Kristin! I think it could work here. It won’t be quite as moist, but this a pretty moist cake so it will probably work. 🙂
Lisa
This is my favorite baking site! I can always count on a recipe to turn out great!
Sam
Thank you so much, Lisa! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed everything so much! 🙂
ni
Hi,
Would this cake work as a loaf without the frosting, I mean would it taste good just by itself?
Sam
I haven’t baked it in a loaf pan before, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work and be delicious. 🙂
carol delle donne
Going too make this carrot cake with my grandaughter
Karisa
I just want to say thank you for making an amazing carrot cake and sharing the recipe. We tried four of the top recipes online and yours was the unanimous winner! No need to look for another recipe, as it was amazing! Thank you!
Sam
You’re very welcome, Karisa! I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Heidi
Can I pls seek help.. I made this twice but both times my frosting is too runny – as I try to cover the sides with frosting, it comes sliding down after a while, and the cream cheese in between the layers bulges out on the sides… very messy for both times… I’m not sure what I’ve done wrong…
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Heidi! Are you by chance using spreadable (tub-style) or low-fat cream cheese? And if not, did you make any other changes to the recipe? It definitely shouldn’t be runny 😕
Heidi
I used Philadelphia cream cheese in rectangular block size 250g packaging.. shop staff said if I don’t want spreadable, I Should get that. And apart from not adding the salt, I followed everything else. It was hardened after refrigerating for hours but after sitting it in room temp for a few minutes, it became v soft again.
Old Grey Mare
Did you maybe use a different version of the butter (or even substitute margarine) as some specialty butters behave differently than regular stick butter (even as to how soft it is when un-refrigerated)? Also, you did not mention if you had made any adjustment for your package of cream cheese being 250g instead of Sam’s 226g. Perhaps you used less than the whole thing, but not enough. Or even increased the other ingredients a bit to compensate for the extra 24 grams but did so a bit too much for some of the wet ingredients.
TayTay
This cake turned out amazing thank you for the recipe!
Carole Taylor
Hello, would I have to 1 1/2 times the batter to make three 8 inch tins.
Thank you
Sam
Hi Carole! To get 3 thick layers you would need to increase the recipe by 50%. You could divide this batter into 3 pans but your layers would be pretty thin. 🙂
Ali
I was wondering if it would be ok if I put coloring into the frosting. I want to decorate the cake with color. Tia
Sam
Sure thing! Stir it in briefly at the end. 🙂