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.
Ana
Hi, Sam! After making your infallible cheesecake recipe many times, I tried this one out and it came out perfectly! I’ll be serving it for dessert for my boyfriend’s birthday but I already got a taste because I shaved the dome off the tops and ate that myself. 🙂
I did however have to get a peek at the video when I had already added all four eggs and my dough was still crumbly. I realize you said 4 large eggs and I’m assuming mine just weren’t very large. I added one more. It was still not as liquid as the dough in your video (maybe because it’s cold weather where I am?) but I left it at 5 eggs and it came out perfectly. Thanks again for another awesome recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hmm, that’s odd. Could it be that you possibly over-measured your flour? Either way, we are so happy it turned out nicely for you. Thanks for the review!
Ana
I might have mis-measured something because I used an online converter for the measurements of various ingredients. I suddenly wasn’t sure my cups were US or metric and converted everything to ml instead (using this online tool where you could input the type of ingredient and convert grams to ml). I think I’ll just use my usual cups next time (or get a kitchen scale) and save myself the math! Turned out great all the same!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Ah, that makes sense! Those converters aren’t always accurate either, unfortunately. And yes, we highly recommend a kitchen scale! 😊
Brenda Fouser
Very moist and turns out great every time.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad it’s a hit for you, Brenda! Enjoy 😋
Anisia
Best carrot cake ever! Was sooo moist and delicious. I followed her recipe exactly as written and didn’t have any issues.
Erin Costello
Love the fact the ingredients are listed with the directions!!!!
Susan
I have never made a carrot cake before in my life but found this recipe and decided to try it out! It did not disappoint!! My husband has been taking tiny forkfuls of the cake so it lasts longer haha. I shredded the carrots in a cheese grater than hand chopped them after and it came out AMAZING. Also wanted to mention both my parents who don’t like carrot cake tried it and said it was one of the best cakes they ever ate! This recipe is definitely going to become a staple in the house. Looking forward to my pant size increasing
Francine R Lowell
I’ve never made a carrot cake, nor a Bundt cake. With this recipe, I accomplished both. Not only did this cake taste amazing, even my family loved it, but it looked wonderful as a Bundt cake! I did not frost it with Cream Cheese frosting because my hubby, of 53 yrs, doesn’t carr for it. I did, however, frost it with a Powdered sugar drizzle! This recipe is a keeper!!
Melanie
Made it for the second time and took it to a gathering! They loved it!! It’s delicious and I followed recipe exactly!! A keeper 😊
Camila
My job this year was to make a perfect cake for my 5-year-old sister, Olivia, she is obsessed with your cooking and wanted me to make a cake from your recipes, turns out your recipe was a miracle my brother loved it (and the only carrots he prefers are raw ones) this was perfect for my family, plus I’m only 10-years-old, and if I managed to make this cake anyone can!
Sam
That is so awesome that you are baking cakes at 10, Camila! Great work! 🙂
Petra
The cake is waaaaay too sweet. I used 2/5 of recommended sugar and it’s still too sweet. It lacks freshness and I find it too heavy in comparison to other carrot cakes that I’ve tried. Disaster.
Sam
Hi Petra! This is a dessert website and unfortunately I think you may be better off looking for a carrot bread (or just snacking on raw carrots). If you only used 3/4 cup of sugar as opposed to the 2 cups called for and still found it too sweet, you are just simply looking for an entirely different sort of recipe. With the amount/ratio of sugar you used, it no longer even meets the standard definition of a cake. Additionally, the sugar called for adds to the texture and the flavor of the cake. I am not surprised you found both lacking when you so substantially reduced such a critical ingredient for a cake.
Loretta
I made exactly how it was written and I think I tastes amazing. my husband doesn’t like deserts that are too sweet and he loves this cake
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Loretta, thank you for your feedback!
Robyn
This recipe is amazing I make it every year for my boyfriends birthday but I double the cake recipe and 5x the cream cheese recipe. I only add 1¾-2 cups powdered sugar total and it turns out to be just the right sweetness for the both of us!!! I bake 4-8″ round cakes and then trim and layer my final cake to have 4 layers of cake and 4 layers of icing with piped shells around the top and bottom edge. I am also able to color a little to make little piped carrots and I also pipe happy birthday on it! turns out so good!
Maxine Zdebiak
This is by far the best carrot cake i’ve made. Thank you
Sam
Thank you so much for the feedback, Maxine! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the cake and hope you’ll find more recipes on my website that you like just as much! 🙂
Crystal
This is truly an amazing carrot cake recipie. I’ve been making this for over a year now and get requests for it all the time. it is now a staple for holidays at my house and a pick me up dessert for when loved ones are having a hard time. I do tweek it a little using more spices such as cloves and ginger. Thank you for sharing such a great recipie.
Hayley
Everyone raves about this cake when I make it! It’s the best carrot cake I’ve ever had as well! I’m making this for my husband’s birthday in a couple of days, and I’m wondering if it’s okay to mix the dry ingredients only, 1 day in advance of preparing the rest do the cake. We are traveling somewhere for his birthday, so I want the cake to be as fresh as possible. Thank you!
Sam
Hi Hayley! I haven’t tried it myself. My hesitation here is that the moisture from the brown sugar can absorb the other ingredients and dry things out a little bit.
Kym
So moist and delish. Added raisins, fresh pineapple and bananas. Cut the oil and brown sugar by half.
Ann Hinner
Can you make just the cake ahead of time and freeze it until ready to frost?
Sam
Hi Ann! You shouldn’t have any issues freezing this cake. 🙂
Haley
I’ve made this twice, both times everyone said it’s the best carrot cake they’ve ever had. I get requests now to make it for birthdays.
Aditi Dhara
I trust her. All her recipes are full proof and can be blindly trusted.
This cake as usual came out soft and yummy. Thanks again !!