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.
Pam
Could you use a different frosting, my family is not a fan of cream cheese.
Sam
Hi Pam! You could certainly use a different frosting. I have a good buttercream frosting you could use, or my swiss meringue buttercream, or even ermine frosting. 🙂
Elizabeth
definitely lives up to the title of best carrot cake recipe – by far the best I’ve ever made.
Would GF flour work here as a substitute possibly?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Elizabeth! I have not personally used gluten free flour, but I have had others report success using gluten free flour. Enjoy! 🙂
Melissa
Hi! I’m going to make this with my granddaughter for Mothers Day for her mom. Is the parchment paper necessary?
Sam
Hi Melissa! The parchment paper just makes getting the cakes out of the pan easier. You can grease and flour the bottom of the pan as well. 🙂
Kalika
This was a smash hit at my tiny Easter gathering. I’m in college so I was delighted to be able to make my friends a nice home cooked dinner + dessert to celebrate the holiday. I used my kitchen scale to measure ingredients and I had no problems whatsoever. I didn’t have two pans so I used one and cut the cake in half; added about 15-20 minutes to the cook time. There is something so incredible about the flavor of this cake, especially on the edges of cake where it comes in contact with the pan, develops an almost a brown buttery flavor that compliments the frosting like crazy. This is going to become an annual recipe for me. Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That sounds so fun, Kalika! We are so happy you used our recipe and enjoyed it so much 🥰
Miguel
love this recipe, I love how easy it is and how you explain and show us every single step
Lindsay
I have baked hundreds of cakes, but this may be my new favourite! The warming spices and how moist it is, makes it exceptional!
Danielle
Came out amazing! I only had 9 inch pants so checked them around 31 minutes and I think they ended up going for 34 minutes. Was perfect and everyone raved about it. Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy the cake was a hit, Danielle! Thanks for the review 🩷
Matt W.
My cakes baked unlevel. Level with a knife?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That will work! Enjoy 😊
Jackie
I don’t normally leave reviews, however this recipe made the BEST carrot cake anyone has ever had! I followed the recipe exactly, and doubled the frosting so I had enough for nice thick layers and also for some decorative piping. This recipe will be saved and used again! 10 out of 10!!
Shelley
I made this for Easter it turned out so good. everyone loved it.
Grace
Great recipe! I only had half a cup of vegetable oil, so I had to sub the other half with olive oil, and I was also out of cinnamon, so I used a mix of cardamom and all spice and it was still amazing.
Also, can we talk about how EVERYONE should be also putting the amounts of the ingredients in the step-by-step instructions?? It was so helpful to not have to keep navigating back and forth to get the amounts for each of the ingredients for every step. Why have I never seen this before? GENIUS!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Grace! 🙂
Danielle
I wanted to love this recipe. However, the flavor is good, but I don’t think the gram and mL are correct. I will try this using measurement by cups. Hopefully it will be better next time. I accidently forgot to line the bottom of my pans with parchment and it was a disaster. Don’t forget that step. I’m very upset since this was for a birthday.
Sam
Hi Danielle, could you tell me what wasn’t right about the cake? What went wrong that you think the measurements aren’t correct? I can tell you that the grams and ml are what I personally use in my own kitchen and what I use to test the recipes, so you can rest assured they are correct. Do take care to not measure the ml on your scale unless your scale specifically has a setting for oil, as most scales only have settings for water. since water and oil do not weigh the same, if you measure the oil with a scale you will end up using more than is actually needed.
Please let me know how I can help further!
Sharon
I’ve made this a bunch of times now. I LOVE IT! And putting the amounts of the ingredients in the directions is AWESOME! I wish all recipes would do the same!
Alice
I made this for our Easter dessert. It was AMAZING! Everyone loved it. Thank you, Sam!
Millie
wow! I’ve never had carrot cake before, and this is exactly how I imagined it! Dense, but moist and decadent without feeling heavy. perfectly spiced, and the cream cheese frosting was there to balance it all out (I did make 1.5x the amount of frosting, with a bit less sugar which is just a personal preference). everything else was PERFECT as written.
Denise
Good morning. I’m sorry I’m trying to contact you on Easter morning but I forgot to ask is there a high altitude adjustment?
Sam
Hi Denise! Unfortunately I do not have much experience with high altitude baking so I can’t say for sure if there would need to be any alterations. 🙁
Leena
Every. Single. Time.
Recipe works like a charm <3
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoy it so much, Leena! 🙂
Christina
I just realized I don’t have any eggs. Is there any good substitute?? 😊
Sam
Unfortunately I have never tried a substitute. 🙁