The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
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If you’re looking for a carrot cake recipe thats perfectly moist, warmly spiced, and guaranteed to impress, you’re in the right place. My version is easy to make with pantry staples and produces consistently excellent results. Top it off with my popular cream cheese frosting for truly the best carrot cake recipe.
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’ve shared some fun and flavorful cakes like my pistachio cake, lemon blueberry cake, and tiramisu cake, this carrot cake is hands-down the classic I will reach for first every time.
There’s something about its unbelievably moist crumb, the perfect amount of warm, cozy spices, and yes, that all-time favorite cream cheese frosting. 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 reaches for a second piece.
I know you are going to love this one just as much as I 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 carrot cake:
- Flour. All-purpose flour works best here. Avoid cake flour whichi s lighter and finer and doesn’t give us the structure required for this heartier cake.
- Sugar. A blend of granulated and brown sugar is best. For the brown sugar, you can use light or dark (makes the cake a bit richer and sweeter) or use a blend of both (my preference, also what I do in my brown butter chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chip cookie recipe).
- Oil AND butter. This combo is key for maximizing the flavor and texture of the cake. While oil adds moisture (and helps keep the cake soft and moist, even after refrigeration) butter adds rich depth of flavor. A blend of these two ingredients balances flavor and texture (and it’s a trick I use in many of my cakes, like my vanilla cake recipe and chocolate cake recipe!).
- Eggs. Since we’re working with room temperature ingredients (and possibly even slightly warm butter, your eggs should be room temperature to ensure a batter that combines evenly (cold eggs can “shock” the batter and make it difficult to combine properly).
- 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 (I do the same thing for my carrot cake cookies). 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.
- Cream cheese. This is for the cream cheese frosting. Make sure you’re using brick-style cream cheese, as the tub-style can make for a frosting that’s too runny.
As always, 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 My Carrot Cake Recipe (Step-by-Step)
- 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, until the dry ingredients (and sugar) are well-moistened (an electric mixer makes this easier). 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 (if using) and make sure they are well distributed through the cake batter.
- Evenly divide the batter between two 8″ baking pans that have been greased, floured, and lined with parchment circles (key for keeping cakes from sticking!). 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 decorative piping on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
While you could, I personally found this carrot cake recipe to be a bit too heavy for cupcakes, causing them to be a bit trickier to eat in hand-held form. 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). The baking soda in my recipe is well balanced so that is not an issue you should run into if you bake my carrot cake recipe.
More Frosting Options:
Instead of cream cheese frosting, this carrot cake recipe would also be excellent with my brown butter frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, ermine frosting, whipped cream frosting, or vanilla frosting.
More Spring Recipes to Try:
Enjoy!
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The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 2 8" round cake pans (see notes for using different sized pans)
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 table 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
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 table 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 37-40 minutes (a 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This recipe was originally published August 22, 2018. Recipe is unchanged, but has been updated with new photos and more helpful information and a video.
I’d like to make this for Easter, but since there’s so much else to make I was wondering if this could be made the day before? It seems the oil and carrots would keep it moist.
Hi Goldie! Yes, absolutely it will stay nice and moist so long as you store it in an airtight container. Enjoy! 🙂
Thank you for including the metric equivalents…I am an American living overseas and it makes it so annoying always converting recipes. All of your recipes have been fabulous! This is my first time making this cake, but we make your biscuits every Saturday for a taste of home 🙂
You’re very welcome, I’m so glad they help! Thanks for your kind words, Lynsi! 🙂
Hi! Can I use coconut oil instead of canola oil?
Hi Tara! I think that would be fine. Enjoy!
Can I can leave out the coconut? Add raisins?
Hi Andrea, this recipe doesn’t use coconut. You can add raisins, though 🙂
Made my carrot cake today with this recipe and the taste is fantastic.
The aroma in my home is amazing.
Both the cupcake and cake pan came out well.
Thank you z
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Oma! 🙂
Can I add raisins to the cake? Will I have to alter anything to the recipe at all?
Hi June! You can add the and you will not need to make any other alterations. Stir them in with the carrots. I hope that helps! 🙂
Can we leave out the nutmeg?
Yup 🙂
Can you substitute the AP flour with cake flour?
Hi Tanya, I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not. I’d love to hear how it turns out for you if you try it that way.
I did and I must say, best carrot cake I’ve ever had. You named it appropriately. Loved it. Topped off Easter dinner. 🙂
Can you use a 13.x 9 pan instead of two round pans?
Hi Jackie! You can make it in a 9 x 13 but I’m not sure what the baking time would be.
Since making this Beautiful tasty & moist cake I have made 5 so far… It’s The Best ever Carrot cake recipe me & my family have tasted 👍😀
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the cake, Silei! 🙂
I made this as it is, without modifying anything and it’s a big hit with my super fussy family and friends! So happy to have found it.
I also did the cupcake version but it turned out a bit oily. I wonder what I did wrong?
Hi Maida! Did you make this recipe into cupcakes or did you use my other carrot cake cupcake recipe?
Hi there, I used your cupcake recipe. It’s still delicious and big hit at my son’s school. But it was a tad oily.
Hi Maida! Did you make this recipe into cupcakes or did you make my carrot cake cupcakes?
Do you think this would bake up okay if put into three layers.. Thanks
Hi Robin! You can certainly make this 3 layers. You could use the recipe as is and just have thinner cakes, or you could increase the recipe by 50%. Enjoy! 🙂
Can this recipe be made into three nine inch layers? If so, should it be doubled, and how should cooking time be adjusted?
Hi Vicki! I’d just increase the recipe by 50%. Check the notes for guidelines for baking in 9″ pans 🙂
I don’t like carrot cake – never have and most likely won’t order it ever! Having said that, my daughter, who knows how to work a situation – “So mom, one of my favorite things is carrot cake? (riiiiight that’s news to me) – will you make me one?” As she knows I voluntarily bake for soldiers, volunteer firemen, and physicians (I am a runner and had to have hip repair surgery) I literally baked my way into the entire orthopedic staff’s heart to include cinnamon rolls and croissants the morning of surgery – they need to eat too and I figured I’d be asleep for the 4 hour procedure so why not make sure they had breakfast?). My surgeon and the residents love me and ask for all kinds of things now – I pop in from time to time. I digress … anyway, I read through the instructions and lo and behold Sam said another of her magic words – box grater – I responded to my daughter, “Okay princess, let me give it a try” – I am confident enough in my baking ability to make a recipe the way it is supposed to be made (sans macaroons those took 3 batches and a boatload of research to get right).
The carrot cake was incredible! Absolutely gorgeous loaves. No chunky stuff, full of flavor, the cake was tender (my sons hate the word moist) and the perfect happy day gift for those around me. I opted to make small loafs – (5 plus one decorative mini pan); it makes it easier to share with others. Oh and in case you are wondering – exactly 1 pound of carrots is what you need for the 340 grams (THANK YOU FOR USING WEIGHT MEASUREMENTS)”o). The only negative to this is that your fingers turn orange when grating. One may want to grate with a sandwich bag over the hand?
And Sam – I am the Tabitha (it’s actually biblical) – I could be your sister. I too, don’t do raisins (it’s why there are trust issues – oatmeal chocolate chip cookies should only have chocolate chips in them). Thank you again – tonight it’s shortbread cookies.
Thank you so much Tabitha! It sounds like you a very good, generous person and everybody that knows you is very lucky. There’s nothing like the smile on someone’s face when they see that container of treats coming. Am I right? I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake so much. You could definitely use a sandwich bag or a glove to grate your carrots. If you have a food processor, it’s even cleaner! I hope you loved the shortbread cookies too. Sorry for the delayed response. Happy baking! 🙂
This cake was so moist and good. I did put carrots in blender. I like them mor fine . I also put a drop of almond flavor in my mix. Also, a drop in cream cheese icing. It was a hit. I don’t usually like carrot cake, but this was really good. Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper!
I am so glad you enjoyed the cake, Dianne! 🙂
Really enjoyed this, I had a ton of carrots sitting in my fridge what a good way to use it!! I’m a huge cream cheese fan I love cheesecake I make a good strawberry cheesecake!!
I am so glad you enjoyed the cake, Andrew! 🙂