This carrot cake recipe is delicious, super moist, and flavorful, thanks to all the spice added, brown sugar, and carrots. This carrot cake it’s perfect for any occasion, not only around Easter, but any other celebration like birthdays, or if you’re craving something sweet and cakey. For sure, this is my favorite carrot cake recipe!
You’ll love how it’s simple and quick to make this moist and perfectly spiced carrot cake with a soft, velvety cream cheese frosting. I guarantee there is no failure in making this cake every time!
Table of Contents
CARROT CAKE INGREDIENTS
The ingredients needed for this carrot cake are simple, and I bet you already have some of them in your kitchen!
- Flour – you can use all-purpose flour or mix 50/50 white flour with whole-grain flour. You can also use gluten-free flour only to make sure that does contain xanthan gum.
- Baking soda – helps the cake to rise and darken its color.
- Spices, salt, and vanilla extract – give the cake flavor, and ginger adds the most delicious zing, but it isn’t overpowering at all.
- Oil – keeps the cake delicate and moist. You can use any neutral-flavored oil or melted coconut oil if you don’t mind a slight coconut flavor in the cake.
- Sugar – makes the cake moist, light, and delicious. I have used turbinado sugar, but you can also use brown or coconut sugar.
- Eggs – provide structure to this cake, giving it firmness, lightness, and stability.
- Carrots – grate carrots by hand or in a food processor, but do not use packaged pre-shredded carrots because they are hard and dry.
- Nuts – you can use any nuts, but walnuts or pecans are the best. I love the crunch that the nuts give to this carrot cake. But I know some people can’t stand adding nuts to the cake. They are optional, so go with what you love.
- Fruits – add raisins or chopped pineapple for a more fruity carrot cake. Plus, the fruits will add even more moisture to this cake. Use fresh or canned pineapple, and if using canned pineapple, drain it well before adding it to the cake. I do not recommend adding more than 1 cup of fruit. If you decide to add both raisins and pineapple to the recipe, go for ½ cup of each.
HOW TO MAKE CARROT CAKE
It’s very easy and quick to make this carrot cake recipe! You just need a stand or hand mixer and a bowl to make it!
Carrot Cake Batter:
Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Then beat the sugar with oil for a minute. Then add eggs one at a time and beat for 2 minutes until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients in three parts. Using a rubber spatula, fold delicately both wet and dry ingredients together until you don’t see any big pieces of flour.
When the batter is ready, add the nuts and if using fruits, fold gently. Last, add grated carrots and again fold gently.
Divide the batter between two greased and floured baking pans and bake for 35-40 minutes. After baking, let the cake layers cool, then frost with the cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
I’ve been using traditional cream cheese frosting with cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla (I will attach the recipe to the recipe card) until my friend introduced me to this super easy, soft, and velvety cream cheese frosting!
The velvety cream cheese frosting does not set as tightly as traditional frosting, so If I am making this carrot cake as a birthday cake that needs full coverage, then I use the traditional frosting, which is thicker and clings well to the cake, but for everyday baking, the velvety cream cheese frosting is a winner to me!
If you don’t like frosting or if you don’t have the ingredients on hand, try this carrot cake as it is, without any frosting. This carrot cake is delicious and flavorful without any frosting.
This cream cheese frosting is perfect to use with my Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake recipe!
CAN I REDUCE THE SUGAR INDICATED IN THE RECIPE
Yes, you can. Cutting sugar in a recipe can result in less moist cake, but I find out that cutting ¼ of a cup in this recipe is safe, without significant change to this carrot cake, it will be slightly less sweet but still delicious!
CAN I MAKE CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES
Yes definitely. To make cupcakes, I recommend making half of the recipe to be able to fit in 12 cup baking pan and shorten the baking time to 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes in the cupcake pan before transferring them to a cooling rack.
CARROT CAKE STORAGE
Since there is a cream cheese frosting on the cake, it should be kept in the fridge and will keep for about 5-6 days. However, carrot cake without frosting, you can leave it on the counter for 1 or 2 days.
Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 2 Round baking pans 23 cm/9 in
- 2 Large Bowls
- Stand ou Hand Mixer
- Spatula
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups (260 g/9 oz) all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour with xanthan gum
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger powder, (optional)
- ¼ tsp nutmeg powder, (optional)
- ¼ tsp ground cloves, (optional)
WET INGREDIENTS:
- 1¼ cup oil, unflavored
- 2 cups (400g/ 14 oz) sugar, light brown or turbinado
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (100 g/3.5 oz) nuts of your choice, pecans or walnuts are best, coarsely chopped + extra ½ cup to decorate the top of the cake (optional)
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup (60 g/2 oz) raisins, (optional)
- ½ cup (100 g/3.5 oz) pineapple, cut in small pieces, (optional)
- 3 cups (2 large) carrots, peeled and grated
SOFT VELVETY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 1 cup (230g/8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1¼ cup (145 g/5 oz) powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream, (at least 36% fat)
TRADITIONAL CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 2 cups (460 g/16.2 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup (113g/4 oz) softened butter
- 4 cups (485 g/17 oz) powdered sugar
- 1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
CARROT CAKE:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350℉. Grease two round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper, grease the top of the paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups (260 g/9 oz) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp sea salt, 2 tsp ground cinnamon,1 tsp ginger powder, ¼ tsp nutmeg powder, and ¼ tsp ground cloves until well incorporated.
- In another bowl, add 1¼ cup oil, 2 cups (400g/ 14 oz) sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Using a stand or hand mixer beat for 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth.
- Using a spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the dry ingredients in three parts, gently stirring until they disappear and the batter is smooth.
- Fold in gently 1 cup (100 g/3.5 oz) nuts of your choice, ½ cup (60 g/2 oz), ½ cup (60 g/2 oz) raisins, and ½ cup (100 g/3.5 oz) pineapple. For last, fold in gently 3 cups (2 large) carrots.
- Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then remove the cake from the baking pans, remove the parchment paper, and let it cool completely.
SOFT VELVETY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- In a large bowl, beat 1 cup (230g/8 oz) cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add 1¼ cup (145 g/5 oz) powdered sugar, and beat until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Chill the frosting while the cake cools.
TRADITIONAL CREAM CHEES FROSTING:
- In a large bowl, beat 2 cups (460 g/16.2 oz) cream cheese and ½ cup (113g/4 oz) softened butter for 1 to 2 minutes (on medium speed) until smooth.
- Add 4 cups (485 g/17 oz) powdered sugar, 1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes (30 seconds on low speed then 2 to 3 minutes on high speed) until completely smooth and creamy.
- If it is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of cream or milk. If it’s too thin, add more icing sugar. If it’s too sweet, add a little more salt. This icing should be soft but not runny.
FINISHING:
- When the cake layers are completely cool, frost the top of one layer with the cream cheese frosting and place the other layer on top. Add the remaining frosting to the top of the cake.(If the cake is not evenly level because it has risen too much, gently trim the top before frosting.)Leave the sides unfrosted if you are using velvety frosting. If you're using traditional frosting, you can frost the entire cake. A traditional frosting is thicker and clings well.
- Decorate the cake with some nuts sprinkled on top of the cake.
