Carrot Cake Recipe is sweet and decadent with layers of cream cheese icing. You can add nuts or omit based on your preference. This is the best carrot cake and so easy to make.
Homemade Carrot Cake Recipe has similar flavors of a spice cake. It is perfectly sweet and really moist. I’m actually not a huge fan of carrots and absolutely love carrot cake.
The carrots definitely help make it extra moist and amazing. I have been making this cake recipe for years along with Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe. My family also enjoys Easy Homemade Zucchini Cake Recipe and Chocolate Zucchini Bread.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
If you are looking for an Easy Carrot Cake Recipe, this is the one to make. The cake is completely made from scratch with simple ingredients. The results are so delicious.
We like making this cake for special occasions or for the holidays. It is rich and flavorful and always a family favorite. The delicious cream cheese frosting really completes this dessert.
It is truly the best carrot cake recipe with the perfect texture.
Ingredients
Cake
- All-Purpose Flour. For the most accurate measurements, spoon the flour into the measuring cup instead of scooping.
- Baking Soda. If you are out, try the Best Baking Soda Substitutes.
- Ground Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger. This blend of spices gives the cake a distinct taste that is wonderful.
- Large Eggs. Room temperature.
- Oil. Canola oil or vegetable oil. You can also use melted coconut oil, but the cake will have a very slight coconut taste once baked.
- Vanilla Extract. Pure vanilla extract is best.
- Grated Carrots. This ingredient adds so much moisture to the cake. It really makes for such a moist carrot cake recipe.
- Crushed Pineapple. Make sure to drain the fruit.
- Nuts. Chopped into small pieces. I prefer walnuts or pecans.
- Granulated Sugar. Some people like to also use brown sugar. You can certainly use both if desired to equal the same amount.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Double the frosting if you are frosting the entire sides of the cake and not just between the layers.
- Cream Cheese. Softened at room temperature to make it easier to combine.
- Unsalted Butter. Softened but not melted.
- Powdered Sugar. Sifted is best but not necessary. However, it makes the frosting creamer if you do this step.
- Clear Vanilla Extract. You can use regular vanilla, but clear vanilla will keep the frosting white.
- Chopped Nuts. This is just for decoration and to garnish the cake with. You can omit this step if you don’t care for nuts.
Scroll to the bottom and get the complete ingredients.
Step By Step Instructions
- Step 1 – Heat Oven and Prepare Pans – First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and get your pan ready. You will need three 9-inch round cake pans. Go ahead and grease and flour each of those.
- Step 2. Mix the Dry Ingredients – Get a large bowl and whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
Step 3. Next, take out another mixing bowl and beat the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla.
Step 4. Combine until well blended using a mixer. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula.
Step 5. Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix until well combined. Make sure to not overbeat the batter.
Step 6. Now, gently add the carrots, pineapple and nuts to cake batter. Fold these into the batter until well combined.
Step 7. Finally, divide the batter into each of the round pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or just a moist crumb. Then allow to cool on a wire rack.
Step 8. Place the cake on a cake stand. Next, add a portion of the frosting and spread evenly on the layer. Repeat until all layers have been completed with remaining frosting. Finally, add chopped nuts to the top. Slice and serve.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- Step 1 – Sift Powdered Sugar – First, sift the powdered sugar to make sure any larger pieces are removed.
- Step 2 – Beat Cream Cheese – Second, beat the cream cheese in a separate bowl until it is light and fluffy. Add the butter and beat until smooth.
- Step 3 – Add in Powdered Sugar – Finally, it is time for the powdered sugar. Gradually add this a little at a time and beat until the icing is well combined.
- Step 4 – Stir in Vanilla – Once everything is the desired consistency, add the vanilla.
Storage
Since this cake has a cream cheese frosting, it is best to store in the fridge. But this frosted cake can stay at room temperature for 1 to 2 days if you prefer. It will last longer if you store in the fridge.
We usually cover the cake and place in the fridge for about 5 days.
Pro Tips
- Shred Carrots – I recommend shredding the carrots by hand instead of buying the pre-shredded bags at the grocery store. You will be able to grate the carrots much finer than what comes in the bags and the veggie will blend much better in the cake.
- Use a Cheese Grater – I prefer to use a cheese grater as opposed to a food processor because you need grated carrots. A food processor tends to make them too fine and even mushy or pureed almost.
- Parchment Paper – Put parchment paper around the edges of the bottom cake layer once you put it on the cake stand to get ready to frost. Once finished, just remove the paper and you have a perfectly clean cake stand without any icing to clean up.
- Powdered Sugar – We recommend sifting the powdered sugar for mixing in with the frosting ingredients. This ensures that there is no lumps in the frosting.
- Room Temperature – Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before mixing.
- Clear Vanilla – Mix the frosting ingredients with clear vanilla. This makes sure that the frosting stays white.
- Combining Ingredients – We recommend combining ingredients until mix together. You do not want to overmix the ingredients as it could result in a cake that is dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes you end up with a dry cake and that is never fun. This can happen if you bake the cake too long or overmix the batter.
Make sure to only mix until the batter is blended and don’t keep mixing and mixing.
The carrots help to make this cake really moist. You can also add raisins to the cake batter before baking to make it even more moist.
Oil is better for carrot cake than butter. This is what keeps the carrot cake so moist and helps the carrot cake last for days.
Yes, you can easily make cupcakes with this Carrot Cake Recipe. Simply combine the ingredients and fill cupcake liners with the batter. Bake the cupcakes for about 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow cupcakes to cool on wire rack and then frost with the cream cheese frosting.
Yes, this is the perfect cake to make ahead of time. Carrot cake is a staple holiday cake that we enjoy during the Easter holiday. We think that it taste even better the next day.
Save time, and make this carrot cake at least a day before serving.
Yes, you can freeze carrot cake that has reached room temperature. Make sure to store in a freezer safe container and wrap cake in plastic wrap and foil. It will last about 3 months if store properly.
When you are ready to serve, allow call to thaw in the fridge and then serve.
More Carrot Cake Recipes
- Carrot Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
- Keto Carrot Cake Recipe
- Carrot Cake Truffles
- Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe
Try this Carrot Cake Recipe for the perfect dessert. It’s great for holidays or anytime during the year. Leave a comment once you try it!
Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups oil canola or vegetable
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 1 can 15.25 oz crushed pineapple, drained well
- 1 ½ cups nuts chopped, walnuts or pecans
- Frosting: double this if you are frosting the whole cake
- 1 block 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract ** see notes
- Decoration:
- Chopped nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Grease and flour three round 9 inch cake pans
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla until smooth
- Add flour mixture and beat on low until well combined, but don’t overbeat
- Fold in carrots, pineapple and nuts until well combined
- Divide into prepared pans
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
- Remove from oven to wire rack and allow to cool completely
- Frosting:
- Sift powdered sugar into medium size bowl to remove any large pieces (you don’t have to do this step, however it does make the frosting creamier)
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy and smooth
- Add butter and beat until fluffy and smooth
- Gradually add powdered sugar, beat until smooth
- Beat in vanilla until smooth
- Decorating:
- Add one layer of cake to plate or cake stand
- Add ⅓ of frosting, spread evenly
- Repeat with another cake layer
- Add top layer and frost as desired
- Chop nuts and decorate cake
