The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
Homemade Carrot Cake is perfectly moist, tender and delicious. It is surprisingly simple to make and is topped with an easy homemade cream cheese frosting. Watch the video tutorial below and see how easy it is!
We have a fair share of cakes on our blog, and this one is hands down the best and our most favorite one. We already have a delicious Carrot Poke Cake which you can try.
Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
Carrot Cake is a very popular dessert that a lot of people tend to make around Easter. Even though this dessert is the perfect one for it, we believe it should truly be enjoyed all year long.
We have tried many variations of this carrot cake recipes, and this is the best you can get! It will result in a perfectly moist, flavorful and delicious cake. The texture is also amazing, and it looks so festive.
In addition, it has the right amount of spices, and yes, that all-time favorite cream cheese frosting of ours. It is not too sweet, with the right amount of carrots and a mixture of both butter and oil that complements it tremendously well.
You can decorate it the way you like, and with various toppings. Sometimes, we top it with some nuts or chopped pecans. Also, adding some coconut flakes or simply using some whipped cream works just as well.
Once you give it a try and realize how easy it is to make, you will be making it over and over again.
How to grate carrots for carrot cake?
We donāt like to skimp on the carrots when it comes to this recipe, so we use 3 cups of grated carrot. This is usually about 4 large carrots. Before grading them, make sure to peel them off. You can use a box grater to grate your carrots, on in a food processor.
With a box grater:
- First, peel them.
- Then, place it against the side of the grater that has the smallest holes using a downward motion.
With the food processor:
Use the āshredā blade to finely process them. If they are not as fine as you would like, switch to the standard blade and briefly pulse the carrots until they are finely shredded. But make sure not to overdo this step, as you do not want to end up with a purĆ©e.
Can I substitute applesauce for oil in carrot cake?
Yes. Applesauce can be substituted with oil, just to make sure when doing so, to use a 1:1 ratio. We have tried this recipe both ways, and personally, like oil better because the oil will keep the moisture better in the cake.
In addition, replacing the oil with applesauce will impact the texture, and might result in a drier cake.
Should I put a carrot cake in the fridge?
Absolutely, and we highly recommend doing so! We like to make it at least 1-2 days in advance, as the cream cheese frosting sits, it absorbs better with the cake, making it really flavorful and moist. Typically, a cake will last in the fridge for 5-6 days.
Can I freeze the carrot cake?
Yes, and this is a perfect dessert to freeze. It can be frozen by individual slices in airtight containers for several months. Simply, wrap it with aluminum foil, this way you can thaw slices one at a time, as needed.
Also, you could freeze each cake layer prior to assembly. Once the layers are baked, make sure they are completely cooled. Then, store each layer in a ziplock freezer bag separately, and freeze for up to three months. When ready to serve, remove from freezer the night before, and frost it the next day!
Carrot cake recipe tips and notes
- We used three 8-inch cake pans in this recipe and really like the size of it.
- Ensure the measure precisely the dry ingredient as per recipe notes, and do not pack the flour into the measuring cup. Otherwise, youāll end up with too much in your recipe.
- Also, we really love adding some spices to it, such as ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. They all add such a wonderful flavor to this cake and also are not too overpowering. However, skip them if you are not a fan.
- Similarly, we use a bit more brown sugar than granulated sugar because it adds more moisture and flavor to it.
- You can decorate it the way you like by adding nuts or other ingredients. Also, adding and mixing some raisins into the batter is another option.
Watch Recipe Video:
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Best Homemade Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- Baking Spray for the pans
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon ground
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg ground
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup raisins rinsed and drained
- Cream Cheese Frosting
Garnish:
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray 2 8-inch cake pans with baking spray, cover the bottom to fit with parchment paper and spray again with baking spray. Use 3 pans for thinner layers. Set aside.
- Add raisins to a small bowl, top with boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain well and place on paper towels to dry.
- In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk to combine and aside.
- Add wet ingredients to a large bowl: eggs, oil, buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract. Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer), whisk on medium speed until fully combined.
- Reduce mixer speed to low, and slowly add the dry ingredients mix. Stop from time to time to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Whisk just until fully combined.
- Once combined, stir in shredded carrots, chopped walnuts, and raisins.
- Divide the batter equally into the prepared pans.
Bake:
- Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking process. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about after 25-30 minutes of baking.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the pans. Let it cool in the pans for about 20-30 minutes.
- Invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack. Round side up. Cool completely before frosting.
Frost the Cake:
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting according to recipe directions.
- In needed, use a serrated knife or cake leveler, slice the layer's top to make them flat.
- Add 1/4 cup of frosting onto the bottom of a cake stand.
- Place the first layer onto the cake stand. Add about 1 cup (or more if needed) of frosting onto the cake layer and using an offset spatula, spread the frosting evenly, to create a 1/2-inch layer.
- Add another layer on top and repeat.
- Cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Use chopped walnuts to garnish the sides and top edges of the cake.
- Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, or until somewhat stiff before serving.
- Stored in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Preferably in an airtight container.
Video
Nutrition
Carrot cake is my favorite cake! I have it every year for my birthday! Your cake looks heavenly! I look forward to having this for my birthday!
My kiddo LOVES carrot cake! I canāt wait to try this for his birthday! This looks amazing!
It looks amazing! I canāt wait to try your recipe this weekend!
I love everything about carrot cake. Itās so moist and the flavor is amazing. And the cream cheese frosting? YUM! Now Iām craving carrot cake. lol
I am just so in love with recipes like this. I can imagine myself having a huge bite already. This is a type of cake that I like.
I think carrot cake is my new favorite these days. Those photos make me want to eat one right now!
Save me a slice! The sweetest treat for spring and Easter.
That is one of the prettiest carrot cakes I have ever seen! I bet it does taste delicious.
This is an Easter staple! Looks amazing!
That looks delicious! Iāve been looking for a good carrot cake recipe to try this year and I think i have found a winner!
I cannot wait to try this!Iāve been looking for a for a good carrot cake recipe. Looks and sounds amazing.
Iāve never baked my own carrot cake. I only tried it several times in my life, but found those cakes extremely sweet. Should I go after your recipe?
I havenāt had carrot cake in years. This recipe looks so delicious. Canāt wait to make it.
This is the first cake I ever made and it turned out great! It wasnāt too sweet and it was moist.Thank you very much for this awesome recipe and all the tips and instructions. It was really helpful for a novice like me.
Where can I find the cream cheese frosting recipe?
It is listed in the recipe link in the post. But you can find it here as well: https://sweetandsavorymeals.com/cream-cheese-frosting/
This cake is so delicious and has a lot of flavor. Itās one of my favorites. Thank you!
This looks so moist! I am loving the three layers and that icing!
This Carrot Cake looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
Wow, that looks amazing!! I wish so much I had a gigantic slice of that right now!
I have always loved carrot cake, but this is next level delicious! Looking forward to baking this again soon!
This is such a gorgeous cake!! Everyone at my house will love it!
I am drooling over that frosting. It looks so good
Oh me, oh my! This carrot cake recipe is just sheer, sheer perfection! I even have some carrots so I think Iāll have to try this out for myself.
I tried to make carrot cake a month ago and it turned out not great. My grandma used to make carrot cake and I remember it being orange. Have you ever seen anything like that?!
Hi
Whatās the purpose of rinsing the raisins.
Can I make this into cupcakes?
totally!
How long do we bake for cupcakes?
about 25 minutes
I made this delicious recipe, except i swaped out the raisins for a cup of drained pinapple tidbits, and I made a browned butter cream cheese frosting. It was the best carrot cake i have ever made
Your directions say this recipe is for a 2-layer cake but the photo shows a 3-layer cake. Iām confused.
I just tried this carrot cake recipe and it turned out amazing! The video made it super easy to follow. Thank you for sharing such a delicious treat! š°š„