With its outstanding spice flavor, super moist crumb, and velvety cream cheese frosting, this is truly the
best carrot cake. Use brown sugar and toasted pecans for deeper flavor.
This is my favorite recipe for homemade carrot cake! This cake is so easy to make, perfectly moist, and
topped with an easy homemade cream cheese frosting.
I don’t call it carrot cake. I call it “birthday cake.” It’s my one and only choice on my big day. I’ve
adopted this tradition and make my own carrot birthday cake each year. And, of course, we never limit
it to only once per year. This cake graces our Easter table and I love making it for spring brunches,
baby showers, and our community’s new bake sale.
In fact, this carrot cake recipe is so popular around here that I stopped asking what everyone wants for
dessert! Because it’s always this!
Carrot Cake Perfect for Any Celebration
This recipe will forever change your opinion on what carrot cake is supposed to be. All the best things
in one utterly divine slice of cake:
Tender softness. A melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Moist crumb. No dryness in the slightest here.
Plenty of finely shredded carrots
Perfect level of sweetness.
Great blend of spices and vanilla for a boost of flavor.
Fluffy yet stable.
Finished with a decadent frosting. Cream cheese frosting is the only way to go here.
I’ve made this cake probably close to 100 times. I’m always looking for an excuse to make it and will
continue to do so. When I’m throwing out options for someone on their birthday this always has a way
of being the top idea on the list :).
And of course it’s the best cake to serve for a spring celebration or Easter. This year I’ll be making half
the recipe and doing one layer (which can be done in a 9-inch round or 8 by 8 pan) for our small family
of four.
And if you’ll be celebrating the holiday eating on your own or just two of you, you could always make
cupcakes and freeze some for later.
Sending love to each of you. I hope you are finding some joy in cooking and baking these days.
I’m thinking of you, and praying for all of you in these trying times. Holding on to hope for a better
tomorrow. This too shall pass in time.
In the meantime let’s be there for each other, from a distance.
What Does This Carrot Cake Taste Like?
This carrot cake sets the standard for carrot cakes everywhere. It’s deeply moist and filled with toasted
pecans. Most of its flavor comes from brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and carrots. Ginger
adds the most delicious zing, but it isn’t overpowering at all. The cake is dense, but each forkful tastes
super soft and extra lush. If made ahead, the flavor intensifies and the cream cheese frosting seeps into
the layers, creating an even more tender bite.
So if you’re looking for a make-ahead cake whose taste and texture won’t be compromised, make this!
It’s a total classic and 1 taste converts everyone, even those silly people who “don’t like carrot cake”.
Who ARE you people?! 😉
What You Need
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.
Vegetable oil: Canola oil will work great too.
Unsweetened applesauce: Another 1/2 cup of vegetable oil can be substituted if needed.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar: Stick with the blend of both. If you don’t have brown sugar you
can mix 2 tsp molasses to 1 3/4 cups total white sugar.
Vanilla extract: This just adds a light background flavor. Vanilla bean paste works well too.
All-purpose flour: Bleached or unbleached flour may be used.
Baking powder and baking soda: Stick with the blend for a good rise.
Salt: Standard table salt or sea salt work great here.
Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger: I’ve found this is my favorite blend of spices to use here. If you love
that spice flavor you can double the nutmeg and ginger.
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.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CAKE
Cooking spray
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. rasisins
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 c. pecans, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
3 c. grated carrots
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 stick butter, softened
8-oz. block cream cheese, softened
4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 360° and grease 2 - 8" round cake pans with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk
together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
In another large bowl with a hand mixer , beat together sugar and oil
until well combined. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition, then add vanilla. Mix in
dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in carrots, pecans, and raisins.
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out
clean, 50 minutes. Let cool 17 minutes then invert cakes onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Make frosting: In a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat again until smooth and a spreadable consistency.
Frost cake as desired and garnish with pecans.