The BEST Carrot Cake Recipe
This is my favorite homemade carrot cake recipe! This cake is so easy to make, perfectly moist, and topped with an easy homemade cream cheese frosting.
I feel like carrot cake is a dessert most people tend to only make around Easter. But honestly, carrot cake is such an incredible dessert and I think it should be enjoyed all year long. Especially when it comes to this recipe!
I know it can be a bold statement to call a recipe the best, but I truly mean it with this one. In fact, over the last 6 years this recipe has received nearly 600 5-star reviews – and counting!
Originally posted in 2017, I decided it was finally time to update this popular recipe with more step-by-step photos and tips to ensure that it turns out perfectly for you. I guarantee that once you learn how simple it is to make your own carrot cake from scratch, you’ll want to make it over and over again.
What You Will Need
While there are quite a few ingredients in this recipe, I promise it’s fairly simple. I won’t cover every single ingredient, but I wanted to touch on a few important ones:
- Spices: There’s a mix of ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. All three spices add such a wonderful flavor to this cake, but aren’t too overpowering. Feel free to add more spices, if you prefer though.
- Oil: Any kind of neutral-flavored oil is fine to use here, but I typically use vegetable or canola oil. You may also use melted coconut oil, just make sure all of your other ingredients are at room temperature so that it doesn’t solidify.
- Applesauce: This adds the perfect amount of moisture, so you end up with a moist cake that isn’t greasy. I always use unsweetened applesauce whenever I make this recipe. If you can only find sweetened applesauce, just reduce the granulated sugar by 2 to 3 tablespoons.
- Sugar: I use a bit more brown sugar than granulated sugar because it adds more moisture and flavor to this carrot cake.
- Carrots: I don’t like to skimp on the carrots when it comes to this recipe, so there’s 3 cups of grated carrots. Make sure to use freshly grated carrots here too. Avoid using a bag of pre-shredded carrots as they are often too dry and thick for carrot cake.
- Cream Cheese: Make sure to use a block of cream cheese. Avoid using cream cheese that’s either whipped or in a tub, it’s typically too thin and will result in a runny frosting.
How To Make A Carrot Cake
Make The Cake Layers
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two 9-inch round cake pans well with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottoms of each pan with a parchment paper circle. This will make it much easier to remove your cake layers from the pan!
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt to a large mixing bowl and give it a good whisk.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together your oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract.
- Add the grated carrots to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Adding them at this point will ensure that they are fully incorporated into your batter and prevent you from over mixing it later on.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Make sure not to over mix your batter! This can overdevelop the gluten and cause the cake to turn out dense/gummy. Trust me, no one wants that.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between both cake pans. Tip: If you want to get perfectly even cake layers, I recommend using a food scale to weigh your cake batter.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly in the pans, then remove the cake layers from the pans and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Mix Together The Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the butter and continue mixing until well combined.
- Lastly, mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. If needed, stop and scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl to ensure that all of the frosting ingredients are thoroughly mixed together.
Assemble & Frost The Cake
- Level the tops of each cake layer. You may use either a large knife or a cake leveler for this step, I personally love this cake leveler. It’s a great option for beginners too!
- Place one of the layers on a cake stand and scoop a little over 1/2 cup of the frosting on top, then smooth it out evenly.
- Place the other cake layer on top and use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. An angled spatula or even the back of a spoon works great for this step! If you want to add a little something extra, feel free to toast some chopped pecans or walnuts and sprinkle them around the top of the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does carrot cake need to be refrigerated?
Yes, if you frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting it does need to be refrigerated. It will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Can you freeze carrot cake?
Of course! You can wrap individual slices with plastic wrap and freeze them in a large freezer bag.
The cake layers and frosting can also be frozen separately for up to 3 months. I do suggest wrapping the cake layers tightly with plastic wrap before freezing them.
How do you grate carrots for carrot cake?
The easiest method is to use a box grater and grate the carrots just like a block of cheese. If you have a food processor with a grater attachment, that works too.
I also recommend peeling your carrots and removing any brown spots or blemishes before grating them.
Can I add nuts or raisins?
Absolutely! Chopped walnuts or pecans would be fantastic in this recipe, I suggest using about 3/4 to 1 cup. If you love raisins, you may also add 1/2 cup.
Adjusting Your Pan Size
One of the most common questions is whether or not this recipe can be baked in another pan. The answer is YES!
Here are a few more commonly used baking pans that you can bake this cake in:
- 9×13: Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
- 8-inch round pan: Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a parchment paper circle. Pour the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Cupcakes: The full recipe will make 28 cupcakes. Only fill each liner about 2/3 of the way full so that they don’t overflow and bake for 16 to 20 minutes. I also recommend doubling the frosting to have enough to cover all of the cupcakes. If you prefer a smaller batch, try my carrot cake cupcakes instead.
Baking Tips
- When measuring your flour, don’t scoop it out of the container with the measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife. I have a whole post that explains the spoon & level method.
- Don’t have any applesauce? You may replace it with 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, or one 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple that’s been drained.
- I opted to stick with my favorite cream cheese frosting. It makes enough to frost the carrot cake like you see in the pictures. If you really love frosting, then I suggest increasing the recipe by half.
- Additional frosting options: If you want to try another frosting, my vanilla buttercream frosting, ermine frosting, or the whipped honey mascarpone frosting I used on my Pistachio Cake recipe would be delicious too.
Video Tutorial
The BEST Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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.
Ingredients
Servings: 10 slices
For the carrot cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (250 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup canola or vegetable oil (180ml)
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar (300 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (125 grams)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups lightly packed grated carrots (300 grams)
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 1 (8-ounce) package brick style cream cheese (226 grams) softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter (115 grams) softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar (240 grams)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the carrot cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two 9-inch round cake pans well with non stick cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with a parchment paper circle. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Add the grated carrots to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk or rubber spatula until just combined, making sure not to over mix the batter.
- Pour the cake batter evenly between both prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each one comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and allow to cool in the pans for 20 to 25 minutes. Once the cakes have cooled, remove from the pans and return the cakes to the wire rack to finish cooling.
- To make the cream cheese frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and mix for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until well combined and smooth.
- Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- To assemble the cake: Level the tops of each cake with a knife or cake leveler. Place one of the cake layers on a cake stand, top with a little over 1/2 cup of the frosting, and smooth it out into one even layer. Place the other cake layer on top and use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. Top with pecans or other toppings of choice, if desired.
Notes
Storage Instructions: Cake may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing Instructions: Cake and frosting will freeze well for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before assembling the cake.
Applesauce: You may replace the applesauce with 1/2 cup (120 grams) of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
To make a 9×13 cake: Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and pour the batter into the pan. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 35 to 45 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.
Adapted from Better Homes & Garden
More Carrot Cake Desserts To Try!
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Just made this for my mothers 70th birthday party. Her favorite cake is carrot and its very hard to pick a recipe when you’re not a regular baker. It turned out perfect and was a big hit, thank you! I did add 3/4 chopped pecans as you suggested and I’m glad I did. I also read your tips about flour and I learned something new.
I’ve never made carrot cale. Excited to use this recipe.
Does this recipe use any water or milk?
No, the oil and grated carrots help add moisture to the cake 🙂
Delicious! I used pre-grated carrots and a little less than the half cup of granulated sugar and all of the light brown sugar. It was very light and spongy! I used a bundt pan and baked it for 50 minutes. Came out perfect. The frosting is AWESOME! I could literally eat it by itself! I made the full batch but didn’t use all of it, so I will have to find something else to frost! I meant to add chopped pecans but I forgot, so I just sprinkled them on top. Added a nice crunch and looked pretty too. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you.
Is the light brown sugar packed? My scale doesn’t weigh in grams, so I want to be sure my measurements are correct. Thank you in advance!
Yes, it’s packed.
Can I make this cake ahead of time? I am hosting a Thanksgiving meal tomorrow and want to have as much done today as possible. Will it be nice and fluffy if refrigerated overnight? Sounds delicious!
Yes, it’s fine to make it ahead of time and refrigerate the cake layers!
This recipe was a hit with my family. It’s the best carrot cake recipe I’ve ever used.
When you say ground cinnamon and ginger, do you use fresh or dried?
I use dried for both.
Great recipe, made some modifications for what I had at hand and to reduce sugar for personal taste. Used 1 cup raw granulated sugar, no brown sugar, used greek yogurt instead of apple sauce. Used half while wheat half white unbleached flour. Baked in 10×15 glass baking dish (30mins) and only made half the amount of frosting as only went on top. Made a light springy tray cake for lunchboxes.
Hi~ I’m wondering if this cake can be made ahead and frozen (only for a few days)?
Yes, absolutely! You can store cover it tightly, freeze it, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
I didn’t have brown sugar so I added 1 cup of granulated sugar and the cake is still super moist, perfectly sweet and delicious. Wonderful recipe, my dear! Greetings from Romania!
Should I triple this recipe for a 11×15” sheet cake? My grandma is turning 101 next week and her favorite flavor is carrot cake. Thanks so much for your help!
I haven’t tried it, so it’s hard to say. You may only need to increase the recipe by 1.5. You could definitely double it just be safe and use any extra batter to make cupcakes.
I made this carrot cake for my my friend baby shower at work and everyone loved it. I had personally done may carrot cakes before throughout the years but this is absolutely the most most, soft and delicious cake I have done so far.
The frosting and cake were all so yummy and it all vanished away in minutes. Thank you for the recipe
Hello!
Can I use this recipe if I am using a bundt pan?
Thank you in advance
Janet
Yes, baking time would probably be 45-60 minutes.
Loved this! Made it for my husband’s birthday last week. Not too overpowering. I made a separate batch for my Mom with less sugar. She loved it as well! Do you think I’d be able to sub the flour with glutenfree flour?
So glad to hear that, Linda! I’ve never tried this recipe with gluten-free flour. If you’ve had success substituting the flour 1:1 in other recipes with a certain brand, it may be okay.
I have sweetened applesauce. Should I omit granulated sugar and add brown only?
I would reduce the granulated sugar by 2-3 tablespoons, maybe 1/4 cup, but I wouldn’t leave it out completely.
I’m wanting to make this for my nieces smash cake. How long do you think I should bake it with 6 inch cake pans? Thank you
It really just depends on how much batter you use and how many layers you’re making. I would just keep an eye on them, you’ll know they’re done when the top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
I made this and it is the best! So moist and delicious. I also made a french vanilla pudding for a filling and added spiced rum to the cake, filling and frosting. Didn’t add much just a bit to all to mimic a carrot and rum cake combo. It was amazing! Best cake. A week later it was still moist and just as good. The frosting cannot be better.
I also added walnuts for texture.
Apparently, if you don’t give this recipe 5 stars. Your review never makes an appearance lol. Glad you enjoyed it. Cause I did not.
I do post reviews even if they’re not 5 stars 🙂 Sorry you didn’t like the cake too. If you’d like to share why you didn’t like it, I can certainly try to help you figure out what may have happened or how you could adjust the recipe to fit your personal preference.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made the cake exactly as written without the cream cheese (didn’t have any). The cake was so incredibly sweet. I can’t imagine how sweet it would’ve been with the cream cheese. It left a film in my mouth afterwards because of all the sugar lol. I know some people like really sweet desserts (my husband). The cake itself is very moist and springy. I’m going to cut back on the sugar next time to suit my tastes. Otherwise, I think it’s a great starting recipe. I only have a 9×13 glass pan so I made it in that.
Hi, Hannah! You can certainly cut back on the sugar if you feel that the cake is too sweet. It would probably be okay to reduce the sugar by about 1/2 cup without changing the texture of the cake too much. Hope that helps!
I made half the recipe for cupcakes. Only used like 1/4 c brown sugar and 1 stevia pack and it was plenty sweet
Hi, what’s the best way to store this cake? Should it be refrigerated?
Yes, since the frosting has cream cheese in it you do want to keep it refrigerated.
What is the substitute for brown sugar? Can i omit it from my recipe
I don’t suggest leaving it out of the recipe. You can make a brown sugar substitute with granulated sugar and molasses if you don’t have any.
It was so easy to make and perfectly moist. Also light for a carrot cake. Added pecans and walnuts too. So deliscious. I did a practise run as i am making 30 cup cakes. Everyone loved it so thats me next weekend, baking some more.
This carrot cake is amazing. I would give 5 stars but I had an issue with the cream cheese frosting. It was too soft and added some more powdered sugar to help firm it up, but still soft. I will keep the recipe for the cake for sure, it is moist and flavorful. I added walnuts to mine. Thank you!
Sorry you had trouble with the frosting, Liz. Did you make sure to use a block of cream cheese? If you use cream cheese spread it will turn out soft. Glad you liked the taste of the cake though!
May I know the other options for apple sauce and ground ginger? If there is ? thanks in advance ?
You can replace the applesauce with plain Greek yogurt or sour cream and omit the ginger and add a little more cinnamon or nutmeg.
Can you make this in a bundt pan?
Cooking time?
Yes, I’d guess baking time to be 45-60 minutes.
Is it okay to use whole wheat flour?
You can use half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour.
This was amazing!! I didn’t have applesauce on hand, so I used nonfat plain Greek yogurt. I also added 3/4 cup of pecans. The cake came out so soft and fluffy. I will definitely be always using this recipe!
I have a question! What would be the baking time for 2- 8inch round pans?
I would guess 25-35 minutes.
What if I use butter instead of oil would it change the recipe
I would actually recommend sticking with oil in this recipe.
My first time making a layered carrot cake or any carrot cake ..it looks beautiful and im sure it’s going to taste better ! It for my daughter’s birthday , carrot cake is her favorite . I had a swell time preparing this for her ! I also did a Devil Dog Chocolate for my son their birthdays are 4 days a part . First time I’ve ever made this cake also ? looking forward to more of your recipes.
Made it for the first time! Excellent, very moist. I have the dark color cake pans, I think I would of baked it a pinch less. Also, my son wanted alot of frosting so I made extra. I wouldn’t do that again because the frosting is so rich it takes away from the cake. This will be the desert I will bring everywhere!!
Thank you for this recipe it’s perfect, moist, no to sweet and the frosting wow delicious
The photos show the cake in a rectangular pan so what gives with the round cake tins? I want to use rectangular pans. Any advice?
I’m not sure what you mean, the pictures show a round cake? You can bake the cake in a rectangular pan though, baking time will just depend on the size of your pan. For a 9×13 pan, it would be 35-45 minutes.