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!
This site contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission.
Thank you for sharing the carrot cake recipe, simply the best! Outstanding, moist, and can’t stop making it!!!!
Hi Danielle.
I’ve just come across this recipe and it looks so delicious. Just a question, you mentioned that you can use yogurt instead of applesauce. Is 2% Greek strained yogurt okay and will it change the taste? Thank you ?
Yes, that will be fine! It won’t affect the taste.
Hello! I want a pretty tall cake, so can I use 3 8” cake pans? Will I need to change the recipe? Thanks
I would probably multiply the recipe by 1.5 and increase the baking time for the cake layers.
Hi there!
My dad requested carrot cake for his birthday dessert so I will be making this recipe tonight. Is the nutrition posted somewhere?
Hi, Sarah! I’m not sure about the nutritional information, but you can plug everything into an online calculator to get an estimate.
Hi Danielle,
I am thinking about making your carrot cake recipe for my daughter, however she needs it to be gluten free. Whenever I have made anything with gluten free flour it comes out dry. Do you have any suggestions?
Helen
Hi, Helen! I don’t have much experience with gluten-free baking, especially with this recipe. I would recommend trying a gluten-free flour that substitutes 1:1 for all-purpose flour though.
I’ve tried about 5 carrot cake recipes cuz my sister loves it so much and this is by far the best!! Today is her birthday so I took a chance on this recipe and she said “this cake is definitely worthy of being my birthday cake”. The cake was so moist and absolutely perfect! I only had cane sugar so I used it in place of the two sugars and also cut it in half cuz I don’t like desserts that are too sweet. I also didn’t have applesauce so I used an equal amount of sour cream. I grated some fresh ginger and generously added the cinnamon and nutmeg. Turned out amazing!! I accidentally left the cake in the pan to cool but I’d definitely advise using the cooling rack. I’ll be remaking this recipe and trying out different variations! Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Danielle, I have two questions. If I only have one round cake pan, can I place one cake layer in the oven at a time, will that effect the pending cake batter in any way. As well, is there a trick of the trade to level the cake without a turn table? Would appreciate any advice, thanks! excited to try it out.
The second one may not rise *quite* as high if you let it sit too long, you’ll want to let your pan cool off before adding the other half of the batter. If your pan is deep enough, you could bake it all at once and increase the baking time. As far as leveling it, I really like to use a wire cake leveler, if you don’t have one I would just cut slowly and carefully to avoid cutting too much off.
Hello – if I were to attempt to swap use sweetened apple sauce for unsweetened (it’s all i could find), what adjustments would you recommend to the sugar content?
Thank you 🙂
You can reduce the granulated sugar by 2-3 tablespoons, but it shouldn’t be enough to make a huge difference.
Hi Danielle,
May I half the amount of sugar? I’m afraid it will be far too sweet as it is. Would you suggest using 150g of brown sugar and 50g of granulated sugar in total?
You can reduce the sugar, but I would only recommend reducing it by about 25%. If you reduce it too much it can affect the texture of the cake.
If I left the gingerbread would the cake still taste all right?
If I left the ginger out would the Cake still taste all right?
It would be okay to leave it out. I would probably replace it with some more cinnamon or add a bit more nutmeg.
Can I add more cinnamon on it ginger if I don’t have nutmeg? How much more should I put it which?
If you don’t have any nutmeg, I would probably just add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
I am 75 years old and was always afraid of carrot cake. . But ventured it. In 3 months I have made it 3 times . That tells you how good it was . I made it as a sheet cake ?. It was very yummy!
Hi Danielle
My oven is too small to fit two 9 inch pans at the same time. Is it possible to bake this carrot cake in one deeper pan and slice it into two layers when it is cool?
Yes, that would be fine! You’ll just need to increase the baking time.
Hi Danielle
Thank you for this beautiful recipe!
I am a home baker and always trying to find easy, cost-effective recipes.
I used your recipe for a batch of cupcakes (50 to be exact) for an order I received and my customer was super impressed!
He has since requested a carrot loaf too, but I’m not certain if this recipe would be ok to use for a loaf and how long I would need to bake it.
Do you have any suggestions please?
Take care
I think it would be fine to bake this in two loaf pans! I’m not sure on baking time, but I would guess 40-50 minutes.
Hello, I’ve been making this cake for some time now and it’s always a winner! My question is though, if I were to put this in a rectangular tray with no layers should I alter the cooking time or should I just stick to the recommended round tins??
Thank you
Hi, Taylor! You can bake it in another pan. Do you mean a 9×13 pan? If so, I have directions in the recipe notes for how to do bake it in a pan that size.
Hi Danielle,
I’m trying to bake this recipe for my husband’s birthday but I only have 6 inch pans, how long should I bake this for? thanks!
I’m really not sure how long they would need to bake. I would just keep an eye on them and test them with a toothpick to make sure they’re done.
Hi Danielle, I’m getting ready to make this cake for the first time and realized I don’t have any ginger. How much of a difference will that make in the outcome of the cake?? Thanks!
It will change the flavor just slightly, you can replace it with some extra cinnamon to make up for it.
Is it okay to use salted butter when making the cream cheese frosting?
That would be fine!
Dear Danielle,
Hello! This is my first time ever commenting on a recipe, but I feel like I HAD to comment here because the feedback I received after baking your carrot cake recipe was so overwhelmingly positive, I just had to tell you that I totally agree with your headline and it “IS the BEST Carrot Cake Recipe.
As the resident baker in my family, I am often expected to bring some baked goods to any sort of family gathering I attend, so I have become quite used to googling things that I don’t know how to do or want to try. Some of the best recipes I’ve ever found I’ve found this way. So, when September of last year came around and I thought of what to make for my dad’s birthday, I googled “carrot cake” because he just absolutely LOVES carrot cake. I found your recipe, pulled out my two 9 inch pans and set to work.
I should probably tell you here that I don’t like carrot cake. Never have. But, this wouldn’t be the first time I make something that I myself don’t eat (I’m what you might call a “picky eater”, or what some of my friends from the south lovingly refer to as “particular”).
So, when the cakes came out of the oven, the looked kinda weird to me, TBH. I washed my hands and kinda poked them with my finger, wondering, “is it supposed to look like if it has a bad case of hives?” But, I always trust the recipe, so I went with it.
I really suck at icing things, so I am too embarrassed to post a picture of my results, but I took it to my parents’ house that night. At the family dinner where my parents, my brother, his wife, my 9 year old nephew, my uncle and aunt on my dad’s side and their daughter, my cousin. So, 8 people to eat double-layer 9 inch carrot cake. I honestly thought they’d be leftovers, because my mother has never been a huge fan of carrot cake and my nephew is rather “particular” himself when it comes to food….
But I was wrong. There was no carrot cake left as soon as it was brought out, my dad LOVED it, my mom loved it, my brother had to be threatened by his wife to keep him from having extra slices so everyone can have some, my aunt, uncle and cousin (who had never tried carrot cake before but had – they later confessed to me – tried it just to be nice because who ever heard of carrots in a cake?)(they’re cuban and only been in this country for about 7 years now) absolutely ADORED it and even my nephew had a slice.
Fast forward one month later and I get a call from my SIL to ask me to make the cake again for my brother’s birthday for the little party they were having. When I asked my brother what he wanted as a gift for his birthday he said, “Carrot cake.” So, it occurred to me I wouldn’t be able to take a little 9 inch cake to a party of over 20 people, so I doubled the recipe and bought two 12 inch cake pans and made a two layer 12 inch carrot cake.
My SIL had to hide a couple slices so they could have it after everyone had gone – people kept asking her, “Anymore carrot cake left?” and she very stone-facedly repoted, “Nope, so sorry…want some more wine?”
BUT…that’s not all. My cousin who works with me reported about my carrot cake to our co-workers, who wasted no time in telling me that our boss’ favorite desert was carrot cake. So…mid-November, I made the 12 inch double layer cake again.
And, once again, it vanished in the blink of an eye. People were bartering for other people’s slices, one guy even asked me why the pregnant lady got a bigger slice and when I said she was eating for two told me, “I don’t think that’s fair.” (he realized what he’d said just after it came out of his mouth and he took it back, but we still haven’t let him live it down), people were calling me to ask me if there was any left — as if I would’ve hidden some under my desk or something — and a week later people were still talking about the carrot cake.
You might be wondering why I didn’t tell you any of this until today, nearly 8 months after my first carrot cake?
Well, last week, I asked my mom what she wanted me to make for Mother’s Day for her….her answer?
You guessed it….carrot cake.
When I said, “Really, mom? Carrot cake, again? You don’t want something new?” Mom replied, “But it’s just SOOO good!”
So, I’ve either got to thank you for such an amazing recipe, or curse you for relegating me to making carrot cake for the rest of my life…
Grateful/Ungratefully Yours,
Jen C.
So happy to hear that everyone has loved the cake so far, Jenny! Thank you!
I enjoyed reading this comment! I laughed out loud about the cake having a case of hives.
I made this carrot cake and cream cheese icing a few weeks ago and it was delicious!! Truly is the best!!
The cake turned out great! Thanks for the recipe! Quick question, do you know how to avoid the hint burnt cake taste? I’ve looked online and it seems to either be cause from baking soda or baking powder or a combination of both. Or is it from “overfilling” one tray?
Hi, Charlene! I’m not quite sure what you mean? Did the cake taste burnt to you?
hi! is it possible to prep any of this a day ahead?
Yes! You can make the cake and refrigerate it overnight. Or you can prep the cake layers and frosting, wrap them tightly, and refrigerate overnight. A little before you’re ready to frost the cake, just set the frosting out so it can come to room temperature and then frost it.
Ok, So, first of all, thank you for the recipe!
This is the second time and making this cake and it came out perfect, again! There is no way to get it wrong if people follow everything explained here. First time I added some almonds, second time I didn’t. It’s my wife’s favorite cake, so I am glad I am able to make it a cake THIS good. Also, I am not a baker, this was the first cake I ever made.
Thank you again!
I am baking this at 5000 ft elevation (Colorado). Does more flour need to added due to high altitude? Thanks!
Hi, Stacey! I’m not familiar with high altitude baking, but King Arthur Flour has a great guide on their website for how to adjust recipes for high altitude.
Do you think using coconut oil would change the recipe much?
Coconut oil would be fine, it may give the cake a slightly different taste but it shouldn’t be too noticeable. If you do use coconut oil, just make sure your other ingredients are at room temperature so it doesn’t solidify.
Hi, could I replace the baking soda and baking powder with self raising flour? Thanks
I haven’t tried it, so I’m not quite sure.
As it was my first time baking a carrot cake, I scoured the web looking for a good recipe and boy am I glad that I found this one! I followed the recipe to a T with the exception of one substitute – sour cream for apple sauce – and the cake turned out perfect. It was extremely moist and delicious ? Thank you, Danielle!
I made this recipe yesterday and everyone was delighted with this carrot cake, it has a delicious flavor, they have even told me a lot that it tastes better than one bought, I recommend the recipe 100%
This recipe is fantastic … I use it regularly. Thank you
Hello! Thank you so much for this recipe! I can’t wait to make it for my husband’s birthday this weekend. I am wondering if it would be possible to substitute the oil for extra applesauce. Do you think this would change the cake a lot? Thanks again! 🙂
You could probably substitute 1/4 of the oil with 1/4 cup of applesauce. I wouldn’t recommend using only applesauce though, you do need some fat in the cake.
Best ever! Mike drop
How will sour cream vs applesauce alter the cake? I have both and am having a hard time deciding which to use..
They sour cream will make it just *slightly* denser, but it’s not too noticeable. If I had to choose, I prefer the applesauce but they both work just fine!
I have all the ingredients but forgot the apple sauce and don’t have the substitutes ? anything else I could use?
Do you have anything that’s a similar consistency to applesauce?