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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Do you know how I would make this cake in a bread pan. I tried making carrot cake in a bread pan before and it always sinks in the middle :0(
I haven’t tried this recipe in a loaf pan, but I think it would be fine to bake it that way. I would just divide the batter between two loaf pans and increase the baking time. I recommend checking them with a toothpick before removing them from the oven too, sometimes if a cake or bread is under baked that can cause it to sink in the middle.
Thank you for this recipe, Danielle! I’ve used it several times and everyone who tries this carrot cake is a major fan. I don’t want to eat carrot cake any other way. It’s perfectly most and the perfect level of sweet. I just moved to high altitude, however, and am nervous about adjusting the recipe to work at 7,000 feet. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks!
So glad you love the cake, Reece! 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 here. I hope that helps!
This is delicious, but I have a slight problem with my icing. It is very runny and doesn’t look like it will set like you have yours. I made cupcakes, so I want to pipe it onto the cupcake, but even after several hours in the fridge, it is still the consistency of a pancake batter. Any suggestions as to what I did wrong or how to thicken it up?
Hi, Alicia! Did you make sure to a block or brick of cream cheese? If you happened to use cream cheese spread in a tub that can cause the frosting to be runny. You can try adding a tablespoon or two of cornstarch to your frosting and see if that helps to thicken it.
For the brown sugar, is the measure “packed”?
For an angel food pan, about the same oven time as the Bundt pan?
Thanks so much!
Yes, I pack the brown sugar. I think the baking time should be pretty similar for an angel food pan as the bundt pan too.
I’m going to try this recipe soon. My only concern is the ground ginger, does it give the cake a strong ginger flavor? If so can I leave it out?
Thank you
It doesn’t give the cake a strong ginger flavor, but feel free to reduce the amount of ginger if you prefer.
Is the cake better fresh from the oven or cooled? I know a lot of carrot cake recipes ask to chill it in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Would that work with this cake?
Either way is fine! You may chill the cake for a few hours before serving if you prefer.
Can you bake this in a bundt pan?
Yes, baking time should be 45 to 60 minutes.
I was wondering if you could buy the shredded carrot ahead of time at the supermarket? I see it in small bags sold with the salad ingredients. Thanks!
I don’t recommend using them. The carrots you’re referring to aren’t shredded, they are just chopped finely and very dry. I recommend using freshly grated carrots in this cake.
The best carrot cake recipe ever indeed! ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you so much Danielle for this recipe ? I love it! ❤️
Hi,
I was wondering if it’s possible to substitute sugar in this recipe for maple syrup or honey? If so, what proportions would you use? Or if it’s not possible, can I just use 400g of brown sugar instead of adding another 100g of white sugar?
Trying to avoid it as much as possible.
And would the whole wheat flour and coconut oil work for this recipe? Thanks.
I don’t recommend using maple syrup or honey in this recipe. It would be fine to just use 400 grams of brown sugar too. I don’t recommend only whole wheat flour, but you can use half whole wheat and half all purpose flour. Melted coconut oil is fine too, but you do want your other ingredients to be at room temperature so the oil doesn’t solidify.
Hi,
Can I substitute the eggs for flax seed to make it vegan?
thanks!
You may be able use to use flax eggs, but I honestly haven’t tried it so I’m not quite sure.
Hi, can I use this recipe in making a carrot cake loaf? thanks.
I think that would be fine. It’s probably enough for two loaf pans and you would need to increase the baking time.
Hi, If I make the sponge and leave out the filling will it still be ok 2 days later?
It’s fine to make the cake layers 2 days in advance. I would recommend refrigerating them though.
Want cake or cupcake recipes without eggs.will u please share it
I don’t typically bake eggless cakes or cupcakes, sorry! You may be able to use flax eggs in some of my recipes, but I haven’t personally tried it.
I didn’t want to buy a cake for my birthday. Instead I tried this carrot cake recipe as this type of cake is my favorite.
The recipe was extremely easy to follow and the cake turned out beautifully. We haThe cake is so moist, and the frosting is to die for.
Thank you again for all your recipes! I haven’t found a bad one yet.
This cake is so tasteful and moist. My daughters adore it! Here in Greece, applesauce doesn’t exist, so I replaced it with -what else?- greek yogurt! Thank you for sharing so nice recipes! ?
Hi, Barbara! I have notes in the recipe for how to substitute the applesauce, you can use plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.
Hello can you use sunflower oil instead
As long as it has a neutral flavor that should be fine.
Made this for friends 60th birthday – a carrot cake fanatic. Said best ever tasted and frosting was also best shed ever tasted.
I made this for my husband’s 40th bday and he loved it! It was simple to do, and tasted delicious. I always thought I hated carrot cake- turns out I don’t! Thank you!
Hi could I use butter instead of the oil ? X
You probably could, but it will change the taste and texture of the cake some. I would recommend using oil so the cake stays moist.
Can you add nuts ,raisins to this cake
Yes, I have notes for how to add them in the baking tips section right above the recipe.
Does the baking time change if I’m using one 13×9 pan?
Yes, you will need to increase it. I have notes in the recipe for how to adjust for a 9×13 pan.
This recipe has come out absolutely delicious! I use sour cream instead of applesauce, the cake is so moist and full of flavour.
Hi Danielle! I’ve made your carrot cake several times & my family & I love it. This is my go-to carrot cake recipe. The cream cheese icing is amazing & perfectly complements this cake. I was wondering if I could substitute zucchini for the carrots in order to make it a zucchini cake w/ cream cheese icing? If so, would I use 3 cups of zucchini instead of carrots? Or how many cups of zucchini would you recommend?
Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed the cake, Heather! I haven’t tried it with shredded zucchini so it’s hard to say. Zucchini definitely has more moisture in it than carrots, so you may only want to use 2 cups if you try it. I also have a zucchini bread recipe here if that helps.
Cake turned out beautifully, I used puréed pineapple instead of applesauce and muscavado sugar instead of light brown sugar. Gorgeous cake! Thank you for sharing.
Is there anything I can use instead of the apple sause?
I have a note in the recipe for it, you can substitute it with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
This sounds wonderful! Can it be baked in a loaf pan?
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would be okay. I would probably make two loafs with it though.
This carrot cake is absolutely delicious. Ask my husband who just had it for his 70th birthday. Carrot cake is his favorite and this one his most favorite. I did grease my cake pans, and used parchment paper on the bottom and side then sprayed and floured my pans and the cake came out beautifully. I thought the icing was a little skimpy, so next time, I will increase it by 50%.
I tried this recipe on my daughter’s birthday and it came out very well. Thank you.
This was really great! Only thing I’d recommend is sifting the powdered sugar so you get a nice, smooth frosting. Thanks for the recipe!
Can I leave out the applesauce and add an extra half cup of grated carrots?
I haven’t tried it, but I would really recommend replacing the applesauce with something else that’s similar like yogurt or sour cream if possible.
Try using crushed pineapple instead of applesauce. It’s amazing
When you prepare your cake pans, do you not flour them, too?
I don’t, but you certainly can if you prefer to.
May I know if it’s okay if I bake 1 pan a t a time? Will
it be the same ? o should I make changes in cooking time for the 2nd pan? thanks so much
It will be fine, but the second one may not rise quite as tall if the batter sits for too long. If your pan is deep enough, you could bake it all at once in one pan and cut it in half.
Hello!
I only have one 10 inch pan, should I increase the amount of batter and the cooking time if I bake all the batter at once?
I haven’t tried it but if your pan is deep enough, you could increase the recipe by 1.5, bake it all at once, and cut it in half. If you have extra batter, you can always make cupcakes with it too.