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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Hi,
Do you think I can substitute the carrot with grated fresh pumpkin? And maybe a little less applesauce because pumpkin has more liquids then carrots.
I honestly haven’t tried that, so I’m not quite sure.
Do I have to refrigerate this cake after it’s made? First time making this ?. Honestly I like cakes room temperature. I Feel like the fridge changes the texture. The smell from the oven is so nice! Can’t wait to try this. Thank you for the recipe ☺️
If it’s frosted you will need to refrigerate it, since the frosting has cream cheese in it.
I made this cake for my boyfriends birthday a few weeks ago. No joke, everyone who had a piece RAVED about how amazing it was with flavor and moistness! I used 8″ cake pans and made a double layer cake. I made a double batch of the frosting, just in case, and it was SPECTACULAR! I’ll never use any other recipe when it comes to carrot cake! Thank you so much!
Love that this is just a carrot cake recipe. So many recipes have pineapple and nuts, which my littles ones are not fond of. I did cut back the sugar to half cup and the brown sugar to one cup as it seemed like way too much for my liking. I ahould have cut the frosting sugar by half a cup too but decided it would make up the difference from the sugar I cut from the cake. It’s baking now and from what I can see and smell this cake has earned the best carrot cake label indeed. Can’t wait to take a bite. Thank you.
Hi, I hv 2 questions
1. A for th substitute for th applesauce, do i hv to use th same amount/weight? Let’s say substitute it with crushed pineapple or yogurt.
2. I plan to bake ths cake for my friend n she requested it to be plain without th frosting for her husband’s birthday. To me round/square pan will be too plain for such occasion. Will it be ok if i use 9″ bundt cake mould for ths recipe? How abt th baking duration?
Tq!
It depends on what you substitute it with, the yogurt should weigh about the same but an 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple that’s been drained will weigh a different amount. Both work just fine though. It’s fine to bake this in a bundt pan, baking time should be 45 to 60 minutes.
This is the best carrot cake ever! Im wondering if I can substitute sugar for stevia or splenda
I haven’t tried it in this cake, but sugar substitutes typically change the taste and texture of baked goods.
I have made this twice with cupcakes instead of a cake and everyone loves it! I use my own icing recipe so I can’t speak to that portion but everyone loves the taste and moisture of the carrot cake. The recipe is easy to follow and not at all difficult to accomplish. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Danielle
I was just wondering if I could use 1/2 cup of drained crushed pineapple instead of applesauce and if I could divide the batter into three 6” pans and reduce the time.
Yes, it’s fine to use the drained crushed pineapple. I haven’t tried it in 6-inch pans, but I think it would be okay to use three of them.
I was headed to a friends house for dinner and wanted to take along a special fall dessert to share. I found your recipe and I liked that it called for apple sauce and it had less oil than my go to carrot cake recipe. I gave it a whirl. I followed the recipe as it though I did add about 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts to the batter and added chopped walnuts to the sides after frosting. My husband loves walnuts and likes it when I add those to pretty much everything. It was so delicious, great texture and the perfect end to a wonderful meal with family and friends. Thank you! Your recipe is now my go to for carrot cake.
The cake is just delcious and the texture is amazing, I divided the icing recipe in half and did it but it turned out not thick enough, it’s probably cause I didn’t add enough icing sugar.
Hi Danielle, Thanks so much for gifting us this recipe!
I have a question- could you sub apple sauce for banana, or even just put banana in the recipe?
I have a very ripe banana I want to use up and love the taste of bananas in recipes
I haven’t tried it, but I think it would be okay to sub the applesauce for mashed banana. Just keep in mind that the cake may be a bit denser if you used mashed banana instead of applesauce.
Absolutely delicious! Any advice on cook time if I were to make cupcakes? My nephew requested carrot cake cupcakes for his birthday. Thank you in advance!
Hi, Lindsey! I have a note right after the recipe for how to bake them into cupcakes. You can divide it between 24 liners and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes. I also have a carrot cake cupcake recipe here.
Carrot cake is my all time favorite cake but I always just bought it. I am a home baker but I get intimidated to try and bake a carrot cake. I was looking for the Best Carrot Cake Recipe and I chose to try yours amongst all the ones I have found on the internet. All I can say is this is my first try baking a carrot cake and I was really happy that your recipe was perfect! I made it for my youngest son’s birthday last March and it was a hit with our family! It was so delicious I could not stop at just one slice! Tomorrow I am making it for our Thanksgiving and also my eldest son’s birthday. Thank you so much for sharing this perfect Carrot Cake Recipe!
Could I split the batter made from your recipe into 3 8inch pans to make it a 3 layer cake? Also what would the baking time be for that? Thanks.
I would actually recommend just dividing it between two 8-inch cake pans and increasing the baking time by 5 to 10 minutes.
Do you think I could reduce the number of eggs fro
4 to 3? Or even 2? My son has an allergy and though he can tolerate baked egg, 4 eggs is a lot. Would love to hear your thoughts!
I wouldn’t recommend reducing the eggs because it will affect the texture of the cake. You could possibly use an egg substitute like flax eggs, but I haven’t personally tried it.
Hi!! This recipe is lovely! Do you think I could cut the recipe in half and make just one 8-inch cake? (I only have one 8 inch cake tin) do you know in what ways I should adjust the cooking time? Or maybe you have a better tip
Thanks so much
Yes, that would be fine! You would need to increase the baking time by a few minutes if you bake it in an 8-inch cake pan too.
I am wondering if anyone has used sour cream as specified as an option, and if that makes the cake even more moist and delicious??
I’ve used it and it works just fine! The applesauce makes the cake a little lighter, but the taste and everything else is pretty much the same with the sour cream.
I baked this cake yesterday and it was amazing!
I had tried other recipes and they definitely weren’t as good as this one. The others used more than a cup of oil so I thought this would be dry, and I used greek yogurt instead of applesauce, but it was incredibly moist and delicious. It’s definitely the best carrot cake I’ve eaten. Everyone loved it, they even asked where had I not bought it. Haha
I’m never using another recipe again. Thank you so much!
Hi Danielle! Congratulations! This is a superb recipe! I tried it and loved it! I got two questions for you if possible to answer please:
1) can I do exactly half and bake as a loaf cake? Will the proportions work just as well for all ingredients?
2) can you give me an approximate calorie per 100 grams of cake?
Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed the cake! Yes, you can cut the recipe in half just fine and bake it in a loaf pan. I’m not sure on the nutrition information, but you could use an online calculator to get an estimate.
Loved this recipe! Made two small changes (maybe you could try em and see what you think???) instead of oil in the cake I used browned butter and instead of granulated sugar I used golden syrup. They were to die for! Still great recipe as is though!!! Thanks!
I just made this for my son’s 19th birthday-he wanted a carrot cake & I found your’s online. He absolutely loved it & so did the other 20 family members who were here celebrating with us! Followed the recipe exactly as written & it was perfect! So glad I found your website & am looking forward to trying more of your recipes! I am the mother of four boys who love to eat so I am always in search of new things to make. Thank you!!!!
I just tried this recipe and made cupcakes. They are delicious! And that cream cheese frosting is wonderful.! This was my first time making a cake from scratch and making the frosting. I’ve always been so intimidated to try it, but this recipe’s clear instructions made it a breeze. Will definitely be making again. Thank you so much for sharing!
Can you add raisins and nuts to the batter?
Yes, absolutely! You can use 3/4 to 1 cup of chopped nuts and 1/2 cup of raisins.
Hi! I want to try this recipe but could only find cream cheese light (with less than 40% fat). Do you think it works? Would it tasta as good? Thank you for your reply!
Estela
The frosting may be a little thinner than normal, but I think it will be fine!
Hi, this looks awesome! can i freeze it a week in advance, or would it be better to refrigerate it?
thank you!!
Hi, Trina! If you’re making it a week in advance, I recommend wrapping the cake layers tightly with plastic wrap and freezing them. You can thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
I tried this recipe for my first carrot cake ever (without the frosting though) and it turned out absolutely perfect and delicious. My husband and son could not have enough of it!
Thank you. Sending you warmth from Nigeria.
Love this recipe! I’m trying to make recipes that I can pass down to my kids,and this will be the carrot cake one that has that honor. I tried other recipes, but this is by far the best !!! Thank you!
Amazing, I added the walnuts to the batter rather than put them on the frosting. Also subbed half the flour for whole wheat. It was delicious I recommend to everyone.
This is the BEST carrot cake recipe ever! I have made many carrot cakes and this one surpasses them all. It’s very easy to make, too! Try it! You will be glad you did ?
I am making mine today and I cannot wait to see how it’s gonna come out ?
Absolutely delicious! Perfect amount of sweetness. The walnuts around the edge compliment the whole cake. Does this count as a serving of veggies? Wish I could post a picture of the results.
I googled best carrot cake recipe and yours came up. I cant believe how lucky I was and how well you describe your recipe and your carrot cake texture. I
It was my first ever carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and even if i knew I was going to be the only one eating it , it was my personal challenge and pleasure.I wanted to try the frosting to see result and I can only say that I was putting extra on my piece of cake with the spoon. AS it was my first time I didn t put too many carrots just in case and it was perfect for me but with regards to the frosting I wanted to ask why mine was so running and not perfect white. I didnt put all the powder sugar inside as didnt want to feel to sweet and it was perfect for my taste. but as I am an amateur and a starter i want to know if it has something to do with the colour and tesxture
Cake was pretty delicious as two of my kids who never eat cake wanted to try and ended up eating two pieces each. So congratulations for this excellent recipe and for naming it the best carrot cake recipe because its truly deserves this name.Thanks
So glad you liked the cake, Monica! Did you make sure to use a brick of cream cheese? If you use cream cheese spread in a tub, it has ingredients added to it to thin it out and will cause the frosting to be runny. Also, for a whiter frosting it’s best to stick with a butter that’s light in color. Grass-fed butter tends to be more yellow which will make the frosting look different.
I made this cake with the assistance of my 3 year old and we forgot the oil. It still turned out delicious, with great flavor. Slightly dry but that was my fault. The cream cheese frosting was to die for!