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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Hands down, the best carrot cake recipe EVER! I ended up measuring out a cup worth of whole walnuts, toasted them and the ground them really fine. Thus it added a nutty flavor throughout. Anyway, the cake was absolute PERFECT! If you want to decorate with the frosting then definitely make at least half a recipe more.
Hi, I have all the ingredients except for vegetable or canola oil and since it’s Christmas, the stores are closed. What do you suggest I use instead? I just had a bite of this cake at my best friend’s house for Christmas eve and it was the best carrot cake i’ve ever eaten. And I have eaten outstanding carrot cakes!
Hi, Deanna! You will need oil for this cake, do you have coconut oil? That would work too.
Hi, I literally just made this and it looks great. Does it need to be stored in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting? Sorry, I’m not a baker.
It will be fine at room temperature for an hour or so, but after that you’ll want to keep it refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting.
Hi if I wanted to make 2 cakes can I just double the ingredients? Would that be fine?
This recipe makes quite a bit of batter. I would probably make two separate batches just so it’s easier to mix together and so you don’t accidentally over mix it.
Listen to me carefully, everyone! (LOL) I followedthis recipe to a T ( I added pecans and rasins) and it is absolute heaven. I made this for our christmas party and everyone LOVED it. It is very delicious. I think it is the crushed fruits (apple sauce or pineapple) that made the difference, right? I totally recommend this recipe. It is a crowd pleaser.
Thanks so much Danielle!
So glad you liked the carrot cake!
Hello what if you were making cupcajes what’s would temp and time be?
350°F for 20-25 minutes, it will make about 2 dozen cupcakes.
I’m not a baker and my wife does the majority of the cooking in our house (I do the dishes). Carrot cake is her favorite and I decided to make one for her birthday. I researched the web, scoured MANY carrot cake recipes and decided to try this one. I’m SO GLAD I did. She asked me if I was sure I wanted to make it for her rather than get a mix and I told her I wanted to do it for her.
I’m a television engineer and have to read and follow instructions. Making a cake is simply following the instructions and I figured “I got this!” Well, I had a bit of trouble with whipping the cream cheese and my wife came to my rescue and showed me how to be the boss of it rather than it controlling me.
When we had the cake on her birthday everyone said it was great. It was so moist and the frosting so light. My wife said this was the best carrot cake she ever had and it will now be an annual tradition. Thank you so much!
So glad to hear that the cake turned out great, Mark!
Incredibly easy to make. Only had dark brown sugar-just added 3/4 of white sugar to the 3/4 dark brown sugar to make the 1.5 cups of light brown sugar. Substituted ground ginger with pumpkin pie spice (No ground ginger on hand). Added chopped walnuts. First time making carrot cake and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Its shared tonight for dessert. I used walnuts btw..
Glad the carrot cake turned out great for you, Todd!
Does this recipe need to be altered for high altitude? Making it for Christmas in Colorado.
I’m not familiar with high altitude baking, but some readers have found this guide helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html.
Can I substitute almond flour?
I haven’t tried it, but I imagine that it would affect the texture of the cake. I would stick with all-purpose flour.
Hello! If i were to use this recipe for cupcake, should I fill the cupcake tin with 3/4 full of cake mixture before baking? Do you know why my cupcake turned out not level but instead it rose to have a dome shape?
Next for whole cake, can I use 2 9-inch round tin of 2cm height? Or I need to buy 3.5cm or higher cake tin?
For cupcakes, you want to fill them 2/3 – 3/4 of the way full. I’m not sure why they domed, but some frosting should cover that up. A round tin that is 2cm high may not be tall enough I would probably use a taller one.
Can I use a 9 X 13 cak3 pan?
Yes, baking time is 35-45 minutes.
Can you do this recipe with self raising flour? As this is all I have 🙁
I haven’t tried it, but self-rising flour does have more baking powder in it. I’m not sure how the cake would turn out.
this recipe is a lot like my moms was. The only difference was instead of vanilla flavoring she used two teaspoons black walnuts flavoring and instead of english walnuts she use black walnuts and she put a buttermilk glaze on her cake .. I always put a rum frosting on mine. I just love carrot cake and this one sounds great I m cooking this one for christmas.. thanks so much.
That sounds delicious! Hope you enjoy the carrot cake!
Have you made cupcakes with this recipe?
Yes, it makes about 2 dozen. Baking time is 20-25 minutes.
Can I use butter for this recipe?
I really like the smell of butter in my cakes…
I would suggest oil for this recipe, it helps to keep the cake moist. Butter would change the texture too.
My first try at a carrot cake, my husbands favorite, and it turned out delicious! You are right we ate a second piece.
So glad you both liked the carrot cake, Linda!
Do you have to squeeze the carrots to drain any liquid from them?
I don’t for this recipe.
Can you make this cake in a bundt pan ?
Yes, I’m not sure on the baking time I would guess 45-60 minutes.
How many recipes do you estimate take to make 1
10 mini cakes (4 x 4 square aluminum baking pans)
I haven’t used that size pan, so I’m not sure.
Hello. Can i steam this cake instead of baking it?
I haven’t tried steaming a cake, so I’m not quite sure.
Hello, do you mix the ingredients with an electric mixer or manually with your hands?
Either way is fine, I just mix it by hand with a whisk and rubber spatula.
Hi! Could I use cake flour rather than all purpose? Thanks!
That would be fine, but cake flour is lighter than all-purpose so you’ll need to use a little more. A good rule of thumb is to use 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour in place of 1 cup all-purpose flour. I would use 2 and 1/4 cupcakes cake flour if you do.
Instead of brick style cream cheese, can I use Philadelphia soft cheese?
Also I am struggling to find ‘unsweetened’ apple sauce in UK stores, can this be left out or does it need to be substituted?
Thank you.
If it’s similar to the blocks of cream cheese and not a cream cheese spread, that would be fine. Regular applesauce will be fine if that’s all you can find or you can substitute it with one 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple that’s been drained.
What’s the substitute for applesauce? What recipe did you use to make apple sauce?
How much a cake should rise? 2 inches each?
I use store-bought unsweetened applesauce. You can replace it with Greek yogurt or one 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple that’s been drained.
if i wanted to bake a carrot cheese cake can i bake this cake w a layer or cheese cake on top? i’ve made your carrot cake before and i love it!
Are you wanting to make a cheesecake with the carrot cake as kind of the crust or more of a layered carrot cake cheesecake?
Can I bake this recipe in 3 8″ pans instead of 2 9″ pans? Do you think the layers will be super thin? Since I’m using 3 8″ pans, do you think I should do a recipe and a 1/2?
I haven’t tried it, so I’m not quite sure. The layers may be a little thin though, so it may not hurt to multiply the recipe by 1.5. If you have any leftover batter, you can use it to make cupcakes.
Can I make this ahead of time?
If so how long will the moisture last?
Yes! You can make it 2-3 days in advance, it should still be pretty moist.
My carrots turned green in the cake after it was baked. Do you know why this could happen?
That typically occurs when there’s too much baking soda in a recipe or it wasn’t thoroughly mixed together. I’ve never had any issues with the carrots turning green in this cake. Did you double check to make sure you used the correct amount of baking soda and baking powder? If so, did you also make sure to whisk the dry ingredients together separately?
Hi! I do not have 2 9″ round tins. Is it possible to bake all in 1 tin (9″)round ) then I slice the cake into halves? Any change in baking time and temperature? Thank you!
As long as your pan is deep enough that should be fine. I would keep the oven temperature the same, I’m not sure on baking time.
Hi, I only have 1 9 1/2 inch round tin which is 6cm in depth – would this be suitable to cook the carrot cake in and just slice it in half? If so, what would the baking time be for just 1 whole cake? Looking to make this for my husband’s birthday on Christmas Day ? x
I’m not sure that size pan would be deep enough to cook the whole cake.