This moist and flavorful Carrot Cake Recipe is packed with warm spices, crunchy nuts, and topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. It’s a classic dessert that never goes out of style!
Whether it’s an autumn birthday celebration or you’re simply craving a delicious treat, carrot cake is always a great choice. While using carrots in dessert might seem unusual, the tradition dates back to Medieval Europe when cooks made carrot puddings as an early form of sweetened baked goods. Modern carrot cake as we know it gained popularity in the mid-20th century, but it truly had its moment in the 1970s when it was touted as a “healthier” dessert option.
While shredded carrots play a starring role, carrot cake’s classic flavor comes from a blend of warm spices, vanilla, nuts, and raisins, all balanced by a slightly tangy cream cheese frosting. Over the years, cream cheese brands have popularized the pairing, making it almost expected that every carrot cake will have a rich, creamy topping.
You’ll love carrot cake because it’s an easy, no-fuss dessert perfect for both novice and experienced bakers. The combination of carrots, vegetable oil, and brown sugar ensures a perfectly moist texture without complicated techniques. Plus, that moist texture means you can make it a day ahead and store (in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting) and it still tastes great.
Grating Carrots 101
While there’s no secret to grating carrots for use in a cake, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, the equipment. All you need is a simple box grater, just like what you’d use to grate a block of cheese. Most box graters have two or more sides with different holes. Just use the medium one. Finally, grate the carrots so that you have thin, medium-sized pieces of carrot. You don’t want long and stringy carrots, nor big and chunky. The grated carrots should resemble typical shredded cheese in size and texture. That way they will bake up just right in the cake batter. Avoid using pre-shredded carrots available in the produce section, as they are too dry and often too long in shape for use in cake.
FAQs & Tips
How Do I Store Leftovers?
While carrot cake can sit at room temperature for a few hours, refrigeration is best due to the perishable cream cheese frosting. To store leftover carrot cake, you can wrap it in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container then keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can freeze whole cakes by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or freeze individual slices by wrapping them and placing them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Frozen carrot cake can last up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or leave at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Can I Prep This Ahead?
When it comes to making carrot cake ahead, you have two options. First, you can let the cake rounds cool after baking, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then in foil, and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Frost the cake just before serving. Or, you can fully assemble the cake, frost it, and store covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Why Is My Carrot Cake Heavy And Dense?
While carrot cake should be nice and moist, it should not be heavy or dense. To avoid this issue, make sure you aerate the dry ingredients and then, later in the recipe, don’t overmix. In step 4, when you use the rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet batter, go easy. Don’t stir and stir until your arm is tired! You want to stir just until the batter comes together.
Can I Use Spreadable Cream Cheese For The Frosting?
While it might seem like an easy fix to just use spreadable cream cheese (instead of the traditional block) since it’s already soft, don’t do it. Traditional block cream cheese, while it does take 30-45 minutes to soften at room temperature, will give your frosting a more stable texture. It’s worth the extra time.
Serving Suggestions
Carrot cake is the perfect ending to a fall meal for a birthday or special occasion. Consider serving it after a delicious dinner of Orange And Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Vegetable And Farro Salad on the side. Carrot cake is also just delicious on its own, with a scoop of Brown Sugar Ice Cream or some homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. Leftover carrot cake makes for a wonderful breakfast treat as well!
Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 3 cups grated peeled carrots
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans optional
- 1/2 cup raisins optional
For the Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch optional
- 1/3 cup cold heavy cream
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the middle. Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans by greasing, lining with parchment, and greasing again or flouring.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well blended.
- In a separate bowl, combine the oil, both sugars, and vanilla. Whisk in eggs one at a time.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients in three parts until just combined. Stir in grated carrots, and if desired, pecans and raisins.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool in pans for 15 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat cream cheese until smooth, then gradually add powdered sugar and cornstarch. Add heavy cream and beat until creamy. Chill until ready to use.
- Frost the top of one cake layer, add the second layer, and spread the remaining frosting on top. Garnish with chopped pecans if desired.
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