This is our favorite Carrot Cake recipe of all time! It’s incredibly moist and perfectly spiced with a delicious tangy cream cheese frosting. Decorate the cake with candied pecans to give it an extra delicious finish touch!
Love carrot cake? Check out some of these other carrot cake recipes like this Carrot Pumpkin Cake recipe or these Carrot Cake Cupcakes.
Carrot Cake
This cake has been years and years in the making! Carrot cake is my dad’s favorite cake, so, naturally, I had to get it just right for him. I’m happy to report he has deemed this the best carrot cake he’s ever tried!
This carrot cake is ultra moist with a tender crumb. It’s soft and luscious — it practically melts in your mouth! This cake is perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves — none of which are overpowering. The spices are subtle and work together to create a deep flavor. This cake emphasizes brown sugar over white, which further intensifies those deep notes of spice (brown sugar has molasses in it, which beautifully complements the spices).
And this cake paired with the tangy and sweet cream cheese frosting is a match made in heaven! The frosting penetrates the cake, making the cake that much more tender. It also helps to balance the sweetness of the cake. And finally, the exterior of the cake is garnished with candied pecans. They add a final touch of sweetness and pizzazz to this already unforgettable cake. So, don’t worry if you don’t have the time to make candied pecans; this cake will still be amazing even without them.
Let’s chat cake pans
This cake is created for 9×2-inch cake pans (here are the exact cake pans I use.) Use the right size cake pans for the best results.
While we’re talking about cake pans, you’ll also want to make sure you line the cake pan with parchment paper. This cake is so moist that if the bottom isn’t lined, the cake won’t come out nicely. (I speak from experience!) There’s nothing more frustrating than spending a good deal of time and money on ingredients for the cake to not come out cleanly!
There’s an easy to way line cake pans; check out this photo slideshow or read the directions below:
- Tear off a sheet of parchment paper, slightly larger than the cake pan.
- Fold the parchment in half, and in half again–to form a square shape.
- Fold the square in half to create a triangle.
- Fold the triangle in half again.
- Hold the triangle against the bottom of the pan from the center outwards.
- Cut the parchment right where it meets the edge of the cake pan along the curve of the cake pan.
- Unfold the parchment and press it into the bottom of the cake pan.
Quick Tip
Generously grease the cake pan and parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray. Then lightly dust the cake pans with flour. Between the spray and the parchment paper liner, you can rest assured the cake will come out nicely and cleanly.
What makes the cake moist?
Using incorrect ingredients, overmixing the batter, using too much flour, baking the cake too long, or at too high of a temperature (incorrectly calibrated oven) can result in a dry cake. Below are a few tips to ensure a moist cake:
- Shred carrots by hand on the small side of the grater. Grating carrots by hand can be a pain, but you’ll be amazed at how much moisture results from shredding the carrots. Pre-shredded carrots in the grocery store are much too large and dry for this carrot cake.
- Follow baking directions carefully in a calibrated oven.
- Spoon and level the flour. If you pack in too much flour, you’ll get dense, dry cake. Here’s a great video showing how to properly measure flour for this recipe.
- Add oil and applesauce. This cake recipe calls for both oil and applesauce, which both contribute tremendously to the moisture. I don’t recommend substituting these 2 ingredients.
How to get even cake layers
When making a layered cake, it is important to make sure you are dividing the batter equally between the cake pans. It’s important for the cake to look even and pretty, but even more importantly, the layers need to bake evenly. The easiest way to confirm the layers are even is to weigh them!
Eyeball pouring even amounts into each pan and then check the accuracy with a kitchen scale. Simply weigh each pan and then use a spoon to adjust the batter in each cake pan so that each pan contains perfectly even amounts.
How to know when this Carrot Cake is done baking
- Visual cues for doneness: Cake has ever-so-slightly pulled away from the edges of the pan and the top is caramelized in appearance.
- Physical cue for doneness: A toothpick inserted into the center of the carrot cake comes out clean or with a couple of moist (not wet) crumbs.
How to invert a cake
Most cakes are best removed from the pan while they are still slightly warm (otherwise they tend to stick to the cake pan). To invert your baked carrot cakes, run a sharp knife around the cake’s edge. Place the cooling rack on top of the cake and then flip the cake on the rack to fully cool. I like to invert these carrot cakes 15 minutes after pulling them out of the oven.
Allow time for the carrot cake to completely cool before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
This frosting is soft, tangy, and sweet. It’s the perfect pairing for the moist, spiced carrot cake! Below are my top two tips for frosting making success:
- Set out the butter and cream cheese about an hour before baking to get them to room temperature. If these ingredients aren’t at room temperature, they won’t combine smoothly, and there will be unpleasant cream cheese chunks in the frosting. Here are some tips for how to bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature quickly.
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Add more or less powdered sugar, according to your personal taste preferences. More sugar will make the frosting sweeter and firmer, and less sugar will leave the frosting tangier and softer.
Quick Tip
There is a lot of frosting for this cake because we really like a lot of frosting on every bite. If you would like less frosting on the cake, you can use leftover frosting as a fruit dip or spread it over sliced strawberries. You could even add it on top of waffles or pancakes for a cheesecake-type breakfast.
Carrot Cake FAQs
If carrots are thoroughly washed and scrubbed, you don’t ever technically need to peel the carrots. That said, some people find carrot skin to have a slightly bitter or unpleasant taste. While I’ll leave carrot peels on for most of my savory recipes, I do recommend peeling carrots first for sweets, including this Carrot Cake.
- Peel the carrot and thoroughly wash and dry.
- Cut off the tops and the bottom
- Shred the carrots carefully on the smallest holes on a cheese grater.
- Carefully measure to ensure you have a leveled 3 cups of shredded carrots.
Yes, this is a process! But I promise you’ll be amazed the moisture finely shredded carrots add to this cake.
In a Carrot Cake, we’ve got such strong flavors (thanks to the carrots and spices), that we don’t really need the flavor of butter. Instead, we use a flavorless oil which will contribute more moisture and the sensation of a moist cake. Oil will also ensure this carrot cake stays moist for days!
Don’t leave out the oil — this cake relies on the fat in oil to make it tender!
It might seem like Carrot Cake is a healthier option since carrot is in the name and in the batter. But don’t be fooled: this cake should still be categorized as a treat. There is a lot of sugar and fat in both the cake and frosting.
When adding oil to cakes, particularly this Carrot Cake, use a neutral flavorless oil, so it doesn’t change the flavor or detract from the spices. I use and recommend vegetable or canola oil.
Carrot Cake storage
One of the best things about carrot cake is how well it does being made ahead of time! In fact, we like it even better the next day. This is great news if you’re making this cake for an event and want to get that done ahead of time!
Make-ahead/Freezing: Carefully wrap the two cooled cake layers in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. You could also freeze them wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge for about 8-10 hours before frosting and assembling.
Finished cake: Store Carrot Cake in the fridge, tightly wrapped with plastic wrap, or under a cake dome for up to 4 days. The finished and frosted cake doesn’t freeze and thaw well.
Unfortunately, cream cheese frosting doesn’t freeze and thaw well, but you can prepare it a day in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and set it out to room temperature about 30-45 minutes before you want to frost the cake.
Fun flavor variation idea: add lemon curd!
The carrot cake we used to serve at a restaurant I worked at had layers of lemon curd in between the cake and frosting. I recently added a bit of my favorite lemon curd to the center of this carrot cake and it was completely raved over! If you want to add a unique and special touch, I can’t recommend this enough! (If adding lemon curd, add the center cream cheese layer, a layer of lemon curd, and the other cake layer on top).
Other Delicious Desserts
- Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting
- Carmelitas oatmeal chocolate caramel bars
- Blueberry Coffee Cake with a streusel and glaze
- Cookie Bars with chocolate chips
- Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Cake with a graham cracker crust
Carrot Cake
Equipment
- 2 baking pans 9-inch, round
- stand mixer
- Sheet pan 15 x 21-inch, lined
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup applesauce sweetened
- 1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups finely grated carrots
Frosting
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Candied Pecans
- 1 large egg white discard the yolk or save it for another recipe
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups pecan halves
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two 9-inch round pans by lining them with parchment paper (see note 1). Generously spray the pans and liners with cooking spray, then dust with flour. Take your time with this step to prevent the cake from sticking. Set the prepared pans aside. Allow the cream cheese and butter for the frosting to come to room temperature.
- Peel and grate the carrots on the fine side of a grater to achieve very small pieces. Carefully shred the carrots, measuring to ensure you have 3 filled but not packed cups. While this may be tedious, it's essential for making the cake ultra moist and flavorful. Avoid using a food processor or pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients except for the salt. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Whisk together and set aside.
- In another large bowl, beat together the oil, applesauce, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until completely combined and smooth. Whisk vigorously for about 1–2 minutes until the oil is emulsified. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Then stir in the grated carrots and salt until well combined.
- Place a sifter on top of the bowl with the wet ingredients. Sift in all the dry ingredients and beat until completely combined, resulting in a smooth batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (see note 2) and bake for 28–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Candied Pecans
- While the cakes cool, prepare the pecans. Lower the oven temperature to 250℉ and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg whites, water, and vanilla until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add pecans to egg whites; stir to coat the nuts evenly. Using a slotted spoon, remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 45–60 minutes, stirring and tossing every 15 minutes. Remove the nuts and spread them on a sheet of parchment paper. Allow them to cool completely and harden and then finely chop the candied pecans.
Frosting
- In a large bowl fitted to a stand mixer, add in the cream cheese and butter. Make sure both are at room temperature, not melted or softened.
- Beat until completely smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and a generous pinch of salt. Beat until smooth. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, beating until smooth and combined. Taste and adjust, adding more vanilla or salt if desired.
- Place a small amount of frosting on the cake serving plate to hold the bottom layer in place, then add one completely cooled cake layer. Spread frosting evenly over the center of the first layer, then top it with the second cake layer.
- Frost the cake. If the frosting is too soft, either refrigerate it or add an additional 1/2 cup powdered sugar. You will likely have a bit of extra frosting, so don't feel like you need to use it all on the cake. Once the cake is frosted, decorate the sides with the chopped candied pecans. Add a few to the top if desired.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Tear off a sheet of parchment slightly larger than the cake pan.
- Fold the parchment in half and in half again to form a square shape.
- Fold the square into a triangle and then fold the triangle in half again.
- Hold the triangle against the bottom of the pan from the center outwards.
- Cut the parchment right where it meets the edge of the cake pan, along the curve of the cake pan.
- Unfold the parchment and press it into the bottom of the cake pan.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Would this work with gluten free flour?
Sorry Kim, I am not super familiar with gluten free flour and haven’t tested this recipe with it so I really don’t know!
As your sister, I just have to say I cannot believe how quick and easy it was!! And how DELICIOUS!! Thanks for the recipe!
I am SO thrilled to hear this! Thanks Callie! 🙂