Best Carrot Cake Recipe: Moist and Flavorful
The best Carrot Cake Recipe is soft, full of flavor, and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting.
With the perfect blend of spices, a hint of sweetness, and that rich frosting, this cake will be the star of any event. It’s simple to make but looks like a showstopper
Check out our other cake recipes for more sweet ideas to try.
Carrot cake season is typically around spring, especially leading up to Easter, but it’s enjoyed year-round due to its warm, spiced flavor.
What are the ingredients in a carrot cake?
The ingredients for carrot cake include all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, milk, and shredded carrots. For the cream cheese frosting, you’ll need unsalted butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar.
Carrot cake recipes often tastes better the next day once the flavors have had time to develop. Bake the cake ahead of time and frost it just before serving.
For best results, bring eggs, oil, and milk to room temperature for a smoother batter and more even texture.
To prepare cake pans, grease the pans with butter or cooking spray. Then, lightly dust the pans with flour, tapping out any excess, or use parchment paper to line the bottom for easy removal.
Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in wet ingredients—oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk—until smooth, then fold in shredded carrots.
If you’d like add chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans) or raisins into the cake batter for extra texture and flavor.
Divide the batter between two greased pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.
For the frosting, blend softened butter and cream cheese, then add powdered sugar until smooth.
Once the cake cools, frost each layer and garnish with chopped pecans.
Oil is preferred in carrot cake because it creates a moist, tender crumb, while butter can make the cake denser and drier. The natural moisture from the carrots works better with oil, keeping the cake soft. While butter can be substituted, it may change the cake’s texture.
Carrots should be shredded because it creates the perfect texture to blend well into the batter while adding moisture and flavor. Grated carrots tend to be too fine and might not provide the same bite and moisture that shredded carrots do.
If you’re looking for delicious Easter Cake Recipes or Spring Cake Recipes, be sure to try our Carrot Cake Cupcakes or Carrot Cake Bars, and if you run into any issues, check out our baking troubleshooting guide for helpful tips!
The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Recipe:
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
- 3 cups shredded carrots
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 2 sticks 8 ounce cream cheese softened
- 10 cups powdered sugar
- Chopped pecans for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients of flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Whisk together until combined.
- Shred carrots with a box grater or food processor.
- Then add in all the wet ingredients of vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk.
- Whisk into the flour mixture until the batter is smooth.
- Fold in the grated carrots until thoroughly combined.
- Spray the baking pans with baking spray and evenly split the batter between the two.
- Put in the oven for a baking time of 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, make the tangy cream cheese frosting.
- In a large mixing bowl add the softened butter and cream cheese.
- Use a hand mixer to blend together the two until smooth.
- Then add the powdered sugar about 3 cups at a time, blending in between each addition.
- Once the cake is done, let it cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Place the first layer of the cake down on a cake plate or serving platter and add frosting in the center.
- Spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Then add the second layer of carrot cake and add more frosting. Spread evenly from the center of the cake and around the sides of the cake.
- Add the chopped pecans around the sides of the delicious carrot cake for garnish.
- Cut, serve and enjoy!
That looks delicious! And I love how you make it without NUTS because I hate nuts! I’ll have to add this to my recipe book!
My husband loves nuts in desserts. I cannot stand them and we often argue over recipes b/c I think it ruins them.
You know, not once did I see a carrot cake growing up! My girlfriend Vera is OBSESSED with Carrot Cake, she introduced me in my 20’s. So glad you posted this since I have a few GF people in my life and can whip this pretty up for them!
I didn’t see one until I was about 20. LOL This is something my mother would never eat or make growing up.
Oh I haven’t had carrot cake in the longest time. I’m so in the mood now. Yours looks amazing. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Is it Easter yet?
YUM! We love carrot cake, but I’ve never attempted to make it from scratch. This sounds really easy though so I think it may be time!
I love carrot cake and this looks delicious! Wish I could have some.
You can’t go wrong with carrot cake, especially at Easter time and I’m sure many can appreciate a GF version too 🙂
that looks delicious! Love that you have both options on your recipe. I am allergic to nuts so this recipe omitting them makes me want to try it one day.
I’m such a sucker for carrot cake – this recipe sounds amazing!
I can’t stand the nuts and raisins, well can’t have them either haha – LOVE this and cannot wait to make. My daughter can even eat it too!! 🙂
Oh that’s great!! 🙂
I’m not a big cake eater, but I always have room for carrot cake! Looks delicious!
I will have to give this a try for my super-allergic daughter!
I like my carrot cake to be nut free as well so this is appealing to me.
This looks so incredible! Loving it!
This looks really delicious. I like carrot cake but don’t like it when it’s all clunky and over-frosted. This looks perfect!
This looks super amazing! Can’t wait to try this and share it! #typeaparent
Thank you for the recipe. This looks delicious. And carrot cake is my favorite.