Best Carrot Cake Recipe

Published April 8, 2020. Updated May 17, 2023

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The BEST Carrot Cake you’ll ever eat!! Made with an abundance of fresh carrots, sweet spices and a rich cream cheese frosting.

Carrot cake has long been my favorite cake and this is the only recipe I ever use!

Slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on a white dessert plate sitting on a green cloth napkin.

Carrot Cake Perfect for Any Celebration

This recipe will forever change your opinion on what carrot cake is supposed to be. All the best things in one utterly divine slice of cake:

  • Tender softness. A melt-in-your-mouth texture.
  • Moist crumb. No dryness in the slightest here.
  • Plenty of finely shredded carrots (they add light flavor, a nice moisture and give it such a pretty natural color too).
  • Perfect level of sweetness.
  • Great blend of spices and vanilla for a boost of flavor.
  • Fluffy yet stable.
  • Finished with a decadent frosting. Cream cheese frosting is the only way to go here.

I’ve made this cake probably close to 100 times. I’m always looking for an excuse to make it and will continue to do so. When I’m throwing out options for someone on their birthday this always has a way of being the top idea on the list :).

And of course it’s the best cake to serve for a spring celebration or Easter. This year I’ll be making half the recipe and doing one layer (which can be done in a 9-inch round or 8 by 8 pan) for our small family of four.

And if you’ll be celebrating the holiday eating on your own or just two of you, you could always make cupcakes and freeze some for later.

Sending love to each of you. I hope you are finding some joy in cooking and baking these days.

I’m thinking of you, and praying for all of you in these trying times. Holding on to hope for a better tomorrow. This too shall pass in time.

In the meantime let’s be there for each other, from a distance.

Watch the Video!

 

 

Whole carrot cake sitting on a wooden cake stand.

Carrot Cake Ingredients

For the cake portion you’ll need:

  • Eggs: This cake has quite a few eggs, they really help bind and build up the structure of the cake.
  • Vegetable oil: Canola oil will work great too.
  • Unsweetened applesauce: Another 1/2 cup of vegetable oil can be substituted if needed.
  • Granulated sugar and brown sugar: Stick with the blend of both. If you don’t have brown sugar you can mix 2 tsp molasses to 1 3/4 cups total white sugar.
  • Vanilla extract: This just adds a light background flavor. Vanilla bean paste works well too.
  • All-purpose flour: Bleached or unbleached flour may be used.
  • Baking powder and baking soda: Stick with the blend for a good rise.
  • Salt: Standard table salt or sea salt work great here.
  • Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger: I’ve found this is my favorite blend of spices to use here. If you love that spice flavor you can double the nutmeg and ginger.
  • Carrots: I shred these by hand but you could also do it in a food processor fitted with a shredder attachment.
  • Pecans (optional): These are optional based on personal preference but I always think of them as a must. I don’t like them in the cake taking away from that soft texture but I love adding them to outside of the cake (usually coating the whole circumference around the cake).

Scroll down for ingredient amounts and directions.

Ingredients that are used to make carrot cake shown here including salt, flour, white sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, baking soda, eggs, carrots, vegetable oil, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and baking powder.

Ingredients used to make cream cheese frosting shown here including powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract.Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

For the frosting you’ll also need:

  • Unsalted butter
  • Cream cheese
  • Powdered sugar

To make the cream cheese frosting follow link here for step by step tutorial.

Four steps of preparing cake batter shown here. First showing to whisk flour and spices, second adding wet ingredients and sugar to a mixing bowl. Third blending, and fourth adding flour mixture to batter.

How to Make Carrot Cake from Scratch

Here’s a quick overview of the steps:

  1. Preheat oven, prepare two 9-inch cake pans.
  2. Whisk dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer blend sugars and wet ingredients.
  4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just to combined.
  5. Add carrots and mix briskly just to distribute through batter.
  6. Pour batter among two prepared pans and bake until cooked through.
  7. Cool completely then frost.

Next four steps of preparing cake batter shown. Including blended batter after adding flour mixture. Adding finely shredded carrots. Mixing. And batter in two round cake pans.

How to Store

Carrot cake should be stored in the fridge. I like to store it in a cake carrier so it doesn’t dry out. Then let rest at room temperature a while before you serve it – unless of course you prefer it cold (it’s tasty this way too).

How Long Does Carrot Cake Last?

Frosted carrot cake should keep about 5 days in the refrigerator (unfrosted layers can be kept at room temperature for 2 days).

Carrot Cake with one slice being removed.

Can It be Frozen?

Yes. Carrot cake can be frozen as unfrosted layers, wrapped separately in foil or plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container. Or individual slices that are frosted can be frozen.

Is Carrot Cake Healthy?

No. You could find healthier versions of carrot cake online but this recipe is not healthy. All things in moderation.

Close up image of carrot cake, sliced into to show interior.

Tips for the Best Carrot Cake

  • Finely shred carrots. This offers a perfectly uniform texture, cleaner slices and no large visible chunks of carrots.
  • Use freshest carrots if possible for best flavor.
  • Precisely measure ingredients (no guessing here and don’t adjust amounts listed). If you have a kitchen scale use that for the most accuracy.
  • Don’t over-mix the batter after adding in flour and after adding in carrots. Otherwise cake can be spongy and may not rise as high.
  • Properly prepare cake pans. Don’t forget to grease pan, line with parchment (or foil) and dust with flour. No risk of cake sticking and falling apart.
  • Use cake strips to wrap around cake pans if you have them for more even layers and a higher rise. Be sure to soak in water a while before using.
  • Bake just until cooked through. Under-cooked and cake will collapse, over-cooked and cake will be dry.

Possible Variations

To the batter try adding:

  • 1 cup shredded coconut.
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.
  • 1 cup drained crushed pineapple (reduce carrots to 2 1/2 cups).
  • Replace half the carrots with shredded zucchini.
  • Use all brown sugar for a more caramel-like flavor.
  • Add other spices like a little allspice, cloves or anise.

Four slices of carrot cake shown on white scalloped dessert plates with flowers and carrots around plates.

More Delicious Carrot Cake Inspired Recipes to Try

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

Slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on a white dessert plate sitting on a green cloth napkin.
4.98 from 80 votes

Best Ever Carrot Cake

My all time favorite cake! This is my go to carrot cake and I'm always looking for an excuse to make it. It's perfectly spiced and sweet, it has an abundance of carrots making it extra moist and it uses both oil and applesauce so the cake isn't overly greasy. And the cream cheese frosting is perfect!
Servings: 16
Prep40 minutes
Cook35 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Butter two 9" round cake pans, line with parchment paper, butter parchment paper, dust parchment paper with flour, shake out excess.* Line pans with water soaked cake strips if you have them.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
  • In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer blend together vegetable oil, applesauce, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.
  • Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Mix in grated carrots just to evenly distribute. Divide mixture evenly into 2 prepared cake pans.
  • Bake in preheat oven for 33 - 38 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes in cake pan, then run a knife around edges of cakes and invert into a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Frost cakes then finish with chopped pecans if using. Store cake in airtight container in refrigerator.

Notes

  • *This cake can also be made in a 9x13 dish just increase baking time to 40 - 50 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, or recipe can be halved and baked in an 8x8 dish or just 1 (9-inch) round pan (bake time should be the same).
  • **I grate on the small holes of a box grater.
  • Nutrition estimate does not include pecans as they are optional, cream cheese frosting is included.
Nutrition Facts
Best Ever Carrot Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 546 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Fat 28g43%
Saturated Fat 19g119%
Cholesterol 87mg29%
Sodium 256mg11%
Potassium 214mg6%
Carbohydrates 71g24%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 57g63%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 4244IU85%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 77mg8%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

How to Decorate Carrot Cake

There are many different ways you can decorate carrot cake.

  • I like to add a swirled frosting finish done by hand using an offset spatula and adding a border of chopped pecans covering the entire outside edge. It’s helpful to use a cake turntable when decorating.
  • Then many times I like to tint some of the frosting green and some orange. Then I do a grid-like decoration of oranges rows on the top of the cake, followed by piping a green life-like border around the top edge (refer to image below).
  • Another option is to decorate with marzipan or fondant carrots like I did here.

Recipe first shared January 1, 2012. Photos have been updated and recipe modified just lightly to reduce sugar by 1/4 cup and include brown sugar in place of 3/4 cup of the white sugar.

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373 Comments

  • Maria Martinez

    I made this cake as instructed and it turned out perfect. Do you know what modifications would be needed to make a bundt cake? Thanks so much.

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      It should be fine as is for bundt cake, just don’t fill your pan more than 2/3 full. If you have any extra batter you could make cupcakes.

  • Salma

    Hello, I have made this recipe 4 times now.and everyone absolutely loves it. The first two times I made it turned out perfectly (I don’t use apple sauce u substituted it with oil) also it took a way longer cooking time but that’s fine. I wanted to ask if you have any tips that may help me make the cake rise as the passed two times the cake rose a bit in the oven but when I took it out it almost shrunk in size. I wouldn’t say it’s like a dip in the center it’s more like it didn’t properly rise. Could you please help me?

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Sorry to hear this! Have you noticed any changes in other baking recipes when using your oven because then that may have something to do with the oven. Has your baking soda expired by chance? Do you feel like the batter may be over-mixed? The other difference could be a lighter crumb using more oil vs applesauce. Hope something there helps!

  • Sandy

    I made the recipe as written and it was perfect. The only step that was slightly different was I coated the carrots in the flour mixture first then put them in. I added chopped pecans at the end. The cake had the perfect moisture, spice and taste. Thank you for sharing!