The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
User Reviews
4.9
The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
Description
The Best Carrot Cake Recipe uses a mix of all-purpose flour, granulated and brown sugar, spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and both oil and melted butter to create a thick batter enriched with grated carrots and nuts if desired. The combined leavening agents and spices provide a balanced rise and warm flavor throughout the tender, moist cake layers.
Baked in two 8-inch pans, the cake requires specific baking times and temperature to ensure a mostly crumb-free toothpick test, producing a soft crumb with moistness retained by the grated carrots. The cream cheese frosting blends softened cream cheese and butter with vanilla and powdered sugar to complement the spiced cake with smooth richness.
The cake layers cool completely before frosting to prevent melting, and frosting quantities can be adjusted to personal preference, including options to pipe decorative designs. Variations in pan size and material affect baking time, and careful monitoring prevents under or over baking.
This carrot cake works well as a dessert or celebration cake, offering classic flavors and a tender texture. It keeps well in airtight containers, with refrigeration recommended beyond two days for freshness.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed, or dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup neutral cooking oil use canola, avocado, or vegetable oil, generic cooking oil
- ½ cup butter melted, unsalted
- 4 large egg room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups carrot peel before grating, grated
- 1 cup walnuts optional, chopped, or pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting³
- ½ cup cup (1 stick) butter softened, unsalted
- 8 oz cream cheese softened (brick-style, not spreadable)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare two 8-inch pans⁴ (see note for using different sized pans) by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly greasing and flouring the sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Add your canola oil and melted butter and stir well (batter will be pretty stiff and thick at this point, I usually use an electric mixer or my stand mixer to combine everything nicely).
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- Stir in carrots and nuts (if using) until ingredients are well-combined.
- Evenly divide carrot cake batter into prepared baking pans and bake on 350F (175C) for 40 minutes (toothpick inserted in center should come out mostly clean with only few moist crumbs).
- Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto cooling rack to cool completely.
- Allow cake to cool completely before covering with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until creamy, well-combined, and lump-free.
- Add vanilla extract and sprinkle salt into the bowl and stir well to combine.
- With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until ingredients are completely combined (be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula).
- Once your cake has cooled completely, cover with frosting.
Notes
- Both light and dark brown sugar work; dark brown sugar adds slightly more moisture and richness.
- Peel and finely grate about 4 large carrots for best texture; avoid using matchstick carrots which are too thick.
- Adjust cream cheese frosting quantity to taste; doubling allows for more frosting and decorative piping.
- Baking times vary by pan size and material; use the toothpick test to check doneness.
- Store carrot cake in an airtight container; refrigerate if keeping longer than 48 hours to maintain freshness.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 14slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 533 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1slice (calories calculated with frosting but without optional nuts) | |
| Calories | 533kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 86g | 29% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 88mg | 29% |
| Sodium | 448mg | 19% |
| Potassium | 195mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 65g | 130% |
| Vitamin A | 4283IU | 86% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 84mg | 8% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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