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The Best Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
4.3 from 150 votes

The Best Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The Best Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a moist, spiced cake featuring pumpkin puree and grated fresh carrots for texture and natural sweetness. It includes warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and pumpkin pie spice along with a combination of sugars and oil that keeps the cake tender. Optional raisins or nuts add extra texture. The cake is finished with a creamy, lightly sweetened cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 529 kcal
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Cake
  • 2 egg large
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves ground
  • 1 cup carrot loosely packed (grate yourself using the coarsest blade of a box grater; don’t use pre-packaged convenience bags of carrots, grated
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 cup raisins optional (or 1 cup chopped nuts, or 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup chopped nuts)
Frosting
  • 6 ounces cream cheese softened (lite okay)
  • ¼ cup butter unsalted, softened
  • 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

 Cake:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan; set aside. Don’t use a regular 9-inch round cake pan because it’s not deep enough and the cake will overflow.
  2. To a large bowl, add the eggs, pumpkin, sugars, oil, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, and whisk to combine.
  3. Add the carrots and stir to combine.
  4. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
  5. Optionally add the raisins and/or nuts and stir to combine. Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Bake for about 45 minutes or until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, no batter. In the last 10 minutes, loosely drape a sheet of foil over the top of the springform pan to prevent the top from becoming overly browned.
Frosting:
  1. To a large bowl (or to the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment) add the cream cheese, butter, and beat with an electric mixer on high-speedy until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, salt, and beat until smooth and incorporated, about 2 minutes.
  3. Turn frosting out onto cake and spread into a smooth, even, flat layer using a spatula or knife. Unlatch springform pan, slice, and serve.

Notes

  • Place the springform pan on a baking sheet while baking to prevent leaks from soiling the oven.
  • Ensure the cake cools completely in the pan before applying frosting to avoid melting.
  • Store the frosted cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
  • If refrigerating, be aware that the cake may dry out more quickly.
  • Customize by adding raisins, nuts, or both according to preference.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 529kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 78g (26%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 15g (88%) Cholesterol 69mg (23%) Sodium 508mg (21%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 59g (118%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 529

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 529kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 78g 26%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 15g 88%
Cholesterol 69mg 23%
Sodium 508mg 21%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 59g 118%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.