Carrot Cake Recipe

Our stunning homemade carrot cake is tender and delicious. Paired with cream cheese frosting, it’s a beloved classic!

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A Slice of Heaven

Who doesn’t LOVE a slice of carrot cake? This recipe is one grandma has made for decades. We’ve made slight modifications over the years, but this is the best carrot cake recipe we make every Easter.

This homemade carrot cake recipe is packed with chopped pecans and smothered in a tangy cream cheese frosting (a classic pairing) for the perfect bite. This show-stopper is made up of two layers for a beautiful presentation that is so easy to achieve. We kept the decorations simple by sprinkling on a few chopped nuts, but you could easily get creative and pipe on carrots.

While carrot cake is delicious year-round, it’s especially popular in the spring and in Easter. In addition to this recipe, we also love our sheet pan version for feeding a crowd and our Carrot cake cupcakes that are especially popular with the kids.

Ingredients

PREP TIME: 30 minutes BAKE TIME: 36 minutes COOL TIME: 30 minutes

Cake

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar – We use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar can also be used.
• 1 ⅓ cups vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs – room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour – see How to Measure Flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups grated carrots, (5-6 medium carrots) – Wash, peel, dry, and use the smallest holes on a box grater to shred carrots, or use a food processor.
• 1 cup chopped pecans – or use walnuts

Frosting

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened – see How to Soften Butter Quickly
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3 – 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, as needed
• ½ cup chopped pecans, optional – or walnuts. You can fold the nuts in the frosting or use them to sprinkle on top of the cake. A half cup of Raisins can also be added to this recipe, although we usually leave them out.
• optional decorations – a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon

How to Make Homemade Carrot Cake

1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans, or line the pans with parchment paper.
2. BATTER. In a large bowl use an electric hand mixer, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (on medium speed), to beat 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 ⅓ cups oil, and 2 teaspoons vanilla until combined. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating at low speed after each one.
   • In another bowl, whisk 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon salt.
   • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon, until just combined. Fold in 3 cups grated carrots and 1 cup chopped pecans. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.
3. BAKE. Bake for 36-42 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
4. FROSTING. In a medium bowl, beat ½ cup butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, 3-4 cups powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons whipping cream until you reach the desired consistency. Fold chopped pecans into the frosting, optional.
   • Place 1 cake on your plate, then add frosting to cover. Add a second layer and spread the remaining frosting over the sides of the cake and on top. Pipe on any decorative frosting and decorate with any remaining chopped pecans.

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Homemade Carrot Cake

By: Kristyn Merkley

Our stunning homemade carrot cake is tender and delicious. Paired with cream cheese frosting, it's a beloved classic!

Servings: 16

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 36 minutes mins

Cool Time: 30 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 36 minutes mins

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

Cake

• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 cup brown sugar
• ▢ 1⅓ cups vegetable oil
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 cups grated carrots, (5-6 medium carrots)
• ▢ 1 cup chopped pecans

Frosting

• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ▢ 3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, as needed
• ▢ ½ cup chopped pecans, optional

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
• In a large bowl, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla until combined. Add eggs, one at time, beating on low speed after each one.
• In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add to wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon, until just combined. Fold in grated carrots and chopped pecans. Pour into the prepared pans.
• Bake for 36-42 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Frosting

• In a medium bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons whipping cream until you reach the desired consistency. Fold chopped pecans into the frosting, optional.
• Place 1 cake on your plate, then add frosting to cover. Add a second layer and spread the remaining frosting over the tops and sides. Pipe on any decorative frosting and decorate with any remaining chopped pecans.

Video

Notes

Carrots. Use the small side of a box grater to shred the carrots. Do not use pre-shredded carrots as they are too dry.

Store cake rounds. Cool and wrap with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or wrap again with foil and freeze for 3-4 months.

Store the frosting in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. Allow it to come to room temperature and stir before applying to the cake.

Store a frosted cake, covered, in the fridge for 24 hours before serving. Leftovers can be covered with plastic or divided into airtight containers and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 448kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 292mg, Potassium: 218mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 50g, Vitamin A: 4457IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 65mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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