This classic Carrot Cake recipe is one you’ll want to add to your collection! A moist and delicious cake paired with a not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting.
A lot of the recipes you find on Liv for Cake are ones where I try to transform a dessert into a cake (like this Tiramisu Cake, or Pecan Pie Cake), or ones with a variety of different flavor combinations and pairings (like my Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting).
I try to make things that are interesting or unique, but I often have people requesting the staples, so I’ve decided to start introducing some more basic recipes into my collection, starting with this Carrot Cake Recipe!
This actually isn’t the first “staple” recipe I have on my blog. Two of my most popular posts are my classic Vanilla Cake and my Simple Vanilla Buttercream. They are great “base” recipes that can be tweaked and flavored to your heart’s content.
But, in light of Easter on the horizon, I thought it would be a perfect time for a (somewhat) themed dessert to go along with it.
The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
I actually didn’t really care for carrot cake until a few years ago. I guess I just never had a good one, or they had too many additions I didn’t particularly care for (pineapple, walnuts, or raisins (gasp!!)), or they were dry. I don’t know, it was just never a go-to recipe for me… until I had it at my sister-in-law’s wedding a few years ago.
At the wedding, they had a three tier cake, each with a different flavor, so naturally I had to try them all. I was least excited about the carrot cake but WOW, it totally blew me away and was easily the best of the bunch. Since then, it’s been one of my favorites.
The other thing that used to turn me off of carrot cake was the cream cheese frosting. I am not a cream cheese fan. You’ll never catch me ordering a cheesecake unless I know it’s made with something like ricotta. Cream cheese is just too strong for me, and I found that on most carrot cakes it was overpowering.
My cream cheese frosting is different than most, as it uses more butter than cream cheese, but you can totally still taste the cream cheese. It’s also not overly heavy on the sugar, but you can add more if you like. I found this recipe to be best structurally too, as a lot of cream cheese frostings can be too soft and difficult to work with. It’s important to use the full-fat brick cream cheese (not from a tub) for best results.
I chose to keep the decorating simple and do a naked cake. The recipe makes enough frosting to cover the whole cake though, if you prefer. I thought the edible flowers would be a nice touch and go well with the the spring and Easter theme. Edible flowers aren’t super easy to find, but Whole Foods almost always has some.
Make sure the flowers you use are safe to eat — some can be toxic!
This carrot cake has been a major hit over here. Ryan doesn’t typically enjoy desserts that aren’t of the chocolate variety, but he made it a point to tell me to “hold back” as much of this cake as possible. So, sorry friends! This one will be stashed in our freezer.
Looking for more Easter recipes?
Tips for this Carrot Cake recipe
- Apr 14, 2022 – Cream Cheese Frosting recipe revised to make a more stable frosting.
- You can make this recipe as-is in two 8″ pans instead of three 6″ pans.
- I used my food processor on the fine (not coarse) setting to grate the carrots. You can grate them by hand also.
- I didn’t use rainbow carrots for the inside of the cake, but you can. Just note that the purple will come out somewhat black/green and may not look very pretty!
- Use full-fat brick cream cheese (not in a tub) for best results for the frosting.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- pinch ground cloves
- 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups grated carrots lightly packed, approx. 4 large carrots (300g shredded)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup cream cheese full fat, chilled
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- cornstarch or meringue powder optional, as needed
Assembly:
- edible flowers optional
Instructions
Carrot Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds, line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine vegetable oil and sugars. Beat until well combined (2 mins). Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Add flour mixture in 3 parts. Fold in carrots.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 55mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer beat butter until pale and creamy. Reduce speed to low. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix on low until well blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes.
- Add vanilla and continue to beat on medium for 1 minute.
- Slowly add chilled cream cheese one cube at a time (about 1 tablespoon at a time). Beat well until blended and ensure no lumps of cream cheese remain.
- If needed, add cornstarch or meringue powder 1 tablespoon at a time to stiffen the frosting (I didn't but this is an option). Run mixer on low for a couple of minutes to remove any air bubbles.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of buttercream and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat.
- Decorate the top with a swirl and some edible flowers if desired.
Rita says
I had this cake and it’s delicious but now I would like to make 12 muffins so I am thinking to half the recipe and I don’t like to use vegetable oil so can I use melted butter instead with perhaps some crushed pineapple?
Olivia says
Hi Rita! The melted butter will give it a different texture, but should be ok. I’m not sure about adding crushed pineapple. It could work ok but I’d have to experiment and test it out!
Stephanie says
hello. I do not own a food processor and I am unsure how ‘thin’ the carrots should be grated.
Olivia says
Hi Stephanie! I used my food processor on the fine (not coarse) setting to grate the carrots. Either way will work though, it just depends on how chunky you want the carrots 🙂
Dan S Rhodes says
I really want to make this cake to surprise my wife. I have two 9-inch round pans 2-inch deep. So I want to make a 2-tier cake. Will the recipe as stated work for this plan? Would I have to make thinner cakes? Please respond asap. Thank you and regards, Dan
Olivia says
Hi Dan! The recipe as is would work fine for two 8″ pans, so it will be a bit thinner in the 9″. I would 1.5x the recipe (change the Servings to 18 to get the proper amounts). Let me know how it turns out!
Debra says
Recipe as written yielded 32 delicious cupcakes! Thank you!
Olivia says
Awesome, thank you Debra! So happy you liked it 🙂
Kellie says
How long did you bake the cupcakes?
Olivia says
Hi Kellie! I recommend checking the cupcakes at 15mins to see how they’re doing.
Rita says
I am thinking of making cupcakes and was wondering what sized your 32 cupcakes were as that seems like many if they are the regular size. I only need 12 so may have to half the recipe
Jill says
I am looking forward to making this tomorrow morning for my daughter Olivia’s 6th birthday! She requested a carrot cake this year. I have never made one before, I came across your blog from a carrot cake google search! The name of your Blog pulled me in as we call our daughter Liv as well, and after reading your cc blog, recipe and comments, I know was meant to be! I made the butter/cream cheese icing this evening , ooooh so good!! I know the cake will be a hit!!
Olivia says
Hi Jill! I am so happy to hear you’re going to try this one! I hope you both love it 🙂 Happy birthday to her!
Ushine says
Just finished making this carrot cake. And it’s amazing. Doubled the recipe for 2 8” rounds. Came out perfect. Lovely texture too. This is my new go to recipe 🥰. Thanks 😊
Olivia says
Hi Ushine! So happy to hear you loved it 🙂
G says
Hi, I’ve used your Nutella cake recipe before and it was divine!
I am keen to use this recipe but need to make a 2 layer carrot cake with a 10 inch and 8 inch pan.
How much of everything do I need?
Thanks
Olivia says
Hi G! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Ana says
Hi Olivia,
Thanks for a fabulous recipe! Delicious and the spices are on point! 🙂
Sadly, this one is not for me, lol. The person this cake is going to, loves a smooth carrot cake and this one is a winner!
The whole recipe yielded 4 – 6″round tins plus 4 cupcakes.
I added some salt and lime juice to the frosting, to tone down the sugar a bit.
Olivia says
Hi Ana! So glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks so much for your tips!
Marilyn says
Made this for my friend’s birthday and she absolutely loved it! Done three 6″ cakes and they are lovely and thick. Thank you so much for this recipe, it will now be my go to carrot cake.
Olivia says
Hi Marylin! Thanks so much for the feedback, glad you loved it 🙂
Pip says
Hi there, I would like to add some walnuts to this recipe. How much would you recommend?
Olivia says
Hi Pip! It’s really a matter of preference. I would try 1 cup of chopped walnuts. This will increase the volume of the recipe though so make sure your cake pans are tall enough to handle it 🙂
Lora says
Hi Liv
Going to make this cake for my little girls 1st birthday on Sunday. I’ve made the recipe upto serving 18. I’ve 3 8inch tins, do you think this will work or be too heavy? Thanks Lora
Olivia says
Hi Lora! For three 8″ tins you should 1.5x the recipe which would be changing the servings to 18 like you say. I think it will be fine!
Nicoletta says
Hello! I wanted to thank u for your lovely decoration ideas and great recipe. I’m a doctor with a passion for pastry but unfortunately due to long working hours I don’t get the chance to oractice my hobby as much as I’d like to. This time I had an assignment, to make a carrot cake for my best friend’s birthday. I was looking for ideas of recipes and decoration (I never made a carrot cake before!) and happened to check the recipe of your carrot cake and decided to make this one. The first lady to try the carrot cake told me “Im a huge fan of carrot cakes so I stayed till we cut the cake to try”… and once she tried it she was amazed and I was so relieved!! She said its the best she’s ever had! So thank you so much you saved the day 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Nicoletta! Thank you for the sweet comment, that is a huge compliment! I’m so happy that everyone loved it 🙂 I hope you have time to try more of my recipes 🙂
Leanne says
Hi Olivia,
This cake looks amazing 😊 I’m going to make this for my mum’s 70th Birthday this month 😋 with the tins I’m having trouble finding the 6 inch ones what else can I use I would like a layer cake even if it’s only 2 cakes should still look ok ?
I’m also wondering what edible flowers you decorated with?
I’m in Australia
Thank you
Leanne
Olivia says
Hi Leanne! The recipe will also work in two 8″ pans – baking time will be similar. Re: the flowers — I’m not totally sure what they are all called! I bought a pre-made edible flower mix from Whole Foods.
JansinGA says
My daughter requested carrot cake for her 20th birthday and I used this recipe. I used light brown sugar instead of dark and fractionated coconut oil as my oil because that’s what I had on hand. I used two 8” round pans and they were done in 42 minutes. Frosted the following day. This cake is moist and VERY delicious! Highly recommended! Thank you for sharing!
Olivia says
Hi Jansin! Thanks so much for your tips! Happy to hear everyone loved it 😀
Cheryl says
Hi Liv,
I want to bake this cake for my daughter’s birthday. Is it ok to bake and frost the cake one night before and refrigerate? I might not have time to frost on the day. Will it affect anything at all?
Olivia says
Hi Cheryl! Yes, that’s totally fine! Just bring it back to room temp before serving.
Rita says
I made the cake in two 8” layers and baked for well over 50 min and the middle was still not fully cooked. After they cooled I sliced each layer and put them back to bake and hopefully they will work well. The taste is great, don’t know why they didn’t fully bake, any ideas?
Olivia says
Hi Rita! Is it possible your oven runs on the cooler side? You can buy an inexpensive oven thermometer to test out. That being said, this is a very moist cake, so it does take a long time to fully bake through and is still moist when done.
Mary says
My oven is not wide enough for all 3 pans together without touching. I set two on the bottom rack and one one the top.
I plan on rotating them. In the future I will make sure my oven is larger.
Olivia says
Hi Mary! I sometimes split my pans amongst the racks too, if I’m baking 8″ ones. As long as you rotate it will be fine.
Laura says
I made this for my baby’s birthday party. I had 9 inch tins so doubled the cake recipe and made 3 layers. It was about 900g batter per tin and enough left for 2 test cupcakes. I rotated racks in the oven at 20mins. They were done at 45mins total. I made the cakes in advance and froze them and defrosted the day before.
I used 1 and 1/3 times the frosting recipe to do a slightly thicker layer than a naked cake. I frosted the night before for a morning party and took it out an hour before serving.
I am a carrot cake lover and this was a little different but still delicious. Not overly sweet. Lovely and moist. It cut and presented beautifully. I would make this for an occasion again, but I do love a traditional carrot cake for everyday.
The quantities I made easily fed 14 adults with leftovers for another 8 people.
Thanks Liv!
Olivia says
Hi Laura! Thanks so much for all your tips! So happy to hear that you loved the recipe 🙂
Laura says
Hi liv, do you think it would keep ok if I put the frosting on the night before and refrigerate? Going to be time poor for a morning birthday party. Thanks
Olivia says
Hi Laura! That would work fine. Just be sure to bring it to room temp and rewhip again before using 🙂
Olivia says
You could also bake the cake layers the day before!
Leen says
I made this cake and another carrot cake for a wcake tasting and this cake got the majority of the vote so I will be making this for my friend’s wedding on February 9th. I will be making a 2 tier cake, 9 inch and a 6 inch. She wanted the bottom tier taller than the top. Will this recipe be enough or do I need to double or 1.5 the recipe? Also, I need to make this a few days in advance as I will be going on a trip with my family. The wedding reception is on Saturday at 5:30pm and I am leaving Thursday morning for my trip. Can I bake this on Wednesday evening and make the frosting too and refrigerate them that night? And then assemble the cake in the morning and frost it and have it ready for the reception on Saturday? Will the cake hold its shape and will it still taste as good without affecting the texture? Please help!!! Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Leen! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html Regarding the baking, I would wrap the chilled cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze them — thaw before frosting. Frosting can be made in advance and refrigerated. I hope that helps!
Leen says
Thanks! How long does it take to thaw a frozen cake?
Olivia says
The whole cake or just the layers? Layers will thaw at room temp in a couple hours.
Leen says
I plan to bake the 2 layers of cake (8.5″and 6″) few days in advance, chill in the freezer and do a crumb coat after. And then freeze the frosted layers. On the day of the wedding, I will take the layers and bring them to the venue (40min drive) at 5pm and assemble them there. I’ll make extra frosting so I can do touch up and decorate the cake with flowers and pine cones and greenery. The cake cutting is not till 10pm. Will the cake be thawed by then? This will sit out on the table from 5-10lm when the couple are ready to cut it. Will this work? Thank you for your replies!
Olivia says
Hi Leen! I’ve never thawed a fully frozen cake (just refrigerated) so I can only speculate. To completely thaw a refrigerated one takes about 3 hours of so (depending on the height, etc). I would think a frozen one would take twice as long, maybe more, but it depends how warm/cool the place is. I hope that helps!