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.
monica says
Hi there! Can I use canola oil instead of vegetable oil? Would that taste be too overpowering?
Olivia says
Hi Monica! I’ll admit I’m not an expert on the different flavours of oil because I don’t use it so much in baking. I believe canola has a mild flavour though so it should be ok. It’s not as strong as something like olive oil.
Nina says
I have used the same carrot cake recipe for twenty odd years. Now that has changed. This recipe is just soooo good. I have made it several times allready. It is so moist but also sturdy. Perfect for 3d cakes as well. It always gets lots of compliments. Thank you so much for sharing 😄💖
Olivia says
Hi Nina! That is such high praise, thank you! I am so happy you love it 🙂
Stacy says
Hi! Could you add nuts or raisins to this cake? Any tips for the amount or when to add? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Stacy! For sure, just coat them in a bit of flour and fold them in gently at the end. You could add 1 cup or so but note that this will make more batter so make sure your pans are tall enough to handle it.
Stacy says
Perfect, thank you for the tip!
Marilyn says
I absolutely love this recipe! If I want to make it in to a 13×9 sheet cake, should I just 1.5× the recipe? Thank you.
Olivia says
Hi Marilyn! I’m so happy you like it! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html You should be able to use the recipe as-is, but the cake will be thinner. 1.5x should work fine too, just make sure not to fill the pan too full 🙂
Marilyn says
Thank you so much for the reply. I’ll do 1.5 of the recipe and if necessary use a 4 or 6 inch pan for any leftover batter.
Olivia says
Great! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Kat says
This was the first layer cake I ever baked, and it was excellent and not too challenging. I did it as a 2 layer 12″ inch for a crowd, who finished it with rave reviews and no leftovers (I was even asked if it was from a bakery). My dad hates anything with spices and even he loved it. The frosting was also divine; I made it with lactose-free cream cheese and there was no issue. Highly recommend!
Olivia says
Hi Kat! So happy you tried this cake as your first one! And I’m glad you loved it 🙂
Nerie says
Hi, is it ok if i dont put any clove and ginger? Thanks.
Olivia says
Hi Nerie! For sure, you can just leave those out 🙂
Erika says
Hi! I am thinking of making this cake, it looks delicious. How would you suggest I alter the recipe if I only wanted 2, 6″ layers instead of 3? Thank you:)
Olivia says
Hi Erika! You can 2/3 the recipe by changing the Servings to 8 🙂
Janika says
Hi cake sounds loving, how would you suggest I work out the recipe if i wanted to do three 8inch layers
Thanks in advance x
Olivia says
Hi Janika! For three 8″ layers you should 1.5x the recipe. You can change the Servings to 18 to get the amounts.
Gloria says
Hi, im thinking to make this for my friend birthday. Thinking to decor it with rossete flowers. Should I double the frosting?
Olivia says
Hi Gloria! Yes, I would double the frosting recipe so that you have enough.
Charlee says
Hello, Liv! I plan to make this for New Year’s Day, unfortunately, I couldn’t find Ginger Powder. Will it make a whole lot of difference if I don’t have it? Or any suggestions on what to substitute? Thank you!!! 🙂
PS: Hope you and your family are well!
Olivia says
Hi Charlee! It will be fine without it, just not as spicey/gingery. You can chop up some fresh ginger if you like and put that into the batter instead but it’s not necessary. And thank you! Hope you’re well too and having a wonderful holiday season!
Charlee says
Thank you for your response! I managed to find a Ginger Powder last minute! Made this recipe and I felt like this cake fed my soul; so homey and rustic! I added some toasted Walnuts since I love them haha. All the best to you and your family! Happy New Year, Liv! 🙂
Olivia says
Yay! So happy you loved it 🙂 Thank you and Happy New Year!
Amanda Stewart says
Hi there
I’m going to make this for my daughters 2nd birthday but was wondering if using spelt flour would be ok?
Thank you, can’t wait to try it!!
Olivia says
Hi Amanda! I’ve never tried that myself. I am not sure it would work properly if you fully replace it. I would recommend using half spelt and half AP at most.
Jess Pollard says
Hiya! I’d like to make about 18 cupcakes, what would you recommend changing the serving number too? X
Olivia says
Hi Jess! The recipe should make about 18-24 depending on size 🙂
Jess says
Oh perfect! A few left over for me to have then. Thank you so much for your reply. So glad I found your page, on my 4th cake from your recipes now! X
Olivia says
Yay! I hope you love this one too 😀
Nat says
Flavor-wise, this is delicious. However, mine did not come out moist at all. It was very dense and stiff, more like a bread, less like a cake. Not sure where I went wrong.
Olivia says
Hi Nat! Sorry to hear you didn’t love this one. This is not a light and fluffy cake, but it shouldn’t be too dense. Overly dense cakes can be from overmixing the cake batter once the flour is added — it develops too much gluten. Another possible issue (which could contribute to the dryness too) is too much flour. How do you measure your flour? I always recommend spooning flour into the cup and levelling it off rather than using the cup to scoop it. The latter can add too much flour to a recipe. Otherwise dryness is due to overbaking. Every oven is different and some run hotter than others.
Jess Pollard says
Oh, my god. Best carrot cake I’ve ever tried! It’s so delish, moist and the cream cheese frosting is yummy but still thick enough to work with to ice the cake. Thank you!! X
Olivia says
Hi Jess!! Thank you so much! I’m so glad you loved it 🙂
Jess says
Hi there! Do you think I could make this in three 7 inch cake tins? I really like this recipe but ideally want to use a 7 inch tin and do at least 3 layers? Also, how do you make the butter cream so it’s stiff enough to ice around the whole cake? I usually use SMB but not sure how good that would be with cream cheese? X
Olivia says
Hi Jess! If you’re ok with thinner layers you can use the recipe as is but reduce the baking time. Otherwise you’d need to increase the recipe which can be tricky to figure out. Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
The CC frosting is softer than a typical buttercream but you should be able to frost the cake all around. It won’t give sharp edges though I find. I don’t think adding CC to SMBC will work. I’ve heard people have had issues with it. I keep meaning to try it out and see.
Jess Pollard says
Thank you for your reply. I just went with it in the end and it’s worked out great. So delicious and moist. Your butter cream ratios worked a dream and still tasted like cream cheese, thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Jess! So happy to hear that. Thanks for the update!
Sophia says
Hi Olivia! I’m making this cake for my grandmothers birthday and she wanted me to add some coconut elements. I was thinking about replacing the granulated sugar with coconut sugar and instead of a neutral vegetable oil I would use coconut oil. Any thoughts because I know different ingredients can alter the texture and overall outcome of the recipe. Thanks in advance!
Olivia says
Hi Sophia! Those should both work ok but I wonder if they’ll give you enough coconut flavour. You could always fold in some coconut with the carrots at the very end if you like. Or make a coconut custard filling like I have here: https://livforcake.com/raffaello-cake/
Sophia says
I ended up using the coconut custard from the recipe you linked and I decorated the cake with coconut flakes and it came out wonderful! The cream cheese frosting was the perfect balance of sweet but not too sweet and the spices in the cake were perfect. Thank you for the suggestion!
Olivia says
Hi Sophia! Delicious combo! I’m so happy to hear you loved it 🙂
Bec says
Hi Olivia, this cake is amazing 😍
I’ve made a test mini cake for my friends wedding and they loved it.
Making the real one next month. They’d like black buttercream icing.
Have you ever frozen and defrosted your cake?
Thank you!
Bec
Olivia says
Hi Bec! I freeze cake layers and cake slices all the time! Just be sure to wrap them well and they’ll freeze for up to 3 months.
Cleo says
Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose?
Olivia says
Hi Cleo! Yes, that should be fine.
Claire says
Did you mean 16 ounces cream cheese or 6? The cake is baked and delightful!
Olivia says
Hi Claire! I used 6 oz.
Claire says
Ok we followed the recipe and the frosting was delightful (as was the cake). Haven’t found a recipe we don’t absolutely love from your website!
Olivia says
Yay! So happy to hear that 😀
Jayne williams says
Hi there. Is the oven temp fan bake or normal? Thank you
Olivia says
Hi Jayne! I use a normal oven. If you want to use fan you should decrease the temperature by 25F.
Judy storck says
The cake is light. Did you use light or dark brown sugar? Also. Can I add raisins and crushed pineapple?
Olivia says
Hi Judy! I used dark brown sugar. Adding raising should be no problem, just fold them in at the end. The pineapple will change the texture of the cake and would require some experimentation to see what works best.