The best Carrot Cake Recipe you will ever try. This homemade carrot cake is bursting with flavor and moisture! But one of my favorite things about this cake is (in my opinion) the best cream cheese frosting on the planet. For the same delicious flavors, try my Carrot Cake Cruffins, too!
Homemade Carrot Cake
Trying to find a real carrot cake recipe is not as easy as you would think. My Mother-in-Law was having a big birthday party last Sunday and her only request was a carrot cake from scratch.
Real carrot cake. With real ingredients. (No box mixes allowed!) After testing out several recipes, I finally found one that everyone loves and that is now a tradition in our home.
For the exterior, I did a version of my original Rosette Cake.
Why Rosettes on a Carrot Cake?
My beautiful mother-in-law was turning 67 (she really doesn’t look a day over 45!) and so piped out 67 flowers. Some are with the 1M tip (remember you can always use a 2D tip in place of the 1M) and the rest are with #27 tip from Wilton. (It brought her to tears… if you ever have the opportunity to replicate this for a loved one I highly recommend it!)
How to Make the Best Carrot Cake
Once you have added the flour to the wet ingredients you want to be very gentle with the batter. I recommend removing the bowl from the stand mixer and mix all dry ingredients in by hand.
If you do not want to add pineapple, you can add 1/4 more oil and omit the pineapple. You can also make other substitutions or changes like adding sweetened coconut (1/4 cup should do!) or using a little brown sugar.
Allow the cakes to cool completely before assembling the cake. I like to use a chilled cake for assembly and room-temperature frosting. You may need to level your cake prior to assembly. (Get detailed instructions on that here.)
BONUS: One way to make this cake AMAZING (and for the 21+ crowd) is to plump up your raisins in rum or brandy.
Cream Cheese Frosting
This cream cheese frosting is amazing for a few reasons. First, it’s amazingly sweet AND you can pipe with it. If you do not want to pipe out 67 rosettes, you can simply spread it over the cake in glorious swoops. This recipe and a “rustic” design are a match made in heaven! For a fun twist on frosted carrot cake, try my Cream Cheese Filled Carrot Cake Cupcakes where the cream cheese is inside!
How to Store Carrot Cake
If you chose to decorate a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, it should be stored in the refrigerator. Refrigeration can dry out baked goods, but cream cheese frosting does need to be refrigerated. It will last 2-3 days. Save a piece of cake to crumble up for my Carrot Cake Milkshake!
Can I Use a Different Sized Pan?
Yes! This works great in a 9×13 pan. Bake at 350°F for 36-42 minutes. The cake is done when it no longer appears wet on top or when an inserted toothpick is removed with crumbs, but no wet batter.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 ¾ cups (352 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 2 ¼ cups finely grated carrots
- ½ cup pineapple, drained from a can or freshly diced
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups (512 g) confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Carrot Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare two 8-inch round baking pans. (You can also use three 7-inch round cake pans.) Generously butter the pans or spray each with baking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs until light yellow, about 3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. (Double sifting is recommended)
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly and gently add in the dry ingredients. Mix until JUST combined.
- Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the raisins, nuts, carrots, and pineapple.
- Divide the batter equally between the pans. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. A few crumbs are what you want for a MOIST cake!
- Allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place room temperature butter, cream cheese, and vanilla into mixer and blend for 1-2 minutes on medium until fully incorporated.
- Add confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, until the frosting is light and creamy. Whip cream cheese frosting for 3-5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Frost the cooled cake with the cream cheese frosting.
Video
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this is the first I make this carrot cake … Tried your recipe … I have a question what is the texture of the batter ? is it liquidy or thick? Mine is thick … Thank you
Carrot cake batter is thick.
Well that is just stupid gorgeous. Seriously one of the prettiest cakes I’ve ever seen!
I use a carrot cake recipe similar to the one you used. Let me give you another hint,bake your cake and let it sit in the fridge a couple days before giving it the yummy cream cheese icing. Not sure why but the flavors are as they say kicked up a notch! Also I roast my walnuts in the oven before using them,the directions on the side of the bag…this also adds more depth to the flavors.
Great idea!
Try golden raisins and 1/4 tsp of ground ginger. It was a first place winner at the Kern County Fair and Bolthouse Farms gave a $100 first prize. In case you don’t know who Bolthouse is , look on the bag of your baby carrots. LOL!
Thanks for the inspiration! I’ve had an in-home cake business for years and was making a cake this weekend for a baby shower. I knew I wanted something frilly in dusty pinks, lavenders and greys (to match baby’s bedding), but didn’t want something totally covered in frills. This design was just what I needed. Just enough frills, but not too many for the ones who don’t love tons of icing (not me! I love TONS of icing) sometimes, after doing it for so long, and creating unique designs for so many cakes, I get stuck!! Thanks for doing what you do. 🙂
Hi, your cake is so beautiful..anyway, because i live in a humid environment my cream cheese melt.. is there any other way i cant even make the rose flower.. thanks in advance.
Your carrot cake is so beautiful and I sure I will made soon!
In few words: Congrats & thanks for sharing the recipe!
oh my….I made this tonight. It was my mil’s bday and they aren’t huge dessert people. they each ate a piece and a half! it is wonderful! I did add a half cup of pineapple but this cake was awesome!!! My son is the official frosting tester and he loved it! thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Did you finely grate your carrots (the pieces look finely grated in the picture of the cake) or are they grated in larger pieces? I ask because I’m thinking it may effect the measurement… =)
Sooo pretty and looks really yummy! I’m going to make this today. I follow you on FB and your blog page is on my home page. I appreciate your recipes, tips and pics. Your rose cake tut made made me famous in my family!
Love it! Enjoy the cake! 🙂