Easy Carrot Cake Recipe: A simple and moist recipe from scratch with a cream cheese frosting that can be made as is, or even as a carrot cake cupcakes recipe.
No matter what time of year it is, carrot cake can be the perfect spring cake, or even a comforting rich cake to make during the holiday season.
Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
As a fan of chocolate, it’s rare for me to like a dessert or a cake that doesn’t include chocolate in the ingredients list.
But when you put a plate of carrot cake in front of me, you better believe I’ll be grabbing a fork before someone can take it away.
Carrot Cake from Scratch
Now I love a boxed cake mix as much as the next gal, but when it comes to carrot cake, there’s something beyond amazing about it being made from scratch.
If you have the time, (which may not be as much as you think you need) don’t give this recipe a second thought.
Easy Carrot Cake
Worried if you can make this without being a professional baker? Don’t be. It’s easy, totally doable and the recipe (and photos) will walk you through exactly how to make it.
How to Make Carrot Cake
You can find the full recipe card with ingredients and instructions at the bottom of this post. But like the other recipes here on the blog, I love to provide instructions with photos as well in case you’re a visual person like myself!
Preheat + Prep
First, preheat your oven to 350º degrees and prepare 3 – 6” cake pans with nonstick spray and parchment paper.
Mix + Pour
Combine all dry ingredients (sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt) into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
Run through the ingredients with a whisk breaking up any large clumps.
Add in all of the wet ingredients (eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract) and mix until combined.
Then, add in the carrots and mix until combined.
Bake + Cool
Evenly distribute the batter between the three baking pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Carrot Cake Icing
While the cakes are cooling, prepare your cream cheese buttercream by creaming together the cream cheese and butter until nice and smooth.
Slowly add in confectioners sugar until combined.
Add in vanilla and cream and mix on high for 3-4 minutes until the frosting is nice and fluffy.
Assemble + Ice
Assemble the cake by placing one layer on a cake stand or plate and topping with about ½ cup of the frosting and leveling with a spatula.
Continue with all layers. Cover the entire cake with the frosting…
and top with chopped pecans if desired. (Isn’t this little row along the bottom of the cake, adorable?)
TIP: Place pecans in the cup of your hand and gently place the inside of your hand against the bottom of the cake, slowly turning the cake and carefully placing the nuts along the bottom!
Feel free to use something other than pecans, to decorate your carrot cake. (Mini chocolate chips, toffee, etc.)
Moist Carrot Cake
I know, I know… I can’t stand the word “moist” but there really isn’t another word that I can think of at the moment to describe the inside of this beautiful cake.
Best Carrot Cake Recipe
Grab a cup of coffee and a slice of your carrot cake and pat yourself on the back for what is now what you may consider the BEST Carrot Cake Recipe.
Let us know in the comments below if you love carrot cake, and how yours turned out!
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Are carrot cake cupcakes more your style? No problem! Mix your batter and follow the directions the same way, removing the pan prep and cake baking steps.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes: Spray muffin cups (or use cupcake liners) and fill with batter until each is 3/4 full.
Bake for 15 minutes at 350° F, and check with a toothpick to see if insides come out clean. (Ovens vary so checking a minute or two earlier than 15 minutes may be best, and baking until around 20 minutes may even be necessary for your oven.) Keeping an eye on the first batch will help you nail down how long to bake the rest!
Cool for 5 minutes before taking the cupcakes out of the cupcake tin and allow them to cool on a wire rack before frosting or the frosting will melt!
Easy Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated carrots
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 1 stick butter softened
- 3 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare 3 6” cake pans with nonstick spray and parchment paper if desired.
- Combine all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Run through the ingredients with a whisk breaking up any large clumps.
- Add in all of the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Add in the carrots and mix until just combined.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the three baking pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cakes are cooling, prepare your cream cheese buttercream by creaming together the cream cheese and butter until nice and smooth.
- Slowly add in one cup of confectioners sugar at a time until combined.
- Add in vanilla and cream and mix on high for 3-4 minutes until the frosting is nice and fluffy.
- Assemble the cake by placing one layer on a cake stand or plate and topping with about ½ cup of the frosting and leveling with a spatula.
- Continue with all layers. Finally cover the entire cake with the frosting, and top with chopped pecans if desired. Enjoy!
- For Carrot Cake Cupcakes:
Bake for 15 minutes at 350° F, and check with a toothpick to see if insides come out clean. (Ovens vary so checking a minute or two earlier than 15 minutes may be best, and baking until around 20 minutes may even be necessary for your oven.) Keeping an eye on the first batch will help you nail down how long to bake the rest! Cool for 5 minutes before taking the cupcakes out of the cupcake tin and allow them to cool on a wire rack before frosting or the frosting will melt!
Notes
Nutrition
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Pin this Image for When you Need it Later…
I made this cake last night and it sunk in and didn’t cook. I tried again and made it again and read the recipe carefully and it collapsed again. I have never had this happen before. What happened?
Hi Donna! Aw, I’m so sorry this is happening! I wasn’t sure what could be causing it, so I did a quick Google search and found this! I hope this is helpful!