My Favorite Homemade Carrot Cake
My Favorite Homemade Carrot Cake is the best you'll ever have! Freshly grated carrots and a blend of warm spices are tucked in an extremely moist and flavorful cake. The rich and velvety cream cheese frosting is the perfect complement.
Servings: 10 -12
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cup light brown sugar or dark
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tbs cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tbs vanilla extract
- 2 cups finely grated carrots
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of two 9" round baking pans with parchment paper and lightly grease and flour the sides. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger all together very well.
- Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and add oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat the batter until just combined but smooth, don't over-mix. Fold in the grated carrots with a rubber spatula or spoon. Batter will be thick. If you are adding pecans or raisins, do so now. Distribute the batter evenly into prepared baking pans.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes. Start checking cake at 25 minutes. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack so they can finish cooling completely out of the pans. While they are cooling, prepare the frosting.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth with no lumps. Add in the vanilla and mix until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time on low until combined. Whip frosting for another minute or so until smooth and creamy.
- Once cakes are completely cool, level cakes, if needed. Place one cake on the bottom of a cake stand or plate facing up. Spread a good amount of frosting on top until completely covered. Add second cake, bottom up, and frost the outside of the cake.
- Frosting tip: Spread one thin layer of frosting around the cake and set it in the fridge. Once it has firmed up a bit, add another thick layer - the frosting looks much more even this way. Also known as a crumb coat.
Notes
Recipe tip: This cake is even more moist and flavorful the second day once the flavors have all settled in with each other.
Carrots: Grate carrots at home for best results. I don't recommend using packaged pre-shredded carrots because they are typically dried out.
Add-ins: Add up to one cup total of add-ins like chopped pecans or raisins.
Storage instructions: Carrot Cake will stay fresh for up to 5 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freezing instructions: Freeze cooled, unfrosted cakes individually wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Place in a resealable, freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Prepare frosting fresh.