This delicious carrot cake is almost too easy to believe and my gosh is it good! The batter has toasted walnuts shredded carrot (of course), pineapple and lots of spices! The cake is very moist but not at all oily! It’s all topped with cream cheese frosting and a scattering of toasted walnuts for some extra crunch!
I love carrot cakes!! Partially because they’re a vehicle for that amazing, slightly tangy cream cheese frosting but also because they’re super-moist, perfectly sweet and min always have toasted pecans or walnuts thrown in for some extra crunch.
My pet peeve is oily carrot cake so my recipe uses apple sauce and sour cream to add more moisture while using less oil.
Pro Tips for Making the Best Carrot Cake Recipe
- The nuts can be omitted. I love the crunch and depth of flavor they add though. Walnuts can be subbed in for the pecans.
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- You can make this recipe as cupcakes or as a sheet cake.
- Cake strips will help you get a nice flat top after baking so you can stack the layers without trimming.
- If your frosting is runny then add more powdered sugar a cup at a time until the consistency thickens up. You can also chill the frosting slightly so it firms up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I add to carrot cake?
- 1 cup Rasins
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- Sub the pecans for walnuts
- Sub the apple sauce for chopped pineapple.
How should I store this cake?
It’s not best to leave your cake out since the frosting is full of dairy so store in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temp before serving for best results. You’ll probably have some left over cream cheese frosting after smoothing so use that to cover the exposed interior after cutting the cake. This will keep you cake nice and moist throughout.
How long does carrot cake keep for?
This carrot cake will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator. You can freeze the unfrosted layers for up to two months if wrapped well.
Can I make this as a sheet cake?
Yes! This recipe makes a delicious 1/4 sheet cake, which is 9×13 inches. Bake at 350F for about 55 minutes or until the center is springy to the touch.
How to Make Carrot Cake
1. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices to a sifter and sift onto a large bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl add the oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream, apple sauce and vanilla extract then set aside.
3. Shred the carrots. I like to use a finer grater but the large one works too. Using a scale is the best way to measure but a bound of carrots is about 5 medium sized carrots. If you add a bit over or under the cake will still be fine.
4. Chop your toasted pecans then toss them with a tablespoon of the dry mixture. Ii you haven’t toasted nuts before it’s super-easy! Just spread out on a baking tray and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until they smell nice and fragrant. Remove from oven after 5 minutes and move around on the baking sheet so they toast evenly.
5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until JUST combined. Add the shredded carrot and toasted pecans to the batter then fold in so they’re distributed evenly. Divide the batter equally into three eight inch pans that have been buttered and floured with parchment paper rounds on the bottom. Bake at 35oF for about 40 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch.
6. Add the room temperature butter and cream cheese to a stand mixer mixer with a paddle attachment and beat together until smooth. Scrape the bowl down and mix a few seconds more.
7. Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl (this step is optional especially if your powdered sugar is totally lump-free). Add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese/butter mixture a cup at a time while the mixer is running on low. Scrape the bowl down and mix until smooth. You can add more sugar to taste, as well as to stiffen the consistency if needed.
8. Pipe the frosting onto the first cooled cake layer, add the second layer, pipe more buttercream and add the third and smooth any bulging buttercream on the side. At this point I like to pop my cake into the refrigerator to chill so the frosting sets a bit and stabilizes. 20-30 minutes should be fine. You can wrap the cake in plastic to protect it from errant smells and prevent moisture loss but it’s not a must.
9. Cover the cake in a layer of cream cheese frosting. Smooth the side with a bench scraper then the top with an offset spatula. Smooth the side once more then use the offset spatula to pul in the corner and create a clean edge.
10. Press chopped toasted pecans onto the side of the cake. I like covering the bottom third but you can cover the entire side.
11. For the carrots you’ll want to mix up a small batch of buttercream. I just added 1/2cup of salted butter to a bowl then add 2-3 cups of sifted powdered sugar a cup at a time until you have a thick paste-like frosting. Divide into two batches, a slightly smaller one for the carrot tops, which you will color green and a larger batch that will be colored orange. Use a large round tip like a 1A to pipe the carrots. I piped mine at different heights to they looked a bit more organic but you could make them all uniform instead.
12. Use a grass tip (233) to pipe the green tops. Touch the carrot with your piping tip as you begin squeezing so the two buttercreams adhere to each other.
Enjoy!
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this carrot cake recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 ⅔ cups white sugar 335g
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour 300g
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1g
- ½ tsp all-spice 1g
- ½ tsp cardamom 1g
- 1/4 tsp ginger 500mg
- 2 tsp baking powder 8g
- 2 tsp baking soda 12g
- 1 ½ tsp salt 8g, kosher
- ¾ cup sour cream 180mL
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil 180ml
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla 10mL
- 1 cup chopped walnuts 125g, toasted!
- 1 lb carrots 450g, shredded
- ½ cup apple sauce 120 mL
For the Frosting:
- 16 oz cream cheese 452g, room temp
- 12 oz butter 340g, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla 5mL
- 1 3/4 lb confectioners sugar 800g
For the Buttercream
- 1/2 cup salted butter 113g, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar 350g, sifted
- food coloring orange and green
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add butter and parchment paper to a sheet cake pan.
- Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream, apple sauce, and vanilla together in a large bowl.
- In another bowl, sift together dry ingredients and whisk together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix together until just combined and scrape the bowl down.
- Toss the toasted pecans with 1 tablespoon of the dry mixture.
- Fold the carrots and walnuts into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly into a three buttered 8" pans lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the layers to cool completely in the pan. Set over a wire rack.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix in the vanilla until well combined, scrape the bowl down then add the confectioners sugar and mix until smooth.
For the Buttercream:
- Use a spatula to fold in the powdered sugar into the butter a cup at a time until it forms a thick pipable paste. Divide into two batches, a larger one will be colored orange the smaller will be green.
For the Assembly
- Pipe a thick layer of the cream cheese frosting onto the first cooled layer, add the second then repeat the process until the cake is built. Because cream cheese frosting tends to be soft it's best to chill the cake for a bit so it stabilizes.
- Cover the cake in cream cheese frosting then smooth the side and top.
- Press the chopped toasted pecans onto the lower part of the side.
- Us a 1a (large round tip)tip to pipe the carrots on top then use a grass tip to pipe the green tops.
Notes
- The nuts can be omitted. I love the crunch and depth of flavor they add though. Walnuts can be subbed in for the pecans.
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- You can make this recipe as cupcakes or as a sheet cake.
- Cake strips will help you get a nice flat top after baking so you can stack the layers without trimming.
- If your frosting is runny then add more powdered sugar a cup at a time until the consistency thickens up. You can also chill the frosting slightly so it firms up.
MUy rico ese cake de zanahoria gracias por esas recetas tan ricas q prepara
Thanks for the recipe.. i’ll try this at homr..
Kinta,
You are so welcome! Hope you enjoy this yummy cake!
John
I love following you on Instagram! My son has been begging for me to make him a carrot cake. He is not a fan of pineapple. If I substitute apples for pineapple, what kind of apple do you recommend? Do you recommend fresh apples or can I use canned apples?
Kristin,
Thank you so much! I love honey crisps, but any apple is fine! I recommend grating it or mincing the apples! Let me know how the cake turns out!
John
I made this cake last night and OMG it’s the best carrot cake I’ve made! I’ve been on the search for the perfect carrot cake and this is it! Really ! Even my husband who is very picky approved.
Thank you so much John!
Can’t wait to make Lovely lemon layer cake 🙂
Ana,
I am so happy you liked it!! I love this cake!
John
Hi,
What size is the cakepan?
Greetings from the Netherlands,
Saskia
Saskia,
The pan is 13×15 or 33cm x 38cm! Hope you get to give it a try!
John
This will be my birthday cake!
Awesome! Happy birthday!
John
Hello!
I followed the same recipe for the frosting but mine was liquid and runny. I did heated the cream cheese just a bit in the microwave. Any special instructions to make it more consistent?
Thank you!
Givanka,
If your frosting is runny, add more confectioners sugar! This will fluff it up!
John
Hi John, how can you make cream cheese frosting pipable? Thanks!
Hi Jhonn …As I said before my husband and I made this recipe and aside the good time we spend baking together…this recipe is amazing…my husband ,me and family..and.all my friends at work LOVED it..the flavor…(first time using cardamom) the moisture and sweetness…..thank u for all your great work…my skills as baker had improve thanks to you…Now I’m gonna try the pumpkin pie recipe…God bless you…
Hey Jorge,
That is so nice to hear! I’m happy you appreciate the recipe and so glad you used cardamom for the first time! I hope you enjoy the pumpkin pie just as much!
Happy baking!
John
I made this cake this morning and I couldn’t wait to tast it and I was like “omg it’s the best carrot cake I’ve ever made” thank you so much I really love it, this will be one of my best favorite cakes.
Thank you 😀
Hadeel,
Thank you so much! I am so happy you liked the cake! I thought the cream cheese frosting was the best part! 🙂
John
Greetings from Argentina!!!
Hi John, I’ve made a couple of your cakes to rave reviews from my family. Can’t wait to try this recipe. I wanted to make it as a layer cake for father’s day. Should I double the recipe for 2x 9” round pans?
Hi John,
This is hands-down the best carrot cake I’ve ever tried. My family LOVED it. I doubled the recipe to make a 9” layer cake. In retrospect, I didn’t need to. The regular recipe would have been more than enough! BUT now I have delicious carrot cake muffins/cupcakes to enjoy.
All of your recipes have been stellar. So straightforward and beyond delicious. Thank you!
Karen,
So happy you liked it!
John
Hi!! Dear John.
I’m from Thailand (southeast Asia) I made more carrots cake and this is the best ever!!!!!!!!
but I have a bit problem about when I made half recipe,the result does not work.What do you think about that?
Thank you so much
Hello!
I am sorry to hear that. Whenever your decreasing a recipe you have to make sure to decrease the pan size, otherwise the cake might not rise.
Happy baking,
John
I have made this cake several times and always received rave reviews. I came to your site this morning to get the recipe again and I notice that you also have a Carrot – Pineapple Cake. That sounds delicious, too, and now I have to decide between them. Such a dilemma… 😉
Hi Jhonn …As I said before my husband and I made this recipe and aside the good time we spend baking together…this recipe is amazing…my husband ,me and family..and.all my friends at work LOVED it..the flavor…(first time using cardamom) the moisture and sweetness…..thank u for all your great work…my skills as baker had improve thanks to you…Now I’m gonna try the pumpkin pie recipe…God bless you…
Hi Jorge,
Thank YOU! I’m glad you both enjoyed this cake!! Let me know how your pumpkin pie turns out! 🙂
Happy baking!
John
My husband and I had great time baking this recipe.everyone LOVED the cake.BEST CARROT CAKE EVER…the moist, the flavor (first time using cardomomo) the frosting…my baking skills had improved thanks to your tips…I have mad other recipes and everytime everyone love them….God bless you???
I made this recipe yesterday and I am in love!!! Is the best carrot cake I have ever tried!! This recipe is a keeper! Love from Puerto rico ??
Hi Erika,
Thank you for the feedback, I’m very happy you loved this cake! I could eat the cream cheese frosting PLAIN! LOL
Best,
John
I just made a half batch of the carrot cake and it turned out perfectly. Loved that it was such an easy recipe, thank you!
Hey Danae,
I’m happy you made this cake! It is SO easy to make and so scrumptious. Thank you for your feedback!
Best,
John
What do you think of substituting peacans instead of walnuts?
Great ?
can the sour cream be omitted? would i need to increase the oil if i did? also, can this recipe be made in your classic 6”inch pans?
thank you!!!