This Carrot Cake Recipe has a moist crumb, the perfect blend of spices, tons of carrots, and is covered with a deliciously tangy cream cheese frosting.

My carrot cake recipe is easy, delicious and has become one of my favorite cakes to make over the years. The fresh carrots and vegetable oil keep the cake moist and the crushed pineapple gives the cake added flavor and depth. Please feel free to substitute the pecans in this recipe with walnuts or omit if needed.

If you ask me, carrot cake is a good cake to make year round. Some people love carrot cake as a birthday cake, others love it as a wedding cake or wedding cake layer. I love making carot cake during the spring, especially as a dessert on my Easter dinner table.

CARROT CAKE INGREDIENTS

Jump to the bottom of the recipe card below this post for full ingredient measurements and instructions.

Cake flour – Cake flour is soft, low-protein flour that produces a bakery-style cakey structure. If you do not have cake flour, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour.

Carrots – I like to shred my own carrots, but you can totally skip this step and buy them already shredded.

Pineapple – crushed pineapple fresh or canned

Eggs – add richness and structure to the cake

Vegetable oil – can be substituted for light olive oil or grapeseed oil

Salt – fine sea salt

Sugar – granulated sugar and brown sugar

Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla

Nuts – Pecans or walnuts

Leaveners – Baking soda and baking powder (ensure it’s fresh)

HOW TO MAKE CARROT CAKE

Follow these steps to make this recipe:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, the spices and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Mix the wet ingredients: In another large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, crushed pineapple, and vanilla extract until combined.
Combine wet and dry: Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until well combined.
Fold in the carrots and pecans: Gently fold in the grated carrots and pecans.
Bake: Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool.
Make the icing: Combine the ingredients to make the icing, then ice the cake once cooled. Finish the cake with chopped nuts if desired.

CAN I MAKE AHEAD?

Yes! The icing and cake can be made ahead of time. You can either bake and ice your cake and then refrigerate it for up to 2 days, or you can make the cakes and icing separately and then assemble next day. Wrap the individual baked and cooled cake layers tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature (if frozen) before icing.

PRO CAKE BAKING TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE

Sift your dry ingredients. Sift together all of the dry ingredients to remove any lumps.
Weigh the flour. It’s important to add the correct amount of flour by weighing it with a kitchen scale, preferably. If you do not own a kitchen scale, be sure to fluff up the flour in its container, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level the top.
Use room-temperature dairy. It is important to ensure you start with room-temperature milk, eggs, and butter so that they create an emulsion.
Add shredded coconut. Want to elevate the flavor of this cake even more? Fold in shredded coconut for an out of this world carrot cake.
Chill cakes before icing. Make sure the cakes are thoroughly cooled or chilled before icing the cake. Thoroughly chilled cakes are much easier to ice. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature (if frozen) before icing.
Make it a bundt cake. Not in the mood to make a layered cake? Not a problem! Place the batter into a greased and floured bundt cake pan then, follow the directions to bake and frost.

HOW TO DECORATE CARROT CAKE

Here are a few simple and effective ways for beginners and seasoned bakers to decorate an iced cake:

Chopped nuts – chopped walnuts are pecans
Cake crumbs – cake crumbs can be added to the oven to dry before using to decorate the cake
Festive candy – sprinkles, flavored fondant, and edible royal icing carrots give this cake a festive touch!
Dried Carrot crisps – a resourceful and cost-effective way to add some serious show-stopping flare to your cake.

Arrange in patterns or sprinkle them all over the cake. I like using the decorating ideas above because they not only make the cake look very attractive but also hide small mistakes!

Carrot Cake

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Jamie Tryon Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10-12

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

hours

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup 2 1/2 cake flour or all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 1/2 cup 1 1/2 granulated sugar
1/2 cup 1/2 brown sugar
4 4 eggs (room temperature; see notes)
2 cup 2 grated carrots (about 3 large carrots)
1 cup 1 crushed pineapple, drained
1 1/2 cup 1 1/2 vegetable oil, light olive or grapeseed oil
2 tsp 2 baking powder
1 tsp 1 baking soda
1 tsp 1 salt
2 tsp 2 ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp 1/4 ground nutmeg
2 tsp 2 vanilla extract
1 cup 1 chopped pecans or walnuts, plus more for decorating the cake, nuts are optional
For The Buttercream
1 cup 1 cream cheese (8-oz block), room temperature
1 cup 1 unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
4 1/2 cup 4 1/2 confectioners sugar (sifted)
1 tsp 1 vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans, and line them with parchment paper rounds (see notes in Cake Baking Tips). Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. I recommend using nonstick spray for greasing.
In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, blend the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt on low speed for 1 minute.
In another large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, crushed pineapple, and vanilla extract until combined.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until well combined. Gently fold in the grated carrots and pecans.
Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cream Cheese Buttercream
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth.
On low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar in thirds, scraping the bowl down in between additions. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, increase the mixing speed to medium-low and continue to mix for 1 minute until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Cover and set aside until ready to ice the cake.

Recipe Video

Notes

This recipe contains nuts, please omit them if allergic
It’s important to add the correct amount of flour by weighing it with a kitchen scale, preferably. If you do not own a kitchen scale, be sure to fluff up the flour in its container, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level the top.
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The icing and cake can be made ahead of time. You can either bake and ice your cake and then refrigerate it for up to 2 days, or you can make the cakes and icing separately and then assemble next day. Wrap the individual baked and cooled cake layers tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature (if frozen) before icing.

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