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    Home » Cake

    Easy carrot cake recipe

    Published: Apr 5, 2023 by Anna

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    This easy carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting is packed with crunchy walnuts, sweet carrots, orange zest, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Easily made at home, this cake will surely become one of your favorites.

    A piece of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is decorated with chopped walnuts and served on a small round plate with a silver dessert fork.
    Jump to:
    • Why you should make this cake
    • Ingredients you will need
    • Cooking tips
    • Step by step directions
    • Flavor variations
    • How to decorate carrot cake
    • FAQ
    • More cake recipes you may like
    • Recipe card

    Why you should make this cake

    It is extremely moist. Same as these Carrot cake muffins, my easy carrot cake recipe is made with the addition of vegetable oil which keeps it soft and moist even after refrigeration.

    It’s not overly sweet. The cream cheese frosting is not loaded with cups and cups of powdered sugar like American buttercream, which makes this cake perfectly sweetened.

    It’s a very simple carrot cake recipe. If you have a hand mixer, a couple of bowls, and cake pans at home, you can make this cake. The best part is that you don’t need to keep your freshly-assembled cake in the fridge for ages before serving it. 

    Ingredients you will need

    Flour – Use either all-purpose flour or cake flour to make this easy carrot cake recipe.

    Leavening agents – You will need both baking powder and baking soda to help the sponge cake to rise.

    Sugar – For the carrot cake layers, I use brown sugar and white sugar. For the frosting, powdered sugar.

    Carrots and oranges – Apart from freshly-grated carrots, I use orange zest and a little bit of orange juice. Alternatively, you can use lemon.

    Spices and salt – My additional flavorings are ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and of course salt. You can also add some ground ginger, clove, and allspice, but I like to not flood my carrot cake with too many different flavors.

    Eggs – Use two large eggs at room temperature. 

    Fats – For the sponge cake, I use melted unsalted butter and canola oil (sunflower seed oil will work as well). For the frosting, you’ll need unsalted butter at room temperature.

    Cream cheese – Let your cheese (I use Original Philadelphia cream cheese) come to room temperature before adding it to the butter.

    Vanilla – I use vanilla extract to flavor the cream.

    Walnuts – I use chopped nuts to make the cake batter and to decorate my cake.

    A piece of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is decorated with chopped walnuts and served on a small round plate; one bite was taken.

    Cooking tips

    Bake the cake batter right away. This carrot cake batter relies on baking soda and baking powder to rise in the oven. Once you combine dry and wet ingredients, the leavening agents activate and create air bubbles that will expand during baking and lift your cake. So, don’t wait until all the bubbles burst, and bake your cake layers right away.

    Don’t overmix the cake batter. Overmixing makes your sponge cake tougher and denser.

    Don’t overbeat the cream. Once you’ve added cream cheese, you’ll need to be careful not to overbeat. If your cream becomes grainy, you can save it by gently heating it in the microwave for 10 seconds and beating it again. However, if your cream splits so you see liquids in the bowl, you need to make a new batch.

    Step by step directions

    For the cake layers

    1. Preheat the oven to 160C (320F) and line the bottoms of two 7” (17-18cm) round cake pans with parchment paper. The sides can be buttered and floured or lined with paper as well.

    2. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and walnuts.

    3. Whip the eggs with white and brown sugar until pale and doubled in volume.

    4. Add the melted butter and oil. Mix well.

    The collage image shows six steps to make carrot cake layers.

    5. Add the carrots, orange zest, and juice and mix again.

    6. Fold in the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula.

    7. Divide the cake batter between two cake pans and bake for 27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

    8. Let the cake layers cool down before assembling the cake.

    For the cream

    1. Beat the butter with powdered sugar until fluffy and pale.

    2. Add the cream cheese and beat on medium until well incorporated. 

    The collage image shows six steps to make creem cheese frosting and assemble a carrot cake.

    Assembling the cake

    1. Spread a little bit of cream on the plate or a cake stand that you’ll use to assemble the cake. Place the first cake layer on top and gently press to attach.

    2. Spread an even layer of cream on top.

    3. Place the second cake layer on top. Use the rest of the cream to frost the cake.

    4. Decorate to your taste and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or overnight before serving.

    Flavor variations

    Add raisins or other dried berries or fruits – Adding pineapple, raisins, or chopped prunes will add more sweetness, flavor, and texture variety to your homemade carrot cake.

    Other nuts – You can replace walnuts with chopped pecans or you can roast or toast nuts of your choice before adding them to the carrot cake batter.

    Jam – You can add fruit or berry jam in between the cake layers together with cream cheese frosting.

    Another frosting – If you don’t like the cream cheese taste, you can make mascarpone cheese frosting instead, like in this Caramel cake recipe.

    A carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is decorated with chopped walnuts and served on a wooden cake stand.

    How to decorate carrot cake

    Carrot cake is usually made during Easter, so we welcome all decorations that include marzipan or fondant carrots or bunnies, as well as chocolate eggs. 

    You can also make more frosting and color it with gel or liquid food coloring to pipe on your cake in all sorts of patterns.

    If you’re more conservative, decorate your cake with halved or chopped walnuts or pecans.

    FAQ

    How long does carrot cake last in the fridge?

    You can store it in a cake box or covered with plastic wrap on a plate in the fridge for up to 4 days. Stored noncovered, the frosting will dry out and can crack.

    Can you freeze carrot cake?

    You can freeze the carrot cake layers for up to 2 months, but the cream should be freshly whipped. If you freeze your sponge cakes, thaw them in the fridge overnight before assembling the cake.

    Can you make carrot cake cupcakes from this cake batter?

    Yes, you can. However, the baking temperature and time should be adjusted.

    More cake recipes you may like

    Carrot cake muffins

    Banana walnut bread

    Apple cinnamon muffins

    Recipe card

    A piece of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is decorated with chopped walnuts and served on a small round plate with a silver dessert fork.

    Easy carrot cake recipe

    This easy carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting is packed with crunchy walnuts, sweet carrots, orange zest, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Easily made at home, this cake will surely become one of your favorites.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 499kcal
    Author: Anna

    Equipment

    • Digital kitchen scale
    • Stand mixer or a hand mixer and a mixing bowl
    • 2 7” (17-18cm) round cake pans , can be made in two 6" (15cm) round cake pans for a taller cake

    Ingredients

    For the cake layers

    • 140 g all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 90 g walnuts roughly chopped
    • 2 large eggs at room temperature
    • 70 g white granulated sugar
    • 70 g brown sugar
    • 60 g unsalted butter melted
    • 60 g vegetable oil such as canola oil
    • 125 g carrots finely grated
    • Zest of one orange
    • 1 tablespoon orange juice

    For the cream

    • 400 g cream cheese at room temperature
    • 200 g unsalted butter at room temperature
    • 90 g powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    For the cake layers

    • Preheat the oven to 160C (320F) and line the bottoms of two 7” (17-18cm) round cake pans with parchment paper. You can also use this recipe to bake in two 6” (15cm) cake pans if you prefer a taller cake. The sides can be buttered and floured or lined with paper as well.
    • In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and walnuts.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer and a bowl), whip the eggs with white and brown sugar until pale and doubled in volume.
    • Add the melted butter and oil. Mix well.
    • Add the carrots, orange zest, and juice and mix again.
    • Fold in the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula.
    • Divide the cake batter between two cake pans and bake for 27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
    • Remove from the oven and let cool down in the pan until safe to handle. Then, transfer it onto a cooling rack to cool down completely before assembling the cake.

    For the cream

    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer and a bowl), beat the butter with powdered sugar until fluffy and pale.
    • Add the cream cheese and beat on medium until well incorporated. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl and beat for 10 more seconds.

    Assembling the cake

    • Spread a little bit of cream on the plate or a cake stand that you’ll use to assemble the cake. Place the first cake layer on top and gently press to attach.
    • Spread an even layer of cream on top. I used 250g of cream in between cake layers.
    • Place the second cake layer on top. Use the rest of the cream to frost the cake.
    • Decorate to your taste (I sprinkled some crushed walnuts on top) and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or overnight before serving.

    Video

    Notes

    Store in a cake box or covered with plastic wrap on a plate in the fridge for up to 4 days.
    Freeze unfrosted sponge cake for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before assembling the cake.
     

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy carrot cake recipe
    Serving Size
     
    1 serving
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    499
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    40
    g
    62
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    19
    g
    119
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    8
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    10
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    108
    mg
    36
    %
    Sodium
     
    305
    mg
    13
    %
    Potassium
     
    151
    mg
    4
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    32
    g
    11
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    21
    g
    23
    %
    Protein
     
    6
    g
    12
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    2774
    IU
    55
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    1
    mg
    1
    %
    Calcium
     
    81
    mg
    8
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sugarpursuit or tag #sugarpursuit!

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    Comments

    1. Mia

      April 07, 2023 at 6:27 am

      5 stars
      Best carrot cake ever, easy to make and turned out super moist and the cream cheese frosting is amazing.

      Reply
      • Anna

        April 07, 2023 at 6:37 am

        I'm happy you like the recipe, Mia!

        Reply

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    Hey there! My name is Anna, and I am here to share with you my sweet and savory baking recipes and show you how to make beautiful cakes.

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