Who can resist a delicious homemade carrot cake? This 2-tiered cake has cinnamon, vanilla, and finely shredded carrots, topped with smooth and sweet homemade cream cheese frosting. Adding optional chopped pecans and fresh peeled carrots for decoration make this cake not only tasty but beautiful!
Carrot Cake
Hi Everyone, Do you have Carrot Cake fever yet? When I think Spring cake recipes, Carrot Cake first comes to mind. It’s perfect for Easter, Memorial Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, baby or bridal showers, birthdays, or any time you need a delicious Spring-themed cake that works all year round as well.
It is spiced with aromatic cinnamon and vanilla and has sweet carrots throughout – 3 cups to be exact! It’s one of those cake recipes that doesn’t seem overly indulgent because it has so much shredded carrot in it. It actually seems more like a quick bread – just a different shape.
Okay, so in my book that makes this carrot cake practically health food, am I right?!? Lol, just kidding, this is most definitely a tasty treat, but one I would consider worth having :) Confession time, I have to come clean…I have eaten a slice of this cake for breakfast and had zero regrets!
The Perfect Carrot Cake
This carrot cake is dense, rich, and moist. It has a distinctive natural orange color. The smooth cream cheese frosting is optionally topped with crunchy chopped pecans and decorated with cute, small peeled carrots. I got those pretty little carrots from my local farmers market.
Ingredients for Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Carrot Cake Batter
- Canola cooking spray
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, or the same amount of cake flour
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger *optional
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups very finely shredded carrots, lightly packed *the carrots must be peeled and ends cup
- 3/4 cup Canola oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounce plain cream cheese
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Optional Toppings
- 12-14 small whole carrots, peeled
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
In previous cake recipes, I have suggested using cake strips but not for this recipe, it does not need it. During recipe testing one of the batches I used the cake strips and the layers came out concave. Since this cake is more like a quick bread and it has the grated carrot in it, the layers rise more flat anyway.
Below is a list of kitchen tools for this carrot cake recipe.
- mixing bowls
- measuring spoons and cups
- wet measure
- baking spatulas
- stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer
- 2 (9 inch) cake pans
- parchment paper
- offset spatula
- cake spinner
- frosting comb or dough/bench scraper
- cake stand
Tips for Success for Making Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
There are some key tips for recipe success this carrot cake:
- Carrots – The carrots must be washed, ends cut and completely peeled. Carrot skins are bitter and since this is a sweet recipe, we do not want to throw the whole recipe off. I suggest using a box grater to shred the carrots. Usually, I love using a food processor to shred carrots for recipes but in this case, you need a fine shred to keep the cake from easily being crumbly when assembling and frosting.
- Cream Cheese Frosting – Make sure to use only confectioner’s sugar and not granulated white sugar or any other type of sugar. This ensures that the frosting is smooth and not gritty, crunchy or granular.
- Assembling the Cake – This cake can be frosted all at one or for a more finished look, you can apply the frosting in 2 stages and make sure the frosting is at room temperature before applying any frosting. Make sure to refrigerate (at least 1/2 hour) the cake after the first layer of frosting is applied, so that it can set up and then apply the rest of the frosting. Refrigerate the cake when you are done applying all the frosting for at least a 1/2 hour so that you get perfect slices when cutting the cake. If you can, use an airtight cake carrier so the frosting does not dry out in the refrigerator.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder – make sure you have fresh baking soda and baking powder in this recipes to ensure perfectly risen cake layers.
If you make this Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe and you like it, please let us know in the comments below, thank you for reading and following along!
While we’re on the topic of carrot cake, we can’t forget to mention this beautiful Carrot Cake Trifle recipe. Another great option for Easter or spring gatherings. Think carrot cake… in trifle form!
If you’re looking for more Easter dessert recipes, be sure to check out the ones below!
- Easter Chick Cupcakes– cute chicks made from frosting atop a moist chocolate cupcake.
- Easter Crack– saltine toffee decorated with festive Easter candies make the perfect treat.
- Easter Muddy Buddies– Chex cereal loaded with peanut butter, chocolate, and powdered sugar. How can you go wrong here?
- Rice Krispie Nests– amongst the most popular Easter recipes on this blog are these cute rice krispie shaped nests with Easter egg candies inside. Too cute to resist.
- Checkerboard Cake for Easter– if you’re looking to WOW your guests this year, this is the cake to do so. Beautiful pastel colors make up this checkerboard cake.
- Bunny Butt Cupcakes– these adorable bunny butt cupcakes are adorned with white chocolate bunny feet you can easily make at home. These cupcakes are so cute, it’ll be hard to eat them!
- Here’s over 100 Easter Desserts!
- For those watching their sugar levels, try these diabetic carrot cake towers.
- And for those looking to cut fat, try my low fat carrot cake instead.
Carrot Cake
Ingredients
To make the Carrot Cake Layers
- Canola cooking spray for greasing the 2 cake pans
- 4 large eggs beaten *room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or the same amount of cake flour
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon *Saigon cinnamon is most fragrant
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger optional
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups shredded carrots very finely shredded, lightly packed. *the carrots must be peeled and ends cut
- 3/4 cup Canola oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese plain, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5-6 cups confectioner's sugar powdered sugar, sifted
Optional Toppings
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 12-14 small carrots skins peeled
Instructions
- Spray the 2 (9 inch) round cake pans with Canola cooking spray. Place 2 round pieces of parchment paper fitted to the bottom of the cake pans and spray more cooking spray over the parchment. This helps the cake separate from the cake pan after baking completely intact. Set the prepared pans aside.
- Make sure the oven rack is in the center of the oven then preheat your oven for 350 degree F.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, 2 cups granulated white sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger (optional), Kosher salt, and baking soda.
- In another large mixing bowl, add the beaten eggs, 3 cups finely shredded carrot, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 3/4 cup Canola oil. Stir the mixture until completely combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, stirring in between each addition, until combined. Add an even amount of batter to each prepared baking pan.
- Bake the cake layers in the center rack for 30-35 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife or wooden toothpick into the center of the cake and it should come out clean. Cool the cake pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove the cake layers from the cake pans and allow to cool completely on the wire racks. Remove and discard the parchment paper. The cake must be completely cooled before applying the frosting.
- When the cake is completely cool, if the cake needs to be leveled you can now level the cake with a bread knife. This allows you to stack the layers evenly when assembling. If the layers are pretty flat, it is not necessary to level the cake layers.
To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a stand mixer (or using a hand held electric mixer), in a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese, unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract until combined.
- Gradually mix in the sifted confectioner's sugar, sprinkling 1/2 cup at a time until the mixture is smooth. Set aside until ready to frost the cake. If you have some time until frosting the cake, you can refrigerate it but make sure it is room temperature before frosting. It usually takes a 1/2 hour to become room temperature after removing from the refrigerator.
To Assemble the Carrot Cake
- Add the first layer to the cake spinner or cake stand. Add frosting to the top of the layer and spread it out so that it hangs over the edge. Add the 2nd layer. Add enough frosting so that it hangs over the edge. Add dollops of frosting to the sides and using a bench scraper, cake comb and/or offset spatula spread the frosting on the sides. If you are looking for a more finished look, frost in 2 parts, spread the 1st layer, refrigerate for 30 minutes, then finish with a 2nd layer. Sprinkle the optional chopped pecans and decorate with optional peeled small carrots.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Carrots – The carrots must be washed, ends cut and completely peeled. Carrot skins are bitter and since this is a sweet recipe, we do not want to throw the whole recipe off. I suggest using a box grater to shred the carrots. Usually, I love using a food processor to shred carrots for recipes but in this case, you need a fine shred to keep the cake from easily being crumbly when assembling and frosting.
- Cream Cheese Frosting – Make sure to use only confectioner’s sugar and not granulated white sugar or any other type of sugar. This ensured that the frosting is smooth and not gritty, crunchy or granular.
- Assembling the Cake - This cake can be frosted all at one or for a more finished look, you can apply the frosting in 2 stages and make sure the frosting is at room temperature before applying any frosting. Make sure to refrigerate (at least 1/2 hour) the cake after the first layer of frosting is applied, so that it can set up and then apply the rest of the frosting. Refrigerate the cake when you are done applying all the frosting for at least a 1/2 hour so that you get perfect slices when cutting the cake. If you can, use an airtight cake carrier so the frosting does not dry out in the refrigerator.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder – make sure you have fresh baking soda and baking powder in this recipes to ensure perfectly risen cake layers.
Nutrition
Recipe Attribution
This recipe is inspired by “Carrot Cake” from The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.
Sara Maniez
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Brenda Hill says
I was mortified when I went straight to the recipe and the ingredients said 3 cups of canola oil. Then I went back to the top and read 3/4 of a cup. I just thought you might want to change that. I will be making this, I love carrot cake!
Amanda Formaro says
I’ve fixed it, so sorry for the error!