The BEST Carrot Cake Recipe

This is my favorite recipe for homemade carrot cake!  This cake is so easy to make, perfectly moist, and topped with an easy homemade cream cheese frosting.

I feel like carrot cake is a dessert most people tend to only make around Easter.  But honestly, carrot cake is such an incredible dessert and I think it should be enjoyed all year long.  Especially when it comes to this recipe.

I know it can be a bold statement to call a recipe the best, but I truly mean it with this one. Not only is this cake easy to make, but it’s so incredibly moist and full of flavor that it’s almost impossible to stop at one piece.

Once you realize how easy it is to make a carrot cake from scratch, you’ll want to make it over and over again.

To make this carrot cake, you’ll start by mixing up your dry ingredients.  One important thing when measuring out your dry ingredients is to make sure to spoon and level your flour.

You want to avoid packing the flour into the measuring cup, otherwise, you’ll end up with too much in your recipe.  Or if you have a food scale, you can also weigh your ingredients to get an accurate measurement.

I also really love some spice in my carrot cake so I use some ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  All three spices add such a wonderful flavor to this cake, but aren’t too overpowering.  They really take this cake from good to absolutely amazing, trust me.

For the wet ingredients, you’ll be using some oil, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and applesauce.  The amount of oil and applesauce in this recipe adds the perfect amount of moisture, so you end up with a moist cake that isn’t oily.

As always, I use a bit more brown sugar than granulated sugar because it adds more moisture and flavor to this carrot cake.  And of course, you’ll also be mixing in some grated carrots.  I don’t like to skimp on the carrots when it comes to this recipe, so I use 3 cups of grated carrots.

I know some carrot cake recipes call for raisins or nuts, but I prefer to leave them out because I know that not everyone is a fan of them.  However, if you love either one (or both!) feel free to mix some into the batter.

Then it’s all topped off with my favorite cream cheese frosting.  Have you tried it yet?!  It’s so good and a few of you have already made it and loved it.  The store-bought frosting doesn’t even compare to this homemade frosting recipe.

And speaking of the frosting, it makes enough to frost the carrot cake like you see in the pictures.  If you really love frosting, then I suggest making a bit more.  Enjoy!

The BEST Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

4.94 from 575 ratings

Prep Time: 2 hours hrs

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

This is my favorite recipe for homemade carrot cake! This cake is so easy to make, perfectly moist, and topped with an easy homemade cream cheese frosting.

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Ingredients

Servings: 10 slices

For the carrot cake:

• 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (180ml) canola or vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 cups (300 grams) light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 grams) unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups (300 grams) grated carrots, lightly packed

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 1 (8-ounce) package brick style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• ½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups (240 grams) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

 

To make the carrot cake:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray two 9-inch round cake pans well with non stick cooking spray (you can also line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper for easier removal) and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Add the grated carrots into the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk or rubber spatula until just combined, making sure not to over mix the batter.
• Pour the cake batter evenly between both prepared cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each one comes out clean. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and allow to cool in the pans for about 20-25 minutes. Once the cakes have cooled, remove from the pans and return the cakes to the wire rack to finish cooling.

To make the cream cheese frosting:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and mix for about 30 seconds-1 minute until well combined and smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

To assemble the cake:

• Level the tops of each cake with a knife or cake leveler. Place one of the cakes on a cake stand, top with a little over 1/2 cup of the frosting, and smooth it out into one even layer. Place the other cake on top and use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. Top with pecans or other toppings of choice if desired.

Notes

Prep time includes cooling time for the cakes.

Applesauce: You may replace the applesauce with 1/2 cup (120 grams) of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. 

To make a 9x13 cake: Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and pour the batter into the pan. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 35-45 minutes.

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Author: Danielle

Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.

Adapted from Better Homes & Garden

To make cupcakes instead of a cake:

Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.  The full recipe will make 24 cupcakes or you can cut the recipe in half to make 12 cupcakes.

If you love pineapple, here’s my favorite recipe for Pineapple Carrot Cake!