Best Carrot Cake

Homemade carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting and a slice being picked up from the cake.

Enjoy a simple Homemade Carrot Cake with a Cream Cheese Frosting that is easy to prepare for the beginning baker with flavors a seasoned baker will enjoy. A layer cake that is moist and tasty. Perfect for holidays like Easter and Mother's Day but easy enough for dessert any day of the week.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Western Europe

Keyword carrot cake, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, homemade carrot cake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

cooling time 1

Total Time 1 55

Servings servings

Calories 816kcal

Author Eileen Murphy Kelly

Equipment

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Batter

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup whole milk
3 cups shredded carrots
non-stick cooking spray

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
2 (8) ounce packages, cream cheese room temperature
10 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
chopped pecans optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C. Spray 2 8-inch round baking pans with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add and whisk together until combined the dry ingredients; all-purpose flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Add wet ingredients vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk until the batter is smooth.
Fold the shredded carrots into the batter until thoroughly combined.
Evenly split the batter between the two prepared baking pans
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, make the cream cheese frosting.
When the cake is done baking, let it cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.

Cream cheese Frosting

In a large mixing bowl add the softened butter and cream cheese. Use a hand mixer with beaters attached to blend the two until smooth.
Add the vanilla extract and confectioners' sugar about 3 cups at a time to the cream cheese mixture, blending in between each addition of confectioners' sugar.
Set aside the frosting until the cake is done baking and cooled completely before frosting.

How to frost the carrot cake

Place the first layer of the cake down and add frosting in the center. Spread evenly.
Then add the second layer of carrot cake and add more frosting. Spread evenly and around the edges of the cake.
Add the chopped pecans around the sides of the cake for garnish.
Cut, serve and enjoy

Notes

Be sure to check the Expert Tips and FAQs above with important tips and questions that can help make a delicious recipe.

The Cake will serve between 10-15 depending on how large the slices are cut.

Make ahead: One of the great things about making this moist carrot cake is that you can make it a day ahead of time so that you can spend less time in the kitchen on the holiday or birthday with your family and friends.

Storage: Store the baked carrot cake in a covered airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you don't have an airtight container like a cake stand, you can cover the top of your cake loosely with plastic wrap to keep it fresh.

Freezing: Wrap individual slices of carrot cake in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer-safe bag or container. This allows for easy portioning and quick defrosting when you're craving a slice.

Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.

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