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Moist, fluffy, and irresistibly good, this homemade Carrot Cake is about to become your new favorite dessert. Packed with flavor and topped with silky cream cheese frosting, it’s everything you love in a carrot cake recipe, and then some.
With just the right balance of sweet and tangy, hints of cinnamon, bursts of crushed pineapple, and a perfectly moist crumb studded with crunchy nuts, this is the best carrot cake to serve for any occasion. You’ve never had Carrot Cake quite like this!
What Makes This Carrot Cake Work
This Carrot Cake stands out for its unbeatable texture and flavor. The combination of crushed pineapple and oil gives it a rich, moist crumb, while freshly grated carrots add natural sweetness and depth. A hint of cinnamon and a handful of chopped nuts bring warmth and crunch to every bite.
What truly sets this homemade carrot cake apart is the balance. It’s not too sweet, never dry, and beautifully complemented by a tangy, velvety cream cheese frosting. Whether you’re baking for a celebration or just because, this is the best carrot cake recipe to have in your back pocket.
What Goes Into This Recipe
This homemade carrot cake is incredibly moist, tender, and bursting with cozy flavor in every bite. Made with everyday ingredients, it’s the perfect balance of sweet, spiced, and creamy. These key components are what make this the best carrot cake you’ll ever bake.
A few standout ingredients:
- Grated carrots – These not only add natural sweetness and a soft texture, but they also keep the cake perfectly moist
- Crushed pineapple or applesauce – Just half a cup adds an extra boost of moisture
- Chopped pecans or walnuts – A crunchy contrast to the soft crumb, these nuts add richness and texture to every slice
- Cream cheese and butter – These form the base of the frosting, making it silky, smooth, and a bit tangy for balance
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements
How To Make Carrot Cake
- Prep Pans: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the base of each with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until well combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the oil, pineapple (or applesauce), both sugars, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth and fully combined.
- Make the Batter: Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir until just smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Fold in the grated carrots, 3/4 cup of the nuts, and sultanas if using.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans for 30 minutes.
- Cool and Frost: Transfer cakes to wire racks and cool completely. Beat cream cheese and butter, then mix in vanilla and powdered sugar until spreadable. Frost the cakes and top with remaining nuts.
This Carrot Cake is rich, spiced, and sweet, so it pairs beautifully with a mix of drinks and savory sides. A chilled Frozen Margarita offers a zesty citrus kick that balances the cake’s warmth. For something creamy and comforting, Easy Creamed Spinach adds a savory touch that rounds out a brunch or holiday table.
If you’re in the mood for coffee, a tall glass of Dalgona Whipped Coffee makes the perfect match. Its light, airy foam and bold flavor contrast the dense crumb and tangy frosting.
Recipe FAQ’s
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting to prevent the icing from melting. Even a slightly warm cake can cause the cream cheese frosting to turn runny.
Yes, you can layer without trimming the tops. Simply flip the bottom cake layer upside down onto your serving plate, frost it, then place the second layer upside down on top.
Two 9-inch round cake pans work best for this recipe. Make sure to line the bottoms with parchment paper and grease the sides well. You can also use a 9×13-inch pan for a single-layer cake.
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Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose or plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple or unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups grated carrots from about 2-3 large carrots
- 1 cup crushed pecans or walnuts, divided, optional
- 1/2 cup raisins or sultanas, optional
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 6 ounces butter softened to room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted if lumpy, plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
CARROT CAKE:
- Heat the oven to 350º F (175°C). Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the base of each pan with parchment paper.
- Combine together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a bowl until well combined.
- In a separate bowl whisk the oil, pineapple (or apple sauce), sugars and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time until well combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until the batter is smooth, while scraping the batter from the sides of the bowl. Fold in grated carrots, 3/4 cup of nuts and sultanas.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or when a toothpick inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean.
- Let cool in pans for 30 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks peeling the paper off the base of each cake as you go. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- In large bowl, beat together softened cream cheese and butter, scraping down sides of bowl when needed, for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. (Use a hand mixer.)
- Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar, adding more sugar if needed until frosting is thick and spreadable.
- Frost cooled cake and top with remaining crushed nuts for decoration (optional).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just made this Last week! It was delicious!! Hands down the best carrot cake I have ever had! I am also 40 weeks pregnant and was craving good Carrot cake and ended up making this and I’m Glad I did. There are no leftovers and I am tempted to make it again!
Hi can i make this recipe in cupcakes? Thanks
This recipe calls for 6 oz of butter. Is that a typo? Is that supposed to be 6 Tablespoons?
Honestly this is one of the best cakes I’ve ever made, ever!!! Ive made a couple of recipes from Cafe Delites and they seriously THE BEST version of what you are looking for. I used the puréed pineapple and you couldn’t taste it but it was honestly the best carrot cake ever!! Thank you so much for the recipe and Happy Easter 🥕🐰🐣
This is the third recipe that I use from cafedelites and I can’t tell how good they all come out. I’ve never been a fan of baking nor any good at it but with their easy to follow recipes and DELICIOUS results, you cant go wrong. Everyone that have tasted what ive made always end up asking for the recipe. Can’t wait to try out more from here.
Love this cake. I made a single layer using gluten free flour and white sugar substitute. It turned out nice and moist. It is a keeper!
Made this today and it turned out amazing! Thank you for sharing!
I have been wanting to do a carrot cake for a good while and I finally got the cake made, the cake is so unbelievably moist and fluffy and extremely tasty, my friends and family all said it was lovely and now I’ve been asked to make it again, now I know how easy it is to make I would recommend it to friends and family but they normally just get me to bake it
Very good recipe. Family enjoyed every bite!
I made this exactly as it is and is just perfect . So moist and fuffy and full of flavors
Thank you! Have a lovely day!
Try my Cream Cheese Recipe-
2 (8oz) blocks Softened Cream Cheese-Philadelphia is best-
Soften by leaving on counter a few hours-
2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 cups Powdered Sugar-Confictioners Sugar-
(Best) Icing Ever!! Not too sweet not to cream cheesy!!
I been making it 25yrs!
My own recipe!
I did your cream cheese but added the 1/4 cup of butter from the frosting recipe. It was amazing. Thank you so much.