With its outstanding spice flavor, super moist crumb, and velvety cream cheese frosting, this is truly the best carrot cake. Use brown sugar and toasted pecans for deeper flavor.
I don’t call it carrot cake. I call it “birthday cake.” It’s my one and only choice on my big day. I’ve adopted this tradition and make my own carrot birthday cake each year. And, of course, we never limit it to only once per year. This is always my top choice for Easter dessert recipes and I love making it for spring brunches, baby showers, and our community’s new bake sale.
In fact, this recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
And, finally, I firmly believe that the ONLY thing that competes with carrot cake is a batch of carrot cake cupcakes.
What Does This Carrot Cake Taste Like?
This carrot cake sets the standard for carrot cakes everywhere. It’s deeply moist and filled with toasted pecans (or walnuts, if you prefer). Most of its flavor comes from brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and carrots. Ginger adds the most delicious zing, but it isn’t overpowering at all. The cake is dense, but each forkful tastes super soft and extra lush. If made ahead, the flavor intensifies and the cream cheese frosting seeps into the layers, creating an even more tender bite.
So if you’re looking for a make-ahead cake whose taste and texture won’t be compromised, make this! It’s a total classic and 1 taste converts everyone, even those silly people who “don’t like carrot cake.” Who ARE you people?! 😉
Let’s Make It!
This carrot cake is pretty easy, but let’s walk through the process together. You can also use this detailed how to assemble and decorate a layer cake post and video as a guide.
Begin by toasting pecans in the oven. Spread them on a baking sheet and bake for about 6–8 minutes. Toasting the nuts is optional, but you won’t regret doing it. Toasting pecans creates an unparalleled deep nutty flavor—I love using them in my hummingbird Bundt cake and pecan pie cheesecake, too. Let the nuts cool down for a couple minutes, then start the carrot cake batter. Begin with 2 mixing bowls. Whisk the dry ingredients together in 1 bowl, then the wet ingredients in another bowl. Combine the two, along with shredded carrots and half of the toasted nuts. You don’t even need a mixer for the cake batter!
Instead of a layer cake, you can bake this recipe in a 9×13-inch pan. It’s also perfect as the bottom tier for a homemade wedding cake!
How to Make Carrot Cake Moist
If it isn’t stick-to-the-back-of-your-fork moist, it’s just not worth it. So I worked to create an EXTRA moist carrot cake. Don’t skip these ingredients:
- Brown Sugar: I’ve come across a lot of carrot cake recipes that are sweetened with mostly granulated sugar. That’s great, but granulated sugar doesn’t do much for the cake besides sweeten it. Brown sugar not only sweetens cake, it produces so much flavor and moisture. It’s just… the best!
- Oil: Cakes need fat to make them soft and tender. When preparing cakes without super strong flavors such as vanilla cake and white cake, I prefer to use butter as the fat. Butter also gives them flavor. But for cakes like chocolate cake and carrot cake that have flavor from other ingredients, I find flavorless oil is the best choice.
- Applesauce: To prevent the cake from tasting too moist (wet) and oily, I add some applesauce. You could even use crushed pineapple, too! These flavors pair beautifully with brown sugar and spices.
- Freshly Shredded Carrots: My #1 tip for carrot cakes is to shred whole carrots at home. Do not use packaged pre-shredded carrots because they are hard and dry. You need about 4 large carrots for this recipe. And when you grate them, you’ll notice how wet they are. That is PRIME moisture for your baked cake and you don’t want to skip it! Same principle applies when using zucchini in my zucchini cake, too.
Cream Cheese Frosting
The carrot cake frosting? Well, that’s easy too. It’s so smooth, tangy, and glides on the cake seamlessly. I call it spreadable cheesecake and it tastes unbelievable with this cake’s deep spice flavor.
Ingredients: You need brick-style cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. The salt helps offset the sweetness.
If you’re looking to pipe decoration with this cream cheese frosting, chill it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour first. This guarantees the creamy frosting will hold its shape.
And if you’re not a fan of cream cheese frosting, these vanilla frostings will work just as well: vanilla buttercream, Swiss meringue buttercream, and not-so-sweet whipped frosting.
There’s no emotion quite like the sadness you’ll experience when that last slice is gone!
Carrot Cake Success Tips
- Line your cake pans with parchment. Place your cake pans on a large sheet of parchment paper. Trace the bottom of the cake pan with a pencil, then cut the circles. Grease the pan and the parchment paper. Parchment paper rounds guarantee the cakes won’t stick!
- Make it ahead. One of the BEST parts about carrot cake is that it gets better with time, even after 1 full day. The flavors mingle, the moisture prevails, and the cream cheese frosting sets into the layers. It’s ridiculously good! You can make and frost the cake 1 day in advance. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving.
- Use freshly grated carrots. Grate them yourself for the freshest, best result.
My Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
With its outstanding spice flavor, super moist crumb, and velvety cream cheese frosting, this is truly the best carrot cake. Use brown sugar and toasted pecans for deeper flavor. This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) chopped pecans or walnuts (1 cup for cake, 1 cup for garnish)*
- 1 and 1/2 cups (300g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (226g/240ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)*
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180g) smooth unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups (260g) grated carrots (about 4 large)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, to taste
Instructions
- Toast the nuts: Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread the chopped pecans (or walnuts) on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 6–8 minutes, or until fragrant. Give the pan a shake halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10–15 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Grease two or three 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla until combined and no brown sugar lumps remain.
- In another large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and, using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold the ingredients together until just combined. Fold in the carrots and 1 cup (about 120g) of the toasted nuts. (The rest of the nuts are for garnish.) Pour/spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using three cake pans, this takes about 20–25 minutes. If using two cake pans, this takes about 30–35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edges to help loosen the sides, remove the cakes from the pans, peel off the parchment, and place on the rack to finish cooling. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes until completely combined and creamy. If the frosting seems a bit thin and runny, refrigerate it for 30 minutes before using.
- Assemble the cake: (For extra help with this step, see this video & post on how to assemble a layer cake.) First, using a large serrated knife or cake leveler, slice a thin layer off the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place a cake layer on your cake turntable, cake stand, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with 3/4 to 1 cup (180–240g) of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer, upside down, and spread the same amount of frosting as on the first layer. Top with the third layer, right side up, and spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Garnish with the remaining toasted nuts. Refrigerate the cake for at least 20 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting. If you refrigerated the cake for longer than 4 hours, take it out of the refrigerator 2 hours before serving so it can mostly come to room temperature.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to use a cake carrier for storing and transporting.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, covered, and stored at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared, then covered and refrigerated overnight. When ready to decorate, let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 15 minutes, then give it one more mix with the mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute before frosting cake. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See this post on how to freeze cakes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Box Grater | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Wooden Spoon | Silicone Spatula | 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cake Turntable | Icing Spatula | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Nuts: Feel free to omit the nuts for a nut-free carrot cake. No other changes to the recipe required.
- Applesauce: Instead of applesauce, you can use 3/4 cup crushed pineapple if desired. Slightly drain the canned crushed pineapple first. You want it the consistency of applesauce—not too watery. You could also use 3/4 cup mashed bananas, sour cream, plain yogurt, or canned pumpkin puree.
- Carrots: My #1 tip for carrot cakes is to grate whole carrots at home. Do not use packaged pre-shredded carrots because they are hard and dry.
- Oil: If using melted coconut oil, make sure all of the other cake batter ingredients (carrots included) are room temperature. Otherwise, the melted coconut oil will begin to solidify before the batter goes into the oven.
- Cream Cheese: Use bricks/blocks of real cream cheese, not cream cheese spread in a tub.
- 9×13-Inch Cake: Simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9×13-inch pan and bake for 40–45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Carrot Bundt Cake: Use a 10–12-cup generously greased Bundt pan. Bake for 55–75 minutes. All ovens and Bundt pans are different, so that’s why the bake time varies. Keep a close eye on it.
- Add-Ins: If you’d like to add raisins or coconut, reduce the pecans to 1/2 cup (or leave them out). Add 1 cup of raisins or shredded coconut. Stick to around 1–1.5 cups total add-ins. Or you can leave the cake plain without any add-ins.
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20–22 minutes. Yields about 24 cupcakes. Or try my carrot cake cupcakes recipe.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Fantastic recipe. Carrot cake is my husband’s favorite and I tried several recipes before landing on this one. I love the simplicity of making it in a 9×13 pan, too. Flavors are perfect. Thank you!
Hi Sally.
Making the carrot cake now. I noticed that most cream cheese frosting recipe ask for only one 8oz block of cream cheese. Yours require 16oz. Why? Does it come out creamier or better tasting? Thanks!
Hi Grace! How many cups of powdered sugar does your other recipe require? This may simply make a larger batch to cover a large layered cake. We found these proportions to be the best!
Thank you!
This is by far the very best carrot cake I’ve ever had! Same goes for friends & family I’ve shared it with, it’s so good I had to share! Now I’ve got people requesting your carrot cakes left & right, thinking I did some type of voodoo magic to make it so delicious. Everyone that’s tried it has raved over how great this cake is.
One thing is when I make the frosting I end up having to add so much more powdered sugar, why is that? Like quite a few cups worth. Is it because I’m doubling & even tripling the recipe to make extra cakes at one time? And when I add more powdered sugar do I add whatever the equal amount of salt & vanilla (but not the butter I assume since I’m trying to make the frosting thicker, correct?)?
Thanks again!
Felicia
Hi Felicia! We’re thrilled this carrot cake is such a hit for you! If your frosting is turning out runny, it may be a cream cheese issue. Are you using block cream cheese (not the spreadable kind sold in a tub)? It be should very thick. Adding more powdered sugar, as you mention, will help thicken the frosting, while reducing the heavy cream / milk will do the same. You can add extra salt and vanilla to taste if needed.
Way too much sugar, I should’ve known.
Dry.
Never use a new recipe when you are having guests over the same day.
Now I have to bake something else.
Hi Sally, if I want to use this frosting separately, what size and layer cake would it be able to frost?
Hi Sarah! Our favorite cream cheese frosting recipe is enough to frost 12-18 cupcakes or one 9×13 quarter sheet cake. 1.5x that recipe for a double layer cake (like in this carrot cake recipe). Enjoy!
Made this for a housewarming potluck. Received so many compliments. I had to substitute a few ingredients, such as sugar for honey or adding olive oil instead of vegetable oil. We all popped open a cheeky Fanta and enjoyed it for dessert. Everyone was raving about it at the potluck and begged on their knees for the recipe. Might have done a better job than sally herself! 10/10 recommend !!
Hi! I’m really looking forward to making this recipe. However I don’t have applesauce or pineapples 🙁 is there anything else you would suggest using? Or just leave it out entirely? Thank you!
Hi Tayler, you could also use 3/4 cup mashed bananas, sour cream, plain yogurt, or canned pumpkin puree in place of the applesauce / pineapples.
Howdy! Can I add food coloring to the cream cheese frosting recipe? Making my boy’s 1st birthday cake and would love to use your recipe!
Yes, definitely! We add food coloring all the time!
I’ve made this recipe twice (no nuts, added 2 Tbl raisins and small handful coconut). Delicious both times. However, both times it sunk in the middle after removing from oven.. It was baked through (tooth pick clean, started to slightly pull from sides, and done when cut). Anyone else have this problem? Can I fix by adding a bit more flour?
Hi Melissa, a sinking cake usually means it is just slightly under baked. An additional minute or two in the oven should help for next time. (We don’t recommend adding more flour, as it could dry out the cake). Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
Thank you for your reply. I get that and initially thought that was the problem, but both times, the cake was thoroughly baked through. They were pulling away from the sides of the pans (9” round), had been in the oven for over 39 minutes, toothpick in center was clean, and we’re baked through when I cut into them I think a few more minutes in the oven would have dried them out, particularly around the outside diameter. Could there be another reason that they sink in the middle?
Hi Melissa, for next time, you can try tenting the sides of the pan with foil towards the end of bake time, which will allow the center to continue baking without burning or over baking the edges.
Love this recipe! The cake turned out o moist! I did however cut the sugar in the cake and icing by half
Would you be able to substitute zucchini for carrot? I made a zucchini spice cake last summer and I could’ve sworn I used your recipe but I can’t find it anywhere!
Hi Aubrey, We haven’t tried adding zucchini to our carrot cake recipe. Because zucchini has so much added moisture (to an already very moist cake), it would take a bit of recipe testing to ensure results. You may love our zucchini crumb cake recipe!
So yummy! Made as stated, I did finely shred the carrots, and it was so good. I had to give some away or I would have eaten all of it, my neighbors and MIL also said they loved it. There was plenty of frosting, but the cake was so good I could have eaten it without frosting. There is a fancy restaurant near us that makes a delicious carrot cake, but I’m too cheap to pay $9 for a slice of cake. This tasted better than their version. The spices were spot on. This is a keeper!
How can I adapt it to a glass baking dish?
I generally fail at cake making but this was clear instructions and recipe and a really good cake. Thanks!
Hi Sally, by “brown sugar” do you mean light brown soft sugar, caster sugar or Demerara sugar?
Hi Jay, use light or dark brown sugar for best results!
Hello, I was wondering how to incorporate raisins into this cake/if possible. Carrot cake + raisins = <3
Absolutely! See the “Add-Ins” recipe note for details.
Oh yes! I see it now. Thanks!
I’m yet to try this recipe outcan’t wait.
How long will this cake stay fresh in refrigerator?
Hi Lisa, you can cover leftover frosted cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
I followed this recipe exactly – even followed the tips and tricks. I used canola oil and the only thing I could taste when it was done was the oil. I had to throw the whole cake away. 1 cup seems excessive. What did I do wrong here?
Mate I dunno what you did but something went wrong. Did you measure everything else cause conola oil barely has a taste. Are you sure you didnt use olive oil
What is the best way to make it gluten free? I tried coconut flour but it was too dry.
Thanks!
Hi Suzanne! We haven’t tested a gluten-free version of this cake. Some readers have reported success using a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour such as Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4Cup. If you give anything else a try, we’d love to know how it goes for you.
Hi Suzanne. I use King Arthur’s Flour Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix. It’s perfection! Use the same amount the recipe calls for and keep everything else the same. You will be pleased!
Pam
Made this for an adult birthday party in a 13×9 pan. I received many compliments and someone told me it was so good they wondered if I was a professional baker. Easy to follow instructions and delicious.
Can this be made in 6” cake pans?
Hi Bev! You can use this recipe for carrot cake cupcakes (leave out the coconut if desired) and follow the directions in the post on 6 inch cakes to make a three layer 6-inch cake!
Are you making this cake with white flour rather than wheat flour?
Hi Nan! Yes, this recipe calls for all purpose flour (not whole wheat).
Olá Sally!
Farei ele agora de tarde e me deseje sorte.
Obs.: Usarei um queijo cremoso caseiro e irei substituir a maçã por creme de leite. Oh Deus!
Um abraço
Can you please tell me why the measurement of cups doesn’t measure the same in grams all the time in these recipes.
I.e. 5 cups confectioners sugar = 120g
But 1/2 cup granulated sugar = 100g
2 and 1/2 cups of APF is 312g how do they not convert to the same
Hi Joanne, each of those ingredients has a different individual weight, which is why they can weigh more or less than the same volume of a different ingredient. For example, granulated sugar is much heavier than confectioners’ sugar. Hope this helps!
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE GROUND NUTMEG?
Hi Zel, you can try increasing the cinnamon and other spices a bit to make up for the missing nutmeg or try adding some allspice if you have that.
Can you tell me what adjustments would need to be made for high altitude (above 4000 ft)? I’ve made some notes based on an internet search, but am nervous about trying adjustments since I don’t have time to dabble.
Thank you,
Hi Lisa! We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. We know some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and I live at 5200 ft. Decrease white sugar about by 1/2 T., increase oil by about 1 T., decrease baking powder by 1/4 tsp. per tsp. (this recipe would be 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder instead of 2), increase your oven temp by 25 degrees. Cooking time varies so check with toothpick until done. Hope that helps!
I’m making the cake the night before and frosting it in the morning. Do I take them out of the pan to wrap them, or do I wrap them in the pan overnight?
Hi Emily! We take them out of their pans before wrapping. Enjoy!
Do you think it would work to just add in some pineapple to this recipe?
Hi Chris! Absolutely, see the Applesauce recipe note for details on adding pineapple instead.
I love this recipe because of the spices it reminds me of the Caribbean and I’m West Indian so it’s perfect, but I use coconut sugar and honey instead of brown and white sugar and I substitute applesauce for overripe banana also I use 1/2 cup coconut oil and 1/2 butter along with coconut extract. I normally use coconut milk powder but I ran out and used extract instead, also I use 1 tsp mixed essence, 1 tsp lemon/orange extract and .5 tsp of all spice. I love the taste of the Caribbean in my cake, I do not add liquid other than the juicy bananas.
Can i make this without cinnamon?