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Moist Carrot Cake Recipe With Cream Cheese Frosting
This carrot cake recipe makes a tall, moist, warmly spiced cake loaded with freshly grated carrots and toasted pecans, finished with a tangy cream cheese frosting. The batter is mixed by hand in two bowls, with no mixer needed for the cake, and the oil keeps it soft and moist for days. Bake it as a two-layer cake for birthdays and holidays, or in a 9×13 pan for an easy potluck dessert.
Below you’ll find the ingredients with weights, step-by-step instructions, how to grate carrots for the best texture, frosting tips, variations with pineapple, coconut or raisins, and storage advice. The printable recipe card is at the bottom of the page.
Why You’ll Love This Carrot Cake
- Really moist, thanks to oil, brown sugar and plenty of carrots.
- Warm spice from cinnamon, ginger and a little nutmeg, without overpowering the carrots.
- No mixer for the cake. Just two bowls and a whisk; use a mixer only for the frosting.
- Make-ahead friendly. The layers freeze well, and the flavor improves after a day.
Ingredients for Carrot Cake
For the cake
- All-purpose flour, 2 cups (250 g), spooned and leveled.
- Baking soda, 1½ teaspoons, and baking powder, 1 teaspoon.
- Fine salt, 1 teaspoon.
- Ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons; ground ginger, ½ teaspoon; ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon.
- Large eggs, 4, at room temperature.
- Granulated sugar, 1 cup (200 g), and light brown sugar, 1 cup (200 g), packed.
- Neutral oil, 1 cup (240 ml), such as canola or vegetable oil.
- Vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons.
- Carrots, 3 cups (300 g) finely grated, from about 1 lb (450 g) of whole carrots.
- Pecans or walnuts, 1 cup (110 g), toasted and chopped (optional).
For the cream cheese frosting
- Cream cheese, 8 oz (225 g), full-fat block style, softened.
- Unsalted butter, ½ cup (113 g), softened.
- Powdered sugar, 3 cups (360 g), sifted.
- Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon, and a pinch of salt.
This makes enough frosting to fill the layers and cover the top, with a thin “naked” coat on the sides. For thickly frosted sides, make 1½ times the frosting.
Equipment You Need
- Two 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pans, or one 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) pan
- Parchment paper
- A box grater or a food processor with a fine grating disk
- Two large bowls and a whisk; a hand or stand mixer for the frosting
- A cooling rack and an offset spatula
How to Make Carrot Cake (Step by Step)
1. Prepare the oven and pans
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Grease the pans, line the bottoms with parchment circles, and grease the parchment.
2. Toast the nuts and grate the carrots
Toast the pecans on a baking sheet in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until fragrant, then cool and chop. Peel the carrots and grate them on the small holes of a box grater or with a fine food processor disk. Finely grated carrots melt into the cake; coarse shreds can stay crunchy and release water.
3. Mix the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
4. Mix the wet ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the granulated and brown sugars for about 1 minute, until smooth and slightly lighter in color. Whisk in the oil and vanilla until combined.
5. Combine
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the carrots and nuts. The batter will be thick and speckled with orange.
6. Bake
Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake 9-inch layers for 28 to 34 minutes, or a 9×13 cake for 35 to 42 minutes, until the tops spring back when pressed lightly and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool completely
Cool the layers in their pans for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn them out onto a rack. Peel off the parchment and cool completely, at least 1½ hours. Frosting a warm cake makes cream cheese frosting melt and slide.
8. Make the frosting
Beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt, and beat on low until combined, then on medium for 1 minute, until fluffy. Don’t overbeat, or the frosting can turn runny.
9. Assemble
Place one layer on a plate, top side down. Spread about a third of the frosting over it. Add the second layer, top side up, and spread the rest of the frosting over the top and thinly around the sides. Chill the frosted cake for 30 minutes before slicing for clean cuts.
Tips for the Best Moist Carrot Cake
- Grate your own carrots. Bagged pre-shredded carrots are thick and dry, and they don’t soften as nicely in the cake.
- Don’t squeeze out the carrot juice. That moisture is part of what makes the cake tender.
- Measure the flour carefully. Too much flour makes carrot cake dense and dry.
- Use full-fat block cream cheese for the frosting. Spreadable tub cream cheese contains more water and makes a loose frosting.
- Soften the butter and cream cheese, but don’t let them get greasy or warm.
- Don’t eat the raw batter. The FDA advises against eating raw batter because raw flour and eggs can carry harmful bacteria. See the FDA’s guide to handling flour safely.
Easy Variations
- Pineapple carrot cake: fold in one 8 oz (227 g) can of crushed pineapple, well drained, with the carrots. For a full pineapple dessert, see our pineapple upside-down cake.
- Coconut: add ½ cup (40 g) sweetened shredded coconut with the carrots.
- Raisins: soak ½ cup (75 g) raisins in hot water for 10 minutes, drain, and fold them in.
- Nut-free: leave out the nuts; the cake is just as moist.
- Carrot cake cupcakes: fill 24 lined muffin cups two-thirds full and bake for 18 to 22 minutes. For more flavors, see our easy cupcake recipes.
Common Carrot Cake Mistakes
- Using coarse carrot shreds, which make the cake wet in spots and crunchy in others.
- Overbaking. Start checking a few minutes early; a dry carrot cake has usually baked too long.
- Frosting too soon. Even a slightly warm cake makes cream cheese frosting soft and runny.
- Leaving the cake out too long. Cream cheese frosting is perishable, so refrigerate the frosted cake.
How to Store, Freeze and Make Ahead
- Refrigerate the frosted cake, covered, for up to 5 days. Cream cheese frosting shouldn’t sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Let slices sit out for 20 to 30 minutes before serving for the best texture.
- Make ahead: bake the layers up to 1 day ahead, wrap them well once cool, and frost on the day you serve.
- Freeze unfrosted layers, wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the wrapping in the refrigerator overnight. A frosted cake can also be frozen: chill it uncovered until firm, then wrap it well.
What to Serve With Carrot Cake
- Coffee, tea or a cold glass of milk
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream
- Fresh berries for color on a holiday dessert table
Building a dessert table? Add our 7 Up pound cake and a warm bread pudding.
Carrot Cake FAQs
Why is my carrot cake dry?
Usually it baked too long or had too much flour. Spoon and level the flour, grate the carrots finely, and check for doneness a few minutes early.
Should I use oil or butter in carrot cake?
Oil. It stays liquid at room temperature and in the fridge, which keeps carrot cake moist and soft, especially since the frosted cake needs refrigeration.
Can I make carrot cake in a 9×13 pan?
Yes. Bake it for 35 to 42 minutes, cool it in the pan, and spread the frosting over the top.
Does carrot cake need to be refrigerated?
Yes, once it has cream cheese frosting. Keep it in the refrigerator and don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours.
How do I keep cream cheese frosting from getting runny?
Use cold-but-softened block cream cheese, not the spreadable tub kind, and don’t overbeat it once the sugar is in. If it’s still too soft, chill the frosting for 20 to 30 minutes before spreading, or beat in another ½ cup of powdered sugar.
Can I use a food processor to grate the carrots?
Yes. Use the fine shredding disk for the best texture. The large disk makes shreds that are too thick.
Carrot Cake Recipe Card
Here is the full carrot cake recipe in a printable card. Calories are an estimate per slice (1/16 of the cake, with pecans and frosting) based on USDA FoodData Central values. For a quicker chocolate dessert, try our easy one-bowl chocolate cake, or browse all our cake recipes.
Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch round pans with parchment.
- Toast the nuts 6 to 8 minutes; cool and chop. Finely grate the carrots.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with both sugars for 1 minute, then whisk in the oil and vanilla.
- Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined, then fold in the carrots and nuts.
- Divide between the pans and bake 28 to 34 minutes (9×13: 35 to 42 minutes), until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool 15 minutes in the pans, turn out, and cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until fluffy.
- Fill and frost the cake, chill 30 minutes, and keep it refrigerated.
