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Spring into Carrot Cake season with this easy homemade classic! Full of flavor, a little veggie goodness, and topped with creamy frosting—perfect for any spring celebration!

slice of carrot cake with gold fork

Why We Love This Recipe

  • This homemade carrot cake is a spring favorite you’ll make over and over—no more box mixes!
  • One layer means no fussing with leveling and just a little simple decorating with chopped pecans in the center of a simple cream cheese frosting.
  • Easy enough for beginners, but impressive enough to wow your guests.
  • Packed with flavor and the perfect balance of sweetness and spice.

According to carrot cake history, no one really knows where carrot cake came from. It looks like it did evolve from the Carrot Pudding of medieval times. During the middle ages sugar and other sweeteners were difficult or expensive to come by in Britain. Carrots were used as sugar substitutes.

The classic cake, as we know it today, maybe a far cry from its ancestors. However, it’s a favorite dessert this time of year and is easy to make from scratch. 

the best homemade carrot cake on cake stand

Tips and Tricks to Homemade Carrot Cake Success

Grate your own carrots for the best moist and delicious cake. You can buy shredded carrots, but grating them yourself makes a big difference. Use a food processor or blender for quick and easy grating. I love my Kitchenaid 3.5 cup chopper for jobs like this. About half of a one-pound bag of baby carrots yields 1½ cups of grated carrots.

One bowl is all you need. After grating your carrots, no other equipment is required. You can mix by hand, or use an electric mixer if you prefer. Whisk the wet ingredients, then fold in the flour, carrots, and other mix-ins with a wooden spoon or spatula. Be gentle with the batter—don’t overmix, so hand mixing works best.

Use brown sugar. Brown sugar adds more flavor to your carrot cake. It also makes the cake softer and moister than using just white sugar.

Use applesauce in place of some of the oil.  It’s such an easy way to reduce fat and cut a few calories.

Customize your carrot cake with your favorite mix-ins. It’s great on its own or with crushed pineapple, raisins, coconut, or walnuts. Keep the total mix-ins to 1/2–3/4 cup. Add what your family enjoys or leave them out altogether.

carrot cake on cake stand and cut piece on plate

The naturally sweet carrots, brown sugar, applesauce, and a hint of ginger make this carrot cake recipe perfect for spring. The cream cheese frosting complements it beautifully without being overly sweet.

How To Make The Best Carrot Cake

To keep things simple, use one 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan.  If you want to make a 2-layer cake, you will need to double the recipe.

When you are making this recipe, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

  1. Start with a large bowl. Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk sugars, oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.  Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt, and continue whisking until incorporated.
  2. Then, add flour to wet ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula just until combined.  Fold in grated carrots and chopped pecans (reserve pecans are for garnish after frosting).
  3. Next, pour the cake batter into a greased cake pan.  Bake until the toothpick comes out clean.  Let the cake cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then turn out on a cooling rack to cool completely.

This cake stores well if you want to make it ahead of time.  Be sure to cool the cake completely, then cover it tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap to seal it tightly (do not wrap the cake on a plate or platter).  Keep at room temperature.  If it’s hot, you can store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Storage

Freeze for up to 1 month, thaw 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature before frosting and serving.  Prepared frosting can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days before using. Bring to room temperature before frosting carrot cake.

Leftover carrot cake? If for some reason you end up with leftover stale cake, make a Carrot Cake shake: Blend stale cake with ice cream to make a decadent frozen treat.

Tips on how to make the best homemade carrot cake. An incredibly moist carrot cake recipe with an ultra-creamy cream cheese frosting. Carrot Cake Recipe at TidyMom.net

Let’s Make Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. Use a large bowl with an electric mixer and beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add vanilla, powdered sugar, and cream.
  2. Then beat on low for 1 minute, increase speed to medium, and continue beating for another minute.  Scrape sides of the bowl if necessary,  increase speed to high, and continue beating for another 2 minutes.
  3. Frost the top of the cooled carrot cake, sprinkle with chopped pecans, and enjoy!!
close up of a piece of carrot cake with pecans on top

More Carrot Cake recipes you might enjoy!

carrot cake photo collage

I hope you and your loved ones enjoy this moist carrot cake with ultra-creamy cream cheese frosting as much as we do. Spring isn’t complete without a classic carrot cake on the dessert table.

Tips on how to make the best homemade carrot cake. An incredibly moist carrot cake recipe with an ultra-creamy cream cheese frosting. Carrot Cake Recipe at TidyMom.net

Homemade Carrot Cake

Yield: one 8-inch or 9-inch round cake, or 12 cupcakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

An incredibly moist carrot cake recipe with an ultra-creamy cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 6 tablespoons applesauce, unsweetened
  • 2 eggs, large
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups grated carrots (about 1/2 pound of baby carrots)
  • 1½ cups chopped pecans (divided)

For Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

Instructions

for Carrot Cake:

  1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk sugars, oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla until well combined. Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and continue whisking until incorporated.
  3. Add flour to wet ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula just until combined. Fold in carrots and 1/2 cup pecans (remaining pecans are for garnish after frosting).
  4. Pour cake batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then turn out on cooling rack to cool completely.

for Cream Cheese Frosting:

  1. Using a large bowl with electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla, powdered sugar and cream. Beat on low for 1 minute, increase speed to medium and continue beating for another minute. Scrape sides of bowl if necessary, increase speed to high and continue beating for another 2 minutes.

Assemble:

  • Place cake on stand or serving plate. Using an offset spatula frost top of cake.
  • Place remaining frosting in decorators bag fitted with a 1M tip. Pipe frosting around outer edge of top of cake. Garnish center with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Notes

If you'd like to make cupcakes, bake for about 18-20 minutes. (should yield about 12 cupcakes)

If you'd like to make a layer cake, just double the recipes

According to Food Network Kitchens you should always refrigerate any cake that has cream cheese frosting. Take it out of the refrigerator an hour or two before you’d like to serve it so the frosting has time to come to room temperature and the cake layers lose their chill.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 411Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 188mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 2gSugar: 31gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used.

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© TidyMom
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake Recipes

Originally posted in March 2016.

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