Easy Carrot Cake
This easy carrot cake recipe bakes up tender and moist with three cups of grated carrots, warm cinnamon spice, and a thick layer of tangy cream cheese frosting—all in one bowl and one pan.
Equipment
- 9x13 baking pan - metal or glass
- Box grater - or food processor with grating disc
- Mixing bowls - two large
- Large whisk
- Electric hand mixer - or stand mixer, for the frosting
- Kitchen scale - helpful for the carrots
- Offset spatula - for spreading frosting
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour - 250 g
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg - optional
- 1½ cups granulated sugar - 300 g
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar - 110 g
- 1 cup vegetable oil - 240 ml
- 4 large eggs - at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups finely grated carrots - about 330 g, from roughly 5 to 6 medium carrots
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans - 100 g, optional
For the cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese - 225 g, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter - 115 g, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar - 360 g, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- salt - pinch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 pan with butter or oil, then line the bottom with parchment paper and set aside.
- Peel and trim 5 to 6 medium carrots. Grate them on the small holes of a box grater or with a food processor until you have 3 packed cups (about 330 g). Set aside on a plate.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until no lumps remain. Set aside.
- In a second large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil until glossy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each, then whisk in the vanilla.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir gently with a spatula just until the flour disappears. Fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts until evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake on the center rack for 32 to 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Lift it out using the parchment and cool completely on the rack, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and lump-free. Add the sifted powdered sugar about one cup at a time on low, then beat in the vanilla and a pinch of salt until light and spreadable.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the fully cooled cake with an offset spatula. Add a light sprinkle of extra chopped nuts if desired, then slice into 15 squares and serve.
Notes
- Grate fresh carrots yourself for the best texture—pre-shredded bagged carrots are dry and thick and stay stringy after baking.
- Weigh the carrots if you can: 330 g is more reliable than 3 cups, which can vary a lot depending on how tightly they are packed.
- Do not overmix the batter after adding the flour—stir only until it disappears to keep the crumb tender, not dense.
- Use room-temperature eggs; cold eggs can seize the oil and sugar into an uneven batter.
- Frost only a fully cool cake, or the cream cheese layer will slide off and pool at the base of the pan.
- Toast the nuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes to give walnuts a deeper, less bitter flavor than adding them raw.
- Sift the powdered sugar to avoid a grainy frosting.
- Line the pan with parchment to make lifting the whole cake out for slicing far cleaner.
- Storage: unfrosted cake keeps covered at room temperature up to 2 days; frosted cake stores covered in the fridge up to 5 days. Let chilled slices sit out 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
- Freezing: wrap the unfrosted cake tightly in plastic and foil and freeze up to 3 months, or freeze frosted squares on a tray until firm, then wrap individually and store in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Variations: fold in ½ cup well-drained crushed pineapple, ¾ cup raisins or golden currants, or ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut; add ¼ teaspoon each ground ginger and cloves for a bolder spice flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SliceCalories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 4gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 320mgFiber: 1.5gSugar: 36g
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