The Best Carrot Cake Recipe

The best carrot cake recipe that we've ever tried. Super moist, delicious cakes perfectly infused with warm, cozy spices and coated with tangy cream cheese frosting. It's not overly sweet, easy to make, and freezer-friendly!

Why This Recipe Works

This was the first homemade carrot cake recipe that I ever made. I made it when Marco and I were still dating, and I'm still making the same recipe 15 years later! Everybody who I made and served this to, simply loved it. Here's why we keep coming back to this best moist carrot cake recipe in the world!

Light and moist cake - It's light, tender, and moist. It's packed with carrots and infused with just the right amount of spices, just like in our carrot cake bars. The creamy cream cheese frosting with a touch of lemon brings the whole amazing flavors together. The best carrot cake recipe!

Not overly sweet - Both the cake and the cream cheese frosting are perfectly sweetened, just like our healthy carrot cake muffins. Your head doesn't spin with sweetness as you take a bite.

Easy - Making the cakes requires minimal whisking by a hand whisk. We're sharing the recipe for the best carrot cake with no complicated techniques required. We like to keep things simple!

Freezer-friendly - We've been freezing this homemade carrot cake together with the frosting all these years with no problem! Its delicious flavors and texture remain the same.

Recipe Ingredients

Shredded carrot - Don't use pre-shredded carrots because they're dry and thick. Buy fresh carrots and shred them by using a box grater, food processor, or mandolin.

Sugars - We're using a combination of white and brown sugar for the cake. Brown sugar adds depth and hints of caramel to this best carrot cake recipe. Just a bit goes a long way.

Oil - Our secret to the best moist carrot cake recipe in the world! We use sunflower oil. Any mild-flavored oil is perfect. Having said that, we're olive oil lovers and we've used it in this recipe, and it worked amazingly! We love to use it whenever we can like in our delicious olive oil orange cake.

Desiccated coconut - Plain, unsweetened. This gives another amazing layer of flavor and texture to this easy carrot cake. If you haven't tried it, do it and you'll be amazed, we promise! Replace it with ¼ cup of all-purpose flour if not using.

Apple - Our other secret to the best moist carrot cake recipe in the world!! Just one goes a long way. It also adds texture and subtle sweetness to this delicious cake.

Walnut - Optional. Adds texture and nuttiness like in my healthy carrot cake muffins. Feel free to use pecans, almonds, or raisins.

Cream cheese - We use full-fat brick-style or tubs in this cream cheese icing. Don't use low-fat or whipped cream cheese because the frosting will not have structure and won't hold.

Spices - We love this perfectly spiced carrot cake with the combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. The warm spices are not overpowering.

⭐ See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preparations - Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC), without the fan. Soak the cake strips for a minimum of 30 minutes before using. Butter and line the bottoms of two 9-inch pans. Squeeze most of the water from the cake strips and wrap them around the pans. Place the oven rack onto a lower ⅔ rack.

1. Mix dry ingredients - Add all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, and salt in a big bowl. Mix well with a spoon, and set aside.

2. Whisk wet ingredients - Add sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract into another bowl. Whisk until well combined, using a hand whisk.

3. Make the batter - Pour the wet into the dry ingredients. Mix well. Add in grated carrot and chopped walnuts. Mix with a spatula until well combined.

4. Bake - Divide the batter evenly into the pans. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

5. Make frosting - Whisk butter for 5 minutes on medium-high until fluffy, using a handheld whisk, or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add in sifted powdered sugar and mix for another 5 minutes, followed by cream cheese, and lemon juice, and mix on low for 2-3 minutes just until everything is combined. Add 1-2 tablespoon of milk if you prefer it looser. Scrape the sides of the bowl now and then in this process for better mixing.

6. Assemble - Spread some frosting on a serving plate, and place one cake on top. This will prevent it from sliding. Pipe ⅓ of frosting on top, followed by another cake. Pipe more frosting on top and the sides. Even out the frosting using an offset spatula. Optional: mix some leftover frosting with orange and green food coloring, and pipe some carrots all over. Decorate with some chopped walnuts. Now you know how to make carrot cake at home, enjoy!

Recipe Expert Tips

1. Use the spoon and level method. This prevents using excessive flour, making the cakes tough. We highly recommend using a kitchen scale as it's more precise.
2. Don't use pre-shredded carrots. They're dry and hard. Grate them fresh.
3. Use cake strips to avoid cake domes. The wet cake strips slow down the cooking around the edges of the cakes, making them cook at the same time as the centers. This avoids cake domes and having to cut them flat later, to achieve a beautiful, even look.
4. Use a rotating pizza board when frosting. This helps to frost our homemade carrot cake more easily, without needing to have a cake-decorating turntable.
5. How to make it in advance. Bake the cakes, cool, wrap them tightly with cling film, and chill in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze in an air-tight container for up to 6 months, and thaw in the fridge. Make the frosting up to 2 days before assembling, chill it in the fridge, and take it to room temperature for 15-30 minutes before using.

How To Serve, Store, And Freeze

Serve - This best carrot cake tastes even better the next day! If it's been chilling in the fridge, take it to room temperature for 30-60 minutes before serving. When a cake is sliced and served cold from the fridge, it gives you the impression that it's dense, dry, and not flavorful. And this is nothing like that! Do it justice by giving it time to shake off the coldness from the fridge and let the flavors and texture shine.

Store - In an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freeze - Place the cake, either frosted or plain, in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. We love to freeze them in smaller portions, so we just grab the needed amount. Thaw in the fridge one day before.

Cake Size Variations

Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF(175ºC) on a lower ⅔ rack, without the fan.

8-inch round pan - Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes. Grease and line the bottoms of two 8-inch pans beforehand.

9x13-inch pan - Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes. Grease the pan beforehand.

Bundt pan - Use a 10-inch bundt pan, and bake for approximately 60-70 minutes. Grease and flour the pan generously beforehand.

Cupcakes - This recipe yields around 24-30 cupcakes, bake for approximately 20 minutes. Use cupcake liners to remove them more easily from the pan.

Recipe FAQs