Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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If you’re looking for the best moist carrot cake recipe, your search ends here. After years of testing and tweaking, this recipe has now become my go-to recipe. It’s incredibly moist, rich, and loaded with fresh carrots, raisins, and walnuts. Frosted with my popular no-butter cream cheese frosting this is a must-try recipe.
Have you noticed that people either love carrot cake or hate it? Based on my experience, often the people who claim to hate carrot cake have never tasted one, it’s just that they presume because it’s a cake with vegetables in it, it’s probably not worth trying.
I’ve, on many occasions, told people that I make a delicious carrot cake and they wrinkle their noses saying they didn’t care much for carrots in cakes. Ask them if they have tasted one, often the answer will be – No!!
This carrot cake recipe has been tried and raved about by so many people that it was featured in the American Cake Decorating Magazine in 2016.
Why make this recipe
- What do you like in your carrot cake recipe? Lots of carrots, some fruits, and nuts? But, most importantly, it must still be moist, rich, and buttery. Right? This is it.
- It has taken me years to find that perfect ratio of carrots, fruit, and nuts in this recipe. So, it is not too crumbly and not too carroty (not sure that’s a word but hopefully you know what I mean).
- The most classic frosting with carrot cake recipe is usually cream cheese frosting and that’s what I have given you here. Have you tried any other frosting? My mom often served it with whipped cream. I have often frosted it with meringue frosting as I did in my recipe for a carrot layer cake with apricot filling and Swiss meringue buttercream.
Ingredients and substitutes
- All-purpose Flour – Most carrot cakes use cake flour, but I have tried and tested this recipe many times and it works great with all-purpose flour.
- Carrots – I like a little bit of carrot in my carrot cake, so I usually use the thick side of a grater. But, you can also use the thinner side of the grater and you won’t even realize this cake has carrots.
- Sugar – I love the taste and soft crumb that brown sugar gives this cake.
- Walnut and raisins – Classic combination, and yet you can also use pecans, cranberries, and almonds.
- Oil – It’s best to use non-flavored canola oil.
Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
Bake cake
- Oven – Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C/Gas Mark 3
- Pan – Grease, and line 2 x 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Dry ingredients – In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt – and set aside.
- Wet ingredients – In a bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip eggs for a minute then gradually add the sugar. Continue to whip until the eggs are light and foamy (ribbon stage), Next, gradually add the oil followed by the sour cream and vanilla extract.
Pro tip -adding the eggs and oil gradually will prevent the eggs from separating. - Combine – Next add the flour and combine well but do not overmix. Then, add the grated carrot, walnuts, and raisins.
- Bake – Divide the batter between the two prepared baking pans. Transfer to the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool – Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then, invert onto a cooling rack, and cool completely.
Pro tip – The cakes must be completely cold before you frost them otherwise the frosting will melt on the warm cakes.
No-butter cream cheese frosting
- Combine – In the bowl of the stand mixer combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt.
- Whip – Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Whip for about 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract.
Assemble
- Torte – Cut off any domes from the cakes to make them flat.
- Fill – Place the cake on a cake board, platter, or cake stand. Top with cream cheese frosting and smooth with an offset spatula. Top the second layer and top with more cream cheese frosting on top.
- Pipe – Place the remaining frosting in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a border around the top.
- Garnish – Sprinkle some chopped nuts.
Tips for Success
- How you grate the carrots will determine the texture of the cake. Thickly grated carrots will give a lighter desired texture while finely grated carrots will give a denser texture.
- Use fresh tender carrots as they are sweeter. Do not use baby carrots as they tend to have too much moisture in them. Too much moisture can make the cake collapse.
- Use flavorless cooking oil, such as canola and grapeseed. Oils like olive or avocado while healthy are very strong in flavor and give this cake a very savory taste.
- Whip the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, then start adding the oil gradually similar to making mayonnaise. This is what helps give a light and airy cake.
- Bake the cake until just done, and a skewer inserted into the center comes clean. Overbaking the cake will give a dark hard crust.
- If possible, use more baking pans rather than cutting the cake into layers. It’s easier and less messy. Alternatively, wrap and chill the cake for an hour before you layer them. This will give fewer crumbs and make frosting the cake easier.
How long will this carrot cake keep?
This carrot cake with keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. You can keep it in the fridge for up to a week and freeze it for up to a month.
Can I add cake flour to this carrot cake?
While cake flour is always recommended for cakes, it’s not the best for all cakes. Personally, I think the all-purpose flour does a better job of soaking up all that excess moisture from the carrots and adds structure to the cake so it does not fall apart easily.
Why is there no milk or buttermilk in this recipe?
We have sour cream which adds richness. Also, carrots have a lot of moisture in them so that is used at the liquid in the recipe.
Can I use butter instead of oil?
This cake works better with oil, keeping it moist and tender despite all the carrots, fruit, and nuts. Butter will make the cake heavier.
Can I add other fruits to this carrot cake?
Yes, you can certainly add chopped apricots, dates, cranberries, and nuts like pecans, macadamia, or hazelnuts. Whatever fruits and nuts you use make sure to keep the quantity mentioned in the recipe.
Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowCalories: 887kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 9 Servings
Description
Delicious moist carrot cake baked from scratch with crisp walnuts and sweet raisins, layered with rich delicious cream cheese frosting. A simple, easy and effortless one bowl recipe that you will enjoy making over and over again. Delicious on its own as a tea time snack or dressed for any celebration with my luscious cream cheese frosting to create an exotic dessert.
Ingredients
Carrot cake
- 250 grams (2 cups) All-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
- ¾ tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 3 large Eggs (large)
- 290 g (1⅓ cups) Light Brown sugar
- 80 ml (⅓ cups) Cooking Oil (flavorless like canola or grapeseed)
- 120 g (½ cups) Sour cream
- 1 ½ cup Fresh carrots (grated or shredded)
- 100 g (¾ cups) Walnuts (finely chopped)
- 100 g (¾ cups) Raisins (finely chopped)
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
No-butter cream cheese frosting
- 450 g (1 lb) Cream cheese
- 450 g (1 lb) Powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- ½ tsp Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Salt
Instructions
Bake cake
- Oven – Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C/Gas Mark 3
- Pan – Grease and line 2 x 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Dry ingredients – In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt – and set aside.
- Wet ingredients – In a bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip eggs for a minute then gradually add the sugar. Continue to whip until the eggs are light and foamy (ribbon stage), Next, gradually add the oil followed by the sour cream and vanilla extract. Pro tip -adding the eggs and oil gradually will prevent the eggs from separating.
- Combine – Next add the flour and combine well but do not overmix. Then, add the grated carrot, walnuts, and raisins.
- Bake – Divide the batter between the two prepared baking pans. Transfer to the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool – Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes them, invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Pro tip – The cakes must be completely cold before you frost them otherwise the frosting will melt on the warm cakes.
Prepare no-butter cream cheese frosting
- Combine – In the bowl of the stand mixer combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt.
- Whip – Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Whip for about 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract.
Assemble
- Torte – Cut off any domes from the cakes to make them flat.
- Fill – Place the cake on a cake board, platter, or cake stand. Top with cream cheese frosting and smooth with an offset spatula. Top the second layer and top with more cream cheese frosting on top.
- Pipe – Place the remaining frosting in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a border around the top.
- Garnish – Sprinkle some chopped nuts.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- How you grate the carrots will determine the texture of the cake. Thickly grated carrots will give a lighter desired texture while finely grated carrots will give a denser texture.
- Use fresh tender carrots as they are sweeter. Do not use baby carrots as they tend to have too much moisture in them. Too much moisture can make the cake collapse.
- Use flavorless cooking oil, such as canola and grapeseed. Oils like olive or avocado while healthy are very strong in flavor and give this cake a very savory taste.
- Whip the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy then start adding the oil gradually similar to making mayonnaise. This is what helps give a light and airy cake.
- Bake the cake until just done, and a skewer inserted into the center comes clean. Overbaking the cake will give a dark hard crust.
- If possible use more baking pans rather than cutting the cake for layers. It’s easier and less messy. Alternatively, wrap and chill the cake for an hour before you layer them. This will give fewer crumbs and make frosting the cake easier.
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Nutrition Information
Calories: 887– kcalCarbohydrates: 127– gProtein: 10– gFat: 39– gSaturated Fat: 14– gCholesterol: 121– mgSodium: 587– mgPotassium: 481– mgFiber: 3– gSugar: 91– gVitamin A: 4443– IUVitamin C: 2– mgCalcium: 161– mgIron: 3– mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Hello Veena. Can these layers be wrapped and frozen? If so, do I defrost the layers on the counter wrapped in the plastic wrap and aluminum foil (the wrap I would freeze them in)?
Thank you so much.
Yes, you can freeze them Maria. And thaw them in the fridge overnight, in their wrappers so the condensation will be on the wrappers, not the cakes
Week 2 Day 5 done.
Week 2 Day 2 done
Hi veena, loved this recipe. How many kgs would this recipe yield?
Hey Blassilla. I do not do cakes by weight just by servings. So not sure I can tell you how much it weighs. Sorry.