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. Its 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.
Table of Content
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!!
About 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.
This recipe has been tried and raved about by so many people that it was featured in the American Cake Decorating Magazine in 2016.
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, almonds.
- Oil - Its best to use non-flavored canola oil.
Step by step instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 F.
- Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans.
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt - and set aside.
- Grate carrots - set aside.
- In a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, whip eggs for a minute, then gradually add the sugar a little at a time.
- Continue to whip until light and foamy (ribbon stage).
- Next, while still whipping gradually add in the sour cream and oil.
- Now, add the carrot, walnuts, and raisins to the flour mixture (do this now not too early).
- Then, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.
- Finally, add the vanilla.
- Pour into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake completely before frosting.
Prepare cream cheese frosting
- Add room temperature cream cheese, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt and whipping cream in a mixer bowl.
- Whip on medium speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until you've used 2 cups of the powdered sugar.
- Lastly, add the vanilla.
- Continue to mix on medium-high for a minute until light and fluffy.
Assemble
- Make sure the cakes are completely cool before frosting or the frosting will melt.
- Cut off any domes from the cakes to make them flat.
- Place the cake on a cake board, platter or cake stand.
- Top with cream cheese frosting.
- Place the second layer on top and add more cream cheese frosting.
- If desired, you can also frost the sides of the cake.
- Place remaining frosting in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a border.
6 tips - perfect carrot cake
- 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.
More similar recipes
- Best Carrot Cake Recipe
- Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe
- Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- See all layer cake recipes
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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.
This cake works better with oil, keeping it moist and tender despite all the carrots, fruit, and nuts. Butter will make the cake heavier.
Yes, you can certainly add chopped apricots, dates, cranberries, and nuts like pecans, macadamia or hazelnuts. Whatever fruits and nuts you use to make sure to keep the quantity mentioned in the recipe.
You may also like
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ it.
Save it for later.
You can also find a collection of my recipes and tutorials here on Pinterest. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
And, don't forget to subscribe to my blog to receive new recipes by email.
Printable Recipe
Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowDescription
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups (250 g) All-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) Oil (flavorless like canola or grapeseed)
- 3 Eggs (large)
- 1 ⅓ cup (290 g) Light Brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ cup Sour cream
- 1 ½ cup Carrots (shredded)
- ¾ cup (90 g) Walnuts (finely chopped)
- ¾ cup (100 g) Raisins (finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
No-butter cream cheese frosting
- 1 lb (450 g) Cream cheese
- 1 lb (450 g) Powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon Whipping cream
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Bake cake
- Preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 F.
- Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans.
- Swift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt - and set aside.
- Grate carrots - set aside.
- In a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, whip eggs for a minute then gradually add the sugar a little at a time.
- Continue to whip until light and foamy (ribbon stage).
- Next, while still whipping gradually add in the sour cream and oil.
- Now, add the carrot, walnuts, and raisins to the flour mixture (do this now not too early).
- Then, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.
- Finally, add the vanilla.
- Pour into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake completely before frosting.
Prepare no-butter cream cheese frosting
- Add room temperature cream cheese, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt and whipping cream in a mixer bowl.
- Whip on medium speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until you've used 2 cups of the powdered sugar.
- Lastly, add the vanilla.
- Continue to mix on medium-high for a minute until light and fluffy.
Assemble
- Make sure the cakes are completely cool before frosting or the frosting will melt.
- Cut off any domes from the cakes to make them flat.
- Place the cake on a cake board, platter or cake stand.
- Top with cream cheese frosting.
- Place the second layer on top and add more cream cheese frosting.
- If desired, you can also frost the sides of the cake.
- Place remaining frosting in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a border.
Recipe Notes
6 Tips for making the perfect carrot cake
- 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.
Nutrition Information
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
Charlene
Hi Veena,
When do you add the brown sugar? I didnt see it in the instructions?
Veena Azmanov
Hey Charlene. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I had typed oil instead of sugar. So the oil was mentioned twice. I fixed it. Thanks
CHARLENE
Thank you
S
Hi veena,
Can I use wheat flour instead of all purpose flour?
Veena Azmanov
Hey S, you can use flour, but whole wheat flour is dense so it might be a heavy cake. I suggest use 1/4 cup less flour - that should help. Let me know how it was. Thanks
Lina
Hi. What is the size for the cake tin?
Thanks
Veena Azmanov
Lina - it says in the tools - 8" baking pan.. but you can use a 7" square too
Molly Kumar
The cake looks perfect for spring and I love that you used oil instead of butter which would make this cake, even more, lighter. The flavors sound yum and that cream-cheese frosting would be awesome with it.
Veena Azmanov
I like oil based cakes Molly. I think the oil keeps it so moist.
Byron Thomas
Carrot cake is my favourite cake. In fact, it's my birthday cake cake of choice! This looks great. Did you bake just one cake and split the cake in half? I can't see any instructions on that part.
Veena Azmanov
Yes I do bake two but we like ours without frosting so I only frost one layer split into two - and I leave the other not frosted for my son who likes it without frosting.