This easy carrot cake recipe is one of our favorite desserts! It's wonderfully moist and warmly spiced. Tangy cream cheese frosting takes it over the top.
Jack declared this carrot cake recipe the best he’s ever tried. Coming from him, that’s high praise, because carrot cake is his favorite dessert of all time!
I don’t disagree with him though. I think this carrot cake recipe is just about perfect! It has a wonderful moist crumb and warm depth of flavor from spices, vanilla, and brown sugar. This cake is chock-full of freshly grated carrots, and while it’s delicious plain, it really shines with a thick layer of tangy cream cheese frosting on top.
This carrot cake recipe is easy to make with basic ingredients. It’s simple enough to be an everyday dessert (two 9-inch round cake pans are the only special equipment you’ll need!), but it’s totally celebration-worthy too. I’m making it for Jack’s birthday in a few weeks, and it would be perfect for Easter or a festive spring brunch. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy carrot cake recipe:
- Carrots, of course! Always grate the carrots yourself instead of buying pre-grated ones at the store. Freshly grated carrots have a lot more moisture and tend to have a finer texture. I typically use the large holes of a box grater to shred carrots, but the grating disk of a food processor works too!
- All-purpose flour – Spoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cups.
- Baking powder, baking soda, and eggs – They help the cake puff up as it bakes.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- Vegetable oil and applesauce – I adapted this classic carrot cake recipe from my healthy carrot cake and vegan carrot cake, both of which are spins on my mom’s go-to carrot cake recipe. All of them share a secret ingredient: applesauce! It adds a subtle fruity sweetness and makes the cake wonderfully moist. Vegetable oil perfects the moist texture too.
- Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla – For warm, spiced depth of flavor.
- Chopped pecans or walnuts – I like to fold some nuts into the cake batter for crunch. I also sprinkle them over the frosted cake for a pretty garnish. Feel free to skip them if you prefer your carrot cake without nuts!
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Carrot Cake
You can find the complete recipe with measurements at the bottom of this post, but for now, here’s a step-by-step overview of how it goes:
Start by preparing your pans. Lightly grease them with vegetable oil or cooking spray, and line the bottoms with parchment paper. While you’re at it, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Next, make the batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add the eggs and whisk until well combined, then mix in the applesauce and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredient to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! It can make the cake dense.
Fold in the carrots and pecans.
Next, bake the cake layers. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans. Transfer them to the preheated oven and bake until the tops spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out and transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting for Carrot Cake
While this cake is lovely plain, it’s especially delicious with cream cheese frosting on top.
My cream cheese frosting recipe is easy to make with brick-style cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Heads up that you’ll want the butter and cream cheese to be at room temperature when you make the frosting. I usually let them sit on my counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour before I make it.
Mix up the frosting while the cake cools, and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
Here’s how I frost this carrot cake:
- Level the top of the bottom layer. This step is optional, but it helps create a nice-looking layer cake. Use a large serrated knife to trim off the domed top of one of the cake layers, creating a flat surface. I love snacking on the cake scraps. Chef’s treat!
- Frost the bottom layer and assemble the cake. Slather the leveled surface of the bottom layer with cream cheese frosting. Place the top layer on top.
- Frost the top layer and garnish. Slather the top of the cake with more frosting, and garnish it with walnuts or pecans, if desired.
I typically don’t frost the sides of the cake because a) it’s easier and b) I like seeing the carrot-y layers peek through. But if you want to, feel free!
Best Carrot Cake Recipe Tips
- Grate the carrots yourself. I’m repeating this one more time because it’s important! For the best carrot cake, grate the carrots yourself. Store-bought shredded carrots are too dry and tough to use in this recipe.
- Change up the mix-ins. Everyone has an opinion about what belongs in carrot cake. Feel free to adapt this recipe to use the add-ins you love! If you’re not a fan of nuts, go ahead and skip them. Want to add raisins? Fold 1/2 cup into the batter. Can’t have carrot cake without pineapple? Use canned crushed pineapple instead of the applesauce.
- Get ahead. If you don’t want to bake and frost this cake in the same day, you can do the baking in advance. Tightly wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature for up to 2 days before frosting them, or freeze them for up to 3 months. Once you frost the cake, it keeps well for about 5 days in the fridge.
More Easy Baking Recipes
If you love this recipe, try one of these delicious desserts next:
Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pans
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups grated carrots, about 9 ounces
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, plus more for garnish
- Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the eggs and whisk until well combined, then whisk in the applesauce and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the carrots and pecans.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tops spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each cake, then invert onto a large plate or baking sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
- Optional step: When the cakes are completely cool, use a large serrated knife to slice off the domed part of one of the cakes to create a flat top. Use this cake as the bottom layer in a layer cake.
- Frost the flat surface with cream cheese frosting, then place the second cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake, if desired, with the remaining frosting. Top with more pecans, slice, and serve. (Alternatively, enjoy this recipe as two single-layer cakes.)
Made this with no changes or substitutions and it was great! I think it tasted even better the next day. I’m wondering what the purpose of the butter is in the icing. I put it in but it’s such a small amount I’m wondering if it’s needed.
Hi Anita, for flavor, and it helps keep it firm. Butter is pretty traditional in cream cheese icing.
Deliciously moist and flavorful cake. Not overtly sweet. Easy to make!
Hi, I tried to make this gluten free with almond flour but it wasn’t a great success. What should I use differently if I’m using almond and or coconut flour?
Hi Carly, almond flour and coconut flour aren’t a 1:1 exchange with regular flour. A gluten free flour blend might work in this recipe. For the other flours, I’d search out recipes that are specifically made with them.
Thank you! I love this recipe and your blog. Have a friend visiting who is gluten free so was trying to make it for her..
I just made this for my son’s second birthday. The kids loved it! Finally a place where I can find healthier desserts. Thanks. 🙂
Hi Milena, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
This stood up beautifully to a one-to-one gluten-free flour substitute—remained incredibly moist. Not a sweet cake at all, so the sweet frosting doesn’t feel cloying. Very nice.
Great recipe! But watch out for coconut oil, it’s high in saturated fat–even more than butter! Mine turned out perfectly with avocado oil.
Hi! Can I use regular pastry flour for this? Thanks!
Hi Margaret, I haven’t tried it that way but I think it might be fine.
this carrot cake is just incredible ! I did it twice: the first time with cream cheese frosting and the second one with mascarpone frosting, it was perfect ! thank you for your amazing recipes xx
I’m so glad you loved it!
can I use almond flour?
no, it’s not a 1:1 sub.
The cake was amazing wet and fluffy
I replace apple sauce with mixing ( apple juice and apricot jam) and tge taste was more than delicious also I used 3 eggs
Thank you so much ?
Cannot wait to try this – making it this week as a tribute to my lovely grandmother who passed away a few days ago… carrot cake was her absolute favorite! Do you think you could make this in a bundt pan? I seem to have misplaced my round cake tins… thank you!
Aww, that’s sweet. I haven’t tried it in a bundt pan, I’m not sure if it’ll be too moist to pop out well, the quantity might also not fill enough of it. If you have an 8×8 square pan that would be a better alternative.
The cake was amazing!
The sugar was just a little on the lower side, otherwise, would make it again!
I’m glad you enjoyed it – we love this sugar level since the frosting is so sweet 🙂
This is my favorite cake at the moment! It also works well with a flax egg as a replacement if anyone was interested 🙂
Loved this Carrot Cake. I made it for Easter. Where can I find your nutritional charts for your recipes? I find that so important when using my FitBit. Thank you
Hi Shelly, I’m so glad you loved it! I’m sorry, I don’t calculate nutritional information.
OHH Apple sauce is such a good idea! Question: I usually make homemade apple sauce. Do you use completely watery apple sauce that you typically buy at the grocery store or apple sauce that is a bit more chunky? Excited to try this/adapt to gluten free!!!!
Hi Emily, I use the type from the grocery store that’s pretty smooth. Chunky might affect the rise and texture of the cake. I hope that helps!
How can i make my own applesauce? I so.want to.try it with that.
Thx
Chamila
I haven’t done it myself (but I should, thank you for the request!). Until then, I’d google for a recipe, it can’t be too hard 🙂
This recipe is really incredible. I love all of your recipes and cookbook too- this one is standout. Because we are stuck at home now and low on some ingredients, I subbed almond flour for the whole wheat pastry flour, cloves and cardamom in lieu of nutmeg and added golden raisins and flax seeds. Delicious!
Hi Karen, I’m so glad you loved it! I’m happy to hear that it worked out with almond flour and I’m a huge fan of cardamom so I might steal your idea and use that next time 🙂
Can I use regular milk instead of almond milk? I have 2 nut allergy suffers in my family.
yep! Any type of milk will work.
Will this still taste okay with only white flour?
Nevermind I see your comment above!
This looks so delicious! love the flavors, it must be such a great texture with the applesauce and the carrots. Beautiful!