The best, classic, spiced soft, moist, quick and easy carrot cake recipe, homemade from scratch with simple ingredients. Covered in cream cheese frosting!
After countless trial and errors, I have the perfect Easter cake to share with all of you. It's packed with wonderful spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. This simple cake recipe is made with basic ingredients that I bet you already have in your kitchen pantry. I also have a great recipe for Carrot Cupcakes you'll want to try!
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How to make classic easy homemade carrot cake recipe from scratch?
- Mix together- Eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk together- Flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices in a separate bowl.
- Combine- Dry and wet mixture, along with the carrots.
- Fold in- Walnuts.
- Pour batter- Into a round cake pan.
- Bake cake- Until cooked all the way through.
- Allow cooling- Of the cake completely before frosting.
- Frost and decorate- Using cream cheese frosting and piping tips.
- Sprinkle- Chopped walnuts along the bottom of the cake. Enjoy!
Variations for best carrot cake
Layer cake- You can turn this into a layered cake by doubling the recipe and using multiple cake pans, then use frosting to stack the cakes together.
Add extracts to cake- Such as almond, maple, lemon, or others. If you add 1 teaspoon orange extract, it will add an incredible fruity flavor to this cake.
Use different frostings- Although the classic choice is cream cheese frosting there are some other great options to choose from. For example, Maple Frosting, Marshmallow Frosting, Brown Sugar Frosting, Caramel Frosting, or Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting would be great to try.
Try different decoration/toppings- I did some piping and made cute carrot shapes to go on top, but you can also make fondant carrots, use various little candies or chopped candy, or sprinkle on crushed up cookies.
Change spices- I am not a huge fan of cloves, but this is a great option to use in this recipe if you do. You can also adjust the amount of spice to your preference.
Tips and Techniques
- Don't replace granulated sugar with brown sugar- Because they each have distinct flavor and color and this cake is best with brown sugar.
- Use both baking powder and baking soda- Do not omit one with the other, because they are two distinct ingredients that create two different outcomes and you will need both working together to make this cake work right.
- Make sure your oven is calibrated properly- Because you want to be sure the cake bakes evenly at the proper temperature.
- Don't use small eggs in this recipe- Because it won't give the same results. Large eggs must be used.
- Don't frost warm cake- Because the frosting will melt off and it will be difficult to frost. Cool the cake completely before adding any decoration.
Storage
Fridge- Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer- Store in a covered container in the freezer for up to 1 month. I recommend leaving off the frosting to freeze it and then applying frosting after it thaws.
More Easter desserts
Recipe
Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients
- 2 Eggs Large
- ¾ cup Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 1.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg powder
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger powder
- 1.5 cups Carrots Shredded
- ¼ cup Walnuts Finely chopped, Coated in flour to prevent sinking
- 2 cups Cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, oil, vanilla extract, sugar and mix until smooth. Keep aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger.
- Dump this dry mixture into the wet mixture, along with the carrots and mix until just combined.
- Fold in walnuts.
- Pour batter in a greased/ floured round cake pan (Dimensions: 9x2).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool down completely.
- Then, ice it in cream cheese frosting.
- Decorate, using the round tip and star tip.
- Sprinkle chopped walnuts along the bottom of the cake. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Geraldine Saucier
What a beautiful cake:) The tutorial on how to make the roses is very well done. I prefer to make piping roses than the ones where you use a rose nail - never could get that right. Thanks for the great post and Congratulations on Foodbuzz Top 9:)
Vicky
What a gorgeous looking cake! I love the frosting colors! Congrats on making the Top 9 today!
Meghan
Absolutely gorgeous! So happy to see you in the Top 9 today! Great photos too
Abhilasha Venkatesh
So Asolutely BEAUTIFUL !!!!
They totally resemble the most lovely boquet of roses........
Baker
What a gorgeous gorgeous cake! Thanks for sharing on how you achieved that rose and Congratulations on top 9 today!
Jennifer Cote
WOW! The cake looks great, Meghan. I'm excited to try this technique myself now.
angeline
Gorgeous cake. I love to learn the rose piping from you...
Recipe
This cake is absolutely gorgeous!
Raven
WOW, I mean just wow!! This looks so fantastic! You did a great job! Congrats on the Top 9! Totally well deserved!
sonia
Wow...the cake is looking fantabulous ! I loved the detailed tutorial on making rose and shall try soon. Thanks !
Maggie @ Kitchie Coo
This cake is absolutely stunning! And, you make it look so easy, but I think I'd need a little practice before diving into something so amazing. Great job.
CJ at Food Stories
Congratulations on your foodbuzz top 9, today!
Cucina
Carrot cake is my absolute favorite--I only wish I had your decorating skills!
Kara
What a gorgeous cake!!!! This is just beautiful.
Viviane Bauquet Farre
Your frosting technique is perfect. The rose design is visually stunning and the pink creates a very, very tempting appearance. Gorgeous cake in all regards!
Wendy Irene
I love the rose design! It looks stunning. It is a beautiful cake plate as well. I have not seen a black one before. The contrast in colors with the frosting looks really nice.