The best, classic, spiced soft, moist, quick and easy carrot cake recipe, homemade from scratch with simple ingredients. Covered in cream cheese frosting!
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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 ingredients- This includes eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and sugar.
- Whisk together remaining ingredients- This includes flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices.
- Combine- Dry and wet mixture, along with the carrots.
- Fold in- Walnuts.
- Pour batter- Into a round cake pan.
- Bake- Until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Frost and decorate- Using cream cheese frosting and piping tips.
Variations
- 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 even use cardamom or saffron. 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
- Refrigerate- Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze- Store cake and frosting separately in sealed containers for up to 1 month. When you are ready to enjoy this dessert, thaw to room temperature and assemble as per instructions below.
- Room temperature- This can stay out for 3-5 hours away from direct heat.
- Make ahead- This can easily be made 1-2 days in advance.
More Easter desserts
- Peeps Cake
- Easy Lamb Cake With Marshmallows
- Easter Bunny Cake Topper
- Easter Egg Cake
- Easter Bunny Cake
Recipe
Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This spiced soft and moist carrot cake recipe from scratch with cream cheese frosting is easy to make with simple ingredients. Perfect Easter dessert.
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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
Calories: 632kcalCarbohydrates: 92gProtein: 4gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 314mgPotassium: 200mgFiber: 1gSugar: 71gVitamin A: 3615IUVitamin C: 1.2mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 1.5mg
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.
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Ellen
Easy and delicious!! I did add a little milk at the end because I found my consistency was a little thick.
Yummy
Tasneem
Hi, Can I freeze it? Like banana cake? Thanks
Abeer Rizvi
You can freeze the unfrosted cake and frost it after it thaws in the fridge overnight.
Beverly
Should I toast the walnuts before putting them in the cake?
Abeer Rizvi
I didn't do that. I only toast nuts if I use them as a topping or decoration.
stephanie
Can i use cream of tartar instead of meringue powder for the cream cheese frosting. If so how would i substitute that in? Thank you cake is baking in the oven now!
Abeer Rizvi
I have never used cream of tartar instead of meringue powder to know how it would affect the recipe. If you try that, let me know how it goes...
Marie
What is a good replacement for the walnuts, or can they just be left out?
Allergy.
Abeer Rizvi
They can be left out or you can replace them with pecans too.
Nancy
Hi! I can’t wait to make this carrot cake! I love that it has no raisins or pineapple! One question: will the cream cheese recipe yield enough to ice this cake if I double the cake recipe and make a two-layer cake? Thank you!
Abeer Rizvi
I hear ya... nothing ruins a cake for me faster than those pesky little raisins. lol. My cream cheese frosting recipe yields 3 cups. I think that should be enough for icing a layer cake if you are not doing a super thick layer.
I usually prefer 4 cups of frosting for layer cakes because I crumb coat first but not everyone does that.
anne rutherford
hello abeer,my name is anne and i live in australia.i came from new zealand in 1984 as i dont like the cold.i have to say that your carrot cake is the prettiest iced cake i have ever seen and im 69.my grandmother learned cake icing way back,but she couldnt do anything like that.i worke in catering in sydney in the 80s too and i still didnt see anything as pretty.good enough for a wedding.
Abeer Rizvi
Thank you sooooooo much for your kind words Anne! Your comment just brought a HUGE smile to my face! I love cake decorating and it's a hobby that I just can't get enough of. It's just so much and I am learning something new everyday
Kristie
Could I substitute the olive oil for coconut oil?
Abeer Rizvi
I haven't tried coconut oil but I have made this cake with canola oil and sunflower oil. Those worked perfectly.
I think coconut oil might make this cake a little dense and change the flavor a little. But, if you end up using coconut oil, let me know how it goes
Sarah
Hey ! i am french and I would like to make this gorgeous cake but you didn't tell buttercream recipe (steps and ingredients) you used... Can you send it to me pleaaase ? Thank you very much ! I love what you do, just go on !
Abeer Rizvi
Hey Sarah,
I apologize! I forgot to include the link to my buttercream icing. I have updated the post with the link to the recipe but here it is again: https://www.cakewhiz.com/buttercream-icing
Happy baking
Lacey
Pretty, but carrot cake requires cream cheese icing