With its outstanding spice flavor, super moist crumb, and velvety cream cheese frosting, this is truly the best carrot cake. Use brown sugar and toasted pecans for deeper flavor.
I don’t call it carrot cake. I call it “birthday cake.” It’s my one and only choice on my big day. I’ve adopted this tradition and make my own carrot birthday cake each year. And, of course, we never limit it to only once per year. This is always my top choice for Easter dessert recipes and I love making it for spring brunches, baby showers, and our community’s new bake sale.
In fact, this recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
And, finally, I firmly believe that the ONLY thing that competes with carrot cake is a batch of carrot cake cupcakes.
What Does This Carrot Cake Taste Like?
This carrot cake sets the standard for carrot cakes everywhere. It’s deeply moist and filled with toasted pecans (or walnuts, if you prefer). Most of its flavor comes from brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and carrots. Ginger adds the most delicious zing, but it isn’t overpowering at all. The cake is dense, but each forkful tastes super soft and extra lush. If made ahead, the flavor intensifies and the cream cheese frosting seeps into the layers, creating an even more tender bite.
So if you’re looking for a make-ahead cake whose taste and texture won’t be compromised, make this! It’s a total classic and 1 taste converts everyone, even those silly people who “don’t like carrot cake.” Who ARE you people?! 😉
Let’s Make It!
This carrot cake is pretty easy, but let’s walk through the process together. You can also use this detailed how to assemble and decorate a layer cake post and video as a guide.
Begin by toasting pecans in the oven. Spread them on a baking sheet and bake for about 6–8 minutes. Toasting the nuts is optional, but you won’t regret doing it. Toasting pecans creates an unparalleled deep nutty flavor—I love using them in my hummingbird Bundt cake and pecan pie cheesecake, too. Let the nuts cool down for a couple minutes, then start the carrot cake batter. Begin with 2 mixing bowls. Whisk the dry ingredients together in 1 bowl, then the wet ingredients in another bowl. Combine the two, along with shredded carrots and half of the toasted nuts. You don’t even need a mixer for the cake batter!
Instead of a layer cake, you can bake this recipe in a 9×13-inch pan. It’s also perfect as the bottom tier for a homemade wedding cake!
How to Make Carrot Cake Moist
If it isn’t stick-to-the-back-of-your-fork moist, it’s just not worth it. So I worked to create an EXTRA moist carrot cake. Don’t skip these ingredients:
- Brown Sugar: I’ve come across a lot of carrot cake recipes that are sweetened with mostly granulated sugar. That’s great, but granulated sugar doesn’t do much for the cake besides sweeten it. Brown sugar not only sweetens cake, it produces so much flavor and moisture. It’s just… the best!
- Oil: Cakes need fat to make them soft and tender. When preparing cakes without super strong flavors such as vanilla cake and white cake, I prefer to use butter as the fat. Butter also gives them flavor. But for cakes like chocolate cake and carrot cake that have flavor from other ingredients, I find flavorless oil is the best choice.
- Applesauce: To prevent the cake from tasting too moist (wet) and oily, I add some applesauce. You could even use crushed pineapple, too! These flavors pair beautifully with brown sugar and spices.
- Freshly Shredded Carrots: My #1 tip for carrot cakes is to shred whole carrots at home. Do not use packaged pre-shredded carrots because they are hard and dry. You need about 4 large carrots for this recipe. And when you grate them, you’ll notice how wet they are. That is PRIME moisture for your baked cake and you don’t want to skip it! Same principle applies when using zucchini in my zucchini cake, too.
Cream Cheese Frosting
The carrot cake frosting? Well, that’s easy too. It’s so smooth, tangy, and glides on the cake seamlessly. I call it spreadable cheesecake and it tastes unbelievable with this cake’s deep spice flavor.
Ingredients: You need brick-style cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. The salt helps offset the sweetness.
If you’re looking to pipe decoration with this cream cheese frosting, chill it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour first. This guarantees the creamy frosting will hold its shape.
And if you’re not a fan of cream cheese frosting, these vanilla frostings will work just as well: vanilla buttercream, Swiss meringue buttercream, and not-so-sweet whipped frosting.
There’s no emotion quite like the sadness you’ll experience when that last slice is gone!
Carrot Cake Success Tips
- Line your cake pans with parchment. Place your cake pans on a large sheet of parchment paper. Trace the bottom of the cake pan with a pencil, then cut the circles. Grease the pan and the parchment paper. Parchment paper rounds guarantee the cakes won’t stick!
- Make it ahead. One of the BEST parts about carrot cake is that it gets better with time, even after 1 full day. The flavors mingle, the moisture prevails, and the cream cheese frosting sets into the layers. It’s ridiculously good! You can make and frost the cake 1 day in advance. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving.
- Use freshly grated carrots. Grate them yourself for the freshest, best result.
My Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
With its outstanding spice flavor, super moist crumb, and velvety cream cheese frosting, this is truly the best carrot cake. Use brown sugar and toasted pecans for deeper flavor. This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) chopped pecans or walnuts (1 cup for cake, 1 cup for garnish)*
- 1 and 1/2 cups (300g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (226g/240ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)*
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180g) smooth unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups (260g) grated carrots (about 4 large)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, to taste
Instructions
- Toast the nuts: Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread the chopped pecans (or walnuts) on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 6–8 minutes, or until fragrant. Give the pan a shake halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10–15 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Grease two or three 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla until combined and no brown sugar lumps remain.
- In another large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and, using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold the ingredients together until just combined. Fold in the carrots and 1 cup (about 120g) of the toasted nuts. (The rest of the nuts are for garnish.) Pour/spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using three cake pans, this takes about 20–25 minutes. If using two cake pans, this takes about 30–35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edges to help loosen the sides, remove the cakes from the pans, peel off the parchment, and place on the rack to finish cooling. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a cooling rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes until completely combined and creamy. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, a little milk if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Assemble the cake: (For extra help with this step, see this video & post on how to assemble a layer cake.) First, using a large serrated knife or cake leveler, slice a thin layer off the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place a cake layer on your cake turntable, cake stand, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with 3/4 to 1 cup (180–240g) of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer, upside down, and spread the same amount of frosting as on the first layer. Top with the third layer, right side up, and spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Garnish with the remaining toasted nuts. Refrigerate the cake for at least 20 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting. If you refrigerated the cake for longer than 4 hours, take it out of the refrigerator 2 hours before serving so it can mostly come to room temperature.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, covered, and stored at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared, then covered and refrigerated overnight. When ready to decorate, let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 15 minutes, then give it one more mix with the mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute before frosting cake. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See this post on how to freeze cakes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Box Grater | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Wooden Spoon | Silicone Spatula | 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cake Turntable | Icing Spatula | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Nuts: Feel free to omit the nuts for a nut-free carrot cake. No other changes to the recipe required.
- Applesauce: Instead of applesauce, you can use 3/4 cup crushed pineapple if desired. Slightly drain the canned crushed pineapple first. You want it the consistency of applesauce—not too watery. You could also use 3/4 cup mashed bananas, sour cream, plain yogurt, or canned pumpkin puree.
- Carrots: My #1 tip for carrot cakes is to grate whole carrots at home. Do not use packaged pre-shredded carrots because they are hard and dry.
- Oil: If using melted coconut oil, make sure all of the other cake batter ingredients (carrots included) are room temperature. Otherwise, the melted coconut oil will begin to solidify before the batter goes into the oven.
- Cream Cheese: Use bricks/blocks of real cream cheese, not cream cheese spread in a tub.
- 9×13-Inch Cake: Simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9×13-inch pan and bake for 40–45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Carrot Bundt Cake: Use a 10–12-cup generously greased Bundt pan. Bake for 55–75 minutes. All ovens and Bundt pans are different, so that’s why the bake time varies. Keep a close eye on it.
- Add-Ins: If you’d like to add raisins or coconut, reduce the pecans to 1/2 cup (or leave them out). Add 1 cup of raisins or shredded coconut. Stick to around 1–1.5 cups total add-ins. Or you can leave the cake plain without any add-ins.
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20–22 minutes. Yields about 24 cupcakes. Or try my carrot cake cupcakes recipe.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Made this for Father’s Day for my husband and it was delicious. He rated it the best cake that he’s ever had! We’re both still daydreaming about it and our whole family raved about it! Thanks for a great recipe, Sally. We’re lucky to have you! I added 1 cup of raisins and 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut. I added about a half tsp of ginger like other reviewers mentioned doing. I didn’t feel like the recipe created too much frosting either!
This was AMAZING!! Sally never ever disappoints. I made this and my household dreams of it at night. The cake is moist and sweet and perfectly textured. And the pecans are everything. Love love love this!! Favorite cake I think I’ve ever consumed!
This cake is greatly improved when the carrots are grated by hand on a fine box grater. I’ve tried it using the grating disc of the cuisinart , and on a normal size box grater. The finer makes a difference,
I love your Carrot Cake ! I made a few changes, used only 1 1/2 cups of the sugars in the cake. It was plenty enough sweet.
In the frosting I only used 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, but added about a scant half tsp salt and some lemon juice. It came out very good, I liked the salty sweet lemony taste.
I need to make this again, but do you think I could use honey in place of the sugar in the cake
Hi Surati, We’re afraid that would add too much moisture to the cake batter.
Modified this – made it with King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour and MCT oil and whipped cream coconut crème frosting. It was a hit. They rated it 10/10 and were very pleased. These substitutions seemed to work well.
This recipe makes way too much frosting Too much left over! I would cut the recipe for frosting in half.
I actually loved the amount of frosting. Usually I do not put enough on but the last time I loaded it, esp in the middle. Frosting is part of the whole experience , though I do add a lot less sugar in mine
Hi! Do you prefer vegetable oil over canola oil for this tecipe…is there a difference when using either for baking?
Hi Amy, they are interchangable here. You can use either!
I made this cake last father’s day and today for fathers day tomorrow. Carrot cake is my husbands favorite cake. This recipe is outstanding. So delicious. Also, I made the swiss merigne butter cream for the frosting. The first time and it came out delicious. Thank you Sally.
Hi Sally, I’m looking to make this for a friend who is gluten free and was wondering what you recommend. I’ve never baked anything gluten free before!
Hi Ellie, we haven’t tested a gluten free version of this bread. Here are all of our gluten free recipes if you’re interested!
Hi Sally,
Is it ok to use a glass 9×13 pan and if I do, are there any adjustments I should make?
Thanks!
Hi Debbie! See recipe Notes for baking instructions for a 9×13 pan.
Glass vs Metal no diff?
Thank you
It may take a couple minutes longer in a glass dish – always use a toothpick to test for doneness!
Hi Sally, would this cake be good if I made it a few days in advance and put it in the freezer? My mother in law does this with hers so that it’s incredibly moist (although I’m sure this cake is already moist enough!) I just wanted to ask because I love your cakes and would love to make this. Thank you
Hi Kasey, Absolutely. See recipe notes for Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions.
can I make these into carrot cake bars? Would I need to alter the recipe?
Hi Brenda, we don’t have a carrot cake bar recipe at this time, so sorry! It would be similar to this cake, but would take a bit of recipe testing to get that denser bar texture.
Can you shred the carrots in a food processor instead of grating them?
Thanks.
Hi Carol, A food processor will just chop it up into small chunks, so we do recommend a box grater.
I use the grater disc that came with my food processor & that works fine. I have severe arthritis so using a box grater is too hard for me. Thank you Sally, for this (and so many other) delicious recipe!
I have made this carrot cake several times. I have used both an all purpose flour and measure for measure gluten free flour and the cakes have been delicious! (Sometimes I add raisins.) I have received many, many compliments. However it is you Sally who should have the compliments. You are my go to baker for all baking recipes.
How many layers in a 6 inch pan and what would the baking time be?
Thanks!
Hi Cindy, we’d actually recommend using the batter from our carrot cake cupcakes instead – it makes the perfect amount for a three layer 6 inch cake!
Hi Sally and Team,
I made this cake last year as a 3 layer cake for my mother in laws birthday and plan to make again this weekend. Do you think I can do 2, 9×13 cakes and layer them?
The cake was a real hit, only complaint, everybody wanted more.
Hi Debra, We are so glad this cake was a hit! Yes, you can make it twice for two 9×13 inch cakes and stack them.
My layered cakes never turn out pretty so was hoping to try the Bundt cake version! How would I frost that?
Alternatively if I tried the 9×13 pan version, could I cut them into bars before gifting?
Thanks so much! Love knowing that no matter how my cake looks Sally’s recipes always will taste great!!
Hi Kari, you can cut a 9×13 inch cake into bars for gifting. For a Bundt cake you can still cover the top with cream cheese frosting or make a simple glaze like we do in this Carrot Bundt. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for the prompt and helpful reply!! For the 9×13 cake, would I still make the same amount of frosting or could the quantity be reduced?
I made these this morning but put them in silicone cupcake molds. Instead of white sugar, and omitting 1/2 cup of brown sugar, I replaced the sugars with a can of sweetened condensed milk. Moist and delicious!! I added a small spiral of my signature fresh banana frosting. The results were AMAZING.!!
Hello Sally, I made this cake in a 10,23 inch round pan.
It was so good ! However it sank a bit in the center eventhough it was tested with a toothpick that came out clean. PS: I baked it for 45 minutes in the middle of the oven.
May you please tell me what’s the problem ?
Hi Joyce! Did you bake all the batter in one pan? We don’t recommend baking this heavier batter all in one pan as it is difficult to bake through properly.
I love this recipe.
Can I add cocoa instead of spices to this recipe to make Chocolate carrot cake.
Hi Elisabeth, we haven’t tested a chocolate version of this cake, and unfortunately cocoa powder can be quite a finicky ingredients so we’d have to do some recipe testing before offering any advice. If you do decide to experiment, let us know how it goes! We’re so glad you enjoy this carrot cake!
I made this recipe for an event at work: Australia’s Biggest morning Tea. It is fundraising for the Cancer Council. So many staff complimented me on the cake and many said that it was the best carrot cake they have ever tasted. I would give this recipe 6 stars if I was able to.
We’re so thrilled to read this, Diane!
How many cups of batter is in this? I need to make 1/2 sheet so will need to adjust accordingly. Thanks so much!
Hi Marci, this recipe yields about 7 cups of batter.
OMG! EXCELLENT!! I am so glad that I decided to follow this recipe. I want to say THANK YOU! I can’t wait to bake this cake for my guests. It’s a winner!
could this be made in a bundt cake pan??
Hi Karen, you can make this recipe in a Bundt pan, see recipe Notes for baking directions. Enjoy!
Can I omit or substitute the applesauce in this recipe?
You could use crushed pineapple instead if you would like!
how many cupcakes do you think this recipe makes?
About 2 dozen. See recipe Notes for more details, Whitney!
This recipe is amazing! I made it for my family and they loved it. I have a shower coming up and am wanting to make it using mini bundt pans. Do you think I would need to adapt the recipe at all if I want to make mini carrot cake Bundts? Of course cooking time would change but appreciate any advice!
Hi Rachel, you can definitely use this batter to make mini Bundts. Same temperature, but baking time will vary. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness!
Hello Sally,
I’m planning to make your “Winning” Carrot Cake recipe again.
It’s Loved so much!!
1). Can you tell me if I were to make ONE recipe in a pan that’s suitable for a “2 cake mix recipe” will the cake bake ok?
1a). And, if I flip the cake pan over to a tray would it fall apart (due to the size of it)?
2). If I make a Double recipe would I need to change the baking time?
Hope to hear from you soon,
Thank you,
Donna
Hi Donna, we’re so glad you enjoyed the carrot cake! What is the exact size of your pan? The exact size of your pan is important. In general, we recommend only filling pans half way to ensure there is enough room for the batter to rise and bake properly without overflowing. This cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be a helpful resource to review. Bake time will vary depending on the size of your pan, too. Hope this helps!
Can I replace the eggs if there is an egg allergy? Would more applesauce be okay?
Thank you!
Hi Rylee, we haven’t tested this recipe with egg substitutes, but let us know if you do.
In case others are wondering… I only have two 9″ round pans and wanted to make this in three layers. I have three 8″ round pans but worried there might be too much batter. The batter fit just fine. I ended up baking for 28 minutes. My family loves carrot cake and this is a good recipe. We like it with pineapple and half pecans half golden raisins.