Homemade Carrot Cake

By Becky Hardin

Published Oct 29, 2020

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I know, I know… Carrot cake is controversial. For a long time, I couldn’t wrap my head around vegetables in cake. But this homemade carrot cake recipe changed my mind, and I think it’ll change yours too! This moist 3-layered cake is covered with the most delicious cream cheese frosting and I promise you, everyone will be asking for the recipe!

What’s in This Carrot Cake Recipe?

Self-Rising Flour : A premade mixture of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. It makes this recipe super simple.
Spices : A combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice richly flavors this cake and enhances the natural sweetness of the carrots.
Baking Soda: Gives this cake an extra bit of lift!
Sugar: I like to use both granulated white and dark brown sugar to sweeten the cake, add depth of flavor, and increase the moisture content.
Vegetable Oil: Makes this cake moist, rich, and tender. Other options that work well include canola oil and melted coconut oil.
Vanilla Extract : Enhances the sweetness of the cake and the warm spices.
Eggs: Give the cake structure and help bind everything together.
Carrots: I ended up using 9 medium-sized carrots, but you may need more or less depending on the size of the carrots you get.
Pineapple: This is my secret ingredient for a super moist, super flavorful carrot cake. It adds just a touch of balancing acidity and extra moisture so this cake is never dry!
Pecans: I love adding nuts to my cake, but you can of course leave them out if you’re not a fan. Or sub walnuts if you prefer.

Frosting Variations

I absolutely adore the contrast of the rich and sweet carrot cake with the tangy cream cheese frosting, but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. If you’d prefer a different frosting, I have quite a few I think you’ll love. Classic vanilla frosting works super well here, or try stabilized whipped cream for a lighter take. To really play up the spiced flavor, my pumpkin spice whipped cream is a treat!

How to Store

Once the cake is fully frosted, I have found that it keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days, but I do like to serve it on the day that it’s frosted so that it’s perfectly fresh and moist. Because it’s frosted with cream cheese, I never leave carrot cake out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours.

How to Freeze

This carrot cake is easy to freeze whole or cut into individual slices. I like to freeze it for an hour or two to set the frosting, then tightly wrap the cake or slices in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil to store for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.

Serving Suggestions

For me, there’s nothing better with a slice of moist carrot cake than a chai latte . The spices play so well together, and I really find no need for any ice cream or extra fluff. I do sometimes like to sprinkle some sweetened shredded coconut on top for a pretty garnish and a nice sweet flavor, though!

Notes from the Test Kitchen

If you don’t have any self-raising flour on hand, don’t fret! You can make your own by using 2½ cups of all-purpose flour whisked together with 3¾ teaspoons of baking powder and ⅝ teaspoon of kosher salt in this carrot cake recipe. This tip has saved me on more than one occasion!

Ingredients1x2x3x

For the Cake

▢ 2½ cups self-rising flour 300 grams
▢ 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon 5 grams
▢ ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
▢ ½ teaspoon ground cloves
▢ ½ teaspoon ground ginger
▢ ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda 6 grams
▢ 1½ cups granulated sugar 300 grams
▢ ½ cup dark brown sugar 107 grams
▢ 1 cup vegetable oil 200 grams
▢ 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 12 grams (or vanilla paste)
▢ 4 large eggs 200 grams
▢ 3 cups grated carrots 270 grams (from about 9 carrots)
▢ ½ cup crushed pineapple 85 grams
▢ 1 cup chopped toasted pecans 114 grams, plus more for decorating (optional)

For the Frosting

▢ Double recipe of The Best Cream Cheese Frosting click for recipe

Video

Instructions

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F and line the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans or one 9×13-inch baking pan. Spray the pan(s) with cooking spray and, if desired, lightly cover the insides with coarse raw sugar.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, allspice, salt, and baking soda; set aside. 2½ cups self-rising flour, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the granulated sugar and brown sugar together on low speed. Add the oil and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. 1½ cups granulated sugar, ½ cup dark brown sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 4 large eggs
Set mixer to low and add the flour in ½ cup increments.
Fold in the carrots, pineapple and, if using, nuts. 3 cups grated carrots, ½ cup crushed pineapple, 1 cup chopped toasted pecans
Divide the batter evenly between the 3 cake pans (about 536 grams per pan) or spread in the 9×13.
Bake, on the middle rack, for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The internal temperature in the middle of each cake layer should register 200°F-205°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Transfer cakes to a wire rack and cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and return to cooling racks to cool completely.

For the Frosting

Make a double batch of The Best Cream Cheese Frosting , <– click for recipe Double recipe of The Best Cream Cheese Frosting
Stack the cake layers with about ½-inch of frosting between each layer. Cover the cake with a Crumb Coating (click for instructions) and refrigerate the cake at least 1-2 hours.
When the crumb coating feels dry, finish icing and decorating the cake as you wish.

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
3 8-inch Round Cake Pan OR
9×13 Baking Pan
Stand Mixer

Becky’s Tips

Spray the cake pans with cooking spray before adding the cake batter so that the layers are easy to remove from the tins.
It’s easiest to use an electric mixer to make the cake batter, but you can mix it by hand as well, it will just take a little longer.
Let the layers cool completely before stacking and frosting them. If the cake is still warm, the frosting will slide off.
The carrot cake layers will take about 30-40 minutes to bake. Check they are done by either inserting a toothpick, which should come out clean, or by using an instant-read thermometer which should register at 200-205°F.
The elements of this cake can be made ahead of time. The carrot cake layers can be made 3 to 4 days ahead of time, wrap them well in plastic wrap AND foil to keep them moist and store in the fridge.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

How to Make Carrot Cake Step by Step

Mix the Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans or one 9×13-inch baking pan. Spray the pan(s) with cooking spray and, if desired, lightly cover the insides with coarse raw sugar. In a large bowl, whisk 2½ cups of self-rising flour, 1½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of ground cloves, ½ teaspoon of ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon of ground allspice, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking soda together; set aside.

Whisk the Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix 1½ cups of granulated sugar and ½ cup of dark brown sugar together on low speed. Add 1 cup of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 1 minute. Add 4 large eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Mix the Batter Together: Set the mixer to low and add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in ½ cup increments.

cake batter being mixed with a rubber spatula in a glass bowl. - 10

Fold in the Carrots: Fold in 3 cups of grated carrots, ½ cup of crushed pineapple and, if using, 1 cup of chopped toasted pecans.

carrot cake batter in a glass bowl. - 11

Bake the Cake Layers: Divide the batter evenly between the 3 cake pans or spread in the 9×13. Bake, on the middle rack, for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The internal temperature in the middle of each cake layer should register 200°F-205°F on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the cake(s) to a wire rack and cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and return to cooling racks to cool completely.

carrot cake batter in a round cake pan. - 12

Frost the Cake: While the cakes cool, make a double batch of the Best Cream Cheese Frosting (click for recipe). Stack the cake layers with about ½-inch of frosting between each layer. Cover the cake with a Crumb Coating (click for instructions) and refrigerate the cake at least 1-2 hours.

3 layers of stacked carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in between. - 13

Decorate the Cake: When the crumb coating feels dry, finish icing and decorating the cake as you wish.

sprinkling chopped pecans over frosted carrot cake. - 14

More Cake Recipes To Try

Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Filling
Black Magic Cake
Better Than Sex Cake
Gooey Butter Cake
Banana Pudding Poke Cake
Yellow Cake with Milk Chocolate Buttercream
Strawberry Pound Cake

Homemade Carrot Cake Recipe

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
3 8-inch Round Cake Pan OR
9x13 Baking Pan
Stand Mixer