Best Carrot Cake Recipe

This is the best carrot cake recipe I’ve ever made. This recipe was handed down to me by my Mother-in-law. She won blue ribbons consistently when she entered it into the county fair cake contests. It’s a real keeper and has even been published in Where Women Cook magazine many years ago. It’s truly the best carrot cake recipe.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

This is a simple one bowl cake that comes together really easily and only requires a few ingredients to make an incredibly moist and delicious cake. If you are a raisin and nut person, by all means add them in, see substitutions below for exact measurements for these add ins. For this recipe I only did a crumb coat on the sides of the cake and loaded the top of the cake with the tangy cream cheese frosting. If you like more cream cheese frosting on the sides, double the recipe that follows.

This is my favorite cake to have on my birthday or when I am having a brunch gathering. It’s a moist cake that always garners rave reviews.

Love this cake recipe? Try my other delicious cake recipes like Pumpkin Apple Cake, or Classic Vanilla Cake, or my favorite fall cake Caramelized Apple Spice Cake with Brie Icing.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This is a tried and true layer cake that doesn’t require a lot of ingredients.

• Grated Carrots – fresh carrots grated on the box grater on in a food processor fitted with the small grating attachment
• Crushed Pineapple – canned crushed pineapple created a moist crumb
• Flour & Leavening – all purpose flour and baking powder
• Eggs – 4 large eggs
• Sugar – granulated white sugar
• Oil – vegetable oil or canola oil.
• Spices – ground cinnamon and kosher salt
• Vanilla Extract – because vanilla is necessary for delicious bakes
• Cream Cheese – room temperature cream cheese 
• Unsalted Butter – room temperature butter 
• Powdered Sugar – sifted or you can whisk it in a large bowl to break up any lumps before adding to the cream cheese mixture

Find the printable recipe card with exact measurements and instructions below.

Substitutes & Variations

• Add Raisins – 1/2 cup golden raisins or dark raisins. Add to the wet ingredients with the carrots before baking.
• Add Nuts – add 1 cup of pecan or walnut pieces to the wet ingredients with the carrots before baking.
• Make a sheet cake – bake at 350ºF for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Special Equipment Needed

• Round Cake Pans – I like Fat Daddio’s Anodized Aluminum Cake Pans, but you can use any 8-inch metal cake pan.
• Box Grater
• Food Processor, optional. For grating carrots.

How to Make the Best Carrot Cake recipe

Only one bowl needs to be used to make this easy recipe. You can also use a stand mixer or hand mixer if you’d like.

Step 1: Preheat the oven & prep the cake pans

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour 2 8-inch cake pans and set aside.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients to a bowl

1. In a medium bowl, add the all purpose flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. Stir well to combine. Conversely, you can use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment if you prefer.

Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry

1. Add the eggs and vanilla to the dry mixture and whisk or stir to combine well.

Step 4: Stir in the carrots and mix-ins

1. Add the pineapple, carrots, and raisins/nuts if using. Stir well to combine. Divide between prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 
2. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before running a small knife around the edges and inverting on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Step 5: Frost the cake

1. Add the butter and cream cheese to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until combined. Turn down to low speed and add in the powdered sugar in small additions until all is added. Add vanilla and mix to combine. 
2. Place 1 cake layer on a plate or cake stand and add some frosting. Top with the second layer and crumb coat the sides of the cake with frosting. Use the remaining frosting on the top of the cake and either serve immediately or leave at room temp for 1 day or refrigerate up to 4 days. For best results, remove from the fridge and allow to come to almost room temperature before serving.

Tips for Storing & Freezing

• For storing – wrap in plastic wrap or use a cake dome and store at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days.
• How to freeze – wrap room temperature cake layers (not frosted) tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before topping with cream cheese frosting.

More Recipes We Love

Some of my favorite dessert recipes through the years.

Chocolate Port Wine Sheet Cake

​Pineapple Champagne Mango Upside Down Cake

​Pumpkin Chocolate Tiramisu

Cacao Cream Tart

Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

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