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Two plates on a bright blue tiled surface, each with a slice of carrot cake topped with cream cheese frosting. A fork rests on each plate, one piece of cake partially eaten.

Best Carrot Cake Recipe

Best carrot cake recipe made in one bowl with grated carrots, pineapple, and cinnamon, then topped with cream cheese frosting. Moist, tender, and easy.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
COOL TIME: 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings 12 Servings
Author Heather

Equipment

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
  • 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 lb confectioners sugar sifted
  • milk as needed to thin

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour 8" round cake pans, and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
    A glass bowl on a marble surface containing flour with a pile of white baking powder and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top—perfect dry ingredients for the best carrot cake recipe.
  • Add the white granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and stir well to combine.
    A glass mixing bowl with sugar, eggs, flour, and liquid ingredients for the best carrot cake recipe, along with a metal whisk, sits on a marble countertop ready to be mixed.
  • Add crushed pineapple, shredded carrots, chopped walnuts and/or raisins and stir well.
    A glass bowl filled with thick, orange-brown batter—perfect for the best carrot cake recipe—features visible carrot shreds and a wooden spoon resting inside, all set on a white marble surface.
  • Divide into prepared cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Remove and cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Run a small knife around the edges and invert onto cooling racks and cool completely before frosting.
    Two round cake pans filled with golden-brown, freshly baked layers from the best carrot cake recipe sit on a white marble surface. The cakes have a slightly textured top and look perfectly moist and delicious.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Cream together butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.
  • Beat in confectioners sugar until well incorporated and smooth. Add milk if the frosting is too thick.
  • Frost the cake and serve.
    A close-up of a sliced carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, showing its moist, textured interior and layers of frosting on a white plate—truly the best carrot cake recipe brought to life.

Notes

To make cupcakes: Fill lined muffin cups about two-thirds full and bake at 350ºF for 18 to 22 minutes for standard muffins, or 25 to 30 minutes for jumbo muffins, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. One batch makes about 2 dozen standard or 10 to 12 jumbo muffins. Let them cool completely, then frost the tops or pipe the cream cheese frosting into the centers for a filled muffin.

Nutrition

Calories: 852kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 500mg | Potassium: 255mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 79g | Vitamin A: 4145IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 2mg
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