Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot cake is such a classic, especially at this time of year. I always see tons of carrot-cake-inspired recipes at the beginning of spring! It’s just such a perfect dessert to serve at Easter time.

This cake is as moist as can be with plenty of warm brown sugar, sweet pineapple, cinnamon, and walnuts. And carrots, of course! It tastes homey, old-fashioned, and slightly sweet, with just the right balance of cinnamon spice. The tangy cream cheese frosting is a perfect compliment!

Table of Contents

• Here’s Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients You’ll Need
• In Photos: How To Make Homemade Carrot Cake
• Recipe FAQ
• More Layer Cake Recipes

Homemade Carrot Cake Base

This carrot cake recipe is based on these Mini Brown Sugar Pound Cakes. When I tried the dark brown sugar version, I knew instantly that it would be delicious as a base for carrot cake!

I just added some grated carrots, crushed pineapple, nuts, and spices. If you like raisins, feel free to add 1/2 cup of those, too. I especially like golden raisins in this.

Most carrot cake recipes use oil, but this one is butter-based, so you don’t have to worry about it being greasy. It’s basically a jazzed-up pound cake, and pound cake is always made with butter. I just love the added flavor and richness it gives!

Unlike other pound cake recipes, this one includes baking powder and baking soda. I found that it needed a little extra lift because of the weight of all the add-ins. With the extra leavening, it bakes up nice and light!

The carrot cake you see in these pics was baked in three 6-inch diameter pans. I love the look of a taller cake, but if you don’t have this kind of pan, you can bake it in two 8 or 9-inch pans, or even in a 9×13 pan. Just bear in mind that they may come out thicker or thinner, so you may need to adjust the baking time.

You could also double the recipe and bake it in a 10-cup bundt pan! I think that would be fantastic and would really serve a large crowd. I’m imagining that it would need at least 75 minutes in the oven, though. You’ll know it’s done baking when it feels springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Incredible Carrot Cake Add-Ins

This recipe uses 1/2 pound of fresh carrots. Just trim off the tops and bottoms and grate them finely.

You can use a box grater, but that’s a bit of a chore. I prefer to grate the carrots in the food processor. It makes things so quick and easy! Look for a food processor that comes with a grating disk. One side is coarse (yields larger pieces), and the other is fine. I prefer the finer shred.

After grating half a pound of carrots, you should have about 2 cups. Just enough so there’s plenty of carrot running all throughout.

You’ll have carrot in every bite, and because it’s finely shredded, it will be nice and tender.

We are also adding pineapple! It’s traditional, and it adds a nice brightness that really offsets the brown sugar nicely. I just used canned, crushed pineapple, but you could also chop up some fresh. Check out this quick tutorial on how to break down a whole fresh pineapple.

Whether you use canned or fresh, just be sure to drain it well. If it’s too juicy and wet, it will weigh down your carrot cake. Place it in a fine-mesh sieve and give it a firm press. You want to get as much moisture out as possible.

Besides carrots and pineapple, this cake also has tender walnuts and warm spices. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves really bring out the best in this cake!

If you can get your hands on whole nutmeg, I highly recommend it! The flavor is off the charts! Just scratch it along a microplane grater, and you won’t believe the aromas. If you’re using fresh, you only need about 12-15 scratches. If you prefer to use pre-ground, it will probably take at least 1/4 teaspoon, if not 1/2.

Cream Cheese Icing For Carrot Cake

To me, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is the ultimate. I can’t imagine any other kind of topping. The flavors just complement each other so well, and it’s so classic and traditional.

You’ll find a simple cream cheese frosting recipe in the recipe card below, but if you’d like something fancier, try adding in the zest of an orange or a little triple sec orange liqueur. Orange blossom water would be a great addition as well!

This recipe yields enough to fill and frost a 3-layer, 6-inch diameter cake in the semi-naked style you see in these pics. There will be just enough left over to tint and pipe some cute carrot decorations.

For piping, I prefer featherweight decorating bags, and I’ve used a #3 tip for the carrots and a leaf tip for the tops. The carrots are tinted with orange icing color, and the tops are tinted with leaf green. You can see how to create this kind of decoration in the video on this post: Carrot Cake Cupcakes.

You could also just sprinkle the top of the cake with toasted chopped walnuts for a really simple decoration.

If you’re looking for more of a glaze (as opposed to frosting), just add a few tablespoons of milk until you have a pourable consistency. This would be PERFECT on that bundt idea I mentioned above…

And if you just aren’t a fan of cream cheese frosting, I’ve definitely got other options for you. Here are just a few ideas:

• Swiss Meringue Buttercream
• American-Style Buttercream
• Seven-minute Frosting

Here’s Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Incredibly moist, but still light and fluffy!
• Filled with warm, cozy spice.
• Finished with a sweet-tangy cream cheese frosting.
• Crushed pineapple keeps the crumb extra soft and tender.
• Perfect for spring celebrations, holidays, and birthdays!
• Easy to adapt for different pan sizes.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you’re cooking.

For the carrot cake layers

• Unsalted butter: Adds richness and makes the crumb soft and buttery. Make sure it is softened so it mixes well with the sugar.
• Dark brown sugar: Brings deep caramel flavor and extra moisture to the cake.
• Eggs: Help bind the batter and give the cake structure while keeping it tender.
• Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out all the flavors.
• AP flour: Provides structure without making the cake too heavy.
• Cake flour: Keeps the crumb especially soft and delicate.
• Ground cinnamon: The main spice, for that classic carrot cake flavor.
• Baking powder: Helps the cake rise and bake into a fluffy cake.
• Baking soda: Works with the other leavening ingredients to create a light texture.
• Kosher salt: Balances sweetness and sharpens all the flavors.
• Ground nutmeg: Adds warmth and a little extra depth.
• Ground cloves: Gives the cake that signature spiced note.
• Finely grated carrots: The star ingredient, adding sweetness, moisture, and flavor.
• Crushed pineapple: Adds natural sweetness and makes the cake extra moist.
• Chopped walnuts: Add crunch and a nutty flavor. Pecans are also a great option.

For the cream cheese frosting

• Unsalted butter: Gives the frosting structure and helps it become fluffy when whipped.
• Cream cheese: Adds the classic tangy richness. Brick-style cream cheese is best.
• Lemon juice: Brightens the frosting and boosts the tangy flavor.
• Vanilla extract: Softens and rounds out the overall flavor.
• Powdered sugar: Sweetens the frosting and helps it hold its shape.
• Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness in the frosting.

In Photos: How To Make Homemade Carrot Cake

Step 1: Prepare the pans

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease three 6-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment circles to help the cakes release cleanly.

Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar

Put the softened butter and brown sugar in a mixer and beat until very pale and fluffy, about 5 to 8 minutes. This step is important for a light, tender cake.

Step 3: Add the eggs and vanilla

Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each. Stir in the vanilla until mixed.

Step 4: Add the dry ingredients

Mix in the all-purpose flour, cake flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves on medium-low speed. Stop while there are still a few streaks of flour remaining.

Step 5: Fold in the carrots, pineapple, and walnuts

Gently fold in the grated carrots, drained pineapple, and walnuts by hand. This helps keep the batter light and avoids overmixing.

Step 6: Bake

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 42 to 48 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when touched and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Step 7: Cool completely

Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes. Then turn them out onto a wire rack and let them cool completely before frosting.

Step 8: Make the cream cheese frosting

Put the butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla in a mixer and whip until smooth. Add the powdered sugar in two parts, scraping the bowl between each. Add the salt and whip just until the frosting is fluffy and stiff.

Step 9: Frost the cake

Fill and frost the cooled cake layers right away. Don’t over-whip the frosting, since cream cheese frosting can become too soft if mixed too long.

Helpful Tips and Tricks

• Grate the carrots finely: Finely grated carrots mix more evenly into the batter and soften well as the cake bakes.
• Drain the pineapple well: Excess moisture can make the batter heavy, so squeeze out any extra liquid before adding the pineapple.
• Do not rush the creaming step: Whipping the butter and sugar until very fluffy makes the cake softer and lighter.
• Mix just until combined: Overmixing can make the cake dense, so stop mixing as soon as the flour is mostly blended in.
• Watch the frosting carefully: Cream cheese frosting can turn runny if over-whipped, so stop mixing when it looks thick and easy to spread.

Recipe FAQ

What’s the best way to store this cake?

Like most cakes, this carrot cake with cream cheese frosting can be made ahead. I actually prefer it that way! Once the layers have completely cooled, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate them overnight. To me, it just makes them easier/less crumby to frost.

Once made, this cake should keep for 3 days at room temperature, 1 week in the fridge, or a month in the freezer. This is the best carrot cake recipe I’ve ever had, and I think you are really going to love it too! Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

More Layer Cake Recipes

• Coconut Cake
• Strawberry Shortcake Cake
• Perfect Chocolate Cake
• Hummingbird Cake

4.63 stars (24 ratings)

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Servings: 8 servings

Prep Time: 40 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Best ever recipe for carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! Moist and light, with just the right amount of spice. Filled and iced with a sweet and tangy frosting, for a classic combination that’s perfect for spring!

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Ingredients

For the carrot cake layers:

• ▢ 1 1/4 cups (283.75 g) unsalted butter , (2 1/2 sticks), softened
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups (330 g) dark brown sugar,, loosely packed
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 3/4 cup cake flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnnamon
• ▢ 1 3/4 teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground nutmeg , (or 10 to 12 microplane scratches of whole nutmeg)
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) ground cloves
• ▢ 2 cups (256 g) finely grated carrots, (from about 1/2 pound whole fresh carrots)
• ▢ 8 ounces (226.8 g) crushed pineapple,, drained & squeezed of excess moisture
• ▢ 1/2 cup (58.5 g) chopped walnuts

For the cream cheese frosting:

• ▢ 1 cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter , (2 sticks), softened
• ▢ 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese,, softened (the kind in a brick)
• ▢ 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 5 cups (480 g) powdered sugar
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) kosher salt

Instructions

 

To make the carrot cake layers:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, mist three 6-inch diameter cake pans* with non-stick spray, and line with circles cut from parchment.
• Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, and whip on medium-high speed (scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula occasionally) until pale and very fluffy ( a FULL 5 to 8 minutes).
• Mix in the eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.
• Stir in the vanilla until well-blended.
• Stir in the all-purpose flour, cake flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves on medium-low speed, until just barely combined (there should still be streaks of flour).
• Fold in the carrots, pineapple, and walnuts, and transfer the batter to the prepared pans.
• Bake until the cakes feel springy and a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (about 42 to 48 minutes).
• Cool for 20 minutes in the pans, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• When completely cool, fill and ice with cream cheese frosting.

To make the cream cheese frosting:

• Place the butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
• Whip on medium-low speed until smooth.
• Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add about half the powdered sugar.
• Stir in the powdered sugar until combined, then scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl again, and add the remaining powdered sugar and the salt.
• Stir together until combined, then turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and whip until the frosting is fluffy and stiff.  (Be careful not to over-whip the cream cheese frosting, or it could become runny.  As soon as the frosting looks stiff, turn off the mixer and use the frosting immediately.)

Notes

*Can also be made in two 8-inch diameter cake pans, two 9-inch diameter cake pans, one 9×13 rectangular baking dish, or DOUBLE the recipe to make it in a 10- cup bundt pan.  Adjust bake time as needed.

For the cupcake version of this layer cake, click here: Carrot Cake Cupcakes.

For more info on the frosting, click here: The Best Way to Make Cream Cheese Frosting.

Calories: 979kcal, Carbohydrates: 127g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 51g, Saturated Fat: 28g, Cholesterol: 184mg, Sodium: 619mg, Potassium: 390mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 104g, Vitamin A: 6895IU, Vitamin C: 15.4mg, Calcium: 144mg, Iron: 1.4mg

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

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