Carrot Cake

A gorgeous two layer soft and moist Carrot Cake. You’ll love this one-bowl Carrot Cake made with brown sugar, warm spices and walnuts and covered with a luscious maple cream cheese frosting. 

Introducing my FAVOURITE Carrot Cake recipe 🥕

Two layers of soft and tender Carrot Cake filled with fresh carrots, warm spices and chopped nuts. The finishing touch is a generous layer of thick cream cheese frosting.

This gorgeous homemade Carrot Cake is perfect for Easter.

This is really THE BEST! My family loves it, guests love it! I have done it several times, and I am doing it today again for my daughter’s bday. 

– Erlina

If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I’ve been working on the perfect Carrot Cake recipe ALL week. It’s a recipe that’s been highly requested by you guys so I’m super excited to share it with you.

When I was developing the recipe, I was torn between making a one layer cake or a multi-layer cake, so I reached out to you on Instagram and I asked what you prefer. The response for a layer cake was overwhelming.

So HERE SHE IS. My two layer Carrot Cake that’s soft, sweet and oh-so-easy to make.

There are a few reasons why this cake is extra special. Apart from the fact that a soft, sweet cake covered in cream cheese frosting is literally heaven on earth. Here are four reasons why you will LOVE this cake ->

1. It’s a one bowl cake recipe. You don’t need an electric mixer and any special equipment. Just a bowl and spoon and you are on your way!
2. It makes two perfect layers so it will easily feed a hungry crowd
3. The frosting is made with just three ingredients and comes together super quick
4. Everyone always loves this cake

What makes a moist Carrot Cake?

• Using vegetable oil instead of butter keeps the cake nice and moist, and adding milk also lends itself to a very soft cake.
• I recommend measuring all the ingredients to ensure you don’t accidentally add too much flour.
• Keep an eye on the cakes while they’re in the oven so you don’t over bake the cakes. They will be ready when they spring back lightly to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Tips for making Carrot Cake

• This is a very simple one bowl Carrot Cake recipe. All you need to do is add all the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
• To grate the carrots, you can really grate them is as fine or rough as you would like. Just remember that you don’t need to peel the carrots before grating.
• I use walnuts in my Carrot Cake but you can use pecans or any nut you prefer. Or you can simply leave the nuts out. I like them for a little extra crunch.

How to make cream cheese frosting

• The cream cheese frosting recipe is made using only three ingredients – cream cheese, icing sugar and maple syrup.
• I recommend using a block of full fat cream cheese – not a light or spreadable version.
• The maple syrup adds a little extra flavour, however you can use milk instead if you like

How long does Carrot Cake last?

• Carrot Cake is quite a moist and dense cake so it lasts quite a while. You can keep this cake for up to 3-4 days.

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.

Let’s Bake

Carrot Cake

Yield Serves 12–14 1x

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 64 reviews

Prep: 30 minutesCook: 35 minutesTotal: 1 hour 5 minutes

A soft and moist Carrot Cake with maple cream cheese frosting.

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Ingredients

Carrot cake

• 315 grams (2 and 1/4 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
• 180 grams (1 cup) brown sugar
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar  or granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 240 ml (1 cup) flavourless oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 180 ml (3/4 cup) milk
• 200 grams (2 cups) carrot, roughly grated
• 110 grams (1 cup) walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

Maple cream cheese frosting

• 500 grams (approximately 2 and 1/2 cups) full fat block cream cheese, softened
• 250 grams (2 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 55 grams (1/2 cup) walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment or baking paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, add oil, vanilla, eggs and milk and whisk gently, just to break up the egg yolks.
4. Add carrot and nuts to dry ingredients, along with the wet ingredients, and mix gently until combined.
5. Pour into prepared cake tins. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6. Gently remove cakes from cake pans and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
7. To make the frosting, add the cream cheese and sugar to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined and smooth.
8. Add maple syrup and a pinch of salt and beat again. Spread one third of the frosting onto one of the cake layers. Add the other cake on top. Add remaining frosting on top.
9. Sprinkle over chopped nuts. Cut and serve.

Notes

Flavourless oil: Choose a neutral or flavourless oil, such a mild olive oil, grapeseed oil or vegetable oil. 

Carrots: Approximately three medium-sized carrots. You can leave the skin on the carrots before grating.

Watch How To Make It

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 slice Calories: 621 Sugar: 46.8 g Sodium: 193.8 mg Fat: 37.1 g Carbohydrates: 67.9 g Protein: 8.3 g Cholesterol: 76.2 mg

Nutrition information is a guide only.

Author: Jessica HolmesCategory: CakeCuisine: American

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Jessica Holmes

Hi, I’m Jess, the creator of Sweetest Menu and the author of Something Sweet. A self-taught baker and published recipe writer who can’t stop making easy and delicious baking recipes.