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.
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 ->
- 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!
- It makes two perfect layers so it will easily feed a hungry crowd
- The frosting is made with just three ingredients and comes together super quick
- 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
A soft and moist Carrot Cake with maple cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Carrot cake
- 315 grams (2 and 1/4 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 190 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
- 240 ml (1 cup) vegetable 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
- 310 grams (2 and 1/2 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 55 grams (1/2 cup) walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
Instructions
- 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.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- In a separate bowl, add oil, vanilla, eggs and milk and whisk gently, just to break up the egg yolks.
- Add carrot and nuts to dry ingredients, along with the wet ingredients, and mix gently until combined.
- Pour into prepared cake tins. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Gently remove cakes from cake pans and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
- 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.
- Add maple syrup 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.
- Sprinkle over chopped nuts. Cut and serve.
Notes
*Carrots: Approximately three medium-sized carrots. You can leave the skin on the carrots before grating.
Sara says
This is a great recipe. I’ve made it twice now, and it was a hit both times. Now it’s the ‘good to’ carrot cake recipe for my family and friends
Jessica Holmes says
Love that! Thanks Sara!
Mark Lyman says
Hello Jess, do you cook this on 180 degrees for fan ovens or reduced heat for fan ovens?.. cheers..
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Mark, I’d reduce the temperature to 160 for fan forced, but just keep an eye on it because every oven is different ☺️
Doofan says
This carrot cake is amazingggggggggg
Everyone loves it
Jessica Holmes says
Love that!
Blessing says
You are a star and made this for my family for Cjristmas. It’s too delish to share haha! Thanks
Jessica Holmes says
Aw love that! Merry Christmas!!
Shirani Jayasinghe says
Excellent recipie. My family enjoyed very much.
Jessica Holmes says
Amazing! So glad to hear that Shirani!
Jennie says
Hi I’ve just made a gluten and lactose free version of your carrot cake and it is still delicious, you can even buy lactose free cream cheese. 🤗
Jessica Holmes says
Wow! That’s amazing Jennie!
Nina says
Hi, Jess
Just want to let you know that you are so amazing! Thank you for sharing all these beautiful recipes! This carrot cake is one of my favorite and my husband loves it too! Just wondering if you could make passionfruit sponge cake? I have troubles with finding a good recipe! Thank you!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Nina, thank you so much for your lovely feedback! I’m so glad you love this cake. Passionfruit sponge is actually my dad’s favourite cake. I’ll add this to my list of ideas!
Stefana Zarkovic says
I used brown and semi brown sugar and it was spot on!!!! The measurements helped me a lot and also saved me time
Stefana Zarkovic says
Best carrot cake ever. My colleagues loved it. It’s the first attempt of mine making a carrot cake and it was superb! Easy and so straight forward!
Jessica Holmes says
Yaaay! Love hearing that Stefana!
Maryann says
Made this for my husbands birthday party and it was AMAZING! LOVED IT.
Jessica Holmes says
Yay!! So happy to hear that Maryann!
Sarah says
Can this Freeze ok?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sarah, yes it will! I recommend freezing just the cake and then frosting it when you’re ready to serve.
Hannah Ng says
Hi Jessica, thank you for sharing your recipe! I plan on baking this for my mum’s birthday but we don’t have many people eating and I don’t have a large cake tin. Can I adjust the quantities of the ingredients proportionately? As in, if this is for 12 persons, and I intend to make one cake for 8 persons, do i just prepare 2/3 of all the quantities reflected here? Sorry if I sound like I’m asking a silly question but I am really bad in cooking and baking. 😂
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Hannah, not a silly question at all! I actually don’t recommend altering the ratio of ingredients because it’s only been tested as is, so it’s hard for me to say how it would turn out. I recommend following the recipe as it is if you can – you can always freeze the leftover pieces for later!
Lindsey winkworth says
Made this cake for my sons birthday and the cake turned out brilliant but unfortunately the cream cheese frosting was runny. I dont think we can get a block of cream cheese over in the UK they are all spreadable. Recipes for cream cheese frosting over her include butter which yours does not so not sure if this make a difference to consistency. anyway had to remake frosting as buttercream instead.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Lindsey, I’m so glad you enjoyed this cake – it’s one of my all-time faves. Oh I see, spreadable cream cheese would definitely make a difference. Maybe next time, you could start with cold cream cheese or leave the frosting in the fridge for a little while to firm up after making it. Thank you for the feedback!
Chris says
Great recipe! I am a qualified baker and I think this is one of the best recipes for Carrot Cake I have made / eaten! Well done, I also cooked this as one full cake and found that if I lowered the temperature to 160 for about 50 minutes it worked a treat, I also added vanilla essence and lemon to the icing as a replacement for the syrup, thank you for the share!
Jessica Holmes says
Amazing! Thank you so much for the lovely feedback Chris!
Kerry says
Hi do you store this cake on the fridge?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Kerry, it’s really up to you. Once it’s frosted, you can store it in the fridge, however I prefer to keep my cakes at a cool room temperature so they stay soft and moist.
Najma says
Hi, I love this recipe I would love to try it, but I can’t find full fat block cream cheese, what would you suggest I do?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Najma, I don’t recommend making this frosting if you can’t find a block of cream cheese. Perhaps you could do vanilla buttercream instead.
Doofan says
Hello, please can I use granulated sugar in place if brown sugar?
I plan on baking this tonight ..
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Doofan, you can but I have specifically used brown sugar in this recipe for taste and texture.