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.
Kayla says
Hi! I want to make this for easter, can I add pineapple?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Kayla, I haven’t tried adding pineapple to this cake. But maybe you’d enjoy my Hummingbird Cake recipe.
Laura says
Can this be made using a loaf pan?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Laura, yes but it’s quite a lot of batter for a typical loaf pan. So I would maybe suggest using two pans or use my Carrot Cake Cupcake recipe which yields less cake.
Aeronwy says
I never actually made carrot cake before this… and now this is probably the only one I’ll ever use.
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that!
Carole George says
I made this recipe but made cupcakes instead of the large cake. They were very moist and delicious. Even my husband enjoyed them and he has always refused to eat carrot cake before.
Jessica Holmes says
That’s amazing! Love hearing that Carole!
Shonan Kothari says
For this recipe, which egg substitute would you recommend? Thanks!
Jessica Holmes says
I haven’t tested the cake without eggs I’m sorry!
Christine Stubbs says
Best ever. I make this for my niece’s cafe. Always gone within 2 days. Customers love it.
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Christine!
Shterna Raskin says
Can you make this as one cake, ina springboard pan?
Looking forward to making!
Jessica Holmes says
You could but it’ll be quite deep and take a while to cook.
Jessica Watson says
Lovely recipe so easy to follow and such a nice cake.
Thank you
Looking forward to making others – my next I think the lemon and blueberry one mmmmm
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Jessica!
Danielle says
Best carrot cake ever. Literally!!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love that!
Helen says
This was delicious and easy to make. I’m actually not very keen on cream cheese frosting so I made a vanilla buttercream instead with some chopped walnuts scattered on the top and sides. I’d definitely make this cake again and went down a treat with the family.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Helen! It would be lovely with a vanilla buttercream.
Lamya says
I’m constantly making it and getting praised for it… every single time 🙂 thank you for great recipe
Jessica Holmes says
Love that!
Durriya says
Hey Jess. Can you tell me the ratio for making a one pan cake? Around the same size as your apple Cinnamon cake? Also let me know if I should adjust the baking soda and powder accordingly as well. Thanks! Love your recipes!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Durriya, this recipe makes two 8 inch cakes. If you want just one layer, you could make my Carrot Cake Cupcakes into just one 8 inch cake. Hope that helps!
Maryam says
Hi, Jessica! It’s said that baking soda is really unhealthy. Can we leave it out?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Maryam, no the cake won’t rise without it.
Cynthia says
Very easy to make and delicious!!!!
Everyone loved it 😁
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love hearing that Cynthia!
Sue says
Hi, can I bake one tin first and let the other one sit on the counter top? My oven cannot take the size of two 8-inch pans.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sue, I typically don’t recommend letting cake batter sit for any length of time as the raising agent will start working immediately. You do run the risk of the second cake being heavy or dense as a result.