Recipes Desserts Cakes Carrot Cake Recipes Carrot Cake 4.7 (7,306) 5,653 Reviews 1,114 Photos This carrot cake recipe with a homemade cream cheese frosting is my favorite, and I have tried many carrot cakes! It's moist, easy to make with grated carrots, and so delicious! By The Allrecipes Community The Allrecipes Community The Allrecipes Community includes over 15 million home cooks around the world who contribute recipes to our ever-growing library. Beyond submitting their personal recipes for publication, members of this supportive, food-driven community actively inspire one another through the photos, reviews, and videos they share. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on February 16, 2024 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share 1,114 1,114 1,114 1,114 1,114 Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Additional Time: 10 mins Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Servings: 18 Yield: 1 (9x13-inch) carrot cake Jump to Nutrition Facts Our top-rated carrot cake recipe is moist, light, fluffy, and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. What's not to love? Sarah Dipity How to Make Carrot Cake You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics: What's In Carrot Cake? These are the ingredients you'll need to make your new go-to carrot cake recipe: Sugars: You'll need white sugar for the cake and confectioners' sugar for the frosting.Oil: A neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, adds moisture without imparting flavor.Eggs: Four whole eggs lend moisture and help bind the carrot cake batter together.Vanilla: Two teaspoons of vanilla extract for the cake (and one teaspoon for the frosting) enhances the flavor.Flour: All-purpose flour creates structure and brings the batter together.Leaveners: Baking soda and baking powder act as leaveners, which means they help the cake rise.Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds that warm, cozy flavor you associate with carrot cake.Salt: Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients, but it won't make the cake taste salty.Carrots: Of course, you'll need grated carrots!Pecans: Chopped pecans give the cake and frosting a pleasant crunch.Butter and cream cheese: Butter and cream cheese are the key ingredients in the light and fluffy cream cheese frosting. Cook’s Note If you don't like pecans, feel free to leave them out. How to Make Carrot Cake Step-By-Step Here's a very brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade carrot cake: Make the batter: Beat the wet ingredients together, then mix in the dry ingredients. Stir in the carrots and fold in the pecans.Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan or pans. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean.Frost the cake: Beat the frosting ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Stir in the pecans. Frost the (completely cooled) cake. How to Decorate Carrot Cake Looking for impressive cake decorating ideas? Get inspiration from these Allrecipes community members: Christina Allrecipes Magazine deedledee Does Carrot Cake Need to Be Refrigerated? Yes, carrot cake should be refrigerated. Since it's frosting with a fluffy cream cheese frosting, it shouldn't sit at room temperature for more than two hours at a time. How Long Does Carrot Cake Last? Store the frosted cake cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Can You Freeze Carrot Cake? You can freeze unfrosted carrot cake for up to three months. Simply wrap the cooled cake in at least one layer of storage wrap, then at least one layer of foil. Thaw in the fridge overnight and frost according to the recipe. Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise "This recipe is fabulous," according to Joyce. "I made it exactly as written and it has been a favorite of my family for years. I even make it for my vegan granddaughter by using an egg substitute." "I have tried various carrot cakes, but this by far was [our] favorite," says one Allrecipes community member. "It was light, airy, moist and not too sweet. I chose to use brown sugar, raisins, and extra cinnamon." "Amazing carrot cake recipe," raves Stefanie. "I wouldn't change a thing! A tip: Squeeze as much of the juice out of the carrots as you can before mixing it in and the cake won't be overly wet and soggy in the middle." Editorial contributions by Corey Williams Ingredients Cake: 2 cups white sugar 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt 3 cups grated carrots 1 cup chopped pecans Frosting: ½ cup butter, softened 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 4 cups confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup chopped pecans Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan. Beat sugar, oil, eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. To make the frosting: Beat butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake. Sarah Dipity I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 575 Calories 35g Fat 64g Carbs 5g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 18 Calories 575 % Daily Value * Total Fat 35g 45% Saturated Fat 9g 46% Cholesterol 69mg 23% Sodium 347mg 15% Total Carbohydrate 64g 23% Dietary Fiber 2g 8% Total Sugars 50g Protein 5g 10% Vitamin C 1mg 1% Calcium 75mg 6% Iron 1mg 8% Potassium 158mg 3% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption. Powered by the ESHA Research Database © 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved