Carrot Cake
intro
Tender, warmly spiced moist carrot cake slathered in tangy cream cheese frosting, a cozy, shareable baked treat perfect for gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and pan
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F), then grease a 9-inch (23cm) round cake pan with a thin layer of butter and line the bottom with a cut circle of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Set the prepared pan aside while you mix the cake batter.
Whisk dry ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, combine 240g all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds to evenly distribute leaveners and spice, breaking up any small flour clumps.
Mix wet batter base
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 3 large room-temperature eggs, 150g granulated sugar, and 180ml neutral canola oil until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Fold in 300g tightly packed grated fresh carrots and 70g of the toasted chopped walnuts, reserving the remaining 30g walnuts for garnish.
Bake the carrot cake
Fold the wet carrot mixture into the dry ingredient bowl just until no dry flour streaks remain (do not overmix), then pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake on the middle oven rack for 32 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with 2-3 moist crumbs attached and no wet batter.
Cool cake completely
Remove the baked cake from the oven and let it rest in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a thin knife around the pan edge, turn the cake out onto the rack, and let it cool fully to room temperature (about 60 minutes total cooling time) before frosting; warm cake will melt cream cheese frosting.
Make cream cheese frosting
In a large bowl, beat 226g softened full-fat block cream cheese and 113g softened unsalted butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until completely smooth and lump-free. Reduce mixer speed to low, gradually add 240g sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then beat on medium for 1 more minute until light and spreadable.
Frost and garnish cake
Set the fully cooled cake on a serving plate, use an offset spatula to spread all of the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the reserved 30g toasted chopped walnuts decoratively around the top edge, then slice and serve, or chill for 30 minutes for a firmer frosting texture.
Tips
2.Do not overmix the cake batter once wet and dry ingredients are combined—overmixing develops gluten in the flour, leading to a tough, chewy crumb instead of the desired soft, tender texture.
3.Ensure cream cheese and butter are softened to cool room temperature (not melted) before making frosting; cold ingredients create lumpy frosting, while melted ingredients result in a runny, greasy texture that won’t set properly.
OMG this carrot cake is a total game changer! I made it for my kid’s soccer team potluck last weekend and every single person asked for the recipe. It stayed so moist even after sitting out for a couple hours, and the cream cheese frosting is perfectly tangy, not too sweet. 10/10 will be making this for every family holiday from now on!
Tried this for my wife’s birthday since carrot cake is her favorite, and let me tell you—she said it’s better than the fancy bakery version we usually pay $40 for! I was worried it’d be too fussy for a medium difficulty recipe since I mostly grill, but the steps were super straightforward. Only change I made was adding a little extra cinnamon because we love that warm spice kick.
Made this in my tiny dorm oven for my roommate’s graduation party and it turned out perfect! I didn’t have a fancy round cake pan so I baked it in a 9x13 dish and it still cooked evenly in about the same time. The frosting came out so silky, I even added a little orange zest on top for extra brightness. SO good, even the people who say they hate carrot cake went back for seconds.
This is my third time making this recipe in a month! I brought it to my office potluck, my book club, and my sister’s baby shower, and it’s gotten rave reviews every single time. My only note is that the cook time was about 10 minutes shorter for me at high altitude, so I’d recommend checking with a toothpick a little early if you live up in the mountains.
Wait has anyone tried making this with gluten free all purpose flour? I had a slice of this cake at a friend’s house last week and it was literally the best carrot cake I’ve ever had! My son has a gluten sensitivity and I want to make this for his birthday next week, but I’m nervous about swapping the flour messing up that perfect moist texture. It looks too good to pass up!