The Best Carrot Cake Recipe

The Best Carrot Cake Recipe

from sugarspunrun.com
70 min
14 servings

A wonderfully moist, perfectly spiced carrot cake recipe.  This cake is surprisingly simple to make and includes a step-by-step video for no-fail results every time. Be sure to check out the how-to video!

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour ((315g))
  • 1 cup granulated sugar ((200g))
  • 1 cup light or dark brown sugar¹ (firmly packed (200g))
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup cooking oil (use canola, avocado, or vegetable oil (235ml))
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (melted (113g))
  • 4 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups grated carrots² (peel before grating (340g))
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional (125g))
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (softened (113g))
  • 8 oz cream cheese (softened (brick-style, not spreadable) (226g))
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups powdered sugar ((500g))

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare two 8-inch pans⁴ (see note for using different sized pans) by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly greasing and flouring the sides.

  2. 2

    In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

  3. 3

    Add your canola oil and melted butter and stir well (batter will be pretty stiff and thick at this point, I usually use an electric mixer or my stand mixer to combine everything nicely).

  4. 4

    Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.

  5. 5

    Stir in vanilla extract.

  6. 6

    Stir in carrots and nuts (if using) until ingredients are well-combined.

  7. 7

    Evenly divide carrot cake batter into prepared baking pans and bake on 350F (175C) for 40 minutes (toothpick inserted in center should come out mostly clean with only few moist crumbs).

  8. 8

    Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto cooling rack to cool completely.

  9. 9

    Allow cake to cool completely before covering with cream cheese frosting.

  10. 10

    Combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until creamy, well-combined, and lump-free.