Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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This classic carrot cake is nicely spiced, ultra-moist, and topped with lavish swirls of cream cheese frosting.
When my kids were babies, I started a small baking business specializing in cakes and cupcakes, mostly for children’s birthday parties. Before I opened, I spent weeks testing recipes for all of the classic cake flavors. This is the carrot cake that won me over. It is perfectly spiced, ultra-moist, and topped with a luscious, not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting.
Unlike most carrot cakes, which are heavy and dense, this one is light with a fine texture. The secret, which I learned from Fine Cooking Magazine, is finely chopping the carrots in a food processor to the consistency of couscous rather than grating them.
For more classic cake recipes, check out my Vanilla Birthday Cake, Vanilla Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes, Red Velvet Cupcakes, and the Chocolate Lover’s Birthday cake in my cookbook.
What You’ll Need To Make Carrot Cake
How to make Carrot Cake
Begin by soaking the currants in hot water to plump them up, then drain.
Combine the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk to blend.
Add 1/4 cup of the flour mixture to the drained currants and nuts.
Toss well; coating the currants and nuts with flour will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Next, add the carrots to a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
Process until finely chopped to the consistency of couscous.
Transfer the carrots to a bowl and wipe the processor bowl clean. Add the eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar.
Process until smooth.
With the machine running, slowly pour in the oil.
Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture.
Add the carrots, currants and nuts.
The batter will look very orange!
Transfer the batter to a greased and floured 9×13-in cake pan.
Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
How to make Cream Cheese frosting
While the cake cools, make the cream cheese frosting. Combine the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth and creamy.
Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar.
Once all of the confectioners’ sugar is added, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Use an offset spatula to frost the cake.
Sprinkle nuts on top, if desired, and serve the cake directly from the pan.
Note: This cake can also be made as a 9-inch layer cake. You’ll have enough frosting for the middle and top of the cake; just leave the sides bare — it’s pretty that way.
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Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This classic carrot cake is nicely spiced, ultra-moist, and topped with lavish swirls of cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ½ cup dried currants
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with knife
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1¼ cups vegetable oil
For the Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- Pinch salt
- ½ cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
Instructions
For the Cake
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9x13-inch heavy-duty metal cake pan, or spray the pan with a nonstick cooking spray with flour, like Baker's Joy or Pam with Flour.
- Soak the currants in ½ cup hot tap water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. Transfer ¼ cup of this mixture to a small bowl and add the drained currants and the chopped nuts; toss to combine.
- In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process the carrots until very finely chopped, to about the consistency of couscous. Transfer to a small bowl, then rinse out the food processor bowl (you’ll use it again).
- In the bowl of the food processor (again, fitted with the steel blade), mix the eggs and sugars until blended. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream until combined. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until well combined, then stir in the carrots and the currant-nut mixture.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool on a rack to room temperature.
For the Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl if using a hand mixer), combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until aerated and light, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, mixing on low to combine. Once all of the sugar is mixed in, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting over the cooled cake, swirling artistically. Sprinkle the nuts on top of the cake, if using, and serve the cake straight from the pan.
- Note: This cake can also be made as a 9-inch layer cake. You'll have enough frosting for the middle and top of the cake; just leave the sides bare -- it's pretty that way.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen (without the icing) for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw on the countertop the night before you plan to eat it. Ice the cake prior to serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (24 servings)
- Calories: 401
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Sugar: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 246 mg
- Cholesterol: 52 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Love all of your recipes. Question on the carrot cake – is it better to have a metal pan vs a glass pan? And second, if I decide to make a layer cake do I need to flour the pan prior to filling it so I can remove the cake easily?
Hi Ann, Yes metal cake pans are definitely preferable to glass, and it’s also a good idea to flour the round pans. Hope that helps and so glad you enjoy the recipes!
Just made the Classic carrot cake into muffins, it is delicious. We left it in the oven for 30 minutes. My whole family wants us to make more 🙂
If I use the round pans for a layer cake, how long do those bake, and still at the same temp as the sheet? Thanks!
Hi Sara, I’d use two 9-inch round cake pans. The oven temp should remain the same. I’d guesstimate they should take 30 to 35 minutes, but keep an eye on them. Hope you enjoy!
I made this and everyone loved it. I also realized afterward that I inadvertently omitted the 1 1/2 cups of white sugar and it was fine. (I think most desserts are too sweet anyhow.) I would also reduce the sugar from 3 to 2 cup in the frosting next time
Thank You, Jenn!
Stefanie
Hi Jenn-
Which food processor do you recommend? My daughter has a small apartment but I wanted to get her a good food processor that is worth the storage space. The reviews on the smaller models seem mixed. I have a standard sized Cuisinart which I love, but I’m debating the size and quality/productivity needed for this and other recipes.
Hi Stefanie, I highly recommend this one from Cuisinart. It has a 14-cup capacity, which I think is ideal, but you could get away with an 11-cup bowl if need be (I wouldn’t go any smaller). Hope that helps!
I tested this cake, as well as 3 others, back to back. This is a very good carrot cake, but it wasn’t the favourite. It’s moist, but not as light as the cake that came in first, and the flavour wasn’t as good. The crumb is nice and even and the cake slices cleanly. I used 8″ round pans which yielded deep layers that were level after cooling and didn’t require trimming before assembling the cake.
Made this for Easter as a 9-inch layer cake, and it was wildly popular. Everyone thought it was less oily than a typical carrot cake (good thing!) and that the icing was light and fluffy. I had to bake the cake 2 days in advance and frost it the day of serving, and that worked brilliantly. The cake was still incredibly moist.
I make your recipe for carrot cake for my sister’s birthday every year! It’s her absolute favorite. Could I make this as cupcakes instead?
So glad your sister likes it! Yes, you can definitely make these into cupcakes.
It looks like a great recipe. I especially like the cream cheese frosting.
My son requested carrot cake for his birthday with no nuts or currants. I’m sure yours will be excellent based on the glowing reviews. There are only 4 of us; what size pan do you recommend for making HALF the recipe? Also, how long do you recommend cooling in the pan? I want to frost entire cake. Thanks so much for answering questions! Your recipes are always delicious.
Hi Rebecca, if you’d like to halve the cake, I’d bake it in an 8 x 8-inch pan. The bake time may be slightly different so keep a close eye on it. And I’d let the cake cool to room temperature before frosting it. Hope that helps, and that your son enjoys!
I can’t wait to try this! Would leaving out the currents and nuts change any of the recipe? Several family members don’t like either. Thank you!
Hi Samantha, you can omit both the currants and nuts without any other modifications. Hope everyone enjoys!
Jenn my leadership class is having a happy hour style graduation party. Will the 9×13 cake serve 20 people? There will also be cookies served. How large would the pieces be for 20 people?
Barbara
Yes, the cake will serve between 18 & 24 depending on how you cut the cake.
Carrot cake is my husband’s favorite and this recipe didn’t disappoint.
Any tips for baking this at high altitude?
Love your recipes!
Meghan, Glad it was a hit! I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though.
Hi Jenn,
I love all the recipes of yours I’ve tried so far! I want to make this carrot cake but do not like currents or raisins. Can I just leave them out?
Thank you,
Sally
So glad you like the recipes! Yes, it’s fine to leave currants/raisins out. Enjoy the cake. 🙂
One of my favorite recipes! I made cupcakes and tried one set with a cupcake liner and one set without- I prefer the cupcake liner. They were cleaner and much more presentable vs the oil/flour method. No issues with baking all the way through.
Thank you!