Carrot Cake
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Sugar, spice, and everything nice—that’s exactly what this carrot cake delivers. It’s perfectly spiced, incredibly moist, and finished with a rich, tangy cream cheese frosting that ties it all together.
When my kids were little, I started a small baking business making cakes and cupcakes. During that time, I spent weeks perfecting my recipes for all the classic cake flavors, and this carrot cake quickly became a favorite. With a perfect blend of spices, an ultra-moist crumb, and luscious cream cheese frosting, it’s hard to beat.
The carrot cake recipe works beautifully as a 9-inch layer cake or a 9×13-inch sheet cake. And if you’re looking for more tried-and-true cake recipes, don’t miss my vanilla birthday cake, chocolate cake, and classic yellow cake!
“Absolutely the best carrot cake I have ever eaten!”
What You’ll Need To Make Carrot Cake
- Dried currants: Add little bursts of sweetness and flavor; optional if you prefer a smoother cake.
- Flour, baking soda & spices: All-purpose flour gives the cake structure, baking soda helps it rise, and a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves adds warm, cozy flavor.
- Sugars, eggs & oil: These form the wet base of the batter, adding sweetness, richness, and moisture for a tender crumb.
- Carrots: The star ingredient—adding natural sweetness, moisture, and that distinct carrot flavor everyone loves.
- Nuts: Chopped pecans or walnuts bring flavor and crunch; skip them if you like.
- Cream cheese frosting: A creamy, tangy mix of cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar—the perfect finishing touch.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven and prep the pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle. Spray your pans with nonstick baking spray (the kind with flour), line the bottoms with parchment, and give the parchment a quick spritz too—just to be safe.
Step 2: Soak the currants. Place the currants in a small bowl and cover them with hot tap water. Let them soak for about 15 minutes to plump up, then drain well and set aside.
Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
Step 4: Mix the nuts and currants. Scoop out about ¼ cup of the dry ingredients and place it in a small bowl. Add the drained currants and chopped nuts, then toss to coat. This simple step helps keep them evenly distributed throughout the cake instead of sinking to the bottom.
Step 5: Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Add the oil and whisk again until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
Step 6: Combine everything. Add the flour mixture, grated carrots, and the currant-nut mixture to the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently until everything is evenly incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
Step 7: Prep for baking. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
Step 8: Bake the cake. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack and cool completely. Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic and kept at room temperature for up to a day, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Step 9: Make the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt on low speed until smooth and combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and airy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar on low speed, then increase to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute more.
Step 10: Assemble and frost the cake. Once the cakes are completely cool, place one layer on a serving platter and spread with half of the frosting. Set the second layer on top and spread the remaining frosting over the top, swirling it decoratively. If you’d like, sprinkle chopped nuts around the edges for garnish. The frosted cake keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days—just let it come to room temperature before serving.
Video Tutorial
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Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ½ cup dried currants
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 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
- 2½ cups finely shredded carrots, from 1 pound of carrots (see note)
For the Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- ½ cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
Instructions
For the Cake
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350°F (175°C). Spray two 9-inch (23-cm) cake pans (or a 9 x 13-inch/23 x 33-cm cake pan) with nonstick cooking spray with flour, like Baker’s Joy or Pam with Flour. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper; lightly spray the paper with nonstick spray with flour.
- In a small bowl, soak the currants in ½ cup (120 ml) hot tap water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Transfer ¼ cup (33 g) of this mixture to a small bowl and add the drained currants and chopped nuts; toss to combine.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until blended. Add the oil and whisk until evenly combined. Add the flour mixture, carrots, and the currant-nut mixture, and stir with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated.
- Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 40 minutes for 9-inch layers or 45 minutes for a 9 x 13-inch sheet cake. Let cool in the pans on a rack for about 30 minutes, then invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, and cool completely.
For the Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, 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.
- After the cake layers have completely cooled, assemble and frost the cake. Decorate the edges with the nuts, if using. The cake keeps nicely for up to 3 days when stored under a cake dome in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- To shred the carrots, simply use the small holes on your handheld or box grater. If you prefer, you can also roughly chop the carrots, place them into a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and pulse them until they're very finely chopped, about the consistency of couscous.
- This recipe provides just enough frosting to ice a 9-inch (23-cm) layer cake (or to generously frost a 9 x 13-inch/23 x 33-cm sheet cake). For an extra generous layer of frosting on a layer cake, consider leaving the sides bare—it's pretty that way—or boost the frosting amount by 25% for fuller coverage. (The adjusted quantities would be: 10 oz of cream cheese, 10 tablespoons of butter, 1¼ teaspoons of vanilla extract, a generous pinch of salt, and 5 cups of confectioners' sugar.)
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake layers can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap the unfrosted cake layers individually in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use them, thaw the layers overnight on the countertop before frosting and serving. Note: It's best to freeze the cake unfrosted, as the frosting may not maintain its quality once frozen and thawed.
Nutrition Information
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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Comments
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Hi Jenn,
Can I use this recipe and make muffins instead of cake? Do I need to adjust anything? I don’t mind having 2-3 trays of muffins.
If not, do you have carrot cake muffin recipe with cream cheese frosting in the middle?
Lucy
Hi Lucy, Yes, they will take 20 to 25 minutes to bake and should yield 24 cupcakes. Enjoy!
I have made this twice now and this is my new go-to carrot cake recipe. I have made this cake without the carrots (not on purpose! Don’t judge me! lol) and it was STILL fantastic.
So my question is for Jenn: My husband and son-in-law loved the no-carrot, carrot cake more than the carrot-included carrot cake! If I made it again as a raisin-spice cake and omitted the carrots(on purpose this time!) would I need to increase the flour, or?
You are the BOMB, girl!
Lol – So glad to hear it turned out well without carrots – carrot cake without carrots – who knew?! If it’s worked for you twice without any other tweaks, I’d just stick with what you’ve done.
I’ve made this as a cake, but this time changed it up and made cupcakes. The recipe yielded 24 regular cupcakes and maybe 10 or so mini cupcakes. Baking time was about 24 mins on the cupcakes and 12 on the minis. Delicious as always!!!!! I absolutely love this recipe.
I have been cooking this recipe for years and everyone says it is hands down the best carrot cake they have ever tasted. You have nailed both the cake and the frosting. It has quickly become our go-to birthday cake. For ease we cook it in a 9×13 aluminum pan which makes it easy to take to church, work and other functions.
Another 5-star recipe! “Best Carrot Cake Ever!” was awarded to Once Upon a Chef’s Carrot Cake Recipe by the only people’s opinions I care about- my family’s. This is my absolute GO-TO website for recipes. My question is (and I’m sorry if this is a dumb one) but I am wondering if I can use olive oil instead of vegetable oil, and would the amount be the same? I think olive oil would lend itself well to the nutty/fruity depth of this cake, but there may be other things at play that I am not aware of.
Hi Kimberly, so glad your family likes the cake! I prefer vegetable oil here because of its neutral flavor, but if you’d like to add the flavor of olive oil to the cake, it’s perfectly fine to use (and you would use the same amount). BTW, there are no dumb questions! 😊
Absolutely amazing!! I was wondering how it would be without pineapple and it was stellar!
This will be my go-to recipe going forward thank you so much!!
Hi Jenn
Am I going mad? Did you change the method a little? I had your recipe bookmarked as I liked it so much but I thought it originally asked for oil and eggs to be added to the carrots in the food processor so they can emulsify before being added to the dry ingredients. I made it using this recipe and that method and it tasted just as good as before so I assume this is the same recipe with a slightly different method. Am I right?
Hi Wendy, Yes, I did change the method a bit—and I’m sorry if I made you question whether you’re going mad! As someone who often wonders the same thing (hello, getting older!), I know how it feels! The recipe is indeed the same, just with a slightly different method. I’m glad to hear it still tasted just as good!
How would you substitute the all
Purpose flour for say coconut flour here?
Hi MJ, I don’t think coconut flour will work in this recipe — I’m sorry!
I loved this cake! It turned out perfectly and looked exactly like the picture. I plan to make it again for a fundraiser auction item. It’s beautiful, delicious, and impressive in size. Great step-by-step directions.
I did make one adjustment by using chopped raisins instead of currants since I had everything else in my kitchen and didn’t want to make a trip to the store. It worked well and I doubt it changed the recipe in any significant way.
This is my first time making Carrot Cake and it surely turned out great.
Because I didn’t even get chance to taste it.