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Best Ever Carrot Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 131 reviews

This Best Ever Carrot Cake recipe delivers a moist, flavorful cake packed with grated carrots and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Perfectly balanced with a creamy, luscious cream cheese frosting and optionally topped with crunchy chopped pecans, this cake is ideal for celebrations or any sweet craving. The use of vegetable oil and applesauce ensures a tender crumb while keeping the cake moist and delicious. Baked in round pans, it yields two layers perfect for stacking and frosting.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Ingredients

  • 2 cups (283g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup (175ml) vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup (130g) unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar (break up any clumps)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (348g) finely grated carrots
  • 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (typically cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract)

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) ensuring it’s at the perfect temperature for even baking.
  2. Prepare Pans: Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then butter the parchment and dust lightly with flour. Shake out excess flour. Optionally, line pans with water-soaked cake strips to help the cakes bake evenly.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger until thoroughly combined.
  4. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to blend vegetable oil, unsweetened applesauce, eggs, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined, taking care not to overmix. Fold in the finely grated carrots until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  6. Divide and Bake: Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans. Place them in the preheated oven and bake for 33 to 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool Cakes: Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then, run a knife around the edges, invert the cakes onto a wire rack, and allow them to cool completely.
  8. Frost and Garnish: Once fully cooled, frost the cakes with the prepared cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle the top with chopped pecans if desired for extra texture and flavor. Store the finished cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

  • For evenly baked cakes, use water-soaked cake strips around the pans.
  • Do not overmix the batter to keep the cake tender.
  • Finely grate carrots for the best texture integration.
  • Store the cake refrigerated to keep the cream cheese frosting fresh.
  • The cream cheese frosting recipe is not included but typically needs cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
  • Pecans are optional but add nice crunch and flavor to the finished cake.

Keywords: Carrot Cake, Cream Cheese Frosting, Moist Carrot Cake, Spiced Cake, Holiday Dessert, Layer Cake

Find it online: https://spiceupwithsophie.com/best-ever-carrot-cake-recipe/