Our Best-Loved Carrot Cake Recipe Is a BHG Fan-Favorite (2024)

This is the classic carrot cake recipe you crave—just baking pantry staples, shredded carrots, and a rich cream cheese frosting. If you'd like to change up the classic cinnamon flavor notes, swap it for ginger in the Carrot-Ginger Cake Variation recipe below.

Carrot Cake Ingredients

Here's a quick look at what you'll need to make this recipe for carrot cake.

Cake

• Flour: All-purpose flour gives the cake batter structure and a slightly coarse crumb.
• Sugar: For the cake, use granulated sugar. We'll use powdered sugar in the cream cheese frosting.
• Leavening Agents: Both baking soda and baking powder help the cake rise.
• Flavor Boosters: Ground cinnamon gives the carrot cake a warm, spiced flavor that's the perfect complement to earthy carrots and toasted pecans. A pinch of salt helps round out the flavor.
• Eggs: Let your eggs come to room temperature before adding them to the batter. This will help the eggs mix with your other ingredients more thoroughly.
• Carrot: For the best flavor, our Test Kitchen likes to freshly grate the carrots rather than buying them pre-shredded.
• Oil: Use a neutral oil to add moisture to the cake.

Frosting`

• Cream Cheese: Like the eggs in the cake batter, cream cheese blends easiest when it's at room temperature.
• Butter: Add richness to the frosting with softened butter.
• Vanilla: You'll need two teaspoons of vanilla for flavor.
• Sugar: Choose powdered sugar for the smoothest texture. You'll need between 5 and 6 cups.

How to Make Carrot Cake

The full recipe for carrot cake is below but here's a quick look at how to make it.

1. Mix the Batter: Start by combining the dry ingredients and set them aside. In another bowl, stir together the wet ingredients including the shredded carrots. Combine the two mixtures in one bowl.
2. Bake the Cake: Divide the mixture between two prepared cake pans and bake until golden.
3. Frost: Once the carrot cake has cooled completely, frost the cake and decorate with toasted pecans.

Tips for Making Carrot Cake

Here are a few of our Test Kitchen's best tips for making homemade carrot cake.

• Oil-based cakes like this carrot cake recipe, are usually moist with a dense crumb. They use baking powder and baking soda for leavening and you can mix them by hand without the need of an electric mixer, like you need for butter-based cakes.
• The tops of baked cakes will never come out of the oven flat and even. To make a prettier layer cake, use a long serrated knife to carefully saw the uneven portion off horizontally. Turn the cut top upside down so you can frost the side that's less crumbly.
• We prefer to use toasted pecans to decorate the cake. To toast the pecans, spread the nuts evenly in a shallow pan and bake at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice (watch closely, they go from toasted to burnt very quickly!)

How to Store Carrot Cake

After frosting, you can store the carrot cake in the refrigerator up to 3 days. So you can make up to 3 days in advance, or store any leftovers this way.

Carrot Cake

1. 

   Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans ; line pans with waxed paper and grease the pans. Set aside.

2. 

   In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon (if desired), salt, and baking soda; set aside.

3. 

   In another bowl combine eggs, carrot, and oil.

   Test Kitchen Tip: The carrots need to be finely shredded by using the fine shredding surface of a box grater, so they stay evenly distributed in the cake and won't sink.

4. 

   Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir until combined.

5. 

   Pour batter into the prepared pans.

6. 

   Bake in the preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans; cool thoroughly.

7. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. If desired, sprinkle chopped pecans over frosting. Cover and store cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. 

   In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency.

Carrot-Ginger Cake Variation

Prepare as above, except omit the cinnamon; add 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger or 3/4 tsp. ground ginger with the eggs, carrot, and oil.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)