This is the best carrot cake! It's extra moist, flavored with warm spices, frosted with cream cheese frosting and decorated with mini carrots for the cutest Easter touch.
If you're looking for other spring desserts, try my layered carrot cake, carrot cake cookies, carrot cake cupcakes, lemon rolls, lemon curd cake, lemon blueberry cheesecake bars, lemon brownies, or lemon creme brûlée cookies!
Why You'll Love This Carrot Cake
It's made with all butter. This recipe uses no vegetable oil, but butter and buttermilk instead, which makes for a super tender cake with much better flavor.
It's full of warm spices. Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice give this cake the absolute best flavor.
It's frosted with the best frosting. Sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting is quite literally the icing on the cake!
It's an extremely moist cake. The cake has a super moist crumb thanks to the finely shredded carrots and buttermilk. Paired with the cream cheese frosting, it just completely melts on your mouth.
It's just the cutest! It's decorated with little carrots for just the cutest spring season touch!
It's all homemade! This cake is super easy to make, and it's all from scratch!
Simple Ingredients for The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
- All Purpose Flour- gives this cake the best crumb
- Ground Spices- a mixture of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger are used to bring warm, delicious flavors to this cake
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda- helps to leaven the cake and give it its fluffy texture
- Salt- brings out all the flavors in the cake
- Butter- make sure it's softened, used in the cake and cream cheese frosting
- Sugar- granulated white sugar and brown sugar are used to sweeten and add moisture to the carrot cake
- Eggs- make sure they're room temperature
- Vanilla- adds a sweet note to the cake
- Buttermilk- helps to make the cake super moist
- Shredded Carrots- fresh carrots get finely shredded and "melt" into the cake while baking
- Cream Cheese- I recommend full fat cream cheese for the best tasting cream cheese frosting
- Powdered Sugar- used to sweeten the cream cheese frosting
- Walnuts or Pecans- chopped nuts are an optional garnish for this cake
- Food Coloring- green and orange food coloring are used to make the cute little carrot decorations
Step by Step Instructions
See the recipe card below for complete measurements and baking time.
STEP ONE: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside the dry ingredients.
STEP TWO: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and light brown sugar with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.)
STEP THREE: Then add in the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium then medium-high speed until smooth, pale in color and slightly fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
STEP FOUR: Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the butter mixture a little at a time, until each has been added completely. Mix on low then medium speed just until the batter is combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
STEP FIVE: Add in the grated carrots and fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula just until combined.
STEP SIX: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake the cake for 50-54 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake with just a few moist crumbs.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then pull up on the parchment paper to release the cake and continue to let it cool on a wire rack until completely cool.
STEP SEVEN: To make the cream cheese frosting, add the butter to a large bowl and whip on high speed with an electric mixer until pale in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.)
STEP EIGHT: Then add in the cream cheese and mix on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined, 1-2 minutes.
STEP NINE: Sift in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, and mix on low then medium-low speed until all is combined together. Lastly add in the vanilla and mix on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, 1-2 more minutes.
STEP TEN: Portion out a few spoonfuls of frosting into two bowls. Mix in green food coloring to one, and orange food coloring to the other until the desired color is reached.
STEP ELEVEN: Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Frost the top of the cake with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Cut the cake into 16 squares. Pipe decorative carrots on top of the cake and sprinkle with chopped nuts.
FAQs
Can I add mix-ins to this cake? Sure! Some common carrot cake mix-ins are walnuts, pecans, brown raisins or golden raisins. I would stick with no more than ½ cup of mix-ins to keep the cake's consistency right.
Can this be made gluten free? I have only tested this recipe with regular all-purpose flour, but if you try it with gluten free flour let me know how it goes!
Can this be made into cupcakes? See my carrot cake cupcakes for a great recipe!
Can this be made as a layer cake? See my OG carrot cake recipe blog post!
How do I store this cake? Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. You can also freeze individual pieces by wrapping each in plastic wrap, and then putting them in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.
Pro Tips
Measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. Instead sprinkle spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams.
For best results, I recommend not using a food processor to shred your carrots. You'll want to use the small hole on a box grater to shred your carrots extra finely. This allows them to just melt into the batter while baking.
Troubleshooting cream cheese frosting:
- Make sure you really whip the butter until it is pale in color and fluffy, before adding the rest of the ingredients in. This will give you the best, and most fluffy, frosting.
- Make sure your butter is the right temperature, not too cold and not too soft. Usually 30-40 minutes out of the fridge is just right.
- Make sure your cream cheese is cold. This will help the frosting to have the right consistency.
- If your frosting gets too warm while assembling the cake, chill it in the fridge for 10-20 minutes. Whip again with an electric mixer to get it back to the right consistency. This is a soft frosting because of the cream cheese so you may need to chill and rewhip a few times while putting the cake together.
Make sure all your wet ingredients for the cake are room temperature. You'll have the best textured cake when the ingredients are room temperature instead of cold. Cold wet ingredients can lead to a "gummy" cake.
If you make this cake please leave a star review! Also, tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Recipes to Try Next Time:
📖 Recipe
Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake
- 2 ½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoon (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 cups (220 g) finely grated carrots, at room temperature
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
- 2 ½ cups (325 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- orange and green food coloring
- chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
For the Carrot Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x9 inch pan with non-stick spray and line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside.2 ½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and light brown sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.)10 tablespoon (140 g) unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar, ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar, packed
- Then add in the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium then medium-high speed until smooth, pale in color and slightly fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.3 eggs, at room temperature, 2 teaspoon vanilla
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the butter mixture a little at a time, until each has been added completely. Mix on low then medium speed just until the batter is combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- Add in the grated carrots and fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula just until combined.2 cups (220 g) finely grated carrots, at room temperature
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the cake for 50-54 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then pull up on the parchment paper to release the cake and continue to let it cool on a wire rack until completely cool.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the butter to a large mixing bowl and mix on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.(If using a stand mixer, use a whisk attachment.)1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Then add in the cream cheese and mix on high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
- Sift in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, and mix on low then medium-low speed until all is combined together.2 ½ cups (325 g) powdered sugar
- Lastly add in the vanilla and mix on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, 1-2 more minutes.1 teaspoon vanilla
- Portion out a few spoonfuls of frosting into two bowls. Mix in green food coloring to one, and orange food coloring to the other until the desired color is reached.orange and green food coloring
Assembling the Cake
- Transfer the cake to a serving plate.
- Frost the top of the cake with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting using an offset spatula.
- Transfer the orange cream cheese frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small circular tip, and the green frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small star tip. Pipe mini carrots on the cake with the orange frosting, making sure to space them out. Then with the green frosting pipe a small star at the top of each carrot to be a decorative stem. Sprinkle the cake with chopped nuts and serve!(If you want to make sure you have the carrots spaced out properly and without having to cut into them, cut the cake into 16 squares, then pipe the little carrots on top.)chopped walnuts or pecans
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