This moist carrot cake is fun to make and even more delicious to eat! A great tea time treat or after-dinner dessert, our carrot cake recipe is sure to please. Popular as a highly delicious, yet healthy snack, carrot cake is a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies!
Starting With The Carrots
When selecting your carrots for the cake, choose fresh and firm carrots. If they are limp or rubbery, they will not produce as much flavor. Also, shred your carrots using the larger holes on a box grater. If you use the smaller holes, your cake will be very dense.
The Best Oil For Carrot Cake
While you can use any type of oil in carrot cake, we prefer to use vegetable oil. It provides the perfect amount of moisture without making the cake too greasy.
Cream Cheese Frosting
The key to a good cream cheese frosting is to use room-temperature ingredients. This will ensure that your frosting is smooth and creamy. If your cream cheese or butter is too cold, your frosting will be lumpy.
What Else Can Go In The Cake?
Carrot cake is a very versatile recipe and there are many different ways that you can change it up. Some common additions include:
- Nuts: Walnuts, pecans, or almonds add a nice crunch to the cake.
- Raisins: Raisins are a traditional addition to carrot cake and they go great in this recipe.
- Coconut: Coconut flakes add a tropical flavor to the cake.
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves all go well in carrot cake.
Tips For A Moist Carrot Cake Recipe
There are a few things that you can do to ensure that your carrot cake is nice and moist.
- First, be sure to use fresh carrots.
- Second, don’t overmix the batter.
- Third, add a little bit of pineapple or applesauce to the batter. This will help keep the cake moist and delicious!
Carrot Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Box grater
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil or 180ml
- 3 eggs beaten
- 2 cups carrots or 200 grams, grated
- 1 cup chopped nuts optional
- 1 cup pineapple juice or applesauce, optional
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter or 113 grams, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese or 226 grams, softened
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar or 460 grams
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- In another bowl, mix the sugar, oil, eggs, carrots, nuts (if using), and pineapple juice or applesauce (if using). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
- Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract and mix until everything is well combined.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake.
Enjoy!
Notes
Serving Suggestions
This cake is delicious on its own, but you can also serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. If you want to get fancy, you can garnish the cake with some grated carrots, chopped nuts, or raisins.Storage Suggestions
Carrot cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to keep the cake moist, you can store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.Make-Ahead Tips
You can make the frosting ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature and re-beat it before using. You can also make the cake ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before serving.Nutrition
FAQs Related To Carrot Cake Recipe
Can I Use A Different Type Of Oil For The Cake?
Yes, you can use any type of oil that you like. We prefer vegetable oil because it provides the perfect amount of moisture without making the cake too greasy.
Can I Add Nuts To The Cake?
Yes, nuts are a great addition to carrot cake. We recommend adding them to the batter before baking.
Can I Use A Different Type Of Flour?
Yes, you can use any type of flour that you like. However, we do not recommend using self-rising flour.
What Is The Best Way To Store Carrot Cake?
Carrot cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to keep the cake moist, you can store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Do I Need To Use Cream Cheese Frosting?
No, you can use any type of frosting that you like. However, we think that cream cheese frosting is the best option because it is so creamy and delicious.
Can I Add Other Ingredients To The Cake?
Yes, there are many different ways that you can change up carrot cake. Some common additions include nuts, raisins, coconut, and spices.
Wrap Up
Carrot cake is a classic dessert that is perfect for any occasion. Our recipe is easy to follow and yields a moist and delicious cake. Be sure to try it out the next time you’re in the mood for something sweet!