Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A spiced, oil-based cake that stays damp for days, packed with hand-grated carrots and finished with a tangy cream cheese frosting. Grating the carrots yourself matters more than any other step in the whole recipe.
- Course
- Desserts
- Time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Servings
- 12
Cooking Notes
- Freshly grated carrots work better than thick pre-shredded carrots because they soften into the cake and release moisture more evenly.
- The oil-based batter is naturally moist, so mix just until combined and avoid adding extra flour to make the batter look thicker.
- Cool the layers completely before frosting. Cream-cheese frosting softens quickly against warm cake and can slide between the layers.
Recipe Card
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
By Gabriella
- Category
- Desserts
- Total Time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups neutral oil
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 350°F and line two 8-inch pans with parchment.
- 2
Whisk the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in one bowl and the oil, both sugars, and eggs in another until the wet mixture is smooth.
- 3
Combine the two, then fold in the grated carrots so they are evenly distributed without deflating the batter.
- 4
Divide between the pans and bake thirty to thirty-five minutes, until the centers spring back. Cool completely in the pans.
- 5
Beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy, add the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt, and frost the cooled layers generously.
