This carrot cake recipe is everything you want in a celebration cake - soft, incredibly moist layers packed with freshly grated carrots and warm spices, topped with the dreamiest brown butter cream cheese frosting. I first made this for my sister Sarah's birthday years ago, and she still asks for it every spring. The brown butter in the frosting takes it from good to unforgettable, with a nutty richness that balances the sweetness perfectly. Plus, it's surprisingly straightforward to make, even if you're not used to baking layer cakes.
If you're craving more dessert recipes, you'll also love The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe and this Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe.
The aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg baking fills your kitchen with the coziest warmth.
Why You will Love This Carrot Cake Recipe !
This isn't your average carrot cake. The combination of crushed pineapple and oil keeps every bite tender and moist, while the blend of spices adds depth without overwhelming the carrots. The real star, though, is the brown butter cream cheese frosting - it's tangy, creamy, and has this gorgeous caramel undertone that makes the whole cake taste fancy without any extra fuss.
It's perfect for Easter, birthdays, or just because you deserve something special on a Tuesday.
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Ingredients for Carrot Cake Recipe
Here's everything you'll need to make this homemade carrot cake from scratch.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
For the Carrot Cake:
- Self-rising flour: Forms the base structure of the cake and helps it rise beautifully. It already contains salt, so you can skip adding extra if you prefer.
- Ground cinnamon: Brings warm, sweet spice that complements the carrots perfectly.
- Ground nutmeg: Adds a subtle earthiness and depth to the spice blend.
- Ground cloves: Contributes a hint of aromatic warmth without being overpowering.
- Ground allspice: Rounds out the spice mix with its peppery, slightly sweet notes.
- Baking soda: Works with the self-rising flour to give the cake a light, fluffy texture.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps create a tender crumb.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the cake incredibly moist and soft. Unlike butter, oil stays liquid at room temperature, which means your cake won't dry out.
- Pure vanilla extract: Enhances all the other flavors and adds a sweet, aromatic note.
- Large eggs: Bind everything together and add richness. Make sure they're at room temperature for the smoothest batter.
- Finely grated carrots: The star ingredient! Fresh carrots add natural sweetness, moisture, and beautiful flecks of orange throughout.
- Crushed pineapple with juice: Adds extra moisture and a subtle tropical sweetness that keeps the cake tender for days.
- Roasted walnuts: Optional, but they add a lovely crunch and nutty flavor that pairs well with the spices.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Unsalted butter: Gets browned to create a nutty, caramel-like base for the frosting. This step transforms ordinary cream cheese frosting into something extraordinary.
- Cream cheese: Should be softened but still slightly firm so the frosting holds its shape. Too soft and it'll be runny.
- Confectioner's sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting. You can add up to 6 cups if you want it even stiffer for decorating.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the brown butter flavor.
- Pure vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the flavors.
how to make Carrot Cake Recipe
This moist Carrot Cake Recipe comes together easier than you'd think, and the brown butter frosting is worth every minute.
For the Carrot Cake:
- Preheat and prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottoms of three 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and give them a light coating of grease or cooking spray.
- Sift the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the self-rising flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and baking soda. Set this aside while you work on the wet ingredients.
- Beat the sugar and oil: In your stand mixer bowl, beat the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract together at medium speed until well combined and slightly lighter in color.
- Add the eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. This helps create a smooth, emulsified batter.
- Combine wet and dry: Turn the mixer speed down to low and gradually add your sifted flour mixture in a few batches. Mix just until you don't see any dry streaks.
- Fold in the good stuff: Gently fold in the grated carrots, crushed pineapple with its juice, and walnuts if you're using them. The batter will be thick and chunky in the best way.
- Divide and bake: Divide the batter evenly between your three prepared pans. A kitchen scale helps here, but eyeballing it works too. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely: Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then carefully flip them out onto cooling racks. They need to be completely cool before you frost them, or the frosting will melt right off.
For the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Brown the butter: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and let it cook, swirling occasionally. After 5 to 10 minutes, it'll turn a gorgeous amber color and smell like toasted nuts. Take it off the heat immediately and pop it in the fridge until it's solid again, about an hour.
- Whip the base: In your stand mixer, beat the cooled brown butter and softened cream cheese together on high speed. Keep mixing until it thickens up and gets fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the sugar: Turn the speed to low and gradually add the confectioner's sugar. Once it's all mixed in, crank the speed back up to high and whip it until light and creamy.
- Finish it off: Add the salt and vanilla extract, then whip until everything is smooth and spreadable.
- Frost the cake: Place one cake layer on your serving plate and spread about a cup of frosting on top. Add the second layer, more frosting, then the third layer. Use the remaining frosting to cover the sides and top of the cake. An offset spatula makes this easier, but a butter knife works too.
Substitutions and Variations
No self-rising flour? Use 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour mixed with 3 ¾ teaspoons baking powder and 1 ¼ teaspoons salt.
Skip the pineapple: You can leave it out if you prefer a more traditional carrot cake, though it does add extra moisture.
Make it nut-free: Simply omit the walnuts. The cake will still be delicious.
Different spices: Feel free to adjust the spice blend to your taste. Some people love extra cinnamon, while others prefer a hint of ginger.
Two-layer cake: Use two 9-inch pans instead of three and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes.idea to link out to another blogger with a similar recipe that fits a different diet.
Equipment for Carrot Cake Recipe
You don't need anything fancy to make this easy carrot cake recipe. Here's what I use:
- 3 x 9-inch round cake pans: For those beautiful layers
- Stand mixer: Makes the mixing much easier, though a hand mixer works too
- Offset spatulas: Helpful for spreading frosting smoothly
- Parchment paper: Keeps the cakes from sticking
Storage your Carrot Cake Recipe
This Carrot Cake Recipe with cream cheese frosting keeps beautifully if stored properly.
Room temperature: If your kitchen is cool (below 70°F), you can keep the frosted cake covered on the counter for a day or two.
Refrigerator: For longer storage, keep it in the fridge in an airtight container or well-wrapped for 3 to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Freezer: This cake freezes wonderfully for up to 2 months. Chill the frosted cake first, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. You can also freeze individual slices in freezer-safe containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge when you're ready to enjoy it.
Serving Suggestions
This spiced Carrot Cake Recipe is perfect on its own, but here are some cozy ways to serve it:
- With hot coffee or tea: The warm spices pair beautifully with a steaming mug on a chilly afternoon.
- Topped with extra walnuts: Sprinkle some chopped toasted walnuts on top for added crunch and presentation.
- Alongside vanilla ice cream: A scoop of cold ice cream next to a slice of room-temperature cake is pure heaven.
- For Easter brunch: This classic carrot cake makes a stunning centerpiece for your spring table.
If you're looking for more treats to fill your dessert table, don't miss these Easy Gluten-Free Lemon Raspberry Cookies - they're bright, tangy, and totally irresistible.
Expert Tips
Grate the carrots finely: Smaller pieces distribute more evenly throughout the batter and create a more tender cake. I use the small holes on a box grater.
Don't overmix: Once you add the flour, mix just until combined. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the cake tough.
Room temperature eggs: They blend more smoothly into the batter and create better texture.
Brown the butter carefully: Watch it closely! It can go from perfect to burned in seconds. You want a nutty aroma and amber color.
Let the cream cheese soften slightly: If it's too cold, the frosting will be lumpy. If it's too soft, it won't hold its shape. Aim for cool but not refrigerator-cold.
FAQ
The most common mistake is using carrots that are too chunky or not finely grated, which can make the texture uneven. Another one is overmixing the batter after adding the flour, which makes the cake dense instead of tender. Also, don't frost a warm cake - the frosting will slide right off. My mom always reminds me to be patient and let everything cool completely.
Carrot Cake Recipe became popular during World War II when sugar was rationed, and people used naturally sweet carrots to add moisture and sweetness to desserts. It had a comeback in the 1960s and 70s when cream cheese frosting became the standard topping. Now it's one of the most requested cakes for spring celebrations!
The secret is using oil instead of butter for an incredibly moist texture that lasts for days, and not skimping on the spices. Fresh, finely grated carrots make a huge difference too. The brown butter in the frosting is what takes this carrot cake with cream cheese frosting from ordinary to award-winning - that nutty, caramelized flavor is magic.
This three-layer Carrot Cake Recipe bakes for 35 to 40 minutes at 350°F. You'll know it's done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If you're making a two-layer version in larger pans, it'll take a bit longer, around 40 to 45 minutes.
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Pairing
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Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Line the bottoms of 3 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, then lightly grease the pans
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugar, oil, and vanilla extract at medium speed until combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Lower the mixer speed and gradually add the sifted flour mixture.
- Fold in the grated carrots, crushed pineapple (if using), and walnuts (if using).
- Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then flip them onto cooling racks to cool completely.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. As it melts, white foam will appear on top. Once the foam subsides, the butter will begin to turn golden brown and develop a nutty aroma.
- Once the butter has turned amber brown, remove from heat and allow it to cool in the refrigerator until it solidifies (about 1 hour).
- In the stand mixer, combine the chilled brown butter and cream cheese. Beat on high speed until the mixture thickens and becomes fluffy.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar in increments, mixing after each addition until fully incorporated.
- Add salt and vanilla extract, and continue to beat the frosting until smooth and airy.
- Spread the frosting between the layers of cake and around the outside. Serve.
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