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Close-up of a two-layer slice of moist Carrot Cake Recipe with cream cheese frosting between and on top, garnished with chopped walnuts on a floral plate.

Carrot Cake Recipe

A perfectly balanced, ultra-moist spiced carrot cake recipe with tangy cream cheese frosting—updated with a secret tablespoon of sour cream and a 10-minute resting step to release maximum carrot moisture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups Granulated sugar
  • ½ cup Brown sugar - Packed
  • 1 cup Vegetable oil
  • 4 large Eggs - Room temperature
  • 2tsp teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
  • 2tsp teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • ½tsp teaspoon Ground ginger
  • ¼tsp teaspoon Freshly grated nutmeg
  • ½tsp teaspoon Fine salt
  • 1tsp teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1tsp teaspoon Baking soda
  • 2cups Fresh grated carrots
  • 1tbsp tbsp Sour cream Optional - adds moisture
  • ½cup cup Chopped walnuts optional - For topping
  • ½cup cup Coconut flakes optional
  • ½cup cup Raisins optional
  • ½cup cup Crushed pineapple optional - Drained

Equipment

  • 2 9-inch Round Cake Pans (Greased and floured)
  • 1 Large mixing bowl (To mix the batter)
  • 1 Electric Mixer (For beating the batter)
  • 1 Fine Grater (For grating carrots)
  • 1 Rubber Spatula (For folding in carrots)
  • 1 Toothpick (To check doneness)

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven, grease pans, and grate carrots.
    Top-down view of a glass bowl with frothy pale-yellow batter and metal mixer whisk inside, cast with soft window-pane shadows on a white marble countertop.
  2. Whisk dry ingredients, beat wet ingredients, combine.
    Overhead shot of a stainless steel mixing bowl filled with carrot cake batter studded with shredded carrots and chopped nuts, with a wooden-handled spatula resting inside on a white surface.
  3. Gently fold in grated carrots.
    Angled overhead image of a rectangular metal baking pan entirely filled with unbaked carrot cake batter, showing visible shreds of carrot and pecan pieces on the surface.
  4. Divide batter, bake for 25-30 minutes, test with toothpick.
    Top-down view of a clear glass bowl of swirled cream cheese frosting sprinkled with whole and chopped pecans, with a spoon at the side, on a white marble countertop.
  5. Make frosting, frost cake layers, garnish with walnuts.
    Side-angle close-up of a perfect square slice of carrot cake topped with thick cream cheese frosting and pecans, served on a small white plate with a fork and blurred coffee cup in the backgr

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 4gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 320mgPotassium: 180mgFiber: 2gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 895IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1.5mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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