Easy Classic Carrot Cake Recipe
Everyone should have an easy, moist, and delicious carrot cake recipe you can make when the urge strikes. This classic cake is perfect for all occasions.
Prep Time
10minutes mins
Cook Time
30minutes mins
cooling and frosting
20minutes mins
Total Time
1hour hr
Servings: 8 slices of cake
Author: Melissa Oleary
Equipment
3 8 inch round cake pans or 2 (9 inch round pans)
Ingredients
Cake
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups finely grated carrots About 1 pound. Make sure to use the fine side of a box grater (see post for picture).
4 large eggs
1 ⅓ cup vegetable oil (that is one cup plus ⅓ cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt if using regular salt, just use half the amount
Cream Cheese Frosting
16 ounces softened cream cheese room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Topping
1 cup toasted walnut halves
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Instructions
Cake
Preheat oven to to 350 degrees
Add all your dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix well
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour,2 cups granulated sugar,1 teaspoon baking powder,1 teaspoon baking soda,¼ teaspoon kosher salt,1 tablespoon cinnamon
Now add your vegetable oil and vanilla to your dry ingredients and mix it all in.
1 ⅓ cup vegetable oil,1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Next beat in your eggs one at a time into the mixture.
4 large eggs
Grate your carrots. See post for how to finely grate the carrots. I like to grate a bunch of carrots (usually about 4 large ones) and then scoop that into a measuring cup to measure out the 3 cups. You do not press the shredded carrots into the measuring cup when measuring.
3 cups finely grated carrots
Now add your 3 cups freshly grated carrots to the batter and gently mix it in until incorporated.
Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 8″ round cake pans – try to make each pan have the same amount of batter.
Bake for approximately 30- 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cakes. If you are using 9 inch cake pans then add a few more minutes. It will be ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Take pans out of oven and let the cakes sit in pans on cooling racks to cool for approx. 5 minutes.
Then turn out cakes carefully & let cool completely on the racks.
Once cooled you can frost your cakes right way or store them with parchment paper in between the layers if you are making the cake a day ahead of time.
Cream Cheese Frosting
In a medium bowl add your softened cream cheese, room temperature butter, powdered sugar and vanilla
16 ounces softened cream cheese,½ cup unsalted butter,1 cup powdered sugar,1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Mix on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until it is all light and fluffy
Frosting the cake
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