Classic, delicious, and tweaked to perfection, this is hands-down the best recipe for moist carrot cake. It’ll even entice those picky eaters that snub carrot cake into enjoying a slice. I should know; I’m one of them. 🙋🏻♂️
[How many of you know that person? The one that says, “Oh, carrot cake? I don’t like carrot cake.” It’s always carrot cake. Not chocolate, not vanilla, not HUMMINGBIRD. Carrot. Prove me wrong.]
This dessert is perfect for springtime, especially Easter celebrations. 🐣 It’s a breeze to make and comes together quickly, so you can focus on spending time with your loved ones.
Why Is This From-Scratch Carrot Cake the Best?
This is the best recipe for moist carrot cake for several reasons:
- It is pro-cinnamon, anti-clove, and reduced-ginger. I wouldn’t say I like the taste of clove, even in the most minor quantities. And why does ginger always need to smother carrots? This is my no. 1 reason for disliking most carrot cake recipes.
- It features a tight, moist crumb. I use the Reverse Creaming method, which produces a softer cake (just like my Classic Birthday Cake recipe). This is because flour gets coated in butter during mixing, preventing gluten from forming once moisture is added. The result? It isn’t overly crumbly like carrot cake tends to be. No. 2 reason!
- Time is saved by not frosting a multi-layered cake, so candy some nuts! Candied pecans or walnuts add incredible flavor to this dessert. You can buy them in the store, BUT they only take about 5 minutes to make and taste worlds better from scratch. I share the recipe in the notes section, which includes enough for the cake and some snacking on the side.
Ingredient Notes
Carrots
The most important ingredient in carrot cake is, of course, carrots. When choosing carrots for your cake, it’s best to use fresh, whole carrots that have not been pre-shredded. Pre-shredded carrots can be too dry, resulting in a dry cake.
Flour
All-purpose flour is a crucial ingredient in this recipe. Cake flour is too light, and bread flour is too heavy, so all-purpose flour is the best option.
Apple vs. Applesauce
This recipe calls for puréeing a fresh apple that has been peeled and cored, which imparts a delicious apple essence to the cake that applesauce itself doesn’t do since it is cooked down. The purée amounts to about 1/3 cup; therefore, an equivalent amount of unsweetened applesauce can be subbed instead. If you don’t have applesauce on hand, add 1/3 cup of sour cream to what is already included in the recipe. The flavor will change, but the cake will still be moist.
Sugar
I use a combination of white and brown sugar in this recipe. If you have both on hand, mix equal parts of light and brown sugar to account for the brown sugar portion of the recipe–it is the chef’s kiss. But one or the other is fine.
Butter vs. Oil
This recipe calls for butter AND oil. The butter adds flavor and moisture, and the oil prevents the cake from drying in the refrigerator. Canola, Safflower, or Grapeseed oil can be used instead of Vegetable oil without adding unwanted flavors to the cake.
Sour Cream
Sour cream adds moisture to the cake and enhances its texture. You can use low-fat or full-fat Greek yogurt in its place, but I wouldn’t opt for subbing with milk or cream. Doing so will make the cake dry.
Recipe Notes
- Use only room-temperature ingredients. Pull your ingredients out an hour before you plan to bake to be sure they come to temp. This includes the apple and carrots, too. Using room-temperature ingredients gives the cake the best chance of rising and baking evenly.
- Grate your carrots. This will ensure that they are evenly distributed throughout the cake and that the cake is moist. You can use a food processor with the grating attachment to finish the job quickly or use the large holes on a box grater.
- Sift the flour and leaveners together. This will ensure the cake has the best chance of rising evenly, in addition to preventing any flour pockets in the finished cake.
- Peel, core, and purée the apple right before you use it. Otherwise, it’ll turn brown, but you can disregard this if you use applesauce instead. Reminder, a fresh apple tastes better in this recipe!
- Don’t rush the baking process. When baking this cake, it feels like it takes forever for the center to set finally. It needs to spring back. If the center even has a small amount of give when you pull it out, it’ll sink in the middle as it cools. It’s carrot cake; think spring!
- Sift the powdered sugar. This will prevent lumps from forming in your frosting.
- Only frost a cooled cake. You shouldn’t feel even a semblance of warmth when you touch the pan. A warm cake will cause the frosting to melt.
- Check out my FAQ page for tips on measuring ingredients and calibrating your oven to ensure you get the same result as me.
Storage
Cream cheese frosting is a perishable dairy product and can spoil if left at room temperature for too long. Store this carrot cake in the refrigerator to keep it fresh and safe to consume.
Refrigerator: This is the best recipe for moist carrot cake, and refrigerating it won’t dry it out. Make sure the cake has cooled completely and cover it with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. It can be stored for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Make sure the cake is completely cooled and wrap it tightly in plastic or aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. It can be stored for up to 2 months.
Keep in mind the texture of cream cheese frosting can change once frozen. To avoid that, try freezing the cake without the frosting and adding it after thawing.
Hands-Down the BEST Recipe for a Moist Carrot Cake
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowls
- Rubber Spatula
- Offset Spatula
- 13"x9" Cake Pan
- Stand or Hand Mixer
- Flour Sifter preferred
- Food Processor optional
Ingredients
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour 240g
- 1 Tbsp Baking Powder 12g
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda 4g
- 1 Cup Light or Dark Brown Sugar 200g
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar 100g
- 1 ½ Tsp Fine Sea Salt or Table Salt 9g
- 2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon 4g
- ½ Ts Ground Allspice 1g
- ¼ Tsp Ground Ginger 0.5g
- ¼ Tsp Ground Nutmeg 0.5g
- 8 Tbsp Unsalted Butter room temperature, cut into chunks - 113g
- 4 Large Eggs room temperature - 200g
- 1 ½ Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 6g
- ¼ Cup + 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil 84g
- ½ Cup Whole Milk room temperature - 122g
- 1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Sour Cream room temperature - 90g
- 1 Large Honeycrisp Apple or ⅓ Cup Unsweetened Applesauce, room temperature
- 5 Medium Carrots coarsely shredded - 280g
- 1 Cup Pecans or Walnuts optional, finely chopped - 117g
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 Oz Cream Cheese room temperature - 227g
- 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter room temperature - 56g
- 3 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar sifted - 420g
- 1 ½ Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 6g
- 1 Tbsp Milk or Cream 15g
- 1 Pinch Fine Sea Salt or Table Salt 0.1g
Topping - Optional
- ½ Cup Candied Pecans or Walnuts* store-bought or homemade , finely chopped or crushed - 56g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 177°C. Butter a 13"x9" cake pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper and flour the pan inside, being sure to bang out any extra.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add sugars, salt, and spices to the same bowl, and mix on low for about 30 seconds until all ingredients are combined.2 Cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 Tbsp Baking Powder, 1 Tsp Baking Soda, 1 Cup Light or Dark Brown Sugar, ½ Cup Granulated Sugar, 1 ½ Tsp Fine Sea Salt or Table Salt, 2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon, ½ Ts Ground Allspice, ¼ Tsp Ground Ginger, ¼ Tsp Ground Nutmeg
- With the mixer on low, add butter 1 Tbsp at a time and let mix for about 30 seconds before adding the next Tbsp. Once the final Tbsp of butter is tossed in, continue mixing for 3 minutes or until the mixture looks uniformly like coarse sand and no large clumps remain.8 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- Add each egg one at a time with the mixer on low until just combined. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. It will look like a thick dough.4 Large Eggs, 1 ½ Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- Peel, core, and purée the apple in a food processor (alternately, you can finely chop the apple and use a masher to achieve similar results; or you can use 1/3 cup of applesauce). Add the vegetable oil, milk, sour cream, and puréed apple into a liquid measuring cup and whisk with a fork to combine. Slowly stream the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients with the mixer on low speed, ideally over 30 seconds to 1 minute, until almost combined and a few streaks of flour remain. Scrape the side of the bowl down.¼ Cup + 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil, ½ Cup Whole Milk, 1 Large Honeycrisp Apple, 1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Sour Cream
- Add the shredded carrots and nuts (if using) into the batter. Mix on low speed until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to finish gently folding the mixture if needed.5 Medium Carrots, 1 Cup Pecans or Walnuts
- Pour into the prepared cake pan, spread the batter out evenly, and bake on the center rack until:-The cake bounces back when you gently touch the center with your finger. (Important!!)-The edges of the cake are pulling away from the sides of the pans. About 40-50 minutes. Place on a cooling rack, and cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until combined and creamy.8 Oz Cream Cheese, 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- Add the powdered sugar in 3-4 batches, and mix until almost combined each time. Add the pinch of salt, vanilla, and milk and mix on medium speed until smooth. Adjust milk and powdered sugar to your desired consistency from there.3 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar, 1 ½ Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract, 1 Tbsp Milk or Cream, 1 Pinch Fine Sea Salt or Table Salt
- Frost the fully-cooled cake with an offset or rubber spatula. Pipe designs around the perimeter, if desired. Sprinkle candied pecans or walnuts over the top, and enjoy!½ Cup Candied Pecans or Walnuts*
Video
Notes
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar (light or dark)
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinch of Cinnamon
- 1 Cup Pecans or Walnuts, chopped
