Carrot Cake Recipe

This is my favorite carrot cake recipe, and I’ve tried many of them! But, of course, if you don’t like pecans, you can leave them out.

Our best-rated carrot cake recipe is moist, light, and fluffy, with a rich cream cheese frosting. What’s not to love about this?

How to Make Carrot Cake

The recipe below includes a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions, but first, let’s go over the fundamentals:

What’s In Carrot Cake?

You’ll need the following ingredients to make your new favorite carrot cake recipe:

Sugars: For the cake, use white sugar, and for the frosting, use confectioners’ sugar.
Oil: A neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, adds moisture while leaving no flavor.
Four whole eggs add moisture and aid in binding the carrot cake batter.
Vanilla extract (two teaspoons for the cake and one teaspoon for the frosting) enhances the flavor.
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the batter structure and holds it together.
Leaveners: Baking soda and baking powder act as leaveners, aiding the cake’s rise.
Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds a warm, cozy flavor synonymous with carrot cake.
Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients without making the cake taste salty.
Carrots: Of course, grated carrots are required!
Pecans: Chopped pecans add a nice crunch to the cake and frosting.
Butter and cream cheese: The key ingredients in the light and fluffy cream cheese frosting are butter and cream cheese.

How to Make Carrot Cake Step-By-Step

Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect when making homemade carrot cake:

To make the batter, combine the wet and dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Fold in the carrots and the pecans.
Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the cake pan or pans that have been prepared. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Frost the cake: Whisk together the frosting ingredients until smooth and creamy. Add the pecans and mix well. Frost the cake after it has completely cooled.

Does Carrot Cake Need to Be Refrigerated?

Yes, carrot cake should be kept in the refrigerator. Because it’s topped with a fluffy cream cheese frosting, it shouldn’t be left at room temperature for more than two hours.

How Long Does Carrot Cake Last?

Refrigerate the frosted cake in an airtight container for up to one week.

Can You Freeze Carrot Cake?

Unfrosted carrot cake can be frozen for up to three months. Wrap the cooled cake in at least one layer of storage wrap, followed by at least one layer of foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before frosting according to the recipe.

Ingredients

Cake:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 quart vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups regular flour
2 tbsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
12 teaspoons of salt
3 cups carrots, grated
1 cup pecans, chopped

Frosting:

12 cups softened butter
8 oz. softened cream cheese
4 cups granulated sugar
a tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350° F. (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract with an electric mixer until well combined. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix in the carrots. Fold in the pecans. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cooling for 10 minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, in a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Mix in the chopped pecans. Ice the cooled cake.