This simple carrot cake recipe is an easy two-layered, perfectly spiced cake topped with cream cheese frosting. It has a soft and fluffy texture because it is made with freshly grated carrots and vegetable oil.
This easy carrot cake is perfect for serving as dessert for Easter or any special occasion.
For more carrot cakes, check Carrot Orange Cake Recipe and Moist Carrot Cake Cupcakes.
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Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
This classic carrot cake recipe used to be baked in spring celebration like Easter. However, a lot of people who love healthy cakes bake it all year round not only in the spring holidays.
This cake is incredibly moist and soft you will fall in love with it once you taste it.
Why Does This Recipe Works?
- This is the best carrot cake recipe and the only one you will ever need. It is a simple recipe, and the instructions are easy to follow.
- This double-layer cake is perfect for celebrating birthdays or any special occasion.
- Soft, fluffy and moist carrot cake recipe topped with silky cream cheese frosting.
- A delicious alternative to the classic chocolate cake for the whole family to enjoy.
- Perfect carrot cake recipe for Easter and the holiday season.
- This recipe is versatile; you can add your favorite nuts or spices.
Simple Carrot Cake Ingredients
You don't need any fancy ingredients to make this classic cake; I bet you will find all the ingredients below in your pantry.
For the cake
- Plain flour (all purpose flour): The kind you have at home.
- Carrot: Grate your own fresh carrots using a grater box or use store-bought pre-shredded carrots.
- Granulated sugar: You can use brown sugar instead.
- Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature
- Vegetable oil: Use unsalted butter instead.
- Baking powder: Important raising agent.
- Vanilla extract: For extra flavor.
- Ground cinnamon: It adds a sweet and woody flavor.
This amount of ingredients makes two layers of 22 cm cake.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese: Use any soft cheese you like.
- Heavy cream: For best results, use it cold.
- Powdered sugar: To sweeten the tangy cream cheese frosting
- Vanilla extract: To give the creamy cream cheese frosting a nice flavor.
How To Make This Simple Carrot Cake
To get the perfect result, follow the instructions below.
Prepare The Cake
One: Preheat the oven at 170C / 338F. Line 2x22 cm springforms or round cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides with butter or spray with cooking spray.
Two: Crack the eggs in a large bowl and add the vanilla extract then whisk using the electric mixer.
Three: Add the white sugar, keep whisking. Then add the oil then whisk again.
Four: In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon.
Five: Now, add the flour mixture (dry ingredients) to the egg mixture then whisk one more time.
Six: Finally, add the carrot and stir using a spatula.
Seven: Divide the carrot cake batter between the two springforms equally then bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until they become golden brown coloured.
Eight: Let the cake cool down completely before adding the topping.
Make The Cream Cheese Frosting
Making the cream cheese frosting is so easy, you only need two separate bowls and the electric whisk. Let's talk in details.
One: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the heavy whipped cream until it has a thick consistency.
Two: In the other bowl, whisk the cream cheese, powdered sugar and the vanilla extract. Then fold in the heavy cream mixture and stir with a spatula until incorporated. Put in the fridge until needed.
Assemble & Frost the Layer Cake
First Step: Spread equally a generous amount of the cream cheese frosting on the first layer of the cake then top it with the second layer.
Second Step: Spread the rest of the frosting on the top layer and all around the cake. Then sprinkle some ground cinnamon on the top.
Success Tips
- Don't overbake your cake; once you enter a toothpick in the center of the cake and it comes out clean, it's done.
- For the best cream cheese frosting, keep the heavy cream in the refrigerator until needed, so you can use it cold.
Alternatives and Substitutes
- If you like to add more warm spices, add ½ teaspoon of ginger or nutmeg.
- Add to the batter some raisins, chopped pecans, walnuts or any nuts you like.
- To get extra moist carrot cake, add ½ cup of crushed pineapple along with grated carrots to the cake batter.
Storage
To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
How to Freeze: To freeze this cake, it is better if you freeze it without frosting. Cut the entire cake into individual slices, wrap each slice into parchment paper, then in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and keep them in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Thaw at room temperate, then top it with the frosting.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with a cup of thyme tea, caramel Latte, hot chocolate or a can of soda.
You can also serve this rich cake as a dessert after mushroom fried rice, sweet and sour salmon or cheesy gnocchi bake.
Tools Used In Making This Recipe
- Springform
- Cooling rack
- Icing spatula
- Electric whisk
- Bowl
- Spatula
Recipe FAQs
No, you don't have to peel the carrots.
You may use cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg or ginger.
More Cake Recipes
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Recipe
Easy & Simple Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 cup carrot , grated
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs , at room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Cream cheese frosting
- ¾ cup cream cheese
- ½ cup heavy whipped cream
- 5 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven at 170C.
- Firstly, crack the eggs in a bowl and add the vanilla extract then whisk using the electric whisk.5 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the white sugar, keep whisking.1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- Then, add the oil then whisk again.⅓ cup vegetable oil
- In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon.2 cups plain flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Now, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture then whisk one more time.
- Finally, add the carrot and stir using a spatula.1 cup carrot
- Line two springforms sized 22 cm with parchment pepper and grease the sides with butter.
- Divide the batter between the two springforms equally then bake for about 30 minutes until they become golden brown coloured.
- Let the cake cool down completely before adding the topping.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a bowl, whisk the heavy whipped cream until it has a thick consistency.½ cup heavy whipped cream
- In the another bowl, whisk the cream cheese, powdered sugar and the vanilla extract. Then fold in the heavy cream mixture and stir with a spatula until incorporated. Put in the fridge until needed.¾ cup cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5 tablespoon powdered sugar
Assembling everything
- Spread equally a generous amount of the cream cheese frosting on the first layer of the cake then top it with the second layer.
- Spread the rest of the frosting on the top layer and all around the cake. Then sprinkle some ground cinnamon on the top.
Notes
- Don't overbake your cake; once you enter a toothpick in the center of the cake and it comes out clean, it's done.
- For the best cream cheese frosting, keep the heavy cream in the refrigerator until needed, so you can use it cold.
- If you like to add more warm spices, add ½ teaspoon of ginger or nutmeg.
- Add to the batter some raisins, chopped pecans, walnuts or any nuts you like.
- To get extra moist cake, add ½ cup of crushed pineapple along with grated carrots to the cake batter.
Mary
Easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Amanda
My family enjoyed this cake so much. Will make it again.
Katie
I used melted butter instead of oil, and it turned out moist as well.
Ann Marie
So fluffy and delicious; I only added some walnuts because I like them in cakes.