Finally! Meet my tested and perfected carrot cake recipe. I’ve been working on this carrot cake for a long time, and I’m so happy to report that I’ve finally nailed it.
I was hoping to publish the recipe in time for Valentine’s Day, then Mother’s Day. Here we are, just in time for Father’s Day and your summer birthdays! I hope you have a carrot cake lover in your life, because this cake will make him or her very happy.
This homemade carrot cake would be perfect for any celebratory occasion. It’s exactly what I want my carrot cake to be: delicious and moist, gently spiced with cinnamon and ginger, infused with flecks of fresh carrots, and covered in luscious cream cheese frosting. It’s the best.
This cake is also simple to make from scratch with wholesome ingredients. You can easily make it in an afternoon, with plenty of time to kill while the cake cools.
I’m often intimidated by layer cakes, so if I can make this cake, I know you can, too. Ready?!
Why You’ll Love This Carrot Cake
This carrot cake recipe is my favorite for several reasons:
1) This cake is incredibly delicious and moist.
The cake is nice and tender inside. The carrots are the star of the show, so you won’t find raisins, pineapple or applesauce here. Freshly toasted, chopped pecans are optional, but I love them. Sweet-and-tangy cream cheese frosting makes this cake utterly irresistible.
2) This cake is sweet, but not too sweet.
Some carrot cakes are overwhelmingly sweet with giant layers of frosting, and I can only stomach a bite or two. On the other hand, some “healthy” cakes are dry and disappointing, with a meager spread of frosting. This cake is just right—it’s sweet and tastes like a true treat.
3) This carrot cake is simple and easy to make.
No stand mixer required! You’ll just whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet in another, and stir to combine. It doesn’t get easier than that.
4) This cake is made with wholesome ingredients, but no one will know it.
The recipe calls for whole wheat flour rather than all-purpose (although, you can use all-purpose if that’s what you have). Instead of refined vegetable oil, it calls for mild extra-virgin olive oil, which yields a wonderfully moist cake without any funny flavors. Lastly, it calls for maple syrup or honey instead of cups of granulated sugar.
5) This recipe is versatile.
You can leave out the nuts if you don’t like them. You can make this cake dairy free or gluten free. You can turn it into cupcakes. See the recipe notes for all the details!
Carrot Cake Tips
For the best carrot flavor, choose skinny to medium-sized carrots and peel them before grating. Large carrots don’t taste as nice, and sometimes the outer carrot skin can taste bitter.
The easiest way to grate your carrots is a the food processor. Use the grating attachment, and your carrots will be grated in no time! Otherwise, you can grate the carrots by hand. Don’t buy carrot matchsticks from the store; they’re too thick and will yield crunchy cake.
Don’t overmix. This cake is easy to make by stirring the ingredients together by hand. If you overmix the batter, you risk ending up with dense, tough cake. Make it as directed and you will be rewarded with gloriously tender cake!
Don’t forget to grease your pans. Otherwise, your cake might stick! For extra insurance, use my favorite round baking pans (affiliate link), which have a non-toxic, non-stick silicone lining.
Let the cake cool completely before frosting. I know, it’s tempting to frost this cake when it’s warm, but don’t do it. If you do, your cake won’t be structurally sound, and the frosting might melt off.
Looking for more naturally sweetened treats? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Healthy Carrot Muffins
- Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
- Naturally Sweetened Pecan Pie
- Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Favorite Banana Cake
Please let me know how your cake turns out in the comments! I hope it becomes your new favorite carrot cake.
Favorite Carrot Cake
- Author:
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 16 slices 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
This carrot cake recipe will become your new favorite! This moist and delicious carrot cake is easy to make with basic, wholesome ingredients. It’s the best! Recipe yields one double-layer 9″ cake.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ pounds peeled and grated carrots* (about 4 cups)
- 1 cup raw pecan or walnut halves
- ¾ cup mild extra-virgin olive oil** or melted coconut oil
- 1 ¼ cups maple syrup or honey
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 4 eggs, preferably at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Double batch classic cream cheese frosting or naturally sweetened cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease two 9″ round cake pans. If you’re making classic cream cheese frosting, don’t forget to pull the cream cheese and butter out of the fridge so they can warm to room temperature.
- Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in the preheated oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Once they’re cool enough to handle, transfer them to a cutting board and chop them into small pieces. Reserve a couple tablespoons chopped pecans for garnishing the cake, if desired. We’ll stir the rest into the dry mixture in the following step.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine both flours, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir until blended. Add the grated carrots and chopped pecans, and stir to combine.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil, maple syrup, milk, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully blended.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and spread the batter in an even layer on top.
- Bake the cakes on the middle rack for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the center of the cakes is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the baked cakes on a cooling rack and let them cool completely before frosting.
- When you’re ready to assemble, prepare the frosting as directed. Carefully invert the cakes to release them from their pans. Frost the top of one cake with about one-third of the frosting. Place the second cake on top, and frost the top with another one-third of the frosting. Finish by frosting around the side of the cake with the remaining frosting. If desired, sprinkle the reserved chopped pecans on top.
- When you’re ready to serve, use a sharp chef’s knife to carefully cut the cake into slices. The cake will keep at room temperature for the rest of the day, and for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Recipe adapted from the easy carrot cake in my cookbook, Love Real Food (page 208).
*Carrot tips: Skinny-to-medium carrots (not large) offer the best carrot flavor. The easiest way to grate your carrots is in a food processor with the grating attachment. You can also grate them by hand, on the medium holes of a box grater. Don’t use store-bought matchstick carrots; they’re way too thick and will make your cake crunchy.
**Olive oil note: I recommend California Olive Ranch Everyday for this recipe. It’s an affordable, high quality olive oil that you can find at most grocery stores, and the flavor is so mild that you will not detect it in the finished product.
Flour substitutions: If desired, you can make this cake with a total of 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Make it gluten free: Substitute your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
Make it nut free: Simply omit the pecans.
Make it dairy free: Use a non-dairy milk (I’ve confirmed that almond milk and oat milk work in this recipe). Use a dairy-free cream cheese frosting (I haven’t come up with one yet).
Make it naturally sweetened: The cake itself is naturally sweetened with maple syrup or honey. Top the cake with my date-sweetened cream cheese frosting for a cake free of refined sugar.
Pan size notes: You could make these cakes in 9″ square baking pans, no adjustments needed. You can also cut the recipe in half to make one 9″ round or square cake. For other pan sizes, keep the baking temperature constant and bake until the center of the cake is springy to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean (timing will depend on the pans used).
Make cupcakes: Divide the batter between 2 dozen muffin cups and bake at 350 for 18 to 24 minutes, or until the cupcakes are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.
Recommended equipment: (Affiliate links) I love my 11-cup food processor and these round cake pans, which have a non-toxic silicone coating.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Lynette Fowlston
One of my favorite cakes, and will be trying this. Like the fact it has olive oil and no sugar. Going to rate it now even before I try making it,
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Lynette!
Natalie
I love carrot cake! It’s definitely one of my top favorites. Looks so delicious and perfect for hosting.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Natalie for your review!
Eve
This is my man’s favorite cake so I was hoping you’d post this by Father’s Day! Thanks for delivering! I’m making a single layer version with the date frosting right now. How long do you recommend baking it if it’s just one pan? (I’m using your favorite square baker.) Thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so glad you love it, Eve! I really recommend this as two pans, but how did it turn out for you?
Barbara Biller
This is my husband’s favorite cake. I made it for Father’s Day. I am not a good baker and typically I do not like carrot cake.
Even though I accidentally left out the milk, the cake and icing turned out great!
I used coconut oil.
In addition to the dry ginger, I added a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger with the carrots.
I used maple syrup.
Also, usually don’t eat icing but your recipe turned out very light and fluffy (used Kerry Gold butter and 1 cup homemade powder sugar cause I ran out of boxed.) Decorated top with pecans.
Thank you-cake was a huge success!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear it all ended up great, Barbara! Thanks for your review.
Ann
This is a great recipe! Next time, I would double the cream cheese frosting! Ha! Also, mine turned out a little dense, any suggestions?
★★★★★
Kate
Cream cheese frosting is a must! I’m sorry it was a little too dense for you. What blends of flour did you use?
Ann
I used all all-purpose flour! I think that may have been my mistake. I also used coconut oil and when I mixed it with the other liquid ingredients, it seized up. Next time, I will make sure everything is room temp. Other than that, the cake was delicious and the flavors were great! Thank you for the recipe.
Vith
Hi Kate! Was just wondering if you had a good egg substitute in this recipe?
Thanks so much!
Hayley
I made the carrot cake in her cookbook using bob’s red mill egg replacer and it turned out well!
Vith
Thank you Hayley!
Kate
You’re welcome, Vith!
Emma
Do I have to change the recipe to use Gluten free flour?
Kate
Nope! I believe a reader used Bob’s Red Mill GF 1-1 flour and it worked really well.
Megan
It’s true! I made this recently for a gluten-free friend’s birthday, substituting all 3.5c flour with Bob’s Red Mill 1-1, and it was fantastic.
Hillary
This cake turned out super moist and so delicious without being overly sweet. The spices were just right. I used Bob’s 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour which made it turn out light and fluffy. Also the naturally sweetened cream cheese frosting is super tasty on it, but the cake itself can stand on its own without it. This is a keeper that we will be making for special occasions. Thanks for the fantastic recipes Kate! My family loves everything I make from you. :)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear you were able to make this work so well gluten free! Thanks for sharing, Hillary!
Wendy
How long do I cook it in a convection oven?
Gamila
I MADE IT!!!
I really really love how it turned out, the consistency is amazing, it tastes fantastic.I also followed your cream cheese frosting recipe. Only thing is that it’s a little bit too sweet for me but I think that’s fixable by less sugar in the frosting.
Thank you sooooo much for your amazing recipes.
Sending love all the way from Egypt.
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray, Gamila! Thank you for your review.
Amy
This turned out great. I was a little skeptical with the sweetener being only maple syrup or honey but it was plenty sweet.
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! I’m happy you loved it.
Flo
Hello! Could I substitute the flour with Buckwheat flour? Also, because I don’t have pastry flour, in the end I’ll need 3 1/2 cups of the flour I’ll use?
Sorry if it’s unclear… :)
Kate
Hi Flo, usually buckwheat doesn’t work the same. I haven’t tried it with this one so not sure if it would give you the result you want. I also find its flavor to be overpowering. A gluten free flour blend would work well here, if needing to be gluten free.
Jessie Wheeler
Have you tried this with an egg replacement such as Flax or Chia gel?
Kate
You could try a flax egg, but I didn’t try it for this one. Let me know how it works for you!
Ria Singhal
This carrot cake came out beautifully for my husband’s birthday dinner. I even used your cream cheese frosting recipe and everyone’s only feedback was to please layer more frosting into it! I only made half and had a single layer 9″ round cake but I did end up with a domed cake and slightly browner sides than middle. Do you have any tips on getting a flat cake?
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Make sure you evenly spread the batter across the pan. I didn’t have any issues when I began to layer mine. You can always shave a little off the top if you are having difficulties when layering.
Winni
I love carrot cakes especially homemade. This recipe is simple and easy to make. Loved the pics.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Winni!
Sergio
Your cooking is great. This look delicious and easy to make. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Sergio!
Lyndsey
I love carrot cake and your recipe looks delicious. I especially like the look of your frosting : )
Kate
Thank you! Let me know what you try, Lyndsey!
Maya
Halved the recipe and substituted brown sugar instead of honey to make it cheaper and it was delicious. Your classic cream cheese frosting was also amazing. Another great recipe, as usual, Thank you Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Maya!
Mira
loved the recipe. can you please post few desert recipe made without eggs.
★★★
Kate
Hi Mira! I try to post a variety.
Sergio
Looks so delicious and perfect for parties!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your review, Sergio!
Kacee Jernigan
This is the best carrot cake I’ve ever tasted. Thank you for this amazing recipe better than any bakery. I love that the sweetness isn’t overpowering and is not from traditional sugar. Hands-down absolute heaven!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Kacee! I appreciate your review.
Ritika
First of all, I would like to thank you for share this amazing recipe, I had tried this recipe and the results are really unbelievable for me because I had never made any cake before this, a great experience.
★★★★★
Sonal
I love your recipes Kate. Every one of them has been phenomenal. This one was an absolute keeper—with modifications (which is rare). My son has a nut allergy, so though he loves spicy cakes, he can’t really sample carrot cakes unless I make them, and I never have, because they can be complicated. The only thing I did not love about this recipe—and I thought it was completely out of character for you to call for 1.25 CUPS!!!—is the cream cheese frosting. I’ve discovered you barely need any sugar to make a good stiff one if you blend a block of cream cheese (straight out of the fridge) with a cup of cold heavy whipping cream and a splash of vanilla (using an immersion blender), until you get stiff peaks. I add three TBS of icing sugar for frosting cakes; sometimes, when eating it with your pancakes, I’ll do only a TBS of maple syrup.
★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Sonal! You can always adjust the amount of frosting, if you like :)
Ankit
Great Recipe and this is my Girlfriend favorite cake. Many times we order online now this time made by my girlfriend. Thanks for sharing this recipe and now this time we save the money.
Mihika Iyer
When do you combine wet and dry? Do you add the eggs to the wet first? Or carrots? Looks so good … I wanna get it right.
★★★★★
Kate
Hi! See steps 4 & 5. I hope this helps!