Raise your hand for carrot cake!! I am so excited to share this recipe for a simple carrot cake that you definitely need to make. This classic carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting is just what you need on your holiday baking menu this year!

It was my mom’s Birthday recently and we sent her a carrot cake and it inspired me to make one of my own. I love carrot cake – it’s warm, comforting, has texture and let’s be honest…anything with cream cheese frosting is definitely going to be good. 

This recipe for carrot cake is simple! It’s flavored with some spices and carrots are the only “filler” in this particular carrot cake. 

A little bit of sour cream is added to the cake batter to ensure a moist cake but other than that, the the ingredient list is pretty common. I change things up a little by using dark brown sugar for that added molasses flavor and definitely spicing it up using cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. The combination of those spices screams fall dessert and I love it!

You can’t go wrong with cream cheese frosting, either. Butter, cream cheese and confectioners sugar come together to make one of the most beloved frostings out there. It pairs SO well with the sweet and warm carrot cake – I seriously can’t wait for you to try it!

You can see just how moist this cake really is when you run a fork through it – the entire cake wants to go on the fork! The shredded carrots, just like zucchini, help add texture but needed moisture to the cake. I love the specks of orange throughout it as well – you can definitely tell this is a carrot cake just by looking at it. 

I truly hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do and make it for your next celebration!

Yield: 1 cake

Carrot Cake

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• CAKE RECIPE:
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs, room temp.
• 1/4 cup sour cream, room temp.
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups shredded carrots (about 3 large carrots, peeled)
• Chopped walnuts for garnish
• CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 5 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour two 9 inch or 8 inch cake pans; set aside.
2. First, mix together your dry ingredients into a bowl - flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In your mixer cream together brown sugar, granulated sugar and oil on high for about 2 minutes. Next, add the eggs and mix until pale in color. Finally, add vanilla and sour cream and mix until incorporated.
4. With mixer on low-speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix only until incorporated.
5. Lastly, add the shredded carrots and mix in with a spatula. Divide cake battert between the two pans and bake for about 25 minutes, give or take. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Set aside to cool for about 10 minute then remove the cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely. If you wait, they can stick to the pan.
6. To make the cream cheese frosting, add the butter and cream cheese to the mixer and mix until smooth. Gradually add in the confectioners sugar on low-speed until incorporated. Finally add the vanilla and salt and turn the mixer on high for about a minute to whip it good!
7. Frost the cakes and then garnish with walnuts!