Simple, Moist Carrot Cake
This Carrot Cake has a super moist crumb, a delicious brown sugar cinnamon spice and a velvety smooth cream cheese frosting. This cake is simple to make and only takes a few minutes to mix the batter. The hardest part is waiting for it to bake!
Clearly, I’m on a carrot cake kick this year, as I’ve recently shared these carrot cake muffins and now this delicious 3-layer carrot cake. Believe it or not, growing up, my brother was a huge fan of carrot cake. One particular year, I don’t even remember how old I was, (but I was fairly young, because I cannot remember all of the details), he requested it for his birthday. I ate it because, well, even though I wasn’t a fan of it, perse, I love dessert. Well, I did not like that carrot cake, for whatever reason, and it took me years to try it again. Now, I LOVE carrot cake. And call me crazy, but I love all the add-ins. The crunchy, toasted pecans and the plump, juicy raisins, combined with the soft, moist cake. Mmm! I could eat a slice right now.
Carrot cake is commonly made around spring, partly because carrots are a springtime vegetable. I always associate carrot cake with Easter. It’s a common cake made around Easter in the United States.
When I created this easy carrot cake recipe, I wanted to make a cake that was super moist, while also being light and fluffy. This carrot cake recipe is it. It’s light, fluffy, yet moist and full of flavor from the brown sugar and cinnamon.
The details
mixing the batter
This carrot cake recipe is simple, like fool-proof simple. As long as you can mix ingredients together, you can make this cake!
You’ll begin by whisking together the wet ingredients until combined, then add in the dry ingredients. Whisk in the dry ingredients, JUST until combined. Add in the carrots, and if desired, the pecans and raisins. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to gently fold the batter over the mix-ins, again, just until combined. That’s it! Now it’s time to bake the cake.
baking the cake
Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. I like to line my cake pans with a circle of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. This makes the cake very easy to remove from the pan.
Evenly divide the cake batter among the 3 pans. Bake in 350F preheated oven for 22-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the carrot cake to fully cool in cake pans.
assembling the cake
If cooled cakes are domed, use a serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the top of the cake, to create a flat surface. You can discard this layer or eat as is. Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake board. Evenly spread frosting over top of cake. I like to use an offset cake spatula for this. Place the 2nd cake layer on top. Evenly spread frosting over top of cake. Place 3rd cake layer on top. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes before slicing. This helps the icing set up and makes it easier to cut.
This carrot cake can be stored, tightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you make this carrot cake recipe, let me know what you thought below! I love hearing your feedback, as it helps me improve my recipes for you.
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Simple, Moist Carrot Cake
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
This Carrot Cake has a super moist crumb, a delicious brown sugar cinnamon spice and a velvety smooth cream cheese frosting. This cake is simple to make and only takes a few minutes to mix the batter. The hardest part is waiting for it to bake!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)
- 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line with a round piece of parchment paper on the bottom.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, oil, butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract, until combined.
3. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk just until combined.
4. Fold in the carrots, pecans and raisins, just until combined.
5. Evenly divide the batter among the 3 prepared cake pans.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 22-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to fully cool in cake pan.
7. Make the frosting. In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, or the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Slowly and gradually add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Beat until light and fluffy.
8. Assemble Cake. If cooled cakes are domed, use a serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the top of the cake, to create a flat surface. You can discard this layer or eat as is. Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake board. Evenly spread frosting over top of cake. I like to use an offset cake spatula for this. Place the 2nd cake layer on top. Evenly spread frosting over top of cake. Place 3rd cake layer on top. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes before slicing. This helps the icing set up and makes it easier to cut.
9. Cover leftover cake tightly, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Shred your own carrots using a box grater or even a food processor. The store-bought shredded carrots tend to be dry and too thick. This will affect the texture of the cake.
I recommend chilling the carrot cake for 15 minutes before slicing. This will allow the frosting to set up and yield neater slices.
When scooping the flour, use a spoon to scoop the flour out of your container and into your measuring cup. Scooping the flour directly with the measuring cup will result in flour that is compacted into the cup, and thus you will have too much flour in your recipe. This will result in a dry cake.
This cake can be wrapped tightly and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 22
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
