Homemade Carrot Cake - My Mom's secret recipe for her amazingly moist and classic carrot cake with creamy cream cheese frosting. A sprinkle of chopped walnuts finishes off this incredible layer cake!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!
This post may include affiliate links. Please see my disclosure.
I'm already digging into some spring recipes as we head into February. Is it too soon? Well, not for me. I start dreaming about spring immediately after January 1. With thoughts of spring and Easter, my Mom's carrot cake came to mind and I realized I never shared the recipe here, yet.
So, today, Homemade Carrot Cake it is.
If you're still trying to keep up with a new year's resolution focused on eating better, you'll be interested to know that carrot cake was actually introduced during the dieting craze of the 1970s. Apparently, just throwing a vegetable into a sweet treat made it seem more healthy.😂🤷♀️
I'm not here to try and convince you of any truth to that, but I am here to convince you to go ahead and make this cake because of how amazing it is.
Are you ready to get started? Yes? Then, let's get to it!
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CARROT CAKE
To make this incredibly moist carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, you'll need:
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Carrots
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
- Chopped walnuts
In a large mixing bowl, blend eggs, vegetable oil, and carrots.
Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt - mix well.
The final product should look like what's in the bowl below.
Now, pour the batter into the greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans.
Now place the pans in the oven for 40-45 minutes at 350º Fahrenheit. While the cakes bake, you can start preparing the frosting.
Begin by beating the cream cheese and butter together in a small mixing bowl.
Add the powdered sugar in and blend well.
Add in the vanilla and beat until uniform.
Now, let's get ready to frost the cake!
- Make sure the cakes have cooled before frosting.
- Carefully invert one of the cakes onto a serving plate or platter and frost the top of it with about ½-inch layer of frosting.
- Take the second cake out of its pan and place it on top of the frosted cake.
- Frost the top of the second cake.
NOW, you're going to frost the outside of the cake and sprinkle the chopped walnuts around the outside of the cake as well as the outer edge of the top of the cake.
If you'd like to sprinkle walnuts on the top of the whole cake, go ahead and do so!
CAN I USE PRE-SHREDDED CARROTS FOR THE CAKE?
I'd recommend using freshly shredded or grated carrots because they provide the moisture for your amazing cake. Don't opt for pre-packaged shredded carrots - it will produce dry and less than desirable results.
HOW FAR AHEAD OF TIME CAN I PREPARE CARROT CAKE?
You can make this carrot cake the day before you plan to serve it. In fact, I would encourage you to do so. Carrot cake is a little like chili or beef roast, it gets better with time!
Just keep it covered in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
CAN I SERVE CARROT CAKE WITHOUT FROSTING?
Sure you can! This cake will be delicious with or without frosting. If you're not into frosting but want a little bit more sweetness, try sifting a little bit of powdered sugar on top.
CAN I MAKE THIS CAKE IN A 9X13-INCH PAN?
Yes, in fact my mom always made this cake in a 9x13" pan. Baking time shouldn't change too much. If anything, it may take 5 minutes or so longer than if you were to use the 9-inch round pans.
CAN I MAKE CUPCAKES USING THIS RECIPE?
Yep, you can! The recipe should make about two dozen cupcakes. Try baking the cupcakes for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cupcakes.
HOW DO YOU STORE CARROT CAKE?
An unfrosted cake can be kept covered at room temperature for up to two days. If the cake is frosted it should covered and stored in the fridge. It should keep for 4-5 days.
Just remove it from the refrigerator and bring to room temp about an hour or so before serving.
CAN YOU FREEZE CARROT CAKE?
If you'd like to prepare the cake and serve it later, like weeks or months later, you certainly can. Once it's baked and frosted, refrigerate it for about 6-8 hours before freezing. You'll want to make sure the frosting firms up.
Wrap the refrigerated cake in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe container or bag.
The cake can be frozen for 3-4 months. To enjoy, just thaw in the fridge overnight.
HAVING SOME CAKE CRAVINGS? TRY THESE RECIPES!
- Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake
- Vanilla Wacky Cake
- Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
- Easy Cranberry Cake
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- No Bake Cherry Dump Cake
- Easy Coffee Cake
- Easy Caramel Fudge Cake
- Easy Chocolate Mug Cake
- Angel Lush Cake
- Lemon JELL-O Cake
Homemade Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 4 eggs (beaten)
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots)
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Prepare 2 9-inch round pans by greasing and flouring them.
- In a large mixing bowl, blend eggs, vegetable oil, and carrots.
- Add flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Beat well.
- Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes before gently flipping the pans to release the cakes.
- Allow to cool before frosting.
For the Frosting
- To make frosting, beat cream cheese and butter together in a small mixing bowl.
- Slowly add powdered sugar, blending well.
- Add vanilla and beat until uniform.
- Apply a ½-inch layer of frosting in between cake layers.
- Frost the entire outside of cake.
- Sprinkle the chopped walnuts around the outside of the cake as well as the outer edge of the top of the cake.
- Chill the cake in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
- I recommend shredding your own carrots as they provide moisture for your cake. Pre-packaged might make your cake dry.
- You can make this recipe into cupcakes, just bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean!
- Store unfrosted at room temperature for two days or frosted in the fridge covered for up to five days.
Carla Young
Do you use all purpose flour?
Sara
Yes!