Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting: I am a contributor to Amanda’s Cookin’ and this recipe first appeared there as Carrot Cake.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting has cinnamon, vanilla, and 3 cups of finely shredded carrots throughout this delicious cake. It is a 2-tiered cake with smooth and sweet homemade cream cheese frosting. It’s topped with optional chopped pecans and decorated with fresh, peeled little carrots.

Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Hi Everyone, Do you have Carrot Cake “fever” yet?

When I think of Spring cake recipes, Carrot Cake first comes to mind.

It’s perfect for Easter, Memorial Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Baby or Bridal showers, birthdays, or any time you need a delicious Spring-themed cake that really works for all year round.

It is spiced with aromatic cinnamon and vanilla and has sweet carrots throughout – 3 cups to be exact!

It’s one of those cake recipes that doesn’t seem overly indulgent because it has so much shredded carrot in it.

It actually seems more like a quick bread – just a different shape.

Okay, so in my book that makes this carrot cake practically healthy food, am I right?!?

Lol, just kidding, this is most definitely a tasty treat, but one I would consider worth having 🙂

Confession time, I have to come clean…I have eaten a slice of this cake for breakfast and had zero regrets!

RELATED: Did you see our last guest post from Amanda’s Cookin’?

You can catch it here: Split Pea Soup Recipe (2019)

The Perfect Carrot Cake

This carrot cake is dense, rich, and moist.

It has a distinctive natural orange color from the shredded carrots.

The smooth cream cheese frosting is optionally topped with crunchy chopped pecans and decorated with cute, small peeled carrots.

I got those pretty little carrots from my local farmers’ market, Roots to River Farm, they grow the most beautiful produce!

Ingredients for Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cake Batter

Canola cooking spray
4 large eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour, or the same amount of cake flour
2 cups granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger *optional – I highly recommend adding the ground ginger!
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups very finely shredded carrots, lightly packed *the carrots must be peeled and ends cut
3/4 cup Canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

8-ounce plain cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Optional Toppings

12-14 small whole carrots, peeled
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cake Decoration with Natural Ingredients

I meant for the carrots to be more of a decoration as I planned this cake but I have to say, it is refreshing to have a bite of one of these carrots after a sweet slice of cake, it’s refreshing.

As far as cake decoration goes, I supposed I am more of a real food or flower cake decorator than someone who does sugar flowers/fondant flowers.

I always admire people who can do that kind of decoration (hey, maybe someday I will learn), I know it requires a lot of skill but for me, I just love using natural ingredients, like these carrots, whenever possible.

I also think it makes making a cake, like this carrot cake, more accessible to the home baker, like myself, because you can just buy the dried flowers (as in my “Red Velvet Cake Recipe”), natural sprinkles (as in the “1st Birthday Cake” recipe linked below) or in this case, cute little carrots, versus toiling over making sugar ones.

RELATED: Red Velvet Cake Recipe (2019), 1st Birthday Cake (2018)

Helpful Kitchen Tools for Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

In previous cake recipes, like my Red Velvet Cake Recipe, I have suggested using cake strips but not for this recipe, it does not need it.

During recipe testing in one of the batches I used the cake strips and the layers came out concave.

Since this cake is more like a quick bread and it has the grated carrot in it, the layers rise flatter anyway.

Web Story

Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Story

Below is a list of kitchen tools for this carrot cake recipe; I link with affiliate links to all the kitchen tools that I used or similar in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

box grater or food processor
mixing bowls
measuring spoons and cups
wet measure
baking spatulas
stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer
2 (9-inch) cake pans
parchment paper
offset spatula
cake spinner
frosting comb or dough/bench scraper
a cake carrier for storing the cake in the refrigerator
cake spatula for serving
cake stand

RELATED: Amazon Influencer Program Storefront (2019) and view my Amazon Influencer Store on Amazon.com here

Tips for Success for Making Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

There are some key tips for recipe success for this carrot cake:

Carrots – The carrots must be washed, ends cut, and completely peeled. Carrot skins are bitter (something Chef Ian Knauer from The Farm Cooking School taught me during a “Knife Skills 101” class which I knew but never really factored it into my recipes – but now I do!) and since this is a sweet recipe, we do not want to throw the whole recipe off. I suggest using a box grater to shred the carrots. Usually, I love using a food processor to shred carrots for recipes but in this case, you need a fine shred to keep the cake from easily being crumbly when assembling and frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting – Make sure to use only the confectioner’s sugar and not granulated white sugar or any other type of sugar. This ensures that the frosting is smooth and not gritty, crunchy, or granular.
Assembling the Cake – Apply the frosting in 2 stages and make sure the frosting is at room temperature before applying any frosting. You can apply the frosting all in one step or for a more finished look you can apply it in 2 steps. For applying it in 2 steps, make sure to refrigerate (at least 1/2 hour) the cake after the first layer of frosting is applied, so that it can set up, and then apply the rest of the frosting. Refrigerate the cake when you are done applying all the frosting for at least a 1/2 hour so that you get perfect slices when cutting the cake. If you can, use an airtight cake carrier so the frosting does not dry out in the refrigerator.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder – make sure you have fresh baking soda and baking powder in this recipe to ensure perfectly risen cake layers.

If you make this Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe and you like it, please give the recipe a rating in the recipe card and let us know in the comments below, thank you for reading and following along!

Recipe Attribution

This recipe is inspired by “Carrot Cake” from The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

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Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12-14 small whole carrots, peeled; 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped; Canola cooking spray; 4 large eggs, beaten *room temperature; 2 cups all purpose flour, or the same amount of cake flour; 2 cups granulated white sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground ginger *optional; 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 3 cups very finely shredded carrots, lightly packed *the carrots must be peeled and ends cup; 3/4 cup Canola oil; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 8 ounces plain cream cheese, room temperature; 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 6 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar, sifted

Yield: 12 slices

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting has cinnamon, vanilla, and 3 cups of finely shredded carrots throughout this delicious cake. It is a 2-tiered cake with smooth and sweet homemade cream cheese frosting. It’s topped with optional chopped pecans and decorated with fresh, peeled little carrots.

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Batter

Canola cooking spray
4 large eggs, beaten *room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour, or the same amount of cake flour
2 cups granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger *optional
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups very finely shredded carrots, lightly packed *the carrots must be peeled and ends cup
3/4 cup Canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces plain cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar, sifted

Topping *optional

12-14 small whole carrots, peeled
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Instructions

To make the Carrot Cake Layers

Spray the 2 (9 inches) round cake pans with Canola cooking spray. Place 2 round pieces of parchment paper fitted to the bottom of the cake pans and spray more cooking spray over the parchment. This helps the cake separate from the cake pan after baking completely intact. Set the prepared pans aside.
Make sure the oven rack is in the center of the oven then preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, 2 cups granulated white sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger (optional), Kosher salt, and baking soda.
In another large mixing bowl, add the beaten eggs, 3 cups finely shredded carrot, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 3/4 cup Canola oil. Stir the mixture until completely combined.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, stirring in between each addition, until combined.
Add an even amount of batter to each prepared baking pan.
Bake the cake layers in the center rack for 30-35 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife or wooden toothpick into the center of the cake and it should come out clean. Cool the cake pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove the cake layers from the cake pans and allow to cool completely on the wire racks. The cake must be completely cooled before applying the frosting.
When the cake is completely cool, if the cake needs to be leveled you can now level the cake with a bread knife. This allows you to stack the layers evenly when assembling. If the layers are pretty flat, it is not necessary to level the cake layers.

To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

In a stand mixer (or using a handheld electric mixer), in a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese, unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract until combined.
Gradually mix in the sifted confectioner's sugar, sprinkling 1/2 cup at a time until the mixture is smooth. Set aside until ready to frost the cake. If you have some time until frosting the cake, you can refrigerate it but make sure it is room temperature before frosting. It usually takes a 1/2 hour to become room temperature after removing it from the refrigerator.

To Assemble the Carrot Cake

Add the first layer to the cake spinner or cake stand. Add frosting to the top of the layer and spread it out so that it hangs over the edge. Add the 2nd layer. Add enough frosting so that it hangs over the edge. Add dollops of frosting to the sides and using a bench scraper, cake comb, and/or offset spatula spread the frosting on the sides. If you are looking for a more finished look, frost in 2 parts, spread the 1st layer, refrigerate for 30 minutes, then finish with a 2nd layer. Sprinkle the optional chopped pecans and decorate with optional peeled small carrots.

Notes

Carrots – The carrots must be washed, ends cut, and completely peeled. Carrot skins are bitter and since this is a sweet recipe, we do not want to throw the whole recipe off. I suggest using a box grater to shred the carrots. Usually, I love using a food processor to shred carrots for recipes but in this case, you need a fine shred to keep the cake from easily being crumbly when assembling and frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting – Make sure to use only the confectioner’s sugar and not granulated white sugar or any other type of sugar. This ensured that the frosting is smooth and not gritty, crunchy, or granular.
Assembling the Cake – Apply the frosting in 2 stages and make sure the frosting is at room temperature before applying any frosting. Make sure to refrigerate (at least 1/2 hour) the cake after the first layer of frosting is applied, so that it can set up, and then apply the rest of the frosting. Refrigerate the cake when you are done applying all the frosting for at least a 1/2 hour so that you get perfect slices when cutting the cake. If you can, use an airtight cake carrier so the frosting does not dry out in the refrigerator.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder – make sure you have fresh baking soda and baking powder in this recipe to ensure perfectly risen cake layers.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 589Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 324mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 4gSugar: 38gProtein: 8g

Please note that the Calculated Nutrition is an estimate at best.

This recipe post was originally published on 4/30/2019
Updated & republished on 3/28/2021, 3/29/2023

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Sara Maniez

Owner at Life's Little Sweets

Sara is an architectural designer turned work-at-home Mom. She lives in New Jersey by way of New England and New York, with her husband and 3 kids under 8. She loves design, being creative, and spending time with family and friends. She loves checking out local businesses and eats and being apart of the local farm to table community.

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Homemade Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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