Carrot Cake
Ingredients
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- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cups light brown sugar – packed
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract – for batter
- 1 cups vegetable oil
- 3 cups carrots – finely grated, packed
- 1 cups walnuts – chopped
- 16 ounces cream cheese – softened
- 1/2 cups unsalted butter – softened
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar – sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract – for frosting
- 1/8 tsp salt – for frosting
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment on the bottoms.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and 0.5 tsp salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and 2 tsp vanilla extract until smooth and emulsified, 1–2 minutes.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a spatula just until a few streaks of flour remain.
5. Fold in the finely grated carrots and chopped walnuts until evenly distributed and no dry pockets remain.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until the centers spring back and a toothpick comes out clean, 25–30 minutes.
7. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, peel off the parchment, and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
8. Make the frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and softened unsalted butter together on medium speed until very smooth and creamy, 2–3 minutes. Sift the confectioners' sugar, then add it to the bowl along with 1 tsp vanilla extract and 0.125 tsp salt; beat on low to combine, then on medium-high until fluffy, 2–3 minutes.
9. Assemble: Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about 1 cup of frosting over the top. Set the second layer on top, then frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Chill 15 minutes to set the frosting if desired, then slice and serve.
Carrot cake is a moist, spiced cake that folds finely grated carrots into an oil-based batter, yielding a tender crumb with gentle warmth from cinnamon. The modern cream cheese–frosted layer cake emerged in the mid-20th century, particularly popular in the United States and the United Kingdom, though its roots trace back to older European carrot puddings. Today it’s a bakery staple, prized for its balance of sweetness, spice, and tangy frosting.
Classic versions tend to avoid fruit additions like pineapple or coconut, focusing instead on carrots, nuts, and warm spices. Walnuts or pecans are common for texture, and the cake is often baked as either two layers or a single 9×13-inch slab. Cream cheese frosting provides the characteristic tang and lush finish that defines the dessert’s identity across most traditional recipes.