Carrot cake is a moist and flavorful cake often enjoyed as a dessert or snack. It is typically made with grated carrots, flour, sugar, eggs, oil, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Some recipes may also include nuts, raisins, or pineapple. Carrot cake is often frosted with a cream cheese frosting, which adds a rich and tangy flavor. This article provides two recipes for carrot cake: a classic recipe and a gluten-free recipe. The classic recipe uses all-purpose flour, while the gluten-free recipe uses a blend of almond flour, coconut flour, and tapioca flour. Both recipes are topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting. Carrot cake is a delicious and versatile dessert that can be enjoyed on many occasions. Whether you are looking for a classic carrot cake recipe or a gluten-free alternative, this article has you covered.
Here are our top 9 tried and tested recipes!
CARROT CAKE
The BEST homemade carrot cake recipe is extra moist from crushed pineapple and buttermilk, has the perfect blend of spices, and is smothered in cream cheese frosting.
Provided by Lauren Allen
Categories Dessert
Time 50m
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans* by lightly coating with cooking spray and lining with parchment paper on the bottom.
- Beat the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and pineapple together in a large bowl.
- In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.
- Fold in the carrots, pecans and raisins just until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake on the center oven rack until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 864 kcal, Carbohydrate 126 g, Protein 10 g, Fat 37 g, SaturatedFat 16 g, Cholesterol 141 mg, Sodium 466 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 97 g, ServingSize 1 serving
OLD-FASHIONED CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
A pleasingly moist cake, this treat is the one I requested that my mom make each year for my birthday. It's dotted with sweet carrots and a hint of cinnamon. The fluffy buttery frosting is scrumptious with chopped walnuts stirred in. One piece of this homemade carrot cake is never enough-better than all the other carrot cakes recipes I've tried!-Kim Orr, West Grove, Pennsylvania
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 1h5m
Yield 16 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and oil. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; beat into egg mixture. Stir in carrots., Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in another large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Add enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting for decorating if desired. If desired, stir walnuts into remaining frosting. , Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. If decorating the cake, tint 1/4 cup reserved frosting orange and 1/4 cup green. Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert #7 round pastry tip. Fill the bag with orange frosting. Pipe twelve carrots on top of cake, so each slice will have a carrot. Using #67 leaf pastry tip and the green frosting, pipe a leaf at the top of each carrot. , Store cake in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 531 calories, Fat 28g fat (7g saturated fat), Cholesterol 67mg cholesterol, Sodium 203mg sodium, Carbohydrate 68g carbohydrate (54g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 5g protein.
CARROT CAKE WITH PHILLY CREAM CHEESE ICING
Enjoy! This moist cake is made with carrots and pineapple and frosted with a rich cream cheese icing.
Provided by Philadelphia
Categories Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips Cooking with Philly Canada
Time 2h
Yield 18
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Beat eggs and oil in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Gradually add granulated sugar, mixing until blended. Add flour mixture, carrots, pineapple and walnuts; mix well. Pour into greased and floured 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch (3-L) tube pan.
- Bake 50 min. to 1 hour or until wooden toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool 10 min.; loosen from sides of pan with spatula or knife and gently remove cake. Cool completely on wire rack.
- Icing: Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add icing sugar, juice and peel, beating until well blended after each addition. Spread on top of cake. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 449.1 calories, Carbohydrate 54.4 g, Cholesterol 63.8 mg, Fat 25.2 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 4.5 g, SaturatedFat 6.8 g, Sodium 287 mg, Sugar 36.7 g
AWESOME CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
This straightforward recipe delivers moist, dense, and delicious carrot cake with pineapple under a cream cheese frosting.
Provided by Tracy Kirk
Categories Desserts Frostings and Icings Cream Cheese
Time 1h40m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
- In a large bowl, combine grated carrots, flour, white sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in eggs, oil, 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, pineapple and 3/4 cup chopped pecans. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
- To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, Neufchatel cheese, 1/2 cup butter or margarine and 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla. Beat until smooth, then stir in 1 cup chopped pecans. Spread on cooled cake.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 369.2 calories, Carbohydrate 46.5 g, Cholesterol 48.3 mg, Fat 19.6 g, Fiber 1.6 g, Protein 4 g, SaturatedFat 5.5 g, Sodium 259.8 mg, Sugar 36.3 g
CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
This is a tall, moist carrot cake, light in texture and lightly spiced with cinnamon and touch of nutmeg. Heavy cream whipped into the cream cheese frosting makes it extra fluffy.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories dessert
Time 3h
Yield 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment and lightly coat with cooking spray.
- Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until light brown and fragrant, 7 minutes. Set aside 12 pecan halves to decorate the finished cake; chop the remaining pecans. Set aside 1 cup of the chopped pecans to use in the batter; reserve the rest for decorating the finished cake.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in the oil until well combined. Add the grated carrots, vanilla and 1 cup chopped pecans, and mix well. Add the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cakes are nicely browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges with a spatula, turn the cakes out and let cool completely, right-side up, on the cooling rack, about 2 hours. Remove the parchment before frosting.
- For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, scraping down the side as necessary, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt; gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until the sugar is incorporated and the frosting is fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on medium-high, add the cream a few drops at time until it's all incorporated. Continue beating for 1 more minute until the frosting is slightly lighter in color and creamy.
- To assemble: Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate, and spread 1 cup of the frosting over the top. Top with the other layer, and use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. Arrange the 12 whole pecans on top of the cake like the numbers on a clock face, and sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans in between.
CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Everyone seems to have an opinion on carrot cake, especially in our test kitchen. In our (lengthy) discussions, we debated the merits of adding common ingredients like coconut, pineapple, and chopped nuts. We even discussed just how much carrot to add. In the end, we all agreed that the classic carrot should definitely be loaded with carrots, walnuts, and raisins. One thing the test kitchen could agree on was that carrot cake must be frosted with cream cheese frosting. That is NOT negotiable.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories dessert
Time 2h30m
Yield 10 to 12 slices of carrot cake
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Coat three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper; coat the parchment with more cooking spray. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop 1 1/2 cups walnuts and finely chop 1 1/2 cups. Set aside the finely chopped nuts for topping.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the vegetable oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just combined. With the mixer on medium-low speed, beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk, until combined. Stir in the vanilla. Gently fold in the carrots, raisins and roughly chopped walnuts with a rubber spatula.
- Divide the batter among the cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 20 minutes in the pans. Remove the cakes from the pans, remove the parchment and let cool completely on the racks.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Place one cake layer on a platter or cake stand and spread 1 cup frosting on top. Add another cake layer, spread with another 1 cup frosting and then add the last cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a very thin layer of frosting (this is the crumb coat). Refrigerate 1 hour.
- Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting, then carefully press the finely chopped walnuts into the sides.
CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Nick Malgieri, the director of baking and pastry programs at The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, created this recipe exclusively for Epicurious. In lieu of a supersweet cream cheese frosting, this recipe contains slightly less sugar, so the tangy cream cheese flavor really sings. We love it, but if you have a sweet tooth, feel free to add up to 1 additional cup of confectioners' sugar. You can also bake this cake in a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. The baking time is about the same, but you'll only need half the frosting to cover the top of the cake. For more on carrot cake, including tips from Malgieri, see Classic Recipes: Carrot Cake.
Provided by Nick Malgieri
Categories Cake Dessert Bake Easter Cream Cheese Carrot Birthday Shower Party Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Soy Free Kosher
Yield 1 (9-inch) layer cake or 1 (9- by 13-inch) sheet cake
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- Make the cake:
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Butter the bottom and sides of 2 (9-inch-round, 2-inch-deep) cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the brown sugar on the lowest speed to break up any lumps. Add 1 egg and continue to mix on low until smooth and incorporated. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, and mix on low until smooth and incorporated. Shut off the mixer and scrape down the bowl and paddle. Return the mixer to low then add the oil in a thin steady stream and continue to beat until fully incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, using a large rubber spatula to fold the mixture together until just incorporated. Fold in the carrots, along with the nuts and raisins, if using.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until the layers are firm and risen and the tip of a paring knife inserted in the center of the cake emerges clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool for 5 minutes then invert the cake layers onto the rack and peel off the parchment paper. Use another rack or a large plate to invert the cake layers again then slide them back on to the rack so they are right side up. Let the cake layers cool completely. DO AHEAD: The cakes can be baked ahead, cooled, wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 2 days, or frozen up to 1 month.
- Once the cake is completely cool, make the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter and beat on medium until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Shut off the mixer and scrape down the bowl and paddle. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, and beat on medium, scraping down the bowl and paddle as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Frost the cake:
- Place 1 cake layer on a large plate and cover the top with about 1/3 of the frosting. Invert the second layer on top of the frosted bottom layer so that the flat side (the bottom) is on top. Spread the remaining frosting on the sides and top of the cake. If you used walnuts or pecans in the cake, sprinkle the frosting with a few tablespoons of lightly toasted chopped nuts. Keep at cool room temperature until serving time. DO AHEAD: Carrot cake can be baked and frosted ahead and kept, in an airtight cake dome, at cool room temperature, for 2 to 3 days.
BEST CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
This is by far the best carrot cake recipe I've ever had. You can substitute the pecans for walnuts if you prefer. Both are tasty. This recipe is also very easy because you don't have to worry too much about sifting the dry ingredients and making the batter perfectly smooth.
Provided by HocoRuco
Categories Dessert
Time 1h5m
Yield 10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- First prepare the cake.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all cake ingredients (brown sugar, oil, eggs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, carrots and pecans) in a large bowl.
- Pour batter into a 13x9 inch cake pan or two 8 inch round cake pans that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (if using 13x9) or until toothpick comes out clean but cake is still moist.
- Allow cake to cool and prepare cream cheese frosting.
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla.
- Cover cooled cake with frosting, slice and serve.
- You may want to keep it in the fridge if you aren't going to be eating it right away because of the cream cheese in the frosting.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 926.1, Fat 51.2, SaturatedFat 12.6, Cholesterol 111.6, Sodium 502.8, Carbohydrate 113.2, Fiber 2.4, Sugar 89.8, Protein 7.4
CARROT CAKE III
I've tried many carrot cakes, and this is my favorite recipe. If you don't like pecans, feel free to leave them out.
Provided by Tammy Elliott
Categories Desserts Cakes Sheet Cake Recipes
Time 2h
Yield 18
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 574.6 calories, Carbohydrate 63.7 g, Cholesterol 68.8 mg, Fat 34.8 g, Fiber 2.2 g, Protein 5.1 g, SaturatedFat 9.1 g, Sodium 347.2 mg, Sugar 49.9 g
Tips for Making the Best Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Use fresh, finely grated carrots for the best flavor and texture.
- Don't overmix the batter, as this can make the cake tough.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting it.
- For a cream cheese frosting that is smooth and fluffy, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and creamy before adding the powdered sugar.
- If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
- For a fun and festive touch, decorate the cake with chopped nuts, grated carrots, or sprinkles.
Conclusion:
Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is a classic dessert that is perfect for any occasion. With its moist, flavorful cake and creamy, tangy frosting, it's sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it. So next time you're looking for a special dessert to make, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!
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