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This homemade Carrot Cake is everything a layer cake should be, with two tender, cinnamon spiced cake layers stuffed with carrots, walnuts, and raisins and stacked tall with tangy cream cheese frosting. I made it for the first time on a quiet Easter Sunday when Maddie wanted `the orange cake,` and it has been our most requested celebration cake ever since. If you love a from scratch showstopper, you will also adore our strawberry earthquake cake.
It looks bakery fancy but comes together in one bowl, so even a first time baker can pull off a gorgeous layered cake.
Carrot Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 35 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes (plus chilling)
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 slices
- ⚡ Calories: 899kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Warm and cozy, cinnamon spiced carrot cake with tangy cream cheese frosting
- ✋ Difficulty: Intermediate, on par with our festive eggnog cake
Quick Answer
Whisk the dry ingredients with warm spices, then beat melted butter and sugars with eggs and vanilla. Fold in grated carrots, crushed pineapple, walnuts, and raisins, divide between two pans, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely, then stack and frost with homemade cream cheese frosting for a tall, moist carrot cake.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Melted butter keeps it moist. Using melted butter instead of creamed butter gives the crumb a dense, moist texture that stays soft for days.
- Crushed pineapple adds hidden moisture. Well drained crushed pineapple melts into the batter, adding natural sweetness and keeping every bite tender.
- Warm spices build flavor. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves layer in cozy warmth so the cake tastes rich, not flat.
- Grated carrots steam as they bake. Freshly grated carrots release moisture in the oven, which is the secret to a carrot cake that is never dry.
- A crumb coat plus chill makes frosting easy. A thin crumb coat and a fridge rest lock in the loose crumbs so the final layer of frosting goes on smooth.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is unbelievably moist, thanks to melted butter, grated carrots, and crushed pineapple working together.
- The tangy cream cheese frosting balances the sweet, spiced cake perfectly, just like the one on our easy banana bundt cake.
- It is a true make ahead showstopper, so you can bake the layers a day early and frost when you are ready to celebrate.
Key Ingredients
Here are the key players that make this carrot cake so moist and flavorful. Use fresh, crisp carrots and good quality cream cheese for the best results.
- Grated carrots: Grate them fresh on a box grater for the best texture. Pre shredded bagged carrots are too dry and thick.
- Crushed pineapple: Drain it really well so the batter is not watery. It adds moisture and a subtle sweetness you will not be able to place.
- Warm spices: Cinnamon does the heavy lifting, with nutmeg and a pinch of cloves rounding out that classic cozy flavor.
- Walnuts and raisins: Walnuts add crunch and raisins add little pops of sweetness. Both are easy to swap or leave out to taste.
- Cream cheese: Full fat blocks, softened to room temperature, whip into the tangy frosting. The same base works on our chocolate cream cheese frosting.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This carrot cake is easy to make your own. Here are a few of our favorite ways to switch it up.
- Sheet cake: Bake the batter in a 9×13 inch pan for about 35 to 40 minutes for an easy single layer cake.
- Carrot cupcakes: Divide the batter into lined muffin tins and bake 18 to 22 minutes for a party friendly version.
- Nut free: Leave out the walnuts and add a little extra pineapple or shredded coconut for texture.
- Add coconut: Stir in 1/2 cup of sweetened shredded coconut with the carrots for extra chew.
- More cream cheese love: Doubling down on frosting? Try the technique behind our lemon blueberry poke cake for a fun twist.
How to Make Carrot Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray two 9 inch cake pans with baking spray, brushing it all over the inside so they are evenly coated. Add a circle of parchment paper to the bottom of each pan, spray again, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time until incorporated, then mix in the vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Scrape down the sides and stir about 30 seconds more until everything is mixed in well.
- Fold in the grated carrots, drained crushed pineapple, half of the walnuts, and the raisins until evenly distributed.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared pans, smooth out the tops, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- Make the frosting: beat the cream cheese and butter on medium until smooth. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar, and cinnamon, then whip on medium high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Place one cooled cake bottom side down on a serving plate. Spread about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting on top to the edge, then set the second cake bottom side up on the frosting and add a thin crumb coat. Chill at least 2 hours to set.
- Frost the chilled cake with the remaining cream cheese frosting, press the rest of the walnuts along the bottom edge, then slice and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Grate your own carrots. Bagged shredded carrots are dry and woody, so a quick grate on a box grater makes a huge difference in moisture.
- Drain the pineapple well. Press it in a fine mesh strainer to remove excess juice, or the batter will be too wet to set.
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir just until the flour disappears to keep the crumb tender, not tough.
- Cool the layers completely. Frosting a warm cake melts the cream cheese frosting right off, so be patient.
- Chill before the final coat. A crumb coat and a 2 hour fridge rest make the outside layer smooth and clean.
- Use room temperature cream cheese. Cold cream cheese makes lumpy frosting, so soften it on the counter first.
- Toast the walnuts. A few minutes in a dry skillet deepens their flavor and adds extra crunch.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This carrot cake is the centerpiece of any spring or holiday spread. Serve generous slices after an Easter ham or a Sunday roast, with hot coffee or tea alongside for the grown ups. It is rich and satisfying, so thin slices go a long way.
Round out a dessert table with a mix of textures and flavors. We love pairing it with our easy chocolate mousse for something silky, a tray of mini cinnamon rolls for brunch, and a fruity upside down cake with peaches so there is something for everyone.
Leftovers keep beautifully. Store the frosted cake covered in the fridge for up to 5 days, and let each slice sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving so the crumb softens back up. For more cozy cake ideas, try our lemon blueberry coffee cake next.
Carrot Cake FAQs
Dry carrot cake usually comes from too much flour, overbaking, or using pre shredded bagged carrots. Spoon and level your flour, check the cake at 30 minutes, and always grate fresh carrots, which release moisture as the cake bakes.
Yes, and it actually tastes even better the next day. Bake and cool the layers, wrap them well, and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months. Frost the cake the day you plan to serve it, then chill until ready.
No, but it is one of the secrets to a super moist carrot cake. If you leave it out, add a couple tablespoons of applesauce or a little extra grated carrot so the crumb stays tender.
Because of the cream cheese frosting, store carrot cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring slices to room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving for the best flavor and softest texture.
Absolutely. Freeze unfrosted layers wrapped tightly in plastic and foil for up to 2 months, or freeze frosted slices on a tray, then wrap individually. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Walnuts are the classic choice for their soft crunch and earthy flavor, but chopped pecans work just as well. Toast them first for extra depth, or leave them out entirely for a nut free cake.
Looking for your next bake? Our chocolate earthquake cake is a gooey crowd pleaser that comes together fast.
Easy Layered Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 8 ounces canned crushed pineapple drained well
- 1 cup chopped walnuts divided
- ½ cup raisins
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Take a pastry brush and brush the spray all over the inside of the pans to make sure they are evenly coated. Add a circle of parchment paper to the bottom of the pan, not up the sides. Spray with baking spray, set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves.2 cups all-purpose flour
- Place the butter and sugars in the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or you can do this in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, mix until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time until incorporated and add the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined, scrape down the sides, and stir for about 30 seconds until everything is mixed in well.2 cups all-purpose flour
- Add the carrots, pineapple, half of the walnuts, and the raisins, stir until everything is incorporated.2 cups all-purpose flour
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Smooth out the top and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, a few crumbs hanging on is okay but no wet batter.2 cups all-purpose flour
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Invert the pans and let cool completely on a wire rack.2 cups all-purpose flour
- While the cakes cool, make the frosting by adding the cream cheese and butter to the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Whip on medium until smooth. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar, and cinnamon, mix to combine. Scrape down the sides as needed. Turn the mixer on to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.2 cups all-purpose flour
- Once the cakes are cool, take the parchment paper off the bottoms. Place one of the cakes bottom side down onto your serving platter. There should be very little doming but if there is you can trim off a bit to make it more even. Add 1 & ½ cups of the frosting on top of the cake and smooth it out to the edge.2 cups all-purpose flour
- Invert the second cake and place it bottom side up on top of the frosting. Add a crumb coat to the entire cake. Place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.2 cups all-purpose flour
- Frost with the remaining cream cheese frosting. Add the walnuts along the bottom edge of the cake. Slice and serve!2 cups all-purpose flour
Notes
- The addition of the nutmeg and clove gives a nice warmth to the cake but you can leave it out and add more cinnamon in its place.
- You can also add or subtract your pineapple, nuts and raisins those are all optional but give it great flavor.
- If you don’t like regular raisins golden raisins are known to be used in carrot cake as well.
- This needs to fully cool before it is frosted.
- You can freeze the layers of this cake for later assembly.
- If you want taller layers, you can bake them in a high sided 8″ baking pan.
Nutrition
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