The best recipe for Moist Carrot Cake! Very easy to make and topped with quick vanilla cream cheese frosting and chopped nuts.
Easy one layer cakes are my favorite, just like the popular One-Bowl Chocolate Cake and my Apple Crumb Cake.
This is my go-to carrot cake recipe. It's moist, sweet, delicious and so easy to make. I don't make layer cakes anymore, instead, I go for easy cakes, like my One-Bowl Chocolate Cake. The fewer dishes I need to use, the better. You only need one bowl, one measuring cup and one baking pan to make this delicious treat! Each piece melts in your mouth, and you can't help yourself but reach for another one. This recipe can be made into cupcakes as well.
Ingredients:
- all-purpose flour
- white sugar
- brown sugar
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cinnamon, ginger, cloves
- eggs
- canola oil
- vanilla extract
- carrots
- cream cheese
- butter
- powdered sugar
How to make Moist Carrot Cake?
- Start by greasing and flouring your cake pan or simply line it with parchment paper.
- Whisk together dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients in a large measuring cup. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, then fold in carrots. The batter will be thick.
- Pour batter onto prepared baking pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in a few places comes out clean.
- Make frosting by beating together cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy. Spread over cake. Chill cake until ready to serve. Top with chopped walnuts or pecans before serving.
Kitchen tools needed:
To make this cake you will need one mixing bowl, a whisk, one large measuring cup (for wet ingredients) and one square or round 8" pan.
Best tips:
- grate carrots on small hole side of your grater: you won't have long strings of carrots in your cake.
- measure out the flour: fluff it with a fork or spoon in the container you store your flour in; then spoon it into the measuring cup, level out the top. Do not dip your measuring cup right into the flour. You will end up with too much of it and the cake won't be fluffy and moist.
- add nuts, raisins or shredded coconut.
- add cinnamon and nutmeg to frosting for added spice!
More easy dessert recipes:
- Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake
- One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
- Strawberry Crumble
- Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp
- One-Bowl Vanilla Cake
For more recipes like this one, feel free to browse our Dessert Category.
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
Moist Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup shredded carrots see note
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 8" square or round cake pan (or line with parchment paper). Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- In a large measuring cup, whisk oil with eggs. Add vanilla and whisk well.2 large eggs, ½ cup canola oil, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir in with a wooden spoon.
- Add carrots and stir in well.1 ½ cup shredded carrots
- Pour batter into prepared pan, tap it against the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in a few places comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting.
- To make frosting: in a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese for 30 seconds. Add butter and beat for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Spread frosting on cake.4 oz. cream cheese, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chill cake until ready to serve.
Notes
- to measure out flour properly: fluff it with a fork or spoon in the container you store your flour in; then spoon it into the measuring cup, level out the top. Do not dip your measuring cup right into the flour. You will end up with too much of it and the cake won't be fluffy and moist.
- grate carrots on small hole side of your grater
- the cream cheese and butter should be very soft, as in you have to scrape it off the wrapper
Suzi says
I made this in a 9” loaf pan. It sank a bit in the middle but still was delicious. My question is regarding your recommendation for pan size. An 8” square is twice the volume as an 8” round. So which size you use? Seems like the batter would overflow an 8”. round.
Angi says
Anna. I love carrot cake and my family didn’t, so before your recipe, I could savour and take my time. Oh no not anymore, kids, grandkids are converts. Thank you for sharing
Cecilia D. says
This cake looks delicious. Can you recommend a gluten free flour for this recipe?
Anna says
Hi Cecilia! I did not test this recipe with gluten-free flour but Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 flour is recommended. I hope this helps!
Ligita Millar says
Good recipe. Used nutmeg and cinnamon only, no cloves or ginger in the batter. Also added raisins and walnuts. Topped with crushed walnuts before baking. No frosting, just icing sugar for serving. Delicious!
Dawn Watson says
Nice recipe, add ripe banana and pineapple. no frosting
Salma E. says
This carrot cake was a m a z i n g!! It was so moist, soft, and flavorful — even after storing it in the fridge! Fantastic recipe.
Danny says
Made this today! Came out lovely. Wasn’t crumbly and was quite most. Would probably bake two next time for a double layer since there was a remainder of frosting.
Thanks so much for this recipe.
Anna says
That's fantastic! Thank you for trying my recipe, Danny!
Katie says
It’s really great and light vs super dense. Thanks!
Anna says
Awesome! Thank you, Katie!
Kris says
If I used round pans, how tall would the cakes be after baking??
Laura says
Looks amazing, could this be adapted for cupcakes? What do you think the baking time would be?
Vanessa says
Looks delicious! I noticed in the pictures you can see nuts in the cake, but you don't mention nuts in the recipe.
Anna says
Hi Vanessa! Yes, you can add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts if you like. I hope you love the cake!
Ella says
Can you use cinnamon and nutmeg instead of ginger and cloves
Anna says
You sure can!
Patricia says
Carrot cake is one of my faves, and not one I make often. This recipe looks really easy to put together, and it look soooo delicious! I see this in my future!
Erin says
This couldn't be any more perfect! This was a huge hit in my house!
Taylor says
So moist and delicious! Love the frosting on top!
Bee says
Your cake looks amazing. It looks really hearty and full of spicy goodness. I like how you decorated just the top with the cream cheese and nuts. Gorgeous! I want a slice right now.
Chrissie Baker says
This looks delicious! Now I have to add ANOTHER possible Easter dessert to my list — how am I going to decide?!
Katerina says
Such a faaantastic recipe!!
Beth Pierce says
I have been wanting to teach my daughter how to prepare for Easter brunch for our household; this will be a great recipe for her to attempt for the first time! Yum!
Anna says
It's so easy and absolutely delicious! Thanks, Beth!
Dorothy Reinhold says
I may have to make a trial batch before Easter dinner. It would be a shame if I had to eat them all myself!
Sommer says
Totally adding this to my Easter day menu!
Anna says
Thanks, Sommer!
Taylor says
This carrot cake looks like a dream! So yummy!
Anna says
Thanks, Taylor!
Katerina says
Oh my goodness, this looks incredible!! I bet it tastes amazing!
Anna says
It sure does! 😀
Eden says
Love the brown sugar and oil in this. Makes is so moist!
Anna says
Yes! So moist and delicious!
Kimberly says
That is pure deliciousness right now, SO good!
Anna says
Thanks, Kimberly!