Easy and incredibly moist carrot cake recipe made with real ingredients. You will have to raid your garden for this amazing cake!
From Scratch Carrot Cake
Carrot cakes are traditionally less fussy than many other layer cakes, making it ideal for beginners. However, the flavors are so amazing it’s ideal for any age to enjoy!
Carrot Cake Tips
Allow the cakes to cool completely before assembling the cake. I like to use a chilled cake for assembly and a room-temperature frosting. You may need to level your cake prior to assembly.
The cream cheese frosting is SWEET. If you are hesitant, try tasting as you go and add in the confectioner’s sugar a cup at a time. You may be able to use less sugar.
BONUS: One way to make this cake AMAZING (and for the 21+ crowd) is to plump up your raisins in rum or the alcohol of choice.
From-Scratch Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 ¼ cups grated carrots
- ½ cup pineapple, diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray.
- Beat the sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in mixer until it is a light yellow.
- In a separate bowl sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly and gently add in the dry ingredients. Mix until JUST combined.
- Remove bowl from mixer and fold raisins, nuts, carrots, and pineapple.
- Divide the batter equally between the pans. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
Can I use crushed pineapple from a can and drain it?
I love baking from scratch and cooking savory recipes. Desserts cakes, cookies and meals
can i make it in a 9×13 pan
I make this cake every year for my brother’s and sister in laws’ birthday. I use dried cherries instead of raisins and I soak the cherries in wine. This year I will be using Cherry Mascotte wine. I love how moist this cake turns out. It is the only carrot cake I ever make.
Is there not any milk in this cake
@iamhomesteader. I made a few tweaks aka added some liquor
Is the batter supposed to be thick after putting in the sifted ingredients?
You know I thought the same thing,
I’m gonna have cookies LOL. I thinned mine down a little with the juice from the pineapple.
Baking this now in 9×13 pan. Where is the icing recipe?
I did and it turned out beautifully. I had to bake it for right at 57 minutes. I start checking my cakes around 40 and just add 10 minute intervals until finished.
The flavor is great, but something went really wrong with mine!! Is the baking soda correct? Spilled everywhere had to open and clean and put back and just got burned as a complete liquid 🙁 🙁 i don’t know what went wrong for me!! Never happened before
Mai, what is the elevation where you live?
When I moved from Illinois to Colorado, I had to adjust my baking.
Making this tonight the click on “cream cheese” in article it takes you to the recipe
Butter
Cream cheese
Confec/sugar vanilla
Will update how it turns out 😊
What is the frosting made from?
Can this be baked in a 9X13 pan? Is there a recipe for the cream cheese frosting ?TIA
The best carrot cake recipe ever!
Can i bake this in loaf pans?
Carrot cake is my husband’s favorite and I’ve tried a few different recipes through the years. Made this one today for his birthday. It ended up tasting great, however the 8” pans were not large enough. I followed your ingredient measurements to the ‘t’ and even made an extra heart for the top of the cake, but the pans spilled over in the oven. Next time I will use 9” pans. But the cake was excellent. 😋
I used 9” pans and only needed to bake the cake for 35 minutes.
Hi I want to try this recipe but I don’t have pineapple on hand, is the pineapple really needed?
You can leave it out!
There “used “ to be two places in Kansas City I absolutely loved getting carrot cake from until today when I made this recipe!! It is even better than the places that used to be my favorite🥰😞 excellent!!!
Can’t locate the cream cheese frosting either! Please post!
no butter and no milk or yogurt? is this recipe correct?
The 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil is used in place of butter