Easy and incredibly moist carrot cake recipe made with real ingredients. You will have to raid your garden for this amazing cake!

Real ingredients means REAL flavor!

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.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting
Real ingredients means REAL flavor!
4.93 from 13 votes

From-Scratch Carrot Cake

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Easy and incredibly moist carrot cake recipe made with real ingredients. You will have to raid your garden for this amazing 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.

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Reader Comments

  1. 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.

      1. 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.

    1. 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.

  2. 4 stars
    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

    1. Mai, what is the elevation where you live?
      When I moved from Illinois to Colorado, I had to adjust my baking.

  3. 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 😊

  4. 5 stars
    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. 😋

  5. 5 stars
    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!!!

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