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The best classic carrot cake recipe
5 from 12 votes
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Carrot Cake

This moist and delicious carrot cake is a breeze to put together and is SO GOOD! You can bake it in a bundt pan or in two 6" or 9" pans to make a layer cake, but it also makes perfect muffins! Double the icing if you are making a layer cake.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword carrot cake
Servings 12
Author Fraîche

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

  • 2 cups finely grated carrots, peeled
  • 1 cup grated apple, peeled
  • 3 eggs beaten
  • 2/3 cup oil (canola, vegetable, avocado or olive oil)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat or a mix)*
  • 3/4 cup sugar or coconut sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Icing

  • 4 oz. brick style cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2-2 cups icing sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two 6" cake pans or a bundt pan.

  2. In a large bowl mix together the grated carrot, grated apple, eggs, oil and vanilla.

  3. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice (if using) and salt.

  4. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Don't overmix, but make sure that all of the dry ingredients are well incorporated. If you are adding nuts or raisins (see below) add them with the dry ingredients.

  5. Spread the batter (using a rubber spatula) into your prepared pan(s) and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes (depending on the size of your pans), or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

  6. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely before icing.

For the Cream Cheese Icing

  1. In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Slowly add the icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, unti the desired consistency is reached (between 1 1/2-2 cups). Note that the icing will firm up in the refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

Note: you can stir in around 3/4 cup of chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) or raisins into the batter with the dry ingredients if you want.  To make these into muffins bake for approximately 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  

*I like using 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour