Easy Carrot Cake

This Easy Carrot Cake recipe is the perfect classic carrot cake that’s simple to make in one bowl. It’s the best carrot cake recipe for beginners with fluffy cream cheese frosting!

 

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

Carrot Cake is a beloved dessert that’s quintessentially spring. It’s a popular dessert for Easter and it’s known for its tender, moist texture and its sweetness – especially when it’s made with cream cheese frosting on top!

When it comes to baking homemade cakes, this Easy Carrot Cake recipe is the perfect one to start with – especially if you’re a beginner in the kitchen. It’s easy to make in one bowl, with basic kitchen equipment, and it’s almost impossible to mess up. Trust us, if you love carrot cake and want to make one yourself, this is the recipe for you!

Carrot cake is a classic cake with a sweet, earthy flavour made with shredded carrots and flavoured with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. It’s usually made with oil instead of butter, making it a soft, tender cake.

So many variations of carrot cake can be found in different cultures, from South America to Europe and North America. Some variations include crushed pineapple, nuts, dried fruit, and/or shredded coconut as ingredients and it’s sometime topped with a fluffy cream cheese frosting.

Make sure your milk and eggs are at room temperature. This will create a smooth cake batter and help the ingredients combine properly.

The best way to measure flour is in grams, but if you’re using cup measurements, be sure to fluff the flour in its bag or container before scooping VERY gently (don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup at all), then level it off with the back of a knife or other flat object.

Adding oil to the cake batter as the fat creates an ultra tender and soft cake because oil is liquid at room temperature. Melted butter could be used in place of the oil, but it makes the cake’s texture more dry and dense.

Avoid using carrots you can buy at the grocery store that are pre-grated or sliced julienne. Fresh carrots that you peel and grate yourself at home contain so much more moisture and add so much more flavour.

Do not over-mix, especially after adding the wet ingredients. Over-mixing can create a dry, tough cake.

This can create something called tunnelling where long, thin air bubbles appear in the baked cake. This is caused by vigorous mixing that strengthens the gluten strands in the cake batter too much. Instead, mix on low to medium speed just until the ingredients combine.

Always grease your cake pan generously with butter or baking spray and dust the inside with flour on all sides. This will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan. (We suggest using spring-form pans when baking round cakes for even easier removal.)

Don’t let an unbaked cake sit out on the counter. Always preheat your oven first and bake the cake immediately after adding the batter to the pans. This will help the cake rise properly in the oven as the leavening agent in the cake batter is activated as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are combined.

Don’t place the pan too close to one side of the oven as this can cause it to brown unevenly. Add the pan to the centre of the oven so it bakes evenly.

Avoid opening the oven during baking unless it’s absolutely necessary to rotate the cake while baking (if your oven is small or has a hot spot). Opening the oven door at the end of the baking time is okay, especially because testing the cake with a toothpick is necessary to prevent under or over-baking.

Over-baked cakes are dry and crumbly. Be sure to remove them from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted into the top of the cake comes out clean.

Under-baked cakes are partly baked but gummy on top and in the centre. Test the cake with a toothpick to be sure the cake is baked completely.

Don’t try to frost a cake that’s still warm, especially if you’re using a butter-based frosting as the butter will melt and you’ll be left with a mess. Wait for the cakes to cool completely, then frost.

Here are some common problems you might encounter while baking cakes and how to prevent them:

• Make sure to measure ingredients accurately, especially the leavening agents like baking powder.
• Do not over-mix the batter as this can result in excess air being incorporated into the batter, leading to uneven baking and sinking in the centre of the cakes.
• Ensure the oven is preheated to the correct temperature before placing the cake inside.
• Avoid opening the oven door during baking as this can cause major changes in oven temperature and result in an uneven rise.

• Measure the flour properly by spooning it into the measuring cup and levelling it off, rather than scooping it directly from the bag (using the fluff and scoop method also works well).
• Do not over-mix the batter as this can over-develop gluten in the batter and lead to a tougher texture. Mix until the ingredients are just combined and the flour disappears.
• Check the baking time and temperature. Over-baking can cause the cake to dry out. Use a toothpick to check for doneness.

• An oven temperature that’s too high can cause the cake to rise too quickly and crack on the surface. Double-check that your oven temperature is correct by using an oven thermometer.

• Avoid opening the oven door during the first half of baking. This can cause sudden temperature changes that contribute to cracking on the top of the cake.

• Properly grease and flour the cake pans (dust with cocoa powder instead of flour for a chocolate cake). You can also use parchment paper to line the bottoms of the pans to prevent sticking.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10, 15 or even 20 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack. Cooling the layers in the pan for several minutes helps the cake release more easily.

• Check the freshness of your baking powder or baking soda. They lose potency over time and can cause cakes to sink. Replace them if necessary.
• Ensure the oven temperature is accurate. Use an oven thermometer to check the temperature.
• Avoid over-mixing the batter, as this can deflate the air incorporated during the creaming process. Mix until just combined.
• Be sure the cakes are fully baked before removing them from the oven. If they’re not fully baked in the centre, they’ll sink in the middle after you remove them from the oven.

• Be sure the texture of your frosting is soft enough that it will easily glide over the surface of the cake without difficulty.
• It’s a good idea to refrigerate the cake layers before frosting to make frosting the cake easier (the layers will be firmer after refrigerating).

• Refrigerate the cake after frosting for about 30 minutes if the cake and frosting seem too soft. This will help both the cake and frosting firm up so it’s easier to slice.

Here’s a list of the basic kitchen equipment you’ll need to make this easy carrot cake recipe (paid links):

• mixing bowls
• Grater
• measuring cups and spoons
• liquid measuring cups
• Silicone Spatula
• Whisk
• Offset Spatula
• 8-inch square baking pan (a 9-inch square baking pan also works)
• Hand Mixer

One VERY important kitchen tool for all kinds of baking recipes is an oven thermometer. Because all ovens perform differently, and some ovens struggle to keep the baking temperature consistent, using an oven thermometer will help you ensure your oven stays at the correct temperature, helping your baked goods turn out perfectly every time!

We recommend this oven thermometer, because of its accuracy and the fact that it snaps on to your oven rack, holding it in place.

To make this carrot cake recipe you’ll need these ingredients (paid links):

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2/3 cup buttermilk at room temperature
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs at room temperature

FOR THE FROSTING

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup cream cheese cold from the fridge
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

We hope you love this delicious carrot cake recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite spring dessert? We’d love to know!

• Baileys Chocolate Cake
• Best Red Velvet Cake
• Berry Chantilly Cake
• Chocolate Lava Cake
• Easy Pumpkin Cake
• Zucchini Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Layer Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
• Angel Food Cake

Watch the video below to see exactly how we make this recipe. You can find many more deliciously simple recipe videos on our YouTube channel!