Best Carrot Cake Recipe (Easy Old-Fashioned)
This easy carrot cake recipe guarantees a sweet, delicious and moist dessert with a tangy smooth cream cheese frosting that all will enjoy. It’s an old-fashioned favorite, baked in a single layer for a no-fuss result.
Grandma’s Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
I remember asking my mom why she made carrot cake so often. She shared that by the end of the week, when all the other fresh fruit and vegetables had been eaten or expired, carrots would still be waiting in the fridge. They were typically inexpensive and added great flavor and moisture to the dessert.
I think she was secretly trying to sneak in extra veggies to our diets though!
The classic combination of a sweet carrot cake with the tanginess of a cream cheese frosting is a tried and true recipe our family has been indulging in for years.
While the cream cheese frosting is delicious, our kids actually prefer it without. If we’re really feeling fancy, we simply sprinkle some icing sugar on top.
The kids love this baked (healthier) treat for an afternoon snack. And we love to indulge in a piece with a fresh cup of coffee or delicious afternoon tea.
Carrot Cake Recipe Variations
For additional flavor options, consider adding raisins, shredded coconut, pineapple chunks or chopped walnuts to the carrot cake batter before baking.
Cream Cheese Frosting
When preparing the frosting, ensure that the cream cheese as well as the butter are soft. Remove from the fridge prior to preparing to allow the ingredients enough time to soften at room temperature.
Before adding the creamy frosting, wait until the carrot cake cools completely. Afterwards, place the frosted carrot cake in the fridge and store it there until you’re ready to serve.
Best Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake Recipe
Equipment
- stand mixer or electric mixer
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 3/4 cups vegetable oil
- 4 cups shredded carrots
- 4 eggs at room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Grease a 9”x13” glass pan.
- Preheat the oven to 365F.
- Shred carrots.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat eggs for 2-3 minutes.
- Add brown sugar and mix until sugar is fully dissolved.
- Slowly pour oil into the egg and sugar mixture. Continue mixing for a few minutes until ingredients are well blended and a creamy texture forms.
- Add dry ingredients to the mixture and mix at a slow speed.
- Lastly, add shredded carrots (and any other optional ingredients such as raisins or chopped walnuts) to batter and stir with a wooden spoon just until blended.
- Bake at 365F for 30-40 minutes. Check that the cake is fully cooked by inserting a toothpick into the center, if the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.
- Leave the cake to cool completely before adding the cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine cream cheese, butter and icicng sugar in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer on low to medium speed.
- Add the lemon juice and mix again until blended and icing appears smooth and creamy.
- Spread the frosting using a silicone spatula on to the cooled carrot cake and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Other Desserts with Vegetables
For more vegetable-based dessert recipes, try this much loved easy zucchini cake recipe, pumpkin flan recipe , carrot cake cookies or this rhubarb strawberry crisp recipe.
Do you have a favourite carrot dessert recipe?
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Hello! So, the carrots never get peeled? Just shred them with their jackets still on?
@Allison Rogers, I always scrap the carrots regardless of what the recipe calls for.
What are the measurements for the frosting?
Hello. We don’t like the frosting too sweet so would do 1 cream cheese, 1/2 cup of icing sugar 1/4 cup butter and a tsp of lemon juice (optional) for a little extra tanginess. -Jane
@Jane and Sonja, I’m sorry maybe this is common knowledge but how much is 1 cream cheese? Is it 1 cup? 1 packet (is so, how many grams?) ? Thank you
@Laura, it’s one package. I just made it.
How much cream cheese and sugar for the frosting? This looks like such a yummy recipe, thanks for posting!
What are the measurements for the frosting? Thanks!
This is the best recipe ever!! I’ve made others that don’t turn out. This one was easy to make and so delicious! I love that the cake recipe is dairy free because I’m lactose intolerant. For the cream cheese icing I just used lactose free and it’s so delicious!
My mum made this recipe today and it’s awesome! I love it!
Had to come back and give a review because this cake was so delicious. quick and easy. I substituted GF flour and it turned out perfect. It has the perfect amount of sweetness. This will now be my go-to recipe.
Thank you for your comment, I’m happy to hear it’s on your go-to recipe list. We also make it very often as it is such a quick and easy recipe and we always seem to have carrots in the fridge!
Where is instructions and ingredients for cream cheese frosting . Did i somehow miss it?
OP responded to another comment that asked the same with these measurements. Hope this helps!
1 cup of cream cheese, 2 cups of icing sugar and a tsp of lemon juice (opitonal) for a little extra tanginess.
Can I bake this in round pans and layer it? Thanks!
Yes, that would be great! Put a layer of the cream cheese filling in between and that would be delicious!
I would like to make this as cup cakes. How long and at what temp should I bake them
Hi Thia, I haven’t tried to make cupcakes with this recipe, but I’d set the temperature to 360F and bake for mucch less time, checking the progress at about 15 minutes. If necessary insert a toothpick into the center to be sure the batter is cooked through. Be sure to grease the tray or use cupcake liners to prevent the batter from sticking. Enjoy!
Have you ever added raisins?
Can you make this in a Bundt pan?
Hi Laurie. Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem. You’ll want to lower the temperature and cook for longer (about 45-60 minutes) checking often towards the end to make sure it’s cooked through. -Jane
@Jane and Sonja, hi! I would like to attempt to do it in a Bundt pan as well. How much would you recommend lowering the temp? 350? Thanks in advance! We love this carrot cake recipe it is the best.
Hi Payton – I’d suggest trying 355 for most ovens. Thank you for your kind feedback! -Jane
Hi there,
Will adding in 1 cup of drained crushed pineapple work with this recipe?
Hi Lisa. I haven’t tried that but wouldn’t see why not. Let us know how it goes! -Jane
@Lisa V, I’m wondering the same thing. Did you try it with the pineapple?
DO you use regular or powdered sugar for icing?
Yes, icing sugar is the same as powdered sugar.
While I am NOT a baker, I was excited to try this for Easter. So proud of myself…..even died coconut green on top of the delicious icing. But, I have to say….the cake was a bit dry……I only baked for the minimum 30 minutes. I am wondering about the temperature….365 is very odd……is it a conversion issue from C to F?
Hi Jan,
I’m so glad you gave it a go! Love your idea of the green coconut on top. It is 365F but every oven is a bit different. So when baking we regularly check towards the end to make sure it’s not overdone. It can also depend on the size of the pan you used – if it was a larger pan, the carrot cake would have been thinner and thus needing a shorter time to cook. I hope you try it again – it’s definitely a go-to recipe for our family year-round. -Jane
Could this recipe be used to make cupcakes
Yes! Just adjust the cooking time to 12-15 minutes.
My family and I love this recipe. I will keep making it, so moist and simple to make.
Thank you for the kind feedback! So glad your family loves it as much as we do. -Jane
Very good carrot cake – moist and delicious! I’m saving this one!
Delicious and so easy! Based on another recipe, I added raisins and crushed pineapple. Next time I’ll add coconut.
What is 2 cups of flour in grams please
Hi Vivien. It is 240g . Hope that helps!
Jane
Lovee this recipe! I have someone needing gluten free and was wondering if anyone’s ever opted the flour for gluten free and how it turned out? Thanks in advance!
365degrees seems too hot, isn’t it?
Can you use white sugar instead of light brown?
Hi! Can we substitute vegetable oil for avocado oil? Thanks!
Hi Jerissa. Yes! Avacado oil is a great substitute for vegetable oil.
First ever carrot cake and man was it yummy. Loved the frosting and my husband did to.
To clarify, I use Philly brick cream cheese, the 8oz. package for the frosting. Also you can substitute some the pinapple juice from the crushed instead of the lemon juice. If you live in an area where black walnuts are available, try them in this cake. They are amazing. It gives a totally different flavour
hi there is it self raising flour or plain . thank you x
We use plain all-purpose flour.
Can this be made using the same size disposable pan rather than glass pan and, if so, should the temperature be altered?
What type of flour do you use? All purpose by the looks of soda and baking powder.
Yes, we use all purpose flour for this recipe.
Flavor was good I added some vanilla. But it was very dry. I also don’t do super sweet but feel like it could’ve used more sugar in the frosting. Maybe a little more in the cake aswell
Amazing loved it! Made it for my friend and it was delicious and super moist!
I am so happy, finally I found the recipe, I was looking for. I question, how can I slice the pieces without making it crumble.
The measurements for the raisins please?
We don’t put raisins in our carrot cake, but you could easily add 1/2 a cup to a cup depending on how raisiny you would like it.
I still don’t know what a package of cream cheese is. Is it 4 oz or 8 oz?
For us in Canada a package of cream cheese is 8 oz.
I love this recipe, it’s easy, uses a lot of carrots and moist. Friends beg me to make it!
If I wanted to make them into cupcakes, how long do you think I would bake them for?
Moistest. Cake. Ever. Seriously, my go to recipe.