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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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.
Needs more spice and was very very heavy on carrots.