THE BEST Carrot Cake with FLUFFY Cream Cheese Frosting - Scientifically Sweet (2024)

If you have a tried and true recipe for carrot cake, I'm here to convince you that this one is better. My BEST Carrot Cake recipe is moist, flavorful and topped with the fluffiest cream cheese frosting! I have issues with carrot cake because I had tried so many and they taste of mostly one thing: oil. Not this one. This one is ultra moist and delicious with almost half the amount of oil compared to most. It is soft, tender and so flavorful with the perfect amount of spice and a soft fluffy texture that's not dense nor gummy. Scientifically speaking, more oil does not make cakes more moist (I go into this further in the post below), and carrot cake has plenty of moist-making ingredients since it has shredded carrots in it which are almost 90% water. So, I tried many versions - ones with butter, ones with oil and ones with a combination. I tried some with pineapple, some with coconut… In the end I settled on this here oil-based recipe that highlights the simple flavors of carrots balanced by just the right blend of spice (no pineapple and no coconut, because sometimes they can get in the way, and do you always have a can of crushed pineapple in the pantry? I don't). And, my secret ingredient: maple syrup! Moisture comes in the form of finely shredded carrots, yogurt and liquid sugars. If you're also looking to make cupcakes, check out my Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe too!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Easy to make - this cake is simple and quick to prepare. The most work is grating the carrots.
• Less oil - let's clear something up: oil does not make cakes moist. Moisture (in the form of liquid) makes things moist. Oil makes things soft and tender which gives the perception of moistness. So many carrot cake recipes have too much oil that it makes the texture gummy and pasty. My cake has just ⅔ cup of oil vs. more than 1 cup that you might find in most recipes.
• Moist carrot cake - this recipe makes a moist carrot cake with a soft texture and stays moist for days without drying out.
• Soft crumb texture - the crumb is tender and fluffy and it's even soft straight from the fridge.
• Flavorful spice cake - a fragrant blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice adds such a wonderful flavor.
• Fluffy cream cheese frosting - this frosting! It is incredible. Say goodbye to runny cream cheese frosting - this one is thick and fluffy and actually tastes of tangy cream cheese. It's not too sweet and you can even pipe it onto the cake.

INGREDIENTS FOR CARROT CAKE

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works just fine in this carrot cake recipe for a moist and soft texture.
• Spices - a fragrant blend of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger is just right here! I've played with the blend of spices a lot and this is the combination I love the most for carrot cake. Feel free to leave out the allspice if you don't have it, or add a pinch of ground clove instead.
• Oil - liquid oil will keep this cake soft even when it's refrigerated to preserve the cream cheese frosting. That's because oil is liquid even when cold whereas the saturated fats in butter are hard when cold.
• Granulated sugar - granulated sugar keeps these muffins tender and moist.
• Brown sugar - brown sugar adds rich molasses undertones to complement the sweet spices in this cake. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
• Eggs -three large eggs will add nice structure and help with the moist spongy texture.
• Yogurt -use full fat plain yogurt to add tanginess to balance the sweet carrots and the acidity will react with the baking soda.
• Grated carrots - you will need 2 cups of shredded carrots which is about 240g from 3 medium carrots. Make sure you grate them on the finer side of your box grater.

• Maple syrup - this is my secret ingredient that will make your cake stand out from all the rest. It adds rich robust sweetness in an almost tangy savory way so this cake is not too sweet. It also adds moisture which keeps this cake soft for days. If you really can't get maple syrup, I'd suggest golden syrup, brown rice syrup or agave syrup, but not honey since honey is much sweeter.
• Cream cheese - one block of cream cheese will make the frosting. Avoid using spreadable or whipped cream cheese which has a higher moisture content and will affect the consistency of the frosting.
• Lemon juice - this really enhances the tanginess of the cream cheese!
• Powdered sugar - it's also called icing sugar. Make sure you sift it before making the frosting since those pesky lumps can sometimes never break down. Sifted icing sugar will give you a fluffier frosting.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Carrot cake is surprisingly easy to make that you really shouldn't feel the need to buy a box mix! The most labor intensive part is grating the carrots, but once that is out of the way, then all you need to do is mix it all up! I use my hand mixer for this recipe, but you can use a stand mixed or even make it by hand with just a whisk.

• STEP 1). First grate your carrots. Use the medium grate on your box grater - not the largest size. If the carrot shreds are too large then they will be stringy in the cake and this interferes with the nice moist crumb texture. Measure out 2 cups and place it in a large mixing bowl.
• STEP 2). Add the sugar and eggs. Add sugar and eggs and beat until evenly combined.
• STEP 3). Add the remaining wet ingredients. Add the oil, yogurt and maple syrup and mix well.
• STEP 4). Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
• STEP 5). Add in the dry ingredients in two parts. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix again until just combined.
• STEP 6). Fold in walnuts. Add the walnuts and fold them in gently.
• STEP 7). Bake. Divide the batter evenly between your pans and bake until evenly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
• STEP 8). Frost the cake. Prepare the frosting as per the instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Spread about 1 cup of frosting over one layer. Place the other later on top and press it down gently. Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the cake. I like to make this cake a "naked" style as it looks so nice with the rich amber cake sides showing through.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR BEST CARROT CAKE

• Shred the carrots on the finest side of the grater. The key to a soft and fluffy carrot cake is to have the carrots bake into the crumb. If you coarsely grate the carrots, then they will not bake as quickly and will stay as threads through the cake which can get stuck in your teeth. For maximum flavor and the best texture, you'll need to grate them finely.
• Mix carrots with sugar first. This step helps to break down the carrots slightly so that you don't end up with fibrous bits in the baked cake.
• Skip the vanilla. I know what you're thinking, "What?!". That's right. You can save some cash and skip the vanilla extract for this recipe. With all the flavors from spices, carrots and maple syrup, you don't need vanilla. In fact, I think it interferes with the spice flavors.
• Measure flour accurately. Too much flour can make this cake feel more dry and create a coarser texture. For the best results, weigh your flour.
• Sift the dry ingredients. Sifting the flour will break up any lumps and make it easier for them to incorporate into the batter and minimize the amount of mixing required.
• Do no over-mix on the last step. Once the dry ingredients are just incorporated and the batter looks uniform, STOP mixing.

RECIPE FAQ

EXPERT TIPS FOR THE BEST CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

So many times I hear from home bakers that their cream cheese frosting is runny. This one is NOT! This frosting is so thick, fluffy and luscious!

• The key is to not use too much liquid since cream cheese is almost 60% water anyway! Also it is important to use the right ratio of butter to cream cheese. That ratio is about 1:2. One part butter to 2 parts cream cheese.

• Hold back on the sugar! Too much sugar will not only make it taste way too sweet, but it will make it more runny since sugar binds water and turns into a syrup.

STORING AND FREEZING

HOW TO FROST AND CRUMB COAT A CAKE

For a simple finish on the cake, first make sure your baked cake layers are completely cooled or even cold. Apply a thin layer of frosting all over the cake to first catch and trap the crumbs. This is called a "crumb coat". Then chill the cake for about 15 minutes so this layer of frosting stays in place.

Then dollop the balance of the frosting right on top of the cake and use an offset spatula to push and spread the frosting down from the center, out to the edges and then finally down the sides of the cake to coat. Have restraint when it comes to spreading -- the more you spread, the more air you will press out of the frosting. So, stick to swift swoops and swooshes for a natural effect.

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