Carrot Cake Recipe

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This Carrot Cake recipe is moist with a tender bite. Covered with thick cream cheese frosting and spiced to perfection, makes it the best! Check out my other Easter treats while you’re at it 🙂

Carrot Cake, Keeping it simple!

Guys, you will DIE over this Carrot Cake Recipe. Like straight up take a bite and never want to eat anything else in life other than carrot cake.

I’m convinced that if you don’t like carrot cake, you’re making the wrong carrot cake recipe. Growing up, I really hated carrot cake because of the chunks of pineapple. Classically, a carrot cake recipe is made around Easter (or Spring in general) and does call for nuts, coconut (sometimes), and crushed pineapple. While I have directions for adding in these ingredients below, mine is the plain jane version featuring grated carrot, a variety of spices, and the most amazing cream cheese frosting.

Carrot Cake Ingredient Substitutions

This is an easy, homemade carrot cake recipe that will leave you wanting more. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples that you’ll be able to find already at home or at the store. However, here are some helpful ingredient substitutions just in case:

• Milk – if you are looking to keep this cake vegan, replace the milk with almond milk. The milk and vinegar mixture can be completely replaced with buttermilk.
• White Vinegar – this can be replaced with lemon juice if needed! The milk and vinegar mixture can be completely replaced with buttermilk.
• Cinnamon, Nutmeg + Cloves – all warm delicious spices found in traditional carrot cake recipes. I’ve learned from other previously published recipes that cloves can be quite a controversial ingredient. If you are not a fan of cloves, just omit them or reduce the listed amount by half.
• Canola Oil – oil keeps the carrot cake nice and moist. Any light-colored oil will work like vegetable or grapeseed oil. Or if you’re in a pinch, melted butter!
• Carrots – I highly recommend shredding your own carrots rather than buying pre-shredded carrots. But if all you have is the pre-shredded kind just note that your cake will tend to be drier.

Wait, No Eggs?

I think it’s important to note that this recipe *does not* call for eggs. It’s not a typo, folks!! There are no eggs listed in the recipe card because I don’t add eggs to this cake batter. Structurally, it’s fine without eggs and your carrot cake recipe will turn out just as beautiful as mine, pictured below. I promise this cake will turn out perfectly without the eggs. Dare I say you won’t even notice? And as an extra bonus, you can lick out the bowl with no raw egg guilt…not that that ever stops me. Ahem.

Carrot Cake Add-Ins

As I mentioned above, the listed recipe below does not include all of these extras. If you would like to add in the coconut, pecans, and/or pineapple, here’s how to do it:

• Crushed pineapple: Reduce the milk and vinegar mixture by 1/2 cup and add 1/4 cup extra flour to the batter. Drain one 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple. Stir in with the grated carrot. Bake, cool, and frost as usual.
• Pecans: Stir in 3/4 cup of toasted and chopped pecans into the batter with the grated carrot. Bake, cool, and frost as usual. Walnuts or almonds are also a good substitution.
• Coconut: Stir in 1 1/2 cups sweetened, desiccated coconut into the batter with the grated carrot. Bake, cool, and frost as usual.

If you do not want to add in the crushed pineapple but would like to add in pecans or coconut, the milk and vinegar mixture does not need to be reduced because you’re not adding in extra moisture like you would be with the pineapple.

Cake Size Options

This carrot cake recipe will make:

• 24 cupcakes (350 for 15-20 minutes)
• two 8 or 9-inch round cakes {350 for 20-25 minutes}
• 9×13 cake {350 for 25-30 minutes}

No need to change the frosting recipe, it’s enough to frost any of the options above.

How to Make Carrot Cake

No stand or hand mixer is required to make my carrot cake recipe. It’s a one-bowl, super simple recipe that is really really hard to mess up! I promise you will love it. For full details, see the recipe card down below 🙂

Prep and Preheat

Preheat oven. Line 2-8 or 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and parchment paper and set aside.

Make Carrot Cake Batter

Measure milk and stir in white vinegar. Stir and set aside.

In a large bowl, measure out all dry ingredients and whisk together to combine. Create well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk vinegar mixture, oil, and vanilla. Stir until just incorporated. Add in carrots and stir again. 

Bake + Cool

Divide batter evenly between baking pans and smooth the tops. Bake 20-25 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and cool until pans are just warm. Invert cakes onto cooling racks, remove parchment paper and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

While cakes are cooling make the cream cheese frosting. Place cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a large bowl. Stir with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until completely combined, thick and smooth. Scrape the sides and stir again briefly to ensure a smooth frosting.

Decorate Carrot Cake

Place one cake onto a cake plate or serving platter. Spread about 1 1/2 cup of frosting onto the cake evenly (doesn’t have to be exact) being sure to push frosting right to the edges of the cake. Top with the other cake round. With the remaining frosting, frost the cake exterior. This can be done with simple tools like the back of a spoon or butter knife or an offset spatula.

Decorate with anything from chopped pecans, coconut shreds, sprinkles, or even colored frosting in the shape of carrots. Happy baking 🙂

Make-Ahead Options

This carrot cake recipe is a great make-ahead dessert, especially around the holidays. Because of that, I’m going to outline three options on how you can make this cake recipe ahead of time.

1. Make and Store Separately

Bake and cool your cake layers completely. Cover in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. You can also make the frosting ahead of time and store it in the fridge (covered). When ready to decorate the cake, let your frosting come to room temperature (15 minutes) then give it a quick mix to loosen it up again.

2. Make, Assemble + Store

It’s pretty self-explanatory, make your cake, frost it, and then store them in the fridge for up to a week. Make sure to cover well.

3. Freeze (Frosted or Unfrosted)

This carrot cake can be frozen for up to 3 months! To serve, transfer your frozen carrot cake to the fridge to thaw overnight. Then let it come to room temperature on your counter before decorating or serving.

Love Carrot Cake? Try These:

Friends, I may have a problem. I love carrot cake so much, that I’ve developed quite a few recipes inspired by it!

• Carrot Cake Cookies
• Carrot Cake Cobbler
• Carrot Cake Oatmeal
• Carrot Cake Donuts
• Carrot Cake Protein Bites
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes

The printable recipe card is below! Have a great day, friends! xo