Carrot Cake Recipe
Carrot cake is one of those wholesome desserts that reminds me of farmers’ wives and sweaty milkmaids and healthy brown-skinned farmboys. The sight of a big round carrot cake takes my mind’s eye to the bright kitchen of a big white house in the middle of a sorghum field with a blue sky out the window and a chubby granny making lunch for all the hungry babies and men. I love that in this place where carrot cake takes me, people get cake at lunch. I love it for that.
I also love it for being sweet and spicy and tender . . . and for being covered in tangy cream cheese frosting. I think cream cheese frosting might be my favorite frosting and this one in particular with orange zest and maple syrup is the favorite
favorite. I first made this carrot cake recipe over ten years ago and no longer remember where the cake part of the recipe came from. It’s all just written in my 22-year-old-self’s handwriting on a leaf from a legal pad. I do recall being happy with my own addition of the orange and maple to the icing. And I remember my sweet NatNat taking one bite and immediately requesting it to be made for her birthday every year, forever and ever.
Carrot Cake Recipe Video
Carrot Cake Recipe – Printable!
Carrot Cake
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated carrots (1/2 pound or so)
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola, safflower, sunflower)
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Cream Cheese Icing:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup soft butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons orange juice, if needed
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour (or line with parchment) two 9″ round cake pans or one 13″ x 9″ pan.
- Combine carrots, water, sugar, oil, eggs in a large mixing bowl and combine well.
- Whisk dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture.
- Pour into pan(s). Bake 25 minutes for 9″ pans and 45 minutes for 13 x 9″ pan, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in pans on wire racks then invert to remove from pans.
- Make icing while cake bakes: Cream cold cream cheese and soft butter together on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla, zest, maple syrup and combine. Sift in powdered sugar a little at a time until it’s all combined and smooth. Add a teaspoon of orange juice if necessary to make it come together. If the icing seems a little soft, just let it sit for a few minutes and it will thicken up. Refrigerate until ready to ice.
- When cake is cooled, ice and serve.
Make this cake for Easter and decorate it with marzipan carrots!
30 responses to “Carrot Cake Recipe”
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I love me some carrot cake. I think it’s my favorite favorite too. Watch out, Easter! Ima make some Hilah cake!
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Yes! You can decorate it to look like a bunny!!!
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Thank you for not putting raisins in your cake. They make baby Jesus cry. Non-raisin-ed carrot cake is the best, though!
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It is the best, Channing! I love raisins in oatmeal cookies and fruit cake and all kinds of things, but never in carrot cake.
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Awesome cake Hilah. Daisy cam is great, more Mr. Banjo!
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You got it, Brock! 🙂
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Just pulled it out of the oven! I halved it and baked it in 9 inch pie crust for Pie Day. I’ll post a picture when it’s finished, but I’m impressed with how nicely half a batch fits into a store bought pie shell.
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Cool! Carrot cake pie! Thanks, Anna!
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Hi, I’m so excited to make this recipe! I was just wondering what cloves were? Is their any specific type of clove you are talking about? Thanks!
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Hi Donald! Cloves are a spice similar in flavor to allspice, if you’ve ever used that. Here’s a description and picture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clove
If you can’t find them, use allspice, and if you can’t find either, it will still be good!
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Sorry to post another comment but I just took a bite out of the cake and it was AMAZING! Seriously the best carrot cake, ever! I can’t wait to buy your book! I did not have cream cheese in the house to make the icing so I used vanilla icing instead but I’m sure your icing would be amazing! Thanks for all these amazing recipes!
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I love carrot cake~~
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Me too, Arthur!
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Your carrot cake looks so yum!!! I have no choice but to make it today.
I’ve been watching your videos, which are fun and cool. They are so motivating to try the recipe.-
Hooray! I hope you loved it, Diana! Thank you for writing.
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about to bite into my first homemade cake ….Its good but I am still a fan of publix I can’t believe i made a cake from scratch to cool. Mine may be slightly off thow I could not find my measuring cups and I winged it. Icing is great I should have never learned how to make the icing I am in trouble now
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I hope you enjoyed it, Sonya! Good for you for making a homemade cake! Everyone should try it at least once in their lives. 😉
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my sis & family but specially my little sister who is 23 XD LOVESSS this cake! so I make it often for her =] glad it could be none dairy for the frosting i do a vegan option since we are lactose intolerant but we LOVE your carrot cake!!
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Yay!!! You just made my day. I love this recipe, too!
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Hi!
I want to make this cake for my grandma’s birthday 😀
But, can you tell me: how much butter (grams) I need to make the Cream Cheese Icing?
Thanks-
Hi Melissa!
It would be about 60 grams (2 ounces x 28 grams/ounce). Hope your grandma likes it! It is very sweet of you to make her a cake!
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I your food it’s very coll , I see you in Portugal.
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Olá, Celia! Thank you!
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I just did the Cake. The Cake is good. Frosting is alternative-cuss-word amazing. Not too spicy, which is good.
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Yay! I love that icing, too, David. Thanks for writing! 😀
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Recently discovered your cooking show, and i’m obsessed! Already did my week’s grocery shopping centered around making a couple of your recipes this week. Can’t wait to try making your carrot cake as well.
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That makes me so happy to hear, Joyce! Hope you like the recipes.
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Hi am obsessed abou cakes so i try this receipe it came out realy good.thank you!
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Hi Hilah!
I really want to try this recipe for Thanksgiving!! I love me some carrot cake with a cup of coffee, yum!!!
Do you think it would be ok to add walnuts or pecans to the batter??I love your show! You are an awesome and inspiring cook!! Yay!
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Definitely would be great with nuts! Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!
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