My Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe

Classic two-layer filled and iced carrot cake!

Watch the Video:

My favorite carrot cake recipe is a moist classic with delicious cream cheese icing. You can make it up to two weeks ahead, keep it frozen, and then ice it before serving. So, it’s a great option to serve at a spring gathering or Easter party. It’s loaded with soft carrots, walnuts, and warm cinnamon spice and I know you will love it!

This will be your new favorite

• Moist carrots and raisins
• Warm cinnamon spices
• Soft walnut crunch
• Creamy sweet cream cheese icing
• A soft, light, delicious carrot cake with great texture and cream cheese icing!

Classic Carrot Cake

• Carrots –peeled and grated

• Raisins –regular, golden, or your favorite dried fruit
• Walnuts or pecans –toasted in a 350 oven for 8 minutes and chopped

The Wet Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil –light olive oil or lightly processed oil
• Granulated sugar 
• Large eggs at room temperature –place in warm water to temp quickly
• Pure vanilla extract –

The Dry Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Ground cinnamon –good quality for best flavor
• Salt

For the Cream Cheese Icing:

• Cream cheese –at room temperature
• Unsalted butter –softened
• Confectioner’s sugar –also known as powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Milk –orange or lemon juice can be substituted for a citrus flavor icing

Garnish:

• Toasted chopped walnuts or pecans

Baker’s Tip!

Toss the walnuts, carrots, and raisins in about a half cup of flour before adding them to the batter. This helps them keep their place in the batter while baking and not sink to the bottom of the cake. Try it!

 

How to make My Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F, 180 °C.
2. Grease two 9-inch round/23cm pans and line with parchment paper.
3. Place the walnuts on a baking tray and toast them in the oven for about 7-8 minutes.
4. Cool completely and pulse them in a food processor until finely chopped.
5. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
6. In a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together until smooth.
7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 2-3 batches and mix until just combined.
8. Add the shredded carrots, 1 cup of walnuts, and the raisins to the batter and mix until combined.
9. Transfer the batter to the prepared pans and smooth the tops to be even.
10. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for approximately 35 minutes.
11. The cakes are ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.
12. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

Make the Frosting: 

1. In the bowl of a tabletop mixer that has been fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the butter, vanilla, and cream cheese until smooth.
2. Slowly add the confectioner’s sugar and whisk until smooth.
3. Add the milk and whisk together until incorporated.
4. If the frosting is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar. If you prefer a thinner icing, add more milk. Remember that it will be very difficult to decorate the cake if the icing is too thin.

Assemble the cake:

1. Place one of the round cakes on your cake platter or cake cardboard (recommended) and spread a layer of icing on top.
2. Place the second cake on top and spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
3. Garnish the sides of the cake with the remaining walnuts.
4. Allow the cake to rest in the refrigerator or freezer for at least an hour to set.

Another baker’s tip!

If you make cakes at home, it’s a good idea to order a pack of cake cardboards. Each piece is made of sturdy cardboard that you can use as a base for your cake. You can decorate your cake on the board and easily transfer it to whatever you’d like to serve it on. They even make decorative ones that can be used as display boards. 

Freezer Instructions: 

The cake layers can be made ahead and frozen. Once they have cooled completely, remove them from the pans and wrap them in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap. Store in the freezer for up to a month.

The frosted cake can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month. Make sure it is wrapped in plastic wrap so it doesn’t absorb freezer odors. Then, thaw the cake overnight in the fridge before serving.

Serving

 Once you are done decorating the cake, it’s important to let it set before slicing. My best advice is to decorate your cake and refrigerate it overnight. However, if you have to make it the day you’re serving, put it in the fridge for an hour or in the freezer for about 30 minutes. The cake will set, and your slices will be beautiful! Make some Greek coffee or tea and enjoy. Kali Orexi!

Try some of my other cakes

• Tahini Cake with Coconut & Chocolate Chunks (Vegan)
• Greek Walnut Cake (Vegan)
• Moist Chocolate Layer Cake
• Gluten-Free Almond & Orange Cake
• Lemon Cream Cake: Greek Lemonopita