This easy carrot cake is soft, moist, and packed with flavor. It’s made with fresh carrots, warm spices, and a creamy homemade frosting. Great for birthdays, holidays, or just when you’re craving something sweet. The texture is rich, the flavor is cozy, and every bite tastes like comfort.

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Ingredients Needed:

For the Cake:

2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans

For the Frosting:

1 (8-ounce/227g) block of cream cheese
1 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 5 cups powdered sugar

How To Make Carrot Cake Recipe?

Preheat the oven: set your oven to 175°C, grease two 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients: in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Mix the wet ingredients: in another bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
Combine everything: pour the wet mix into the dry mix and stir until just combined, then fold in the grated carrots and chopped pecans.
Bake the cakes: divide the batter between the pans and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool fully in the pans on a wire rack, then remove from the pans and peel off the parchment.
Make the frosting: beat the butter until soft, then add cream cheese and mix until fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar with the mixer on low, then add vanilla and beat until smooth and spreadable.
Frost and build the cake: place one cake layer on a plate, spread about ¾ cup of frosting on top, add the second layer, and frost the top and sides. Chill the cake for 30 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Tips:

Measure flour the right way: too much flour can make the cake dry. Use a kitchen scale if you have one. If not, gently spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Don’t scoop straight from the bag.
Don’t skip parchment paper: line the bottom of your cake pans with parchment paper. This helps the cakes come out easily and keeps the layers from breaking.
Use freshly grated carrots: pre-shredded carrots from the store are too dry and thick. Grate your carrots for a softer texture and better taste.
Cool cakes completely before frosting: if the cake is even a little warm, the frosting will melt and slide off. Wait until both layers are fully cool.
Chill the frosted cake before slicing: put the whole cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This makes the frosting firm and gives you clean, neat slices.

How To Store Leftovers?

Refrigerate: First, let the leftover carrot cake cool down to room temperature. Then cover it or place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Freeze: Let the cake cool completely, then wrap slices or whole layers tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 629 kcal
Total Fat: 36g
Saturated Fat: 11g
Cholesterol: 77mg
Sodium: 308mg
Potassium: 168mg
Total Carbohydrate: 74g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 57g
Protein: 5g

Try More Hairy Bikers Recipes:

Hairy Bikers Carrot Cake Recipe

Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

629

kcal

Ingredients

For the Cake:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans
For the Frosting:
1 (8-ounce/227g) block of cream cheese
1 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 5 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven: set your oven to 175°C, grease two 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients: in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Mix the wet ingredients: in another bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
Combine everything: pour the wet mix into the dry mix and stir until just combined, then fold in the grated carrots and chopped pecans.
Bake the cakes: divide the batter between the pans and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool fully in the pans on a wire rack, then remove from the pans and peel off the parchment.
Make the frosting: beat the butter until soft, then add cream cheese and mix until fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar with the mixer on low, then add vanilla and beat until smooth and spreadable.
Frost and build the cake: place one cake layer on a plate, spread about ¾ cup of frosting on top, add the second layer, and frost the top and sides. Chill the cake for 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Measure flour the right way: too much flour can make the cake dry. Use a kitchen scale if you have one. If not, gently spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Don’t scoop straight from the bag.
Don’t skip parchment paper: line the bottom of your cake pans with parchment paper. This helps the cakes come out easily and keeps the layers from breaking.
Use freshly grated carrots: pre-shredded carrots from the store are too dry and thick. Grate your carrots for a softer texture and better taste.
Cool cakes completely before frosting: if the cake is even a little warm, the frosting will melt and slide off. Wait until both layers are fully cool.
Chill the frosted cake before slicing: put the whole cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This makes the frosting firm and gives you clean, neat slices.