Description
Bake a perfectly moist and flavorful traditional carrot cake with this easy-to-follow recipe. This classic dessert features a spiced crumb, creamy cream cheese frosting, and crunchy walnuts, making it ideal for any celebration.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground cloves
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Grated carrots
- Chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a round cake pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Gently fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts or pecans (if using) until evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Once the cake is completely cool, frost the top and sides with the cream cheese frosting and garnish with additional walnuts or pecans, if desired.
Notes
- Use freshly grated carrots for the best flavor and texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter, as this can result in a tough cake.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- For an extra layer of flavor, consider adding raisins, pineapple, or coconut to the batter.
- Store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450 Kcal
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: traditional carrot cake, classic carrot cake, homemade carrot cake, easy carrot cake recipe, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, spiced carrot cake, moist carrot cake