Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake:
- 4 eggs, room temprature
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil, canola oil, or non-flavored oil
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 cups carrots, finely grated (about 5-6 medium carrots)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (1 block-style package)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon)
- 4 cups confectioner’s sugar (adjust to taste)
Topping:
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans for topping (optional)
Instructions
For the Carrot Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch cake pan.
- Grate carrots with a box grater and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the vegetable oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix well until the sugars are fully dissolved.
- Add the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fold in the finely grated carrots until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared 9×13-inch cake pan, spreading it evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Start checking at 35 minutes; cooking times may vary slightly due to the type of pan and oven.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add the vanilla extract and salt. Mix until well combined.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Adjust the amount of powdered sugar to achieve your desired sweetness and consistency.
- Once the cake has cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake.
- Garnish the cake with chopped nuts, if desired.
- Cut into squares and enjoy your delicious, super moist carrot cake!
Notes
For Cupcakes: You can convert this recipe into cupcakes. Adjust the baking time to approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. It makes about 24 cupcakes.
For Layer Cake: To transform the recipe into a layered cake, divide the prepared batter among three 9-inch round cake pans and bake accordingly. Let the cake layers cool, then spread cream cheese frosting between each layer and on top.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
- Category: Sweet
- Method: American
- Cuisine: American