Moist Carrot Cake

carrot cake slice frosted with cream cheese buttercream, with decorated carrot cake in background

4.86 from 160 rating

This carrot cake recipe is so easy to make and bakes up super moist! One batch makes three, 8-inch cake layers and is decorated with a delicious cream cheese buttercream frosting.

Prep Time30

Cook Time27

Additional Time1

Total Time1 57

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 598kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

1 cup packed light brown sugar 200g
1 cup granulated sugar 200g
1 cup vegetable or canola oil 225g
6 large eggs, room temperature 336g
3 cups all-purpose flour 375g
2 tsp baking soda 12g
1 tsp baking powder 4g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 7g
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1g
1/4 tsp ground cloves < 1g
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature 120g
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
1 lb. carrots, peeled and finely grated - about 3 1/2 cups of grated carrots 454g

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 452g
1 cup or 8 oz. full-fat cream cheese, room temperature 226g
1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 12g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
11 cups powdered sugar 1375g
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 30g
green and orange gel food coloring

Instructions

Carrot Cake Layers:

Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line four, 7-inch or three, 8-inch round pans with parchment rounds and grease with non-stick baking spray, or brush them with homemade cake release. You can also use this recipe to make 4, 6-inch cake layers but the bake time will be 5-8 minutes longer. If you don't have 4 cake pans, the batter can sit at room temperature for a few hours. Bake as many layers at a time as you can at a time.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup of light brown sugar, 1 cup of granulated sugar, and 1 cup of oil until combined.
Then mix in 6 eggs, 2 at a time. Whisk together until the batter is smooth.
In a separate large bowl, sift or whisk together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp cloves.
Add half the dry ingredients into the sugar/egg mixture and mix until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
Mix in 1/2 cup of buttermilk and 2 tsp of vanilla until combined.
Then mix in the remaining dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
Peel and finely grate 1 lb. of carrots. Don't worry about squeezing the excess moisture out of the grated carrots - the extra liquid helps the cake layers bake up super moist and tender. You should end up with about 3 1/2 cups of shredded carrots. Fold the grated carrots into the batter.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. I like to use a digital kitchen scale to weigh my pans so that they all have the same amount of batter. This guarantees the layers will be the same height once baked.
Bake the cake layers for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let the pans cool for 10 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the perimeter of the pans to separate the cake layers from the pan.
Place the cake layers in the freezer for 45 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans and remove the layers from the pans.
Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the layers. If you're making these layers in advance, wrap and freeze the cake layers at this point.

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting:

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the cream cheese frosting.
Beat 2 cups of butter and 1 cup of cream cheese on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
Add in 1 Tbsp of vanilla and 1 tsp of salt. Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Slowly mix in 11 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Halfway through add 2 Tbsp of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (a quarter of a cup at a time).
Wait to color the frosting until the cake is fully frosted.
Cover the uncolored cream cheese frosting with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent it from crusting and set it aside. This can sit at room temperature for up to 4 hours, but if you make it in advance be sure to store it in the fridge.

Assembling This Layered Carrot Cake

Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Stack the cake layers and add an even layer of uncolored cream cheese frosting between each cake layer with a large offset spatula.
Use a large offset spatula and/or bench scraper to cover the cake in a thin layer of frosting to trap in any crumbs, then chill it in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Then add another layer of frosting around the cake and smooth the frosting with a bench scraper. This layer doesn't have to be perfect because we're about to pipe frosting carrots around the side of the cake!
Place 1/4 of the remaining frosting in a separate bowl and color it green with gel food coloring. Place in a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M or 2D frosting tip. Seal the top of the bag with a rubber band or clip.
Color the remaining frosting orange with gel food coloring. Place in a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip or an opening cut about 1 inch wide. Seal the top of the bag with a rubber band or clip.
Pipe vertical lines of orange frosting on the sides of the cake to look like carrots.
Pipe green frosting swirls around the top edge of the cake to look like carrot tops, then enjoy!

Video

Notes

Substitutions and Swaps

If you need to make any substitutions or swaps in this recipe, please check out my section on ingredient substitutions above.

My Tips for Making the Best Moist Carrot Cake

Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.

Properly measure the flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. It helps the cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
Level your room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to frost them!
Don't use pre-grated carrots! They are dry and their lack of moisture will make the cake layers less moist.

Making This Layered Carrot Cake in Advance & Storage Tips

You can make these cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

You can also make cream cheese frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

This frosting can also be stored in the freezer for up to a month. Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer up to a month. If you freeze the cake, transfer it to the fridge the night before you plan to eat it.

This will help it gradually thaw and minimize any temperature shock. Remove the cake from the fridge about an hour before you plan to cut into it.

Nutrition