Carrot Cake
on Feb 18, 2023, Updated Mar 31, 2023
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This is my favorite carrot cake because it is so simple to prepare, incredibly moist, and not too sweet. I make mine in a loaf tin which are sometimes more common in household kitchens than cake pans. Carrot cake is one of my favorite cakes, and I love that this one packs in a bunch of vegetables and nuts for nutrition. I was introduced to carrot cake when I first moved to Canada. It’s very uncommon to make cakes with carrots, zucchini, or bananas in Bulgaria, and my dad initially thought this was a strange concept, but he immediately fell in love once he tasted my carrot cake.
If you’re looking for a low-sugar treat or don’t care for icing, this cake is also wonderful on its own, without the icing. This cake requires minimal effort: if you can mix a few ingredients together, you are capable of making a delicious carrot cake!
The Easiest Carrot Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar , (110 grams)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, (5 ml)
- ½ cup avocado oil or any neutral oil , (100ml)
- ½ cup milk, (100 ml)
- 2 large carrots, grated, (170 grams)
- 1 + ⅓ cup all-purpose flour , (180 grams)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder (make sure it's not expired*), (11 grams)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon , (5 grams)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, (optional)
- ½ to 1 cup whole walnuts, crushed, (optional)
Cream Cheese Icing:
- ½ cup cream cheese, softened to room temp, (4 oz)
- ¼ cup butter, softened to room temp, (60g)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar, (120g)
Instructions
Carrot Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
- Add the oil and milk and whisk again. Stir in the grated carrots using a silicone or rubber spatula.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir until you have a thick pourable batter. Fold in the crushed walnuts, if using.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give it a tap or gently shake to distribute the batter evenly. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the loaf clean. Let the loaf cool completely before icing.
Cream Cheese Icing:
- In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and butter. Using a hand-held electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix again. Add the powdered sugar and combine, using a silicone or rubber spatula. (I switch to a spatula here because the electric mixer will send the powdered sugar flying all over the kitchen.) Mix until silky smooth.
- If the icing is too soft, put it in the fridge for 10 to 30 minutes to firm up, before adding it onto the cake.
- Evenly spread the icing onto the cake, slice, and enjoy!
This doesn’t have salt is that a mistake? It looks delicious!
No salt in this but you could always add a pinch along with the other dry ingredients.
Hello! Wanna confirm if this really doesn’t have a baking soda.
Confirmed! We use baking powder instead of baking soda in this recipe.
I just made this carrot cake in the morning and it was so easy and delicious! It was quick to make because it was not a big amount. We had it part of today’s breakfast. It was such a treat and a big hit with my family!
I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it, Aida!