Carrot Cake
on Feb 18, 2023, Updated Jul 09, 2024
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I was first introduced to carrot cake when I moved to Canada ๐จ๐ฆ in grade school. Growing up in Bulgaria and Greece, I had never had a cake made with carrots, zucchini, or bananas. My family and I initially thought vegetables in cake was an odd concept, but after one bite, we all fell in love. And I’m confident you will love the natural sweetness and subtle earthiness that freshly grated carrots ๐ฅ brings to this delicious cake. I’ve added my Modern Nonna twist to make this a bit more nutritious and wholesome with nuts, healthy avocado oil in place of butter, and loads of carrots.
Why You’ll Love Carrot Cake
My Carrot Cake recipe is easy to prepare, incredibly moist, and not too sweet. Cinnamon and nutmeg spice up the batter, evoking cozy autumnal feelings ๐. Freshly grated carrots brighten up the flavor and transform the cake a beautiful orange color ๐งก. Chopped walnuts add an unexpected crunch and added nutrition. Everything comes together in one bowl and bakes up in a loaf tin, for easy snackable slices ๐.
How to Prepare Carrot Cake
๐ฉโ๐ณ Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
๐ฅ In a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
๐ฅ Then, add the oil and milk and whisk again. Stir in the grated carrots using a silicone spatula.
๐ช Next, add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg if using and stir until you have a thick pourable batter. Fold in the crushed walnuts, if using.
๐ฅ 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.
๐ To make the 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, mix 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. Mix until silky smooth.
๐ฐ Spread the icing evenly onto the cake, slice, and enjoy!
Nonna’s Tip
Cool the cake completely before you add the icing. I like to chill my icing in the fridge for about 10 minutes so it’s easier to spread. ๐
Variations and Substitutions for Carrot Cake
- Instead of walnuts, try your favorite nut, such as cashews, almonds, or pistachios. ๐ฅ
- If you have a nut allergy, skip the walnuts and add raisins, shredded coconut, and/or pumpkin seeds instead.
- Milk not a part of your diet? ๐ฅ You can use any plant milk of choice, such as almond or oat milk. You can also use a dairy-free cream cheese for the icing as well.
- The cream cheese icing is optional. If you want a lighter, lower calorie cake you can absolutely skip this step.
- Make these into muffins or cupcakes! The bake time will be 15 to 20 minutes total; keep a close eye on them so they don’t over-bake.
- Use any neutral oil you like. You can also use coconut oil but it will give the cake a hint of coconut flavor. ๐ฅฅ
Similar Recipes
Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins
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Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe
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Easy Apple Cake
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Orange Lemon Cake
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Best Served With
- Coffee or tea ๐ซ
- Other loaf cakes, like my Clementine Cake or cookies with a brunch
Common Questions
While 1 cup of flour weighs 130g in my kitchen, it might weigh anywhere from 120 to 145g in your kitchen and thereโs a few reasons for that. The weight of ingredients may vary due to the brand of ingredients, the brand and style (wet vs dry) of measuring cups and spoons, and the technique for measuring into cups: scooping and leveling versus spooning the ingredients into the cup measure.
Certainly, this recipe will work in a 6 inch cake pan.
I have not tried making this recipe with a gluten-free flour, such as almond flour. If you substitute please add a little at a time and stir in between each addition until you have a thick pourable batter. Check out the comments below for some suggestions on making this a gluten-free cake.ย
Although I have not tried making this recipe egg-free, you can try experimenting by using a chia egg, flax egg or various vegan alternatives.
When using baking powder, always check the expiration date. Expired baking powder will not help your recipe rise in the oven, and you’ll have a sad, deflated cake. You can test if your baking powder has expired by adding ยฝ teaspoon baking powder to ยผ cup hot water. If the water bubbles up, itโs not expired; if it does not bubble, itโs expired and should be tossed.
Yes, the unfrosted cake can be frozen either as a whole loaf, or individually wrapped slices. Wrap tightly in parchment paper, followed by tin foil or plastic wrap and store inside a tightly sealed plastic bag or food container.
I have found the flavors of this cake are perfectly balanced without salt. However, you may choose to add a pinch of salt to the batter.
The Easiest Carrot Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 2 large eggs
- ยฝ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
- ยฝ cup avocado oil, or any neutral oil
- ยฝ cup milk
- 2 large carrots, grated
- 1 + โ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder, (make sure it's not expired*)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- โ teaspoon ground nutmeg, (optional)
- ยฝ cup walnuts, crushed (optional)
Cream Cheese Icing
- ยฝ cup cream cheese, softened to room temp
- ยผ cup butter, softened to room temp
- ยฝ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- 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 spatula.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg if using 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.
- To make the 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, mix 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 about 10 minutes to firm up, before spreading it on the cake.
- Spread the icing evenly onto the cake, slice, and enjoy!
I am eager to try this recipe. Instead of baking in a loaf pan, can I bake it as a sheet cake? If so, would the baking time or ingredient measurements change?
Hi Joyce, the recipe makes about 4 cups of batter. A half sheet cake pan (13 x 18 inches) will definitely accomodate all the batter but the cake will be very, very thin. You’ll want to check the cake for doneness after about 25 minutes and every 5 minutes thereafter.
Yesterday I had carrot cake at Joe & the Juice and it was so good that I’m now looking all over the internet for a recipe of moist carrot cake! was wondering if I could use butter instead of oil in the recipe.
You will LOVE this cake Celine. Hope you make it ๐ and yes you can use butter instead of oil.
Super easy, lots of flavour and healthier!
Yay, I’m so glad you loved it, Catherine! ๐๐
This carrot cake sounds absolutely amazing! The combination of sugar, spice, and everything nice is spot-onโwarm spices and a perfect texture make it so enticing. And that rich cream cheese frosting? Itโs the cherry on top! Iโm curious, do you have any tips for ensuring the cake stays moist and flavorful? Canโt wait to try this recipe and see for myself!
I hope you love this one, Nanajee! Just follow the recipe as it’s written, and check the cake for doneness about 5 minutes before the timer goes off, to make sure it doesn’t overbake. You can store leftovers in the fridge.
Hi,
Iโm about ready to make this, but Iโm wondering about salt. Was it omitted by accident or perhaps the recipe does not need it?
Thanks!
Hi Cheryl, I didn’t add salt to the recipe but you are more than welcome to add a pinch if you wish. Will work either way ๐
This recipe looks good! How many cups is the grated carrot?
Thank you for your response l!
Hi Coco, approximately 1 cup grated carrots.
Iโve never like carrot Cake but last night while in bed just had a craving to try some.
So I made it this avo it was absolutely amazing , I made without any nuts and there was more than enough topping for the top so I sliced it and did fine layer in the middle .
50 mins was a perfect cooking time and the carrots were soo soft and just the right amount . It was delicious.
Thank you x
So happy to hear this Gabrielle! Nothing like satisfying a craving!
Hello,
The taste is very good for me but I searched internet for how much cups were 2 larges carrots and it gave me 3 cups, not one. Result, cake too dense and too humid.
Hi there, I used one cup of grated carrot as per the ingredient notes, so sorry that it didnโt work out for you ๐