The Easiest Carrot Cake
Carrot cake is one of my favorite cakes, and I love that this one packs in a bunch of vegetables and nuts for nutrition. This one is easy to prepare, incredibly moist, and not too sweet. Everything comes together in one bowl and bakes up in a loaf tin, for easy snackable slices.
Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ½ cup avocado oil or any neutral oil
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large carrots grated
- 1 + ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder (make sure it's not expired*)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- ½ cup walnuts crushed (optional)
Cream Cheese Icing
- ½ cup cream cheese softened to room temp
- ¼ cup butter softened to room temp
- ½ 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!
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 173mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 2314IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg
