Moist and Easy Carrot Cake
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This amazingly moist, flavorful, and easy to make carrot cake is a family favorite! This recipe is made from scratch using brown sugar, cinnamon, lots of carrots, with an almond cream cheese frosting.
This is the only carrot cake recipe I have ever made! When something is this great and turns out scrumptious every time I make it, why mess with it. The amount of carrots in this recipe is generous, therefore, making the most moist and tasty carrot cake ever!! With only cinnamon for added spices, you get the true, carroty, cakey, flavor. The almond extract complements the cream cheese icing perfectly, causing the best flavor combinations.
This recipe for Moist and Easy Carrot Cake is unique in the fact that I use more carrots than other recipes. The brown sugar in the batter adds a slight molasses flavor and the almond extract is the secret ingredient in the cream cheee icing that totally sets it apart!
Why you will love this Carrot Cake
- Extra moist and carroty.
- Baked in a 9x13 inch pan, so no worries about cake layers collapsing.
- This cake freezes well, even with the frosting.
- Can be customized however you like it.
- Always gets compliments!
Ingredients for Carrot Cake
- Sugar, I use half brown and half white. The brown sugar enhances the rich flavor and adds moisture to the cake.
- Eggs
- Oil, Keeps the cake moist. Any mild flavored cooking oil is fine. I use canola oil for this recipe.
- All purpose flour, don't use cake flour for this recipe, the regular all purpose is best for this kind of dense cake.
- Baking powder and baking soda, this recipe calls for both.
- Cinnamon, pairs perfectly with carrots and vanilla.
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Grated carrot, I use LOTS of carrots. Using the food processor makes this super fast and easy.
- Frosting which includes cream cheese, icing sugar, salted butter, and almond extract.
- Optional: Nuts, some people love nuts in their carrot cake. Just add whichever kind you prefer when you add the grated carrot. One really tasty option is toasted pecans.
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13 inch glass pan. Glass works best to keep this cake moist. (In the pictures, I was making it for father's day, so made one small one with nuts and one without in disposable pans for my dad)
- Beat the sugar, eggs, and oil until light and fluffy.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Fold in the grated carrots.
- Pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If you do use smaller pans, bake for 30 minutes, then check.
- Cool on wire rack completely before frosting.
- Beat the softened cream cheese, icing sugar, almond extract and butter until fluffy.
- Ice the cake and enjoy!
Variations
If you want to customize your carrot cake, you can add:
Nuts: Stir in 1/2-1 cup chopped nuts of your choice or sprinkle them on the icing. (toasted nuts are great with this recipe)
Raisins: Stir in 1/4-1/2 cup raisins when you stir the carrots into the batter.
Coconut:Or 1/2 cup shredded coconut.
Pineapple: A can of drained pineapple could be added. (just use 1 cup less carrots if you add pineapple)
Spices: Both nutmeg and ginger can be added, 1/2 tsp. each.
Remember if you do add all of this you now have a fruitcake, not a carrot cake....but if that's the way you like it, that's totally fine.
Other Great "Cake" Recipes to Try
This recipe for Moist and Easy Carrot Cake is unique in the fact that I use more carrots than other recipes. The brown sugar in the batter adds a slight molasses flavor and the almond extract is the secret ingredient in the cream cheee icing that totally sets it apart!
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup cooking oil
- 2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 cup carrots (grated)
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 cup salted butter (softened)
- 2 cup icing sugar
Grease a 9x13 inch glass pan.
Beat the sugar, eggs, and oil until light and fluffy.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
Fold in the grated carrot.
Pour the batter into the pan.
Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.
Beat the softened cream cheese, icing sugar, butter, and almond extract until fluffy.
Ice the cake.
Enjoy!
Servings 15
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 415kcal
- Calories from Fat 167kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 19g30%
- Saturated Fat 5.1g26%
- Trans Fat 0.1g
- Cholesterol 64mg22%
- Sodium 397mg17%
- Potassium 172mg5%
- Total Carbohydrate 58g20%
- Dietary Fiber 1.5g6%
- Vitamin A 224 IU
- Calcium 10 mg
- Vitamin E 16 IU
- Vitamin K 14 mcg
- Thiamin 14 mg
- Riboflavin 16 mg
- Folate 15 mcg
- Phosphorus 19 mg
- Selenium 18 mg
- Manganese 13 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
This cake is better if it is made a day before serving.
Use freshly grated carrots, not pre-grated, the taste and texture are not the same.
Make sure to use all purpose flour. Cake flour makes a lighter, softer, cake, but this cake is meant to be dense and moist.
If you like thicker icing, just increase the icing recipe by 50% or double it.
If you use a metal cake pan, it may not need to bake as long. Check the cake 10 minutes early.
