Best Ever Carrot Cake is simple and delicious. Perfectly moist and frosted in the classic cream cheese frosting, everyone always raves about this recipe.
I’ve been making this homemade carrot cake recipe for years and it has the best secret ingredient that no one ever guesses. Instead of shredded carrots, I use carrot puree and it makes this cake so extra moist and delicious. If you want the best carrot cake, you have to try it!
I was never a huge carrot cake fan until I married into the McCollum Family. Jake’s cousin, now one of my dear friends and cousin has the best carrot cake recipe.
She has a few tricks up her sleeve that she finally shared and one of them makes all the difference: carrot baby food. Here’s why it works:
- The cake is incredibly moist.
- It’s easier to make – you don’t have to use grated carrots!
- The flavor is delicious – you can really taste the carrot and the color is beautiful.
Now you could really use any sort of carrot puree but friends that are what baby food is and while it might be unusual it makes the amazingly moist carrot cake. Whenever I make it, I always get rave reviews!
While I love my carrot cake fully loaded with raisins, walnuts, coconut, and frosting, my kids much prefer it simplified. I mean they don’t understand why adding raisins to anything makes it better.
But they do love cream cheese frosting, so there’s a nice swath of that and, because sometimes they need to compromise, I do add some chopped nuts on the sides of the cake. I think it adds a pretty touch, but if it were up to the kids, they would leave them off.
Anyway, for me the key to an amazing carrot cake is the cake itself, it must be moist my friends! Like there isn’t any other option.
Then the type of frosting you pick and additional add-ins matters too. With this cake recipe, you could easily add in walnuts, coconut, and raisins, but for the sake of not hearing any crying at our table, I make it without raisins and coconut.
We love a slice of homemade carrot layer cake at our house and this is the only recipe I use. It’s simple and delicious – the perfect center piece for a celebration or holiday meal. I think you will love it.
Ingredients
- Carrot baby food – or you can puree plain cooked carrots, but I use the baby food every time.
- Large eggs
- Canola oil or vegetable oil
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Maple syrup
- Cinnamon – this is used for the cake and for the walnut topping.
- Room temperature butter
- Room temperature cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
How to Make Frosted Carrot Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F, spray two 9″ round cake pans with cooking spray and them set aside.
Mix the carrot puree, eggs, oil, flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Divide the cake batter between the prepared pans.
Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Cool the cakes on a cooling rack at room temperature.
While the cakes cool, you can make the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixer.
Adjust the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until the frosting is creamy. Chill the frosting until you are ready to use it.
To make the walnut topping, melt butter in a skillet. Add the walnuts and cook them in the butter for three to five minutes or until they are toasted. Add the cinnamon and stir to combine.
Transfer the walnuts to a bowl or container and chill them while you frost the cake.
Remove the cooled cakes from the pan and place one on a cake stand or serving plate.
Spread some cream cheese frosting over the cake on the stand. Place the second cake on top. Chill the cakes for five minutes so the frosting firms up.
Frost the rest of the cake and then press the cooled toasted walnuts onto the sides of the cake. Or you can sprinkle them over the top of the cake.
If you aren’t serving the carrot cake right away, keep it in the refrigerator and then let it sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing.
I like to store the leftover cake in the refrigerator.
That secret ingredient makes this cake so good – you have to try it! And when you do, prepare for the compliments to roll in because everyone will love it. Enjoy! XOXO San
More Carrot Cake Recipes
Don’t forget to pin this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Best Ever Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 32 ounces carrot baby food or 1 3/4 cup carrot puree. I use the baby food everytime
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
Walnut Topping
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
- sprinkle cinnamon
Instructions
Carrot Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, gently spray 2 – 9 inch round baking pans with cooking oil and set aside.
- Mix all of the ingredients listed above together until smooth and there are no chunks. Pour batter into the prepared pan, making sure to divide evenly.
- Place in preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack until completely cooled.
- While cake is cooling prepare frostings. Make German Chocolate Cake Frosting first, so that it has time to cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Set in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cinnamon Walnuts
- In a skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add chopped walnuts and cook for 3-5 minutes or until ljust toasted. Watch it carefully and stir constantly so they don't burn. Sprinkle with cinnamon as desired and remove from heat. Chill completely.
Cake Assemble
- Once cakes are completely cool, remove from pans. Place one of the cakes on a cake stand or serving plate.
- Top with cream cheese frosting. Top with the second cake, I place the cake in the fridge for 5 minutes so the middle layer can set and be a little firm.
- Frost the outside of the cake with the remainder of the frosting. Press cooled walnuts onto the sides if desired. Place in the fridge and remove the cake 30 minutes before serving and bring to room temperature. If serving soon after frosting you are fine to leave it out.
Nutrition
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I’ve never made carrot cake before but decided to make this recipe as I had an overabundance of carrots and homemade applesauce. Will for sure make it again! Thanks!
I’m so glad you liked it!
This cake is absolutely delicious. It’s so moist, and the frosting is to die for.
My husband loves carrot cake and I cannot wait to make this for him. Very soon!
OH WOW!! This is my mom’s favorite! I can’t wait to try this with her!
Thank you for helping me make this amazing cake. He said it was the best version of carrot cake he’d ever had!
This carrot cake is absolutely gorgeous!! I am in love!! YUM!
This carrot cake looks really, reeeeeally GOOD!! YUMMY!