Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

From the kitchen of Carly

The dessert that snuck vegetables into the dessert canon and got away with it. Soft, moist crumb scented with cinnamon, packed with grated carrot and walnuts, finished with the cream cheese frosting it's nothing without. Grate the carrots yourself. Pre-shredded bagged carrots are too dry and the cake suffers.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A towering carrot cake that leans into oil and eggs for pure moisture, then gets sealed under fluffy cream cheese frosting. The trick is baking low and slow at 325°F so the crumb stays tender and the walnuts don't burn. Grating your own carrots matters here, it gives you control over the texture and keeps the cake from turning dense.

Prep
25 min
Cook
1 hr 15 min
Total
2 hr 10 min
Servings
12
Difficulty
easy

Ingredients

12 servings

  • 2 cups(450 ml)vegetable oil
  • 14 oz(400 g)all-purpose flour
  • 2 tspbaking soda
  • 14 oz(400 g)granulated sugar
  • 5large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tspkosher salt
  • 2 tspground cinnamon
  • 500 g (about 6 large)carrots, peeled and grated
  • 5 oz(150 g)walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 7 oz(200 g)cream cheese, room temperature (for frosting)
  • 5 oz(150 g)powdered sugar (for frosting)
  • 3 1/2 oz(100 g)unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease a 10-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the vegetable oil, flour, baking soda, granulated sugar, eggs, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until smooth and well combined.

  3. Fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts with a spatula. The batter will look hearty and orange.

  4. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with the spatula.

  5. Bake on the middle rack for 1 hour 15 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

  6. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge, release the springform, and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

  7. Make the frosting: in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and softened butter together with a hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

  8. Once the cake is fully cooled (warm cake melts the frosting), spread the frosting over the top with an offset spatula. Don't worry about smoothing perfectly; rustic swoops look better.

  9. Slice and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers; cake stays moist 4 days.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Use a box grater, not a food processor, for the carrots. The processor turns them to mush and releases too much liquid. Hand grating takes two minutes and changes everything.
  • Room temperature cream cheese and butter are non-negotiable for frosting. Cold ingredients won't blend smooth, and you'll end up with lumps. Pull them out 30 minutes before you start beating.
  • Bake the cake the day before frosting if you can. A fully cooled cake is easier to frost, and the crumb sets up firmer overnight, so it won't crack when you spread.
  • Don't overthink the frosting finish. Rustic is the only way here. An offset spatula and loose swoops beat a polished look every time.

Variations

  • Pineapple carrot cake: fold a 200g can of crushed pineapple (drained well) into the batter along with the carrots. It adds brightness and keeps things even moister.
  • Brown butter frosting: brown the butter before mixing it into the frosting. Skip the traditional route and go nutty instead.
  • Add raisins or dried cranberries: toss 100g of either into the batter with the walnuts. They soften in the oven and taste like tart little bursts.
  • Spiced up: bump the cinnamon to 1 tablespoon and add 1 teaspoon each of ground ginger and nutmeg. The spice profile gets deeper without overwhelming the carrots.

Make ahead and storage

Frosted cake keeps in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. The oil keeps the crumb moist even after days. Don't freeze once frosted, the frosting separates, but the unfrosted cake freezes beautifully for up to 2 months.

Substitutions
  • walnuts to pecans, raisins, or shredded coconut. Pecans are sweeter; raisins add chew (1 cup); coconut takes it tropical (1 cup unsweetened).
  • vegetable oil to melted coconut oil. Coconut oil adds a faint tropical note. Use the same amount; cool to room temperature before mixing.
  • cream cheese frosting to thick whipped cream + a drizzle of honey. Lighter, less sweet, and more rustic. Less stable; serve within a few hours.

Pairs well with: A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream alongside, Hot black coffee or a strong English breakfast tea, A glass of dessert wine like Sauternes for special occasions