Best Carrot Cake Ever

Carrot cake in white plate with sprinkled walnuts around the edges.

5 from 4 votes

The best ever carrot cake with freshly grated carrots is incredibly moist, loaded with great spice flavor, nutty texture, and tangy cream cheese frosting is perfect for holidays, birthdays, and any time you're in the mood for something excellent!

Prep Time15

Total Time1 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Author: James Delmage and Tara

Ingredients

For the carrot cake

2 1/2 cups (325g) all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 1/2 cups (300g) shredded carrots
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (106g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup (216g) vegetable oil
3/4 cup (168g) buttermilk
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (85g) sweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup (84g) chopped walnuts plus more for garnish

For the cream cheese frosting

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter at room temperature
16 ounces (452g) brick cream cheese at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4-5 cups (466-583g) confectioner's sugar

Instructions

For the carrot cake

Preheat the oven to 350f and set the rack to the middle level. Line a 9x13 inch sheet pan with parchment paper, or grease with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
Add the grated carrots and mix until the carrots are coated with the flour mixture.
In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the sugars and oil, then add the eggs, one at a time and beat together until combined.
Add the buttermilk, vanilla, and coconut and mix until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat on low for 1 minute.
Add the chopped walnuts and mix with a spoon until combined.
Pour the carrot cake batter into the prepared sheet pan and bake for 40-50 minutes checking for doneness at the 40-minute mark. Once a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, remove it from the oven.
Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes, then turn it over and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the cream cheese frosting

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter and cream cheese on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until creamy.
Add the vanilla, salt, and 4 cups of confectioner's sugar on low for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium to medium-high and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
Check the consistency of the frosting and if it's too thin, add the remaining cup of sugar a little at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
Scoop the frosting onto the cooled cake and use an offset spatula to distribute evenly. Garnish with chopped nuts if desired, or add food coloring to frosting and pipe to decorate.

Notes

This recipe was written for a conventional oven. For convection ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness at the 75% mark.
This recipe is written for a 9x13 sheet pan, however, you can make a 2 layer cake by using 2 prepared 9 inch cake pans and using a kitchen scale to divide the batter equally between the two pans. The bake time will be much quicker so start checking for doneness at the 20 minute mark.
Walnuts can be swapped with pecans if desired.
Garnish with chopped nuts if desired.
To add decorative carrots, after frosting the cake, separate the remaining frosting into two bowls, add orange food coloring to one batch, and green to the other batch, fit 2 pastry bags with a star tip, fill, and pipe.
Leftover carrot cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition