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5 from 1 vote

Carrot Cake

This cake is very soft and creamy, it just melts in your mouth. The easy to make cream cheese frosting is so light and fluffy.
Prep Time2 hours
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time2 hours 35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cake, Carrot Cake, Dessert
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 579kcal
Author: ChiefElf

Ingredients

For the carrot cake:

  • 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 ½ cups (300 grams) light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
  • ½ cup (125 grams) unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (300 grams) grated carrots

For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 1 pack (225 grams) cream cheese, softened to room temperature (I used plain Philadelphia creme cheese)
  • ½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
  • 2 cups (240 grams) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 176 °C (350 °F). Grease two 22-23 cm (9'') cake pans with butter or cooking spray (you can also line the bottoms of the pans with baking paper). Set aside.
  • In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt, until well combined.
  • In another bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated white sugar, applesauce and vanilla extract, until fully combined. Add the grated carrots (drain the grated carrots of the juices, but do not squeeze them) into the sugar mixture and mix until well combined.
  • Add the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients mixture and mix with a whisk or a rubber spatula until just combined (do not over mix.)
  • Spread the cake batter between the two pans evenly.
  • Bake at 176 °C (350 °F) for 30-35 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are set, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Remove the cakes from the oven and cool in the pans for about 20-25 minutes. After the cakes have cooled a bit, you can remove them from the pans and cool completely on the wire rack.

To make the cream cheese frosting:

  • In a bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.
  • Add butter and mix for about 30 seconds - 1 minute until well combined and smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the mix and continue mixing until fully combined, scrapping from the sides as needed. The cream will be glossy and smooth.
  • If the cream seems a bit too runny, you can add more cream cheese.

Assembling the cake:

  • If the cakes have raised tops, level them down with a serrated (bread) knife. Note: the leftover crumbs can be crumbled and used as decoration on the sides of the cake, mixed in with some crushed nuts.
  • Place one cake on a cake plate (stand), put ½ cup of cream cheese frosting and smooth it out onto the cake layer.
  • Place the second cake on top and cover with remaining cream cheese frosting, on the top and the sides of the cake.
  • Can be topped with decorative carrots, nuts, crumbled leftover cake parts or anything you desire.
  • If time allows, put the cake in the fridge for a few hours, if not can be served right away. But if it spends a few hours in the fridge, the cake will become more uniform and a bit more moist and juicy.
  • Enjoy!