Description
A warm, spiced, and moist carrot cake topped with cream cheese frosting, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (about 218 g) vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups (about 330 g) finely grated carrots
- 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained (about 165 g)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional; about 100 g)
- 1 cup raisins (optional; about 150 g)
- For frosting: 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2–2½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13-inch pan or two 9-inch round cake pans; line with parchment if preferred.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the vegetable oil and eggs until smooth. Stir in the grated carrots and drained pineapple.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined—do not overmix. Fold in the chopped nuts and raisins if using.
- Pour batter into prepared pan(s), smoothing the top with a spatula. Tap the pan once on the counter to release large air bubbles.
- Bake 35–40 minutes for a 9×13, or 25–30 minutes for 9-inch rounds, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway through baking for even browning.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- For the cream cheese frosting: beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, add vanilla, then gradually add powdered sugar to reach spreadable consistency. Chill briefly if too soft, then frost cooled cake.
Notes
Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerated for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Avoid overmixing to prevent a tough crumb.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 2.5g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 65mg