Carrot Cake

4.39 from 13 votes

This Carrot Cake is soft, moist, and perfectly spiced, made with simple ingredients and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. Baked in a 9x13 pan, it’s an easy, no fuss dessert that turns out right every time.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 693kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon ground
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups carrots shredded
¾ cup walnuts chopped

Cream Cheese Icing

12 ounce cream cheese at room temperature
½ cup butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners sugar same as powdered sugar or icing sugar

Topping

½ cup walnuts finely chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda.
In another bowl add the sugar, eggs and vegetable oil. Whisk until it all comes together. Alternatively you could use your mixer.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk everything until well combined.
Add the carrots and walnuts. Using a spatula mix everything together until the carrots and walnuts are well incorporated into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting it.
While the cake is cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of your mixer, beat the cream cheese together with the butter, then add the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Spread icing over cake. Sprinkle with walnuts.
Cut into squares. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter: once the flour is in, mix just until combined to keep the cake tender.
Use freshly shredded carrots: they add much more moisture and better texture than pre shredded.
Check early: start testing around 45 minutes so you don’t overbake and dry it out.
Cool completely before frosting: otherwise the frosting will melt and slide.
Full fat cream cheese works best: it gives you a thick, stable frosting.
Slice before chilling if you can: it’s easier than cutting straight from the fridge.

Nutrition