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This is the best classic Carrot Cake! It has super moist and soft cake layers filled with warm spices and lots of grated carrots, that adds a natural moisture and sweetness, creating a perfectly tender crumb. It is surrounded by a delicious tangy and creamy cream cheese frosting, that gives a delicious contrast to spiced cake layers.
This is the best Carrot Cake recipe! It is incredible moist and full of delicious warm spices. The cake layers has lots of grated carrot, which gives the cake its tender and moist crumb. It is layered together with a smooth cream cheese frosting that provides a perfect tangy balance to the cake. It is decorated with mini carrot sprinkles and chopped walnuts for a beautiful finish. This timeless classic is perfect to serve for any celebration, from Easter to birthdays.
For more spring recipes, try Carrot Cake Loaf, Strawberry Crumble Cake and Raspberry Almond Cake.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Carrot cake layers: The carrot cake layers are incredibly soft and so quick and easy to make.
- Cream cheese frosting: This cream frosting is so delicious, easy to decorate with and brings a perfect tangy flavor.
- Easy and quick recipe: It's an incredibly easy and delicious recipe to make.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour: Gives a light and airy cake. I prefer using all-purpose flour with a protein amount that is between 10-11%
- Sugars: The granulated sugar helps sweeten, as well as give moister to the cake. The brown sugar helps add extra toffee flavor to the cake.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help leaven and rise the cake, so it has light and fluffy texture.
- Salt: Helps enhance the flavor of the cake.
- Eggs: Take the eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Sour Cream: Sour cream makes for a softer and more tender cake. Measure out the sour cream and let it come to room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Spices: To give that classic carrot cake taste, it has ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves.
- Vegetable oil: Use a flavor neutral oil, such as canola or avocado oil.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake these Classic Cake Cake. This recipe needs two bowl, a hand whisk and a electric mixer.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 340ºF conventional oven and line 2x 20 cm/8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
STEP 1: Finely shred carrots, using a box grater or food processor, and weigh it out. Set it aside. In a large bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined. In another medium bowl add all of the wet ingredients and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined.
STEP 2: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and add the grated carrots. Gently stir it all together, making sure there are no flour lumps left in the batter.
STEP 3: Divide the cake batter into the prepared round cake pans and bake them for 36-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the cake tins and let the cakes cool down completely.
STEP 4: For the frosting, in your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
STEP 5: Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese and cream it together with the butter. Add the sifted powdered sugar in 2 parts.
STEP 6: Place the first cake layer on your serving dish. Add 2 big scoops of frosting and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then add the other cake layer and cover the whole cake with the remaining frosting. Optional decorate with chopped walnuts and carrot sprinkles.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
You can definitely add a small handful of raisins, walnuts, pecans or any type of nut you'll like to add. I wouldn't recommend adding any fruit, such as crushed pineapple, to the cake layers as it will offset the moister balance in the cake.
Yes, you can make both the cake layers and the buttercream the day before, so you only need to assemble it the next day. Store the cake layers on the kitchen counter wrapped in plastic wrap, out of direct sunlight. Store the buttercream in the fridge in an airtight container. Before using it, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then give a remix in the you stand mixer, until smooth, and it ready to be assembled.
I recommend using a cake tester or a toothpick. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the center of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.
HOW TO STORE
Store the frosted carrot cake in an airtight container in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before enjoying it. It is best enjoyed within 1-2 days.
Other Layer Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Classic Carrot Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
CARROT CAKE LAYERS
- 360 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 150 g dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground all spice powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves powder
- 165 g vegetable oil e.g. avocado oil or canola oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 210 g sour cream 14-18% room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 g finely grated carrots room temperature
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 300 g butter
- 150 g full-fat cream cheese
- 540 g powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- small handful of walnuts and carrot sprinkles for decoration
The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams. Baking is both an art and a science, which most often requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
CARROT CAKE LAYERS
- Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and line 2x 20 cm/8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Finely grate the carrots, using a box grater or food processor, and weigh it out. Set it aside.300 g finely grated carrots
- In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar and spices. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined.360 g all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground all spice powder, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg powder, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves powder, 150 g granulated sugar, 150 g dark brown sugar
- In another mixing bowl add vegetable oil, eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined.165 g vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, 210 g sour cream 14-18%, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and add the grated carrots. Gently stir it all together, using a hand whisk or rubber spatula, making sure there are no flour lumps left in the batter.
- Divide the cake batter into the prepared baking pans and bake them for 36-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the cake tins and let the cakes cool down completely.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Take the butter and cream cheese out of the fridge 10 minutes before starting. Cut the butter into cubes. Sift the powdered sugar.300 g butter, 150 g full-fat cream cheese, 540 g powdered sugar
- In your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter for 5 minutes on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix for 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese and cream it together with the butter for 1 minute.¾ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and on low speed, mix the sifted powdered sugar in 2 parts, letting the powdered sugar mix in with butter and cream cheese before adding the next part. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix for 1 minutes on low speed.
ASSEMBLING
- Start by cutting the very top of the cooled down cake layers so they have an even top. Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake board on your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.
- Add 2 big scoops of frosting and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then add the other cake layer and cover the whole cake in a thin crumb coat. Place it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes so it is easier to frost the cake with the remaining frosting.
- Add the remaining frosting, and even it out over the cake. Optional, decorate with the chopped walnuts and carrot sprinkles.small handful of walnuts and carrot sprinkles
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