Best Carrot Cake Recipe – Moist, Easy, and Homemade
Carrot cake recipe with walnuts is a classic, moist dessert featuring tender crumb, sweet grated carrots, and crunchy walnuts. Warm cinnamon and nutmeg add rich, cozy flavor perfect for any occasion.
Carrot cake recipe with walnuts is an easy, moist homemade dessert made with simple ingredients like flour, eggs, buttermilk, and fresh carrots. This carrot walnut cake is topped with rich cream cheese frosting, making it perfectly sweet and tangy.
It’s a perfect make-ahead carrot cake for holidays and special occasions, and the flavor gets even better after a day or two. This easy carrot cake recipe is guaranteed to impress every time. Check out my carrot cake cupcakes recipe as well!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe?
- Unique look: Unlike a traditional carrot walnut cake recipe baked in a round pan, this version is rolled after filling, creating a stunning and elegant presentation.
- Warm spice flavor: This spiced carrot cake recipe uses cinnamon and nutmeg for a cozy taste, while buttermilk keeps the cake extra moist, tender, and flavorful.
- Creamy cream cheese frosting: The cream cheese frosting recipe combines cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and heavy whipping cream for a rich, tangy, and fluffy finish.
- Perfect flavor balance: Pure vanilla extract in both the batter and frosting enhances this homemade carrot cake, giving it a deeper, more delicious flavor.
Carrot Cake Batter Ingredients:
- Eggs: Add moisture, richness, and help create a light, fluffy texture in this moist carrot cake recipe.
- Sugar: Sweetens the cake and balances the tangy cream cheese frosting.
- Carrots: The key ingredient in any homemade carrot cake recipe, adding natural sweetness, moisture, and tenderness.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Help the carrot cake rise properly and give it a soft, airy crumb.
- Cinnamon: A warm spice that enhances flavor and gives this spiced carrot cake recipe its classic taste.
- Nutmeg: Adds a cozy, slightly earthy flavor that pairs perfectly with the carrots and spices.
- Vanilla extract: Brings a warm, sweet aroma and enhances the overall flavor of the cake.
- Buttermilk (or kefir): Makes this easy carrot cake recipe extra moist, soft, and tender with a slight tang.
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure and binds the ingredients together.
- Walnuts: Add crunch and nutty flavor to this classic carrot walnut cake recipe (optional).
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors and helps create a balanced, flavorful cake.
Carrot Cake Frosting Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter: Adds a rich, creamy base that complements the sugar and cream cheese.
- Cream cheese: Provides a tangy, slightly sour flavor that balances sweetness and enhances the cake’s spices.
- Sugar: Adds the perfect amount of sweetness to every bite of frosting.
- Heavy whipping cream: Ensures the frosting stays stable while adding richness and a slightly sweet flavor.
- Greek yogurt: Adds tanginess to balance the rich and sweet flavors of the frosting.
- Cinnamon: Gives the frosting a warm, slightly spicy flavor that complements the cake.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances flavor and adds a delicious aroma to the frosting.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and brings out all the other frosting flavors.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, please check the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to Make Carrot Cake Recipe from Scratch
Making your own carrot cake recipe is easier than you think. Here’s what you need to do to make it at home step by step:
How to Make Carrot Cake Batter:
Mix dry ingredients: Sift and whisk flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl; set aside.
Prep carrots: Rinse, peel, and grate (use Korean carrot grater or food processor); set aside.
Preheat oven: 350°F (180°C).
Whip wet ingredients: In a large bowl of stand mixer beat eggs and sugar on high for 15 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and mix in vanilla and buttermilk for 1 more minute.
Fold in dry ingredients and carrots: Gently fold in 1/3 of dry ingredients, then stir in 1/3 of grated carrots, repeating until fully combined – keeping the batter airy for a light, fluffy cake.
Prepare pans: Grease two baking pans and line with parchment paper. Divide batter evenly between two prepared baking pans.
Baking the Carrot Cake Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and bake both pans for 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cakes cool a few minutes in the pans before handling.
Remove cakes from cake pans, dust tops with powdered sugar, and carefully roll into logs.
Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and frosting your rolled carrot cake.
Frosting the Carrot Cake Recipe:
In the separate bowl, whip cream cheese on high for 1 minute, scraping the bowl halfway.
Add butter and beat until fully combined.
Mix in sugar until dissolved and smooth.
Pour in cold heavy whipping cream and start beating on low speed, gradually increasing the speed med/high; it will thin first, then thicken.
Scrape the bowl and whip another 30 seconds as it thickens.
Add vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon; beat 15 more seconds until creamy and smooth.
Assembling the Carrot Cake Recipe:
Carefully unroll the baked cake logs and cut each vertically in half to get four 6″ x 16″ rectangles.
Scoop ½ cup frosting onto each cake strip and spread evenly with a spatula.
Roll the cakes using two strips per roll: align short ends, roll the first strip gently, then wrap with the second strip to form one large roll to create vertical cake layers.
Stand the roll upright, spread leftover frosting on top. Wrap the cake with plastic wrap and cool 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Frost the sides of the cake by spreading the remaining frosting, and sprinkle chopped walnuts along the edges. Chill a few more hours until set.
That’s it! This carrot walnut cake recipe is simple to make, looks stunning, and tastes absolutely delicious. Slice, serve, and enjoy your homemade moist carrot cake!
Ingredient Substitutions Ideas
- Flour: For a gluten-free carrot cake recipe, replace all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free flour blend.
- Nuts and add-ins: Swap walnuts for pecans or other nuts, and add dried fruits like raisins or pineapple for extra flavor and texture in your homemade carrot cake.
- Buttermilk substitute: Use equal amounts of unsweetened applesauce or crushed pineapple with its juice instead of buttermilk to keep this carrot cake recipe moist, soft, and lighter.
Variations for Carrot Cake Recipe
- Toasted walnuts: Toast the walnuts first to enhance their rich, nutty taste and add extra depth to your carrot walnut cake.
- Other nuts: Try almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts as tasty alternatives in this homemade carrot cake recipe.
- Jam filling: Spread a layer of strawberry or your favorite jam between the layers for a fruity twist on this moist carrot cake recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Carrot cake recipe tastes like a soft, warmly spiced cake layered with rich cream cheese frosting. The grated carrots make the cake incredibly moist without adding a carrot flavor.
Carrot cake recipe doesn’t require nuts to taste amazing. This homemade carrot cake can be made without walnuts and still stays moist, soft, and full of flavor.
Yes, you can use frozen grated carrots in this carrot cake recipe, but prepare them properly for best results. See how to freeze vegetables.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover carrot cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap individual carrot cake slices tightly in plastic and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight for a perfectly moist homemade carrot cake ready to enjoy.
Best Carrot Cake Recipe – Moist, Easy, and Homemade
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Batter Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- 8 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup Kefir or buttermilk
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups grated carrots
Carrot Cake Frosting Ingredients:
- 16 oz. cream cheese
- 8 oz. unsalted butter
- ½ cup Greek yogurt plain
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- 5 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
How to Make Carrot Cake Batter:
- First, start out by sifting and whisking all the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and baking powder) together in a medium mixing bowl until well mixed. Set this bowl aside until we’re ready to use it.
- Second, rinse, peel, and grate the carrots, then set these aside also.
- After that, preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C).
- Next, add the eggs and sugar to a large mixing bowl and whip it on high with an electric mixer for 15 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium, then add the vanilla extract and buttermilk. Continue mixing for another minute or so at medium speed.
- Now, grab the dry ingredients we mixed earlier, the grated carrots, and a rubber spatula. We’re going to gently fold in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/3 of the grated carrots, and continue doing this until all of it is well combined.
- Try not to deflate any air pockets in the batter while you’re folding the ingredients in. This will help make our cake light and fluffy when we bake it.
- Divide the batter evenly into two baking sheets greased with butter or cooking spray and lined with parchment paper.
How to Bake Carrot Cake Sponges:
- Bake both pans of batter at 350 F (180 C) for 25 – 30 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for a couple of minutes, enough to handle them without burning yourself.
- Take the cakes out of the pans and dust the tops of them with powdered sugar. Roll them both into logs and let them cool completely on a wire rack before dividing and frosting them.
How to Make Frosting for the Carrot Cake
- First, make sure your cream cheese is warmed to room temperature. Whip it on high for one minute in a medium mixing bowl, scraping the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Add the butter and beat it on high again until it’s well mixed with the cream cheese.
- Now add the sugar and beat it again until the sugar is dissolved and all three ingredients are well combined.
- Next, add cold heavy whipping cream and continue beating at high speed. The frosting will become very thin at first, then start forming into a thick mixture.
- As soon as the mixture starts thickening, scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are properly incorporated, and whip for another 30 seconds.
- Finally, add the vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon and beat again for another 15 seconds.
How to Assemble Carrot Cake Recipe:
- Carefully unroll the cake logs we made earlier, then split each sheet of cake in half vertically. You should have four, 6″ x 16″ inch rectangles.
- Next, use a half-cup ice cream scoop to place frosting on each of the 4 strips of sponge cake. Use a spatula to spread the frosting out evenly.
- Now we’re going to re-roll the cakes, using 2 strips per roll. Line up the short ends of the cake, roll the first strip tightly but gently so the cake doesn’t break, then roll the first roll up in the second strip, making one large roll.
- Flip the cake log upright and spread some leftover frosting over the tops of the cakes. Refrigerate the rolls for 4 hours or overnight before frosting the outer layer.
- After the outer layer is frosted, spread any remaining frosting on the top and sprinkle chopped walnuts on the very edge of the cake. Let the cake sit in the fridge for a couple more hours to make sure all the frosting is set.
Notes
- Measure flour correctly: Fluff with a spoon, scoop into the measuring cup, and level with a knife for perfect cake texture.
- Toast walnuts: Enhance the flavor by toasting before chopping and adding to the batter.
- Prepare pans properly: Grease with butter and line with parchment for easy cake release.
- Use fresh carrots: Avoid pre-shredded carrots – they’re too dry and won’t keep the cake moist.
- Room-temperature eggs: Helps the cake rise properly and creates a light, fluffy sponge.
- Frosting caution: Never soften cream cheese in the microwave – it will make the frosting too runny.
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