This carrot cake has an amazingly moist crumb, a perfect touch of cinnamon, and a smooth cream cheese frosting, making it the best ever carrot cake. This easy yet impressive cake is the next bake for bakers of all levels.
Coming from someone who formerly turned my nose away from carrot cake, I can finally say I LOVE CARROT CAKE (well, this recipe at least). This recipe comes from my sister-in-law’s grandma and it was so good I begged her to let me share it. So thank you Lindsey for making the world a better place! Several of my neighbors said they would have thought it came from a professional bakery and I’m not kidding when I say they still bring it up to me in conversation. So yes, it really is that good.
Ways to bake and frost this cake
It is impossible to fail with a bundt or loaf cake. There’s no stress about making layers even or the frosting perfect. And yet, it’s still impressive and gorgeous. If you decide to make this into a bundt or loaf cake, you’ll just generously drizzle the cream cheese frosting over top.
You can also make into an 8″ 3 layer cake or 9″ 2 layer cake. If you go the layered route, you will need to double the frosting recipe and just keep in mind, cream cheese frosting can be a little trickier to frost smooth compared to a standard buttercream. Not impossible though and equally delicious! Feel free to do half cream cheese, half butter for the recipe. I love that subtle, slightly stiffer combo.
This is also a great cake to bake ahead! It stays moist for days, I promise, and even tastes better next day because all of the flavors have a chance to settle in together.
Happy baking!
Best Ever Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 ½ tsp vanilla
- 4 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Frosting
- 8 oz softened cream cheese
- 1 lb powdered sugar
- 1 TB vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, and eggs. Beat well.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.
- Mix in vanilla, carrots, and optional chopped walnuts.
- Pour into a greased bundt pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes until moist crumbs come out on toothpick.
- Let it sit for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Beat frosting ingredients together until smooth. Frost cake. If desired, sprinkle additional nuts on top.
Yum. This cake truly is the best ever carrot cake. No weird pineapple or raisins, just really great balanced flavor. And that frosting?! Heavens. This is a keeper.
Yum. This cake truly is the best ever carrot cake. No weird pineapple or raisins, just really great balanced flavor. And that frosting?! Heavens. This is a keeper.
I am not usually a fan of carrot cake but a family member asked me to bake one for them and this is titled the Best Ever Carrot Cake so thought I would see for myself 🙂 The title is apt – I love this cake. I made a slightly smaller cake and used the rest of the batter for cupcakes. So delicious!
Family favorite! This carrot cake is delicious! We love it for Easter or any time of the year.