Moist Carrot Cake From Scratch – The BEST Recipe

The most moist, flavorful carrot cake you’ll ever try has a secret ingredient that makes it different from any carrot cake you’ve had before.

A classic homemade carrot cake recipe with a twist: I usually just call this recipe kitchen sink carrot cake because there’s a little bit of everything in there and a secret ingredient that makes it super moist – I’ve been told by multiple people that it really is the best carrot cake recipe they’ve ever had!  Carrot cake is one of my husband’s top 3 favorite desserts that I make, along with this Coconut Cream Pie – so it’s something I make a few times a year when he requests it.

This easy carrot cake recipe can be made in one mixing bowl and can be made as a sheet cake, layer cake, or cupcakes.  I almost always make a double-layer cake because that’s. just what I envision when I think of the perfect carrot cake.  And of course, it wouldn’t be carrot cake with rich, creamy cream cheese frosting!  And I’m sharing a tip on how I make my absolute favorite cream cheese frosting (it involved eggnog!)

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This carrot cake is made completely from scratch and it’s easy – all you need is one big mixing bowl for the batter and you can reuse that bowl to make the frosting while the cake bakes.
• There’s nothing worse than dry cake – and this carrot cake is far from dry.  There’s a cup of peach jam in the batter that results in a very moist cake and adds lots of flavor.
• This carrot cake freezes really well so you can bake the cakes in advance, freeze them, and then thaw and ice them when you’re ready.

I made this carrot cake in this video along with some other delicious from-scratch dishes!

What You’ll Need

INGREDIENTS

CAKE INGREDIENTS

3 large eggs

3/4 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup peach jam

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups finely grated carrots

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, softened

12 oz. cream cheese, softened (1 1/2 bricks)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons heavy cream

(optional: toasted coconut for topping the cake)

TOOLS

large bowl

food processor or grater for carrots

whisk

spatula

2 round 9-inch cake pans

wire rack

hand mixer or stand mixer for frosting

Step-By-Step Instructions

If baking right away, preheat the oven to 350F and grease and flour 2 round 9-inch cake pans, or line them with parchment paper.

MAKE THE CAKE BATTER

Add the eggs, melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, and peach jam to the large bowl and beat with a hand mixer for 2 minutes.

Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt) to the wet ingredients and use a hand mixer or a stand mixer and whisk attachment to beat for 3 more minutes.

Add the grated carrots, shredded coconut, and chopped walnuts to the carrot cake batter and fold in with a spatula.

BAKE THE CAKE

Divide the cake batter between the two prepared cake pans and bake the two cake layers in a preheated oven at 350 for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.  Do not overbake or the cake will be dry.

Once the cakes are done, allow them to cool in the cake pans for 30 minutes and then turn them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.  Place the wire rack and cakes in the fridge or freezer to speed up the cooling process if you’re in a hurry.

MAKE THE FROSTING & TOAST THE COCONUT

In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese on high for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.  

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on high for 2 minutes.  Pour in the heavy cream (or eggnog if making eggnog carrot cake) and mix on high for another 2 minutes.  Set the frosting aside.

Toast the coconut in a skillet on low or in the oven at 350F on a baking sheet until it is golden brown.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

?Once the cake layers have cooled, place the bottom layer on a cake plate and spread 1 cup of cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake.

Place the second layer on top of the frosted first layer, make sure it is centered on the cake, and press down on the top a bit to keep the cake from sliding off as you finish frosting the top and sides of the cake.

Use the rest of the frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake.  Then top the cake with the toasted coconut.

Serve right away or refrigerate the carrot cake and serve it cold. 

FAQ

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO GRATE CARROTS FOR CARROT CAKE?

The quickest and easiest way to grate carrots for carrot cake is using the grating attachment on a food processor.  However, a box grater or hand grater works as well.

HOW DO I PREVENT MY CARROT CAKE FROM TURNING OUT DRY?

Adding peach jam, applesauce, or crushed pineapple to the cake batter keeps it incredibly moist.  The cake will stay moist for as long as you store it.

CAN I ADD RAISINS TO CARROT CAKE?

Yes, you can add raisins to carrot cake and many people love this addition.  If you do add raisings, try soaking them in a bit of vanilla for an hour before adding them the the cake batter so they are nice and plump.

CAN I MAKE CARROT CAKE AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes, you can make carrot cake ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze it until you’re ready to assemble and frost it.

CAN I USE MELTED COCONUT OIL INSTEAD OF BUTTER FOR THE CAKE?

Yes, you can use melted coconut oil or vegetable oil in place of butter in this cake recipe and it will still result in a very flavorful and very moist crumb.

Tips

Bake the cake in advance.  

Bake the carrot cake several hours before you plan to serve it.  This carrot cake needs to be cooled completely before assembling and adding frosting so it maintains its shape and the frosting doesn’t melt from being spread on a warm cake.

Don’t skip the peach jam.

This is what makes the cake so moist and delicious!  You can substitute applesauce if you don’t have peach jam.  Crushed pineapple works as well.

Prep the cake pans well.

It’s really difficult to assemble a layer cake when half the cake sticks to the cake pan, so don’t skip the pan prep!  Even when I use non-stick pans, I still grease and flour just to be safe.  Giving cakes adequate cooling time also helps prevent sticking.

Make a sheet cake or cupcakes.

This moist carrot cake recipe works wonderfully as a sheet cake in a jelly roll pan or as carrot cake cupcakes.  Just adjust the baking time as needed.

Make Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting

Substitute your favorite eggnog for the heavy cream in the rich cream cheese frosting recipe for a fun, holiday twist to this classic carrot spice cake.  

Storage

When fully assembled with cream cheese frosting, this cake must be refrigerated in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for storage.  Unfrosted cakes can be stored at room temperature for 3-4 days in an airtight container, for 5-6 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.

More Recipes Like This

Coconut Cream Pie

Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade Custard

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

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