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slice of double layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on plate with fork.
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4.84 from 6 votes

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.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Assembly35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake, carrot, discard, sourdough
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 842kcal
Author: Stephanie Dieckman

Equipment

Ingredients

Cake Batter

  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup melted butter or neutral oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup sourdough starter or discard
  • 1 cup peach jam
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups finely grated carrots
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ½ cup butter, softened 1 stick
  • 12 oz cream cheese softened (1 ½ bricks)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • toasted coconut for topping the cake optional

Instructions

  • Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans (or line with parchment).
  • Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, beat together eggs, melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, sourdough starter, and peach jam.
  • Add dry ingredients: Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Beat until smooth.
  • Fold in add-ins: Fold in grated carrots, shredded coconut, and chopped walnuts with a spatula.
  • Bake: Divide batter between pans and bake at 350°F for ~40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t overbake (it can dry out).
  • Cool: Cool in pans for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. (You can chill the layers to speed this up.)
  • Make frosting: Beat butter + cream cheese on high for 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix 2 minutes. Add heavy cream (or eggnog) and mix 2 more minutes.
  • Toast coconut (optional): Toast on low in a skillet or in the oven at 350°F until golden.
  • Assemble: Frost the first layer with about 1 cup frosting, add the second layer, then frost the top/sides with remaining frosting. Top with toasted coconut if using.
  • Serve: Serve right away, or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Video

Notes

  • Fresh milled flour option: Use 2 ½ cups freshly milled soft white wheat flour, measured after milling (about 1 ½ cups wheat berries).
  • Sourdough starter: Discard or active starter both work; this recipe does not rely on fermentation for rise.
  • Peach jam substitute: Apricot jam, pineapple preserves, applesauce, or well-drained crushed pineapple can be used in equal amounts.
  • Carrot texture: Finely grated carrots blend better into the batter and keep the cake moist.
  • Make ahead: Cake layers can be baked 1–2 days ahead, wrapped tightly, and refrigerated until ready to frost.
  • Storage: Because of the cream cheese frosting, store the cake covered in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 842kcal | Carbohydrates: 116g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 696mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 90g | Vitamin A: 4701IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 2mg
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