Carrot cake (American carrot cake with cream cheese frosting)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Grease two 20 cm (8-inch) round tins and line the bases with baking paper.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
- Whisk the eggs with the brown sugar and caster sugar until foamy, then pour in the oil in a thin stream while whisking.
- Fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula, then the grated carrots and pecans. Divide the batter between the two tins.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out dry. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, turn out and cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour.
- Beat the soft butter, then add the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla, beating only until smooth. Fill the first cake, set the second on top, cover with frosting and decorate with pecans.
Notes
A soft crumb scented with cinnamon, crunchy pecans and a creamy cream cheese frosting: carrot cake is the most famous carrot cake in the world. Here is our easy carrot cake recipe for a two-layer homemade carrot cake as pretty as any New York coffee shop slice.
Carrot cake, the great American classic
Carrots have been used in desserts in Europe since the Middle Ages, when sugar was rare and expensive. During the Second World War, rationed Britain brought them back into cakes. But it was in the United States, in the 1960s and 1970s, that American carrot cake became a star, with its spices, its nuts and above all its cream cheese frosting. Today it is in every bakery, diner and café in the country.
Carrot cake spices: how to mix them
The carrot cake spice mix is what makes it so irresistible. Cinnamon leads, joined by ground ginger and a hint of grated nutmeg. Some bakers add a pinch of cloves or allspice. Always mix the spices into the flour before adding it: they spread evenly through the batter. For more aroma, grate the nutmeg at the last minute.
Carrot cake with pecans
Carrot cake with pecans is the most American version. The pecan, native to the southern United States, is softer and more buttery than the walnut. Chop it roughly and, for even more flavour, toast it in a dry pan for 5 minutes before adding it. You can swap it for walnuts, or add 80 g of drained crushed pineapple for an even moister cake.
Cream cheese frosting for carrot cake
Cream cheese frosting for carrot cake is part of the cake’s identity. Use a firm, full-fat cream cheese sold in a block rather than a soft spread in a tub. Beat the soft butter first on its own, then add the cold cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla, and stop as soon as the mixture is smooth. Overbeaten, the frosting turns runny. If it is too soft, chill it for 20 minutes before spreading.
Why is my carrot cake dry?
The question why is my carrot cake dry comes up often. The causes are almost always the same: carrots grated too coarsely or squeezed to remove their juice, oil swapped for butter, too long in the oven or an oven that is too hot. Grate the carrots finely, keep the oil, which keeps the crumb moist for days, and take the cake out as soon as the skewer comes out dry. Five minutes too long is enough to lose the softness.
A moist carrot cake in the Thermomix
A moist Thermomix carrot cake takes only a few minutes. Chop the carrots in pieces for 5 seconds on speed 5 and set aside. Put the eggs, brown sugar and caster sugar in the bowl and whisk for 3 minutes on speed 4, add the oil and mix for 20 seconds on speed 3. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt and mix for 15 seconds on speed 3, then fold in the carrots and pecans with the spatula. For the frosting, mix the butter, cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla for 20 seconds on speed 4, no more.
Gluten-free carrot cake
For a gluten-free carrot cake, replace the wheat flour with 150 g of rice flour, 50 g of ground almonds and 50 g of cornflour. The ground almonds add moistness and make up for the lack of gluten. Check that the baking powder and baking soda are labelled gluten-free. The baking time is the same.
Vegan carrot cake
Vegan carrot cake easily does without eggs: replace each of the 4 eggs with a tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water and left to thicken for 10 minutes. Add a tablespoon of cider vinegar to help the batter rise. For the frosting, use a cashew-based plant cream cheese and a firm plant-based butter.
Healthy carrot cake with oats
For a healthy carrot cake with oats, replace half the flour with blended rolled oats, cut the sugar to 150 g in total and replace half the oil with unsweetened apple sauce. For the frosting, mix 250 g of thick Greek yoghurt or skyr with 2 tablespoons of honey and the vanilla. The cake is a little denser but still soft and fragrant.
Carrot cake: British vs American
The British vs American carrot cake debate amuses both sides of the Atlantic. The British version is often simpler: a single layer, raisins, fewer spices and a lighter frosting, sometimes just a lemon icing. It is often decorated with little marzipan carrots. The American version is more generous: two or three layers, pecans, sometimes pineapple, and a thick layer of cream cheese frosting between each one.
How to store carrot cake
To store carrot cake, keep it in the fridge because of the cream cheese frosting, for 4 to 5 days in an airtight box or under cling film. Take it out 30 minutes before serving so the crumb softens again. Unfrosted cake layers freeze very well for 3 months, wrapped in cling film. The frosting freezes less well.
Carrot cake calories
For carrot cake calories, count about 630 kcal per slice, for 12 slices. The oil, sugar and cream cheese frosting provide most of them. For a lighter slice, cut the cake into 16, frost only the top and middle, or make the healthy oat version, at around 400 kcal a slice.
Carrot cake or bolo de cenoura?
Brazil has its own carrot cake, but it is very different. Our bolo de cenoura is made with raw carrots blended in a blender, with no spices or nuts, and it is topped with chocolate icing. American carrot cake uses grated carrots, spices, nuts and cream cheese. The first is light and bright orange, the second dense, spiced and crunchy. Both are worth trying.
What to serve with carrot cake?
Carrot cake is perfect with coffee or tea, or as a dessert after an American meal such as our pulled pork. Do not throw away your carrot tops: they make a delicious carrot top quiche. And to explore more baking spices, our spice guide will give you new ideas.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bake carrot cake in a single tin?
Yes, in a 24 cm (9-inch) round tin or a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12-inch) rectangular tin. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes and check with a skewer. Simply frost the top.
Can I make carrot cake the day before?
Yes, and it is even better the next day: the spices develop and the crumb becomes moister. Frost it the day before and keep it in the fridge, then take it out 30 minutes before serving.
