I proudly present to you the perfect carrot cake with buttercream frosting recipe. If you're like me and not a huge fan of tangy cream cheese frosting, this is the carrot cake for you! The cake is crumbly and soft, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. And the layers are calculated to provide the perfect ratio of cake-to-frosting.
This carrot cake with buttercream frosting is wonderful in the Spring, when everyone is baking hot cross buns and Easter bread. I also love baking it in late Summer when carrots are in season, along with my roasted carrot galette and carrot top pesto.
Feel free to add any of your favorite spices in the batter like ground ginger, cardamom or allspice. I prefer to stick with just cinnamon and nutmeg since these two simple yet potent spices pack a punch of flavor.
Most importantly, there are no unnecessary add-ins. Leave out the pineapple, coconut and raisins! Sometimes, the more simple you keep a recipe, the more delicious and crowd-pleasing it turns out. 😉
Why You Should Make this Recipe
- Versatility
I first developed this classic carrot cake as a sheet cake. If you don't feel like making a fancy layer cake, bake the batter in an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes. And you'll only need about half the amount of frosting for a sheet cake carrot cake. - Delicious Flavor
This carrot cake with buttercream frosting has a few secret ingredients to make it extra moist. Applesauce, brown sugar and freshly grated carrots all add moisture to the cake batter. - Festive
Look at those adorable little buttercream carrots on the cake! They're too freaking cute!! And they're simple to make by dying a little of the frosting green and orange.
Ingredients
- Grated carrot
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Applesauce
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon and nutmeg
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
How to Make this Recipe
Bake the Cakes
Mix the Eggs + Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until it is smooth.
Add the Wet Ingredients: Add the vegetable oil, applesauce and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Combine the Batter: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix just until there is no dry flour visible.
Add the Carrot: Fold the grated carrots into the thick cake batter.
Bake the Cakes: Evenly distribute the batter between the two greased 8-inch cake pans. Bake for about 22 to 28 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
Make the Buttercream Frosting
Beat the Butter: In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter until it is a smooth and fluffy.
Add the Other Ingredients: Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt and continue to beat until it is fluffy and well-combined.
Assemble the Cake
Trim the Cake: Trim off the edges around the two cooled cake layers. Trim the tops of the cake so they are level and flat.
Assemble: Place the first layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread a few dollops of the buttercream in an even layer on top. Place the second cake layer on top of the buttercream, and spread more of the buttercream on the top of the second layer.
Frost the Cake: Gently spread the buttercream on the sides of the cake. Use a pallet knife or offset spatula to get the buttercream even and smooth on the top and the sides.
Refrigerate: Refrigerate the cake for about an hour, so the buttercream has time to set. Then slice and enjoy!!
How to Decorate with Buttercream Carrots
If you want to add the cute little frosting carrots on your cake, it's so easy!
Set aside about a half cup of the buttercream frosting, and divide that evenly between two small bowls. Dye one bowl of frosting green and the other bowl of frosting orange.
Once your frosted cake has set and become firm in the fridge, add your carrot decoration.
Use a piping bag with a small round nozzle to pipe the orange carrot bodies on the cake. Then use another piping bag with a small round nozzle to pipe the green tops on each carrot.
Voila! Now you have adorable little frosting carrots on your deliciously moist carrot cake!
Recipe Tips
- I recommend buying large carrots and shredding them on the smallest holes of a box grater or grating them in a food processor. Pre-shredded carrots from the store are too large and dry for the cake.
- Remember to leave your sticks of butter at room temperature to soften for the frosting. In a pinch, smack your butter with a rolling pin to soften it faster.
- Grease your cake tins with butter or cooking spray on all sides so the cakes come out easily. You can also line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Don't overmix the batter, or else it could end up tough. Use a large spoon or silicone spatula to gently mix it.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten Free: If you plan on making a gluten free carrot cake, I recommend replacing the all purpose flour with a gluten free flour blend.
- Applesauce: If you don't have applesauce, use the same quantity of mashed banana or sour cream.
- Nuts: For an additional crunchy texture, fold chopped nuts into the batter with the carrots. Or sprinkle chopped pistachios, walnuts, or almonds on the sides of the cake while the frosting is still soft.
- Frosting Flavor: Substitute almond or coconut extract for vanilla in the frosting for a unique taste. Or zest half an orange for a citrus pop of flavor.
- Frosting Alternatives: You could switch out the sweet buttercream frosting for a tangy cream cheese frosting or a rich brown butter frosting.
Storing and Freezing
Fridge: Store your cake in the fridge wrapped in plastic cling wrap for up to 4 days. Make sure the plastic wrap is against the open edges of the sliced cake to prevent them from drying out.
Freezer: Store your undecorated cake layers in the freezer wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, for up to 3 months.
To store a fully decorated cake in the freezer, first place it unwrapped in the freezer for a few hours to fully harden the frosting. Then wrap it tightly in plastic cling wrap and aluminum foil and store for up to 3 months.
More Cake and Cupcake Recipes
Looking for more cakes to bake like this moist carrot cake recipe? Try these!
Carrot Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 1 cup freshly grated carrot
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed into the measuring cup)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Buttercream Frosting
- 1½ cups butter, softened to room temperature (3 sticks)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)
Instructions
Bake the Carrot Cakes
- Preheat the oven 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake tins with butter.Grate the carrots on the smallest holes of a box grater or in a food processor. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until it is smooth. Add the vegetable oil, applesauce and vanilla extract. Whisk again until it is smooth. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and gently mix just until there is no dry flour visible. Fold in the grated carrots until it's evenly distributed. The batter will be very thick.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the two 8-inch cake tins.Bake for about 22 to 26 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Let the cakes cool in the cake tins for 10 minutes, then carefully remove them and transfer to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
Make the Buttercream Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter until it is a smooth, fluffy and pale yellow. (About 3 to 5 minutes with a hand mixer or stand mixer.)
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt and continue to beat until it is fluffy and well-combined. Set aside.
Assemble the Carrot Cake
- Trim the caramelized side edges off the two cake layers. Trim the tops of the cake so they are both level and flat.
- Place the first layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread out a few dollops of the buttercream on the top with a spatula or butterknife.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the buttercream, and spread out a few more dollops of the buttercream on the top of the second layer.
- Gently spread small dollops of the buttercream on the sides of the cake. Use a butter knife or a pallet knife to get the buttercream nice and even and smooth on the top and the sides.
- Refrigerate the cake for about an hour, so the buttercream has time to set. Then slice and enjoy!!
Notes
-
- Use Freshly Grated Carrots: I recommend buying large carrots and shredding them on the smallest holes of a box grater or grating them in a food processor. Pre-shredded carrots from the store are too large and dry for the cake.
- Soft Cake: Don't overmix the batter, or else it could end up tough. Use a large spoon or silicone spatula to gently mix it.
- Nuts: For an additional crunchy texture, fold chopped nuts into the batter with the carrots. Or sprinkle chopped pistachios, walnuts, or almonds on the sides of the cake while the frosting is still soft.
- Frosting Flavor: Substitute almond or coconut extract for vanilla in the frosting for a unique taste. Or zest half an orange for a citrus pop of flavor.
- Single-Layer Cake: You can also bake this in an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish for a small sheet cake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes.
- Storing: Store your cake in the fridge wrapped in plastic cling wrap for up to 4 days. Make sure the plastic wrap is against the open edges of the sliced cake to prevent them from drying out.
- Freezing: To store a fully decorated cake in the freezer, first place it unwrapped in the freezer for a few hours to fully harden the frosting. Then wrap it tightly in plastic cling wrap and aluminum foil and store for up to 3 months.
Lindsey
OBSESSED with the tiny frosting carrots on this cake! I made a bunch...maybe went overboard...but they are so cute! the cake was good too!!
Maria
Delicious!! Carrot cake is a favorite in our household and this did not disappoint! And thank you for not adding nuts, raisins, and pineapple to the cake (he he)! I've never had carrot cake with buttercream. Such a great combo!!
Carissa Erzen
Thanks! I'm the same way, I prefer my carrot cake without raisins and pineapple lol
Dolly
Love both the look and flavor of this cake! I hate raisins and pineapple in carrot cake, so I'm glad to have found one that's both simple and delicious.
Carissa Erzen
Haha same! & thank you!
Rae
I've made this carrot cake twice now, and it's always a hit! I just added the buttercream carrots for the first time and they turned out so good, everyone loved them!
Carissa Erzen
That makes me so happy to hear!!
Erasmo Kaufman
This cake looks insanely delicious. Love its texture!
strawberryandcream
Thank you! I hope you get to make it and try it! ðŸ˜
LaDonna Remy
This looks really wonderful. I'm going to give this a try!
strawberryandcream
Please do! It's such a simple recipe and comes together in just a single bowl = less dishes to clean! 😉
LaDonna Remy
😊â¤ï¸
Jim
Like a fine wine, the chocolate frosting is a perfect balance to the healthiness of the carrot cake!
strawberryandcream
Haha exactly! It's all about balance, right? 😉
Azilde Elizabeth
This looks so good! I wouldn't have thought of chocolate frosting with carrot cake. 😋
strawberryandcream
Thank you!! I really wanted chocolate with this cake, and I was considering putting chocolate chips in the carrot cake. But this chocolate cream cheese frosting is the right amount of sweet + tang + indulgence for this healthier cake I think 😉
Markus + Micah
Love carrot cake and I can just use your frosting as a blanket. Wow!
strawberryandcream
Lol!! A blanket of frosting... why did I never think of that!? ðŸ˜
Yum-number1
I had the privilege of being hand delivered a sample of this cake from her. And I'm not kidding, this has to be one of the best snacking cakes EVER. I really want more whenever you make it again, please!! 😃
strawberryandcream
Thank you for being my guinea pig on this cake (and sorry for the first attempt at this cake that looked like baked baby food...) lol I would give you more buuuut I ate the rest 😬😉
Yum-number1
I guess I'll have to learn how to make it...BAAM...the recipe happens to be right HERE! Hahah
strawberryandcream
Hahaha! Next time YOU can share with ME!! 😋😚
infinitelyadaydreamer
Oh my goodness, this looks incredible! Carrot cake is my favourite and I love this twist on cream cheese icing. Gorgeous photos also x
strawberryandcream
Thank you!!! 🥰 I hope you get to try it! â¤ï¸ Carrot cake is one of my faves too!! 🥕
Soni Cool😎
Woww... Looks yumm😃â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸