Carrot Cake with Buttercream Frosting

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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 if you make it into a two-layer cake, the layers provide the perfect ratio of cake-to-frosting.

In this Post

• Why you should make this recipe
• How to make this recipe (step-by-step)
• Substitutions
• Tips for the novice home baker
• Storing and freezing
• More cake recipes

Why You Should Make this Recipe

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.

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.

Feel free to mix any of your favorite spices in the batter like ground ginger, cardamom or allspice. I prefer to stick with just cinnamon and nutmeg though. These two simple yet potent spices pack a punch of flavor.

Finally, 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.

This carrot cake with buttercream frosting is wonderful in the Spring, when everyone is baking hot cross buns and baby bunnies are hopping around. Or serve it in late Summer or Fall, when carrots are in season in the Northern Hemisphere.

How to Make this Recipe

Bake the Cake

Preheat the oven 350°F. Grease two 8 inch round cake tins with butter or cooking spray.
Grate the carrots on the smallest holes of a box grater or pulse the carrots 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 and well-combined. 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 25 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 finish cooling to room temperature.

Make the Buttercream Frosting

In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter until it is a smooth and fluffy. (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.

Assemble the Cake

Trim off the edges around the two cake layers. Trim the tops of the cake so they are level and flat.

Place the first layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread a few dollops of the buttercream in an even layer with a spatula or butterknife.

Place the second cake layer on top of the buttercream, making sure this cake lines up with the bottom one.

Evenly spread 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!!

Substitutions

• If you plan on making a gluten free carrot cake, I recommend replacing the all purpose flour with a gluten free flour blend.
• If you don't have applesauce, use the same quantity of mashed banana or sour cream.
• 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.
• For an additional crunchy texture, fold chopped nuts into the batter with the carrots.
• You could switch out the sweet buttercream frosting for a tangy cream cheese frosting.

Tips for the Novice Home Baker

• I recommend to buy large carrots and shred them on the smallest holes of a box grater or pulse 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 on the counter overnight to soften to room temperature for the frosting. In a pinch, smack your butter with a rolling pin to soften it faster.
• If you don't want to fuss over assembling a layer cake, make this in an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish for a small sheet cake. Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes.
• Grease your cake tins with butter or cooking spray on all sides so the cakes come out easily.

Storing and Freezing

Room Temperature: Store your cake at room temperature wrapped in plastic cling wrap for up to 2 days.

Fridge: Store your cake in the fridge wrapped in plastic cling wrap for 3-4 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.
Or 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

• Chocolate Cake with Lavender Infused Buttercream
• Fault Line Cake
• Gingerbread House Cake
• Strawberry Lemon Cake
• Semolina Cake (Basbousa)
• Date Cake
• Chocolate Yule Log Cake
• Simple Homemade Wedding Cake
• Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes
• Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes