If you're like me and not a huge fan of tangy cream cheese frosting, this carrot cake with buttercream frosting is for you! The layers of cinnamon-spiced cake are soft & moist thanks to applesauce, brown sugar and freshly grated carrots.
I Bake this Spiced Carrot Cake Every Spring!
I love baking this sweet & spiced cake from spring all the way through late summer when carrots are in season, since a whole cup of freshly grated carrots gets mixed into the batter. And while I like to stick with cinnamon + nutmeg for warmth, this cake also tastes great with a little extra kick from ground ginger or allspice. Most importantly, there are no unnecessary add-ins, so leave out the pineapple, coconut and raisins!
I first developed this classic carrot cake as a sheet cake. So 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.
Got extra carrots? Bake something savory next like my roasted carrot galette topped with my carrot top pesto!
How to Pipe Buttercream Carrots
If you want to add those cute little frosting carrots onto your cake, it's really 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.
I always add the white frosting first and let my assembled, frosted cake set in the fridge so I'm piping on a firm surface.
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. So adorable!
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.
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.
Carrot Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 1 cup freshly-grated carrot
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 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. Gently fold in the grated carrots just until they're evenly distributed. The batter will be very thick, but be careful not to overmix it.
- 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
-
- Carrots: I recommend buying large whole carrots, then peeling & shredding them on the smallest holes of a box grater or grating them in a food processor. Packaged pre-shredded carrots are too large and dry for this cake.
- 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.
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¸