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Perfect Carrot Cake Recipe

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This Perfect Carrot Cake recipe yields moist, flavorful layers spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Made with freshly grated organic carrots and a blend of brown and granulated sugars, it’s rich yet balanced with sour cream for moisture. The cake is layered and frosted with creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting, then decorated with piped carrot designs and chopped walnuts for a festive finish. Ideal for celebrations or any occasion needing a delicious, home-baked treat.

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups (250g) peeled and finely grated organic carrots
  • 2 cups (256g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cups then leveled
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp clove
  • 1 cup (225g) vegetable or canola oil (olive oil can also work)
  • 3/4 cup (165g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (190g) sour cream or full fat Greek yogurt

Decorations

  • Orange gel food coloring
  • Green gel food coloring
  • Brown gel food coloring
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Prepare Carrots: Wash and peel your carrots. Grate them using the small holes on a box grater until they resemble very finely shredded cheese. Measure out 2 1/2 cups loosely packed and set aside.
  2. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease 3 round 6″ cake pans or 2-3 round 8″ cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and optionally wrap pans with dampened cake sleeves to prevent over-browning.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove until combined. Set aside.
  4. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the vegetable or canola oil with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar until well blended.
  5. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract to the wet mixture.
  6. Incorporate Carrots and Sour Cream: Fold in the grated carrots and sour cream (or full fat Greek yogurt) to the wet ingredients until evenly combined.
  7. Add Dry Ingredients: Gently stir the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
  8. Divide Batter: Evenly distribute the batter among the prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula.
  9. Bake: Bake 35-40 minutes for 6″ pans or 30-35 minutes for 8″ pans, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  10. Cool Cakes: Allow cakes to cool in pans for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator to speed cooling.
  11. Store If Ahead: If preparing a day ahead, wrap fully cooled cakes individually in plastic wrap and store refrigerated overnight.
  12. Make Frosting: While the cakes chill, prepare cream cheese frosting; if too thin, refrigerate for about an hour to thicken.
  13. Level Cakes: Level cake tops with a cake leveler or serrated knife to create even layers for stacking.
  14. Apply Filling: Spread a thin, even layer of frosting between each cake layer.
  15. Crumb Coat: Apply a very thin layer of frosting around the entire outside of the stacked cake to trap crumbs. Chill for 20 minutes.
  16. Final Frosting: Apply a thick, smooth layer of frosting over the chilled cake.
  17. Color and Pipe Decorations: Separate some frosting into two bowls. Add 1-2 drops of green gel and a tiny bit of brown gel to one, and 1-2 drops orange gel and brown gel to the other. Transfer colored frostings into piping bags fitted with small round tips.
  18. Decorate Cake: Pipe tiny carrots around the outside of the cake, adding green carrot stalks. Sprinkle finely chopped walnuts on top.
  19. Chill to Set: Refrigerate the decorated cake for at least an hour to set the frosting and decorations.
  20. Serve: Slice and enjoy your beautifully decorated, moist carrot cake!

Notes

  • Use organic carrots for the best flavor and texture.
  • Wrapping the pans with cake sleeves helps prevent edges from overcooking and drying out.
  • You can substitute sour cream with full-fat Greek yogurt for similar moisture.
  • If your cream cheese frosting is too thin, refrigerate for about an hour to thicken before frosting.
  • The colored frosting piping adds a charming, homemade decorative touch.
  • Store leftover cake properly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • For a dairy-free version, consider substituting sour cream and cream cheese with suitable non-dairy alternatives.

Find it online: https://cookedbysarah.com/perfect-carrot-cake-recipe/