Homemade Carrot Cake Recipe
Made with 3 cups of freshly grated carrots, applesauce, brown sugar, plenty of buttery pecans and topped with a fluffy cloud of whipped cream cheese frosting, this homemade cake makes everyone a carrot cake lover!
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Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 839kcal
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 cups powder sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Carrot Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray cake pans with non cooking spray and line bottoms with parchment paper or parchment rounds.
- Peel and finely grate carrots using the small holes of the grater.
- In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients with a fork. Set aside.
- Using a mixer, blend together oil, applesauce, sugars, vanilla and eggs. Add in carrots and pecans.
- Mix dry ingredients a little at a time into the wet ingredients just until there are no streaks of flour.
- Divide the batter equally between the cake pans and bake in preheated oven for 25- 30 minutes, just until the cake tops don't collapse when touched and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool completely on cooling rack before frosting.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using your mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream in a cool glass or metal bowl until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, transfer the whipped cream to another bowl. Set aside.
- Mix the rest of the frosting ingredients together until creamy.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until completely incorporated.
Assemble
- Use a serrated knife to remove any domes from the tops of the cakes to create a level surface. Lightly brush all crumbs from the surfaces of the cakes.
- Place the first layer of the cake on your cake plate. Add generous dollops of the frosting to center of the layer. Using a spatula, gently spread the frosting out to the edges. Repeat with the second layer and top of the cake.
- To frost the sides, use a straight icing spatula and lightly skim the surface with a thin layer of icing so that some cake shows through.
- Add chopped pecans to the top of the cake. Chill for 30 minutes to 1 day before serving.
Video
Notes
- Grate Your Own Carrots. Buying bags of pre-shredded carrots won't work for this recipe. A simple box grater is all you really need. But if you have a food processor with a grater attachment, it makes the job a quick one! Make sure to use the small holes with both.
- Peel the Carrots first. If you leave the peel on, your cake can end up looking a bit green and unappetizing.
- Watch the Bake Time Closely. When baking, always start with the shortest bake time specified and add minutes if needed. When touching the top to test doneness, as long as the cake does not collapse when touched, it's probably done, even if the top is still slightly sticky.
- Pack Your Brown Sugar. When measuring brown sugar, it should always be packed down.
- Level All of Your Ingredients. To make sure you're not adding too much or too little of an ingredient you should always use the back of a knife to level off the ingredients in measuring spoons and cups.
- Fluff, Spoon, Level. When measuring flour, "fluff" the flour in the canister to "unpack" it. Then use a spoon or a small measuring cup to lightly "spoon" the flour out of the canister and into the measuring cup you're using. Lastly, "level" it off with the back of a knife for the best measurement possible without weighing it.
Nutrition
Calories: 839kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 50g | Sodium: 515mg | Sugar: 69g