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The Best-Ever Carrot Cake

Image Credit:
Ivanna Pavliuk/Shutterstock
Written By: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors The Almanac Editors and Staff
Yield
20 to 24 servings
Category
Cakes and Frostings
Course
Desserts
Sources
The OFA Recipes for Every Season

The Best-Ever Carrot Cake is moist, rich, and topped with a tasty cream cheese frosting. We’ve tested this reader recipe, and trust us—it’s aptly named!

Imagine a moist and tender crumb studded with vibrant shreds of carrot, perfectly balanced by warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. A luscious cream cheese frosting, rich and tangy, complements the sweetness of the cake without being overpowering.

This cake celebrates fresh, seasonal ingredients, baked to perfection and enjoyed with loved ones!

Do you love the thought of hiding vegetables in your desserts? Check out our famous chocolate zucchini cake!

Cake

Ingredients
1-3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups lightly packed shredded carrots
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple tidbits, drained
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13x9-inch baking dish.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, oil, and vanilla until just combined. Beat in eggs one at a time on medium speed.
  3. Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg. Add carrots, pineapple, and nuts. Stir until just combined.
  4. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
  5. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, softened
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2-1/4 to 2-1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
chopped walnuts, for topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and orange zest until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, and beat until smooth. Adjust the amount of confectioners’ sugar depending on how sweet you like the icing to be.
  2. Frost cake and top with walnuts, if using.

About The Author

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Almanac Editors and Staff

Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington’s first term as president.Today, the Almanac...

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