Simple carrot cake recipe! It doesn't come easier than this one bowl cake that is super moist, soft, flavorful and delicious. Cover in cream cheese frosting or buttercream, this is the best carrot cake recipe for that homemade carrot cake taste.
I have been baking a lot in the last few weeks and this easy carrot cake is one of the cakes guilty of adding inches to our waistline. What with the lockdown and spending so much time indoors. My daughters have been having fun helping out with making the cakes but most especially eating them all.
I gave you my simple banana cake recipe few weeks ago, here i am giving you this moist carrot cake recipe just in time for your easter baking.
Carrot Cake Recipe
This recipe is simple, make use of few ingredients, easy to make, turns out soft, fluffy and delicious.
No mixer needed for this recipe. All you need is a mixing bowl and fork or whisk. You literally add all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk. No creaming butter and sugar...this recipe doesn't even make use of butter. It's made with oil for moist, perfect classic carrot cake.
We don't like chunky carrots so i grate the carrots myself rather than using grated carrot from the stores but the good thing is you can decide what size to grate the carrot.
You don't require any special skill to make this cake. It's carrot cake from scratch so easy to make you'll think you are using cake mix.
I have included in this post information on what tools you’ll need to make this easy carrot cake recipe, ingredients, how to make it, tips, serving suggestion, storage information and frequently asked questions so read through this entire post before moving to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Why this Carrot Cake Recipe is the Best
- This carrot cake is easy and quick.
- Super moist, spongy and light. Say no to dry cakes!
- Cheaper to make your own with just few inexpensive ingredients.
- Makes use of simple ingredients you most likely have in your kitchen cupboards.
- No need for expensive baking tools. Bowl and fork is what you need to mix the batter.
- Failproof. You get consistent result with this recipe.
- Homemade with love so no unneccessary preservatives.
Tools for Cake
Mixing bowl
Whisk or fork
Cake pans
Cake tester
Cooling rack
Ingredients for Carrot Cake
Detailed ingredient list and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Flour
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Baking powder
Oil
Eggs
How to make Carrot Cake
It's as simple as combining all the dry ingredients and whisking in the wet ingredients! Let me show you the easy steps on how to make carrot cake at home.
First, measure out the ingredients.
Lightly grease the cake pans and line with baking paper/parchment paper. Set pans aside and preheat oven at temperature of 175C / gas mark 4 .
In a bowl add flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking powder. Mix well.
In the mixing bowl, break in the eggs, add oil, grated carrot and whisk.
Fold in the flour mix and mix till well combined.
Divide batter equally into the 2 cake pans.
Bake in pre heated oven at temperature of 175C for 30 minutes or till cake tester comes out clean.
Bring cakes out of the oven, leave in the cake pans for 5 minutes before turning onto cooling rack to cool.
Frosting for Carrot Cake (cream cheese or buttercream)
You can frost with cream cheese frosting or butter cream.
For buttercream frosting
You need one part butter and 2 parts icing sugar (powdered sugar).
Add butter in a mixing bowl and mix with electric mixer for about 5 minutes before adding sifted icing sugar. Mix till light and fluffy.
For cream cheese frosting
You will need butter, cream cheese and icing sugar (powdered sugar)
Using electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together. Add icing sugar and beat till thicken.
Tips for making Carrot Cake
- Grate carrot finely if you don't like to see chunky carrots in the cake.
- Sift flour before use. This will help with lighter cake.
- Do not overmix batter once the flour has gone in so you get light carrot cake
- Use 2 cake pans as instructed. If batter is made in one pan rather than 2, it will take longer to bake and not be as light and spongy as dividing in two pans.
- Put cake pan in middle of the oven for best heat distribution.
- Do not open the oven in the first 30 minutes while cake is baking. Doing so might cause cake to sink in the middle.
- Cool cake on cooling rack.
How to Store
Carrot cake without frosting will keep well at room temperature for up to 2 days but if frosted, you should refridgerate.
To refridgerate, allow cake to cool completely and wrap tightly in clingfilm or foil. Place in freezer bags and store in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can i make carrot cupcakes with this recipe?
Absolutely. This recipe will make about 12 - 18 cupcakes.
Can i use butter instead of oil?
Yes you can. Use the same measurement and melt the butter before use.
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Simple Carrot Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Oven
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk or fork
- Cake Pans - 2x6"
- Cake tester
Ingredients
- 190 g Carrot
- 3 Eggs
- 150 ml Oil
- 170 g Brown Sugar
- 170 g Self raising flour
- ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
Buttercream Frosting
- 100 g Butter
- 200 g Icing Sugar (powdered sugar)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 75 g Butter
- 150 g Cream Cheese
- 250 g Icing Sugar
Instructions
- First, measure out the ingredients. Grate the carrots.
- Lightly grease the cake pans and line with baking paper/parchment paper. Set pans aside and preheat oven at temperature of 175C / gas mark 4.
- In a bowl add flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking powder. Mix well.
- In the mixing bowl, break in the eggs, add oil, grated carrot and whisk. Fold in the flour mix and mix till well combined.
- Divide batter equally into the 2 cake pans. Bake in pre heated oven at temperature of 175C for 30 minutes or till cake tester comes out clean.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the cake pans and smooth the surface. Bring cakes out of the oven, leave in the cake pans for 5 minutes before turning onto cooling rack to cool.
Frosting for Carrot Cake (Cream cheese or Butter cream)
- For buttercream frostingYou need one part butter and 2 parts icing sugar (powdered sugar).Add butter in a mixing bowl and mix with electric mixer for about 5 minutes before adding sifted icing sugar. Mix till light and fluffy.
- For cream cheese frostingYou will need butter, cream cheese and icing sugar (powdered sugar)Using electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together. Add icing sugar and beat till thicken.
Notes
- Grate carrot if you don't like to see chunky carrots
- Sift flour before use. This will help with lighter cake.
- Do not overmix batter once the flour has gone in so you get light and airy cake.
- Put cake pan in middle of the oven for best heat distribution.
- Do not open the oven in the first 30 minutes while cake is baking. Doing so might cause cake to sink in the middle.
- Cool cake on cooling rack.
From Spain. This is the simplest recipe I was fortunate enough to come upon for plain and simple Carrot cake, decided to try cooking it in a rum baba tin (round tin with hole in middle) end result like large donut so you can fill the centre if you wanted with whatever you wished. The recipe is absolutely fantastic, so simple, did it all in the stand mixer, thankyou so very much for simplifying a recipe with perfect results. Going on to try others now.
I'm happy to read this! Thanks so much for the feedback.
Can I do this in my airfryer
Yes, you can as long as the cake pan fits in your air fryer.
Thank you for this simple affordable recipe. Even without the icing its delicious. Carrot cake can be expensive and sometimes ones budget and cravings don't align lol.. but this hits the spot!
Thanks for the feedback 🙂