4-Layer Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting on One Baking Sheet

Step-by-step Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a true homemade carrot cake — tall, soft, and beautifully simple. The texture is soft, a little crunchy, and slightly chewy. When you’re busy, this recipe is perfect because every step is easy. The ingredients are simple and easy to find. Even with four layers, the process stays simple. You can also use a different baking form if you like. Now let’s dive in and see how to do it.

How to make this carrot cake?

First, prep the nuts and raisins. Prepare three bowls, then combine them. In the first bowl, add grated carrots and orange zest. In the second, whisk the eggs with the sugar. In the third, combine the flour with the spices. Mix all three together and bake. Then make a two ingredient cream cheese frosting for carrot cake. Cut the cake into layers, spread frosting on each layer, and decorate. That’s the carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting in a nutshell. Now follow the steps below and you’ll see how easy it is. If you need the exact ingredient measurements, check the recipe card below.

Step 1: Prepare the Raisins

• Soak the raisins in warm water for 15-20 minutes.
• Drain the water, squeeze out any extra moisture, and dry them with paper towels.

Step 2: Prep the Walnuts

• Toast the walnuts in a pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes without oil, stirring occasionally. Toasting them in a pan makes the walnuts extra aromatic. Don’t leave them in the hot pan — transfer them straight to a cold bowl. Chop the toasted walnuts into medium pieces so you can still feel the chunks in every bite.

Step 3: Grate the Carrots

• Peel the carrots. Grab a box grater or any fine grater you have. You can also use a food processor, but the most important is grate carrots finely.

• Zest one medium orange. Use only the orange part of the peel (check our image below) — the white part underneath is bitter. Add the orange zest to the finely grated carrots.

• Mix the carrots and zest in a medium bowl, then set aside.

Step 4: Mix flour and spices

• Add the salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda to the flour and mix well.

Important Tip: In this recipe for carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, we use both baking soda and baking powder. The batter is thick, so you need both to get a soft, tender texture. Don’t skip them or use just one — the cake won’t turn out the same.

Step 5: Make the Egg Mixture

• Crack 4 medium eggs into a separate large bowl. You’ll need a big bowl because you’ll mix all the batter in it later.
• Add sugar and vanilla sugar. We use brown sugar for a caramel flavor, but you can use white sugar. It’s also delicious.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar for 3-5 minutes. Then add the oil and mix until smooth. We recommend using odorless vegetable oil, not olive oil, in this recipe.

Step 6: Combine with Flour and Spices

• Sift the flour and spices through a sieve into the wet ingredients.
• Mix with a spatula. The carrot cake batter is quite thick.

Step 7: Add Carrots, Nuts, and Raisins

• Mix in the grated carrots.
• Add the chopped nuts and raisins. If you don’t like raisins, swap them for other dried fruits or nuts, or leave them out entirely. We love the mix of crunch from the nuts and chewiness from the raisins in this spiced cake!

Step 8: Bake the Cake

• Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the batter onto it. You can also use a different cake pan. Check here to see how long to bake the cake if you’re using another pan size or shape.
• Spread it evenly with a spatula.

• Bake in the middle of the oven using top and bottom heat for about 25 minutes.
• Test with a toothpick; it should come out clean.

Step 9: Cool and Cut the Cake

• Cut off the dry, uneven edges and save them in a separate bowl. We’ll use them later to decorate the cream cheese carrot cake.

• Cut the cake into four equal parts. Remove the parchment and let it cool to room temperature. This takes about 20–30 minutes.

Step 10: Make Crumbs from Trimmings

• Crush the trimmings into crumbs. You can use a rolling pin, a bag, or a blender. For the rolling pin method, put the trimmings into a Ziploc bag and seal the bag tightly. Press with a rolling pin all over the trimmings. Shake the bag and roll back and forth with the rolling pin until you have crumbs.

Step 11: Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting

• Add maple syrup to the cream cheese.
• Mix with a whisk or spatula. It’s an easy cream cheese frosting for carrot cake — just 2 ingredients and 1 minute of mixing. You don’t need any special kitchen gadgets.

Step 12: Assemble the Cake

• Divide the cream cheese frosting into 5 parts: 4 for the layers and 1 part, slightly smaller, for the sides.

• Spread the cream cheese frosting over each layer. This cream cheese frosting for carrot cake is thick and holds its shape well.

• Stack the cake layers one on top of the other.

• Spread the remaining frosting over the sides of the cake. Then sprinkle the crumbs all over — on top and along the sides. Use something flat to gently press the crumbs onto the sides until they stick. The moist crumbs make the cake look extra delicious and fluffy. And it’s such a simple, quick way to decorate your homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

• Chill the cake in the fridge for 2 hours.

Enjoy! This is the perfect Easter carrot cake. Or just a weekend treat when you want something sweet. This simple and easy recipe also makes a great birthday cake. Decorate it with candles, a few sweets, and a fun birthday message, and the party can begin!

Ingredients, Substitutes, and Tips

Now let’s take a look at what ingredients and equipment you’ll need. You’ll also find some easy substitutions and helpful tips below — don’t miss them!

For this easy carrot cake recipe, you’ll need just a few basic tools — no electric mixer or fancy gadgets required.

Equipment

• Whisk – for mixing eggs and sugar.
• Sieve – to sift the dry ingredients and keep the cake light.
• Grater – for finely grating the carrots.
• Mixing bowls – one for wet and one for dry ingredients.
• Spatula or spoon – to fold everything together.
• Baking sheet with parchment paper — this is a regular baking sheet you use for the oven, not a cake pan. You can also use a different cake pan or baking form. Only the baking time will change. Check here to see how long to bake if you do.
• Rolling pin and Ziploc bag (optional) – if you plan to make crumbs from the trimmings.

Ingredients

For exact measurements, check the recipe card below.

• Eggs
• Brown sugar or white sugar: We prefer brown sugar for its light caramel note.
• Odorless vegetable oil: We use sunflower oil and don’t recommend olive oil due to its strong flavor.
• Grated carrots: Naturally!
• Flour

• Zest of one medium orange: Peel the orange carefully and use only the orange part for the cake. Check the image in the steps or the video below to see how it should look if you’re not sure. Avoid the white pith. It can make the flavor bitter.
• Spices: Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla sugar.
• Baking soda and baking powder: you need both for a soft, fluffy cake.
• Nuts and raisins: We add walnuts for extra crunch, but any nuts will do. Feel free to substitute raisins with other dried fruits.
• Cream cheese and maple syrup: that’s all you need for the frosting. Yes, you heard it right, this cream cheese frosting recipe for carrot cake only uses 2 ingredients. With just a minute of mixing, you get a delicious frosting. It’s a real time-saver and exactly what you need when making a four-layer cake.

Tips, FAQs, and Everything You Need to Know

Now that all the ingredients are clear, we’ve gathered all the tips and questions — basically, everything you need to know to make the best-ever carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

Our Tips

• Ingredients: Use simple carrot cake ingredients: eggs, flour, oil, and sugar. The key ingredient is, of course, carrots. Choose juicy, bright orange carrots for the best texture. Peel and grate them finely. Do not drain the carrot juice! We also don’t recommend using pre-shredded carrots because they can be dry.
• Oil: Don’t use olive oil. Choose a neutral vegetable oil for the best results. We like sunflower oil because it keeps the flavor light and doesn’t overpower the cake.
• Spices & Syrups: To bring out the best flavor in the carrot cake and cream cheese frosting, we use just the right mix of spices and maple syrup. For the cake, you’ll need cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and orange zest. Be careful when zesting the orange and use only the orange part. Avoid the white pith, as it can make the cake taste bitter. Don’t skip the cinnamon and nutmeg — they fill the cake with the most amazing aroma. And don’t skip the maple syrup in the frosting. It makes tangy cream cheese sweet, adss caramel flavor that sugar just can’t match.
• Texture: After baking, you’ll get a soft cake with a mix of crunch and chewiness. That’s why we add raisins and chopped walnuts — they give the cake that crunchy, chewy texture and an extra rich flavor.

Your Carrot Cake Questions Answered

Carrot cake doesn’t have to be complicated. Let’s go over the most common questions so everything is clear before you start baking.

How to measure carrots for carrot cake?

• The best way to measure carrots for the cake is after grating them.
• About 15% of a carrot’s weight is peel, so it’s best to peel them first. Then grate them on a fine grater and measure after grating.
• You need 300 g (about 10.5 oz) of finely grated carrots for this cream cheese carrot cake recipe. If you’re wondering how many fresh carrots that is, start with about 350 g (around 12.3 oz or 3–4 medium carrots) unpeeled to get the right amount.

Do I need both baking soda and baking powder?

Yes, you definitely need both. The batter is thick, and if you use only one, the cake will turn out dense and heavy.

Can I turn this into cupcakes or a different shape?

Yes, you definitely can. Only the baking time will change. Check the section on how long to bake for more details.

Does cream cheese go well with carrot cake?

Absolutely! The frosting is the best part of carrot cake. Our creamy recipe for cream cheese frosting for carrot cake is simple to make. You only need two ingredients: cream cheese and a little maple syrup. The syrup adds sweetness and slightly thins the frosting. But it still stays thick enough to spread easily. It’s not as firm as cupcake frosting. It’s softer, smoother, and meant to spread, not pipe.

It holds its shape perfectly on the cake and gives that classic creamy layer without being too heavy. Another bonus — since we don’t use heavy cream, you can store the cake longer in the fridge.

How to Use Different Baking Pans

You don’t have to bake this cake on a baking sheet. You can use different pans or molds — whatever you have at home. This is a basic carrot cake recipe, and you decide which form to bake it in.

• Baking Molds: You can make small muffins or try carrot cake cupcakes. Bake a single-layer cake or use a bundt pan — it works beautifully too. Just line the pan with parchment paper, pour in the batter, bake, and cover with cream cheese frosting. Easy, right?
• Baking Time: The baking time depends on the size and shape of your pan. Smaller shapes bake faster, larger ones take longer. Muffins or cupcakes need about 15–20 minutes, a single cake layer 25–30 minutes, and a large baking form 50–60 minutes.

Storage, Freezing & More Easy Cake Recipes

Keep your carrot cake fresh for days — or freeze it for later without losing flavor or texture. And if you’re craving more, don’t miss a few easy cake recipes to try next.

How to Store

This carrot cake with maple cream cheese frosting keeps well in the fridge and also freezes beautifully. Check out our step-by-step guide on how to store carrot cake in the fridge. You’ll find two easy ways to store it and exactly how long it stays fresh.

How to Freeze

Check out our video and storage guide for the best way to freeze carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. You can prepare the cake in advance and freeze it whole or in slices. When you’re in the mood for something sweet — or have a special occasion coming up — just defrost and enjoy!

More Easy Cake Recipes

If you are looking for more easy baking recipes with simple and available ingredients, try apple and puff pastry dessert. We use apples as a base and slice them. Wrap puff pastry around apple slices. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and cinnamon, and this easy recipe is ready!

What about sugar-free cake? Try our banana bread. It’s one of our favorite cakes. You don’t need any sugar at all. Just grab some extra-ripe, sweet bananas for moist and naturally sweet bread. It’s a flavorful cake that is not too sweet and extra crunchy because of walnuts.