In this recipe
- Why this recipe is great
- Ingredients for Carrot Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Filling
- Simple and Easy Carrot Cake Recipe: Step-by-Step
- How to Shorten Prep Time and Simplify This Recipe
- How to Measure Carrots for Carrot Cake?
- The Easiest Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Tips for Making the Best Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- How to Store Carrot Cake
- How to Properly Freeze Carrot Cake for Later
- More Easy Cake Recipes
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Why this recipe is great
You’ll need basic ingredients for this simple and easy carrot cake recipe. Along with just a few simple kitchen gadgets. This carrot cake with cream cheese filling has four layers. Surprisingly, a single baking sheet is all it takes. And 25 minutes in the oven. We’ll show you how to whip up the quickest cream cheese filling, and easily decorate the cake with crumbs.
We’ve received countless questions about measuring carrots for carrot cake. To help you bake the perfect moist carrot cake, we’ve added an extra section just for that. Be sure to check it out.
This carrot cake recipe can also be adapted for baking forms like muffins, cupcakes, or a bundt pan. Check our recommendations on baking times if you change the baking form. We’ll also show you how to make the easiest cream cheese frosting with just two ingredients. And no special equipment. The best part? This frosting doesn’t contain ingredients that spoil quickly. So you can store the cake longer in the fridge. Don’t forget to check out our guides on storing and freezing carrot cake with cream cheese filling.
This carrot cake recipe is super simple. You only need basic ingredients and one baking sheet. In just 25 minutes, you can bake a four-layer cake. And then whip up an easy cream cheese frosting with two ingredients. Plus, the frosting stays fresh longer in the fridge. Check out our tips for measuring carrots and storing your cake!
Ingredients for Carrot Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Filling
The key ingredients for a simple and easy carrot cake recipe are very basic:
- 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, using only the orange part, as shown in the video below. Avoid the white pith to prevent bitterness.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla sugar
- Baking soda and baking powder. Both ingredients are essential for a soft cake since the batter is thick.
- 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 are the easiest carrot cake frostings. With just two ingredients and a few minutes, you can make a delicious filling. It’s an absolute time-saver. It’s exactly what you need when making a four-layer carrot cake with cream cheese filling!
Simple and Easy Carrot Cake Recipe: Step-by-Step
We’ll show you how to make carrot cake from scratch. It is a moist, fragrant layer cake that has become my family’s favorite. For this easy carrot cake recipe, you only need a whisk, a sieve, and a grater—no electric mixer or other kitchen gadgets required. This tall cake has four layers, but you bake it as one layer on a baking sheet. And this saves you so much time. It’s the perfect carrot cake with cream cheese filling because it’s easy to make and requires simple ingredients. Don’t skip the cinnamon and nutmeg. They add an amazing aroma. You’ll love the carrot cake taste! It has a fluffy texture with crunchy nuts and a slightly tangy cream cheese frosting.
Let’s dive into a simple and easy carrot cake recipe that’s extra delicious!
We’ll prepare three mixes and then combine them. The first mix is grated carrots, the second is beaten eggs with sugar, and the third is flour with spices.
Step 1: Prepare the Raisins
- Soak the raisins in warm water for 15-20 minutes.
- Squeeze out the extra moisture and dry them with paper towels.
Step 2: Prep the Walnuts
- Toast walnuts in a pan over medium heat for 5 minutes without oil. Stir occasionally. Toasting in a pan makes the walnuts extra aromatic. Chop toasted walnuts into medium pieces so you can feel the chunks later.
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.
- Add the zest of one medium orange. You only need the yellow part of the orange. Don’t add the white part; it will make the cake bitter.
- Mix the carrots and zest in a medium bowl, then set aside.
Step 4: Make the Egg Mixture
- Crack 4 medium eggs (about 60g each) into a large bowl.
- 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 5: Mix flour and spices
- Add spices, baking soda, and baking powder to the flour and mix.
Important Tip: We use baking soda and baking powder in our simple carrot cake recipe. Why? Because the batter in this homemade carrot cake is very thick. We need both ingredients to achieve a soft texture. Don’t skip these ingredients or use just one of them!
Step 6: Combine with Flour and Spices
- Sift the flour with spices 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 adding crunchy texture to spice 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.
- Spread it evenly with a spatula.
- Bake in the middle of the oven on the top and bottom heat setting 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. Save them in a separate bowl. We’ll use them later for cake decoration.
- Cut the cake into four equal parts. Remove the parchment and let it cool to room temperature.
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 cream cheese.
- Mix with a whisk or spatula.
Step 12: Assemble the Carrot cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- Divide the cream cheese frosting into 5 parts: 4 for the layers and 1 part, slightly smaller, for the sides.
- Layer the cake with cream in between each piece. The cream is thick and holds its shape well.
- Spread the remaining frosting on the sides and sprinkle crumbs all over the cake. Sprinkle them on top of the cake and on the sides. The moist crumbs will look very delicious and fluffy!
- Spread the remaining frosting on the sides and sprinkle moist crumbs all over the cake. Sprinkle them on top of the cake and on the sides.
- Spread the remaining frosting on the sides and sprinkle moist crumbs all over the cake. Sprinkle them on top of the cake and on the sides.
- Chill the cake in the fridge for 2 hours.
Enjoy the best carrot cake! This simple and easy carrot cake recipe is a perfect birthday cake. Decorate it with candles, sweets, and an exciting birthday message, and the birthday party can begin!
How to Shorten Prep Time and Simplify This Recipe
If you want to simplify the recipe, skip making multiple cake layers. We provide you with a basic carrot cake recipe, and you decide which form to bake in. Use any baking shape or cake pans you have at hand.
Baking Molds: Make small muffins and decorate them with cream cheese frosting. Or try carrot cake cupcakes. Bake a single-layer cake. A bundt pan is also a great option. Line the tin with parchment paper, pour the batter, bake, and cover with cream cheese frosting. Easy, right?
Baking Time: Baking time depends on the shape and size of the cake. If you choose another shape, you may need to bake longer. Muffins or cupcakes take about 15-20 minutes, a cake layer takes 25-30 minutes, and a big baking form takes 50-60 minutes.
How to Measure Carrots for Carrot Cake?
The best way to measure carrots for this simple and easy carrot cake recipe is to measure them after grating. We need 300 g of finely grated carrots to make a moist, fluffy, and crunchy cake.
But you want to know how many fresh carrots you need to end up with this amount? You need around 350 g of unpeeled carrots to get 300 g of grated carrots.
The Easiest Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Frosting is the best part of carrot cake. Our creamy frosting is simple to make—you only need two ingredients: cream cheese and a little bit of maple syrup. The syrup adds sweetness and slightly thins the frosting. It’s quite thick, not as thin as cream cheese glaze, and because of this, you can easily spread it. It holds its shape perfectly. Additionally, you can store the cake longer in the fridge because we don’t use any heavy cream to make it. One more point for our favorite cream cheese frosting! And the best carrot cake recipe!
Tips for Making the Best Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- Ingredients: Use simple carrot cake ingredients: eggs, flour, oil, and sugar. The key ingredient is, of course, carrots. Choose juicy, bright orange carrots for a moist 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: Do not use olive oil. Opt for any odorless vegetable oil for the best results. We use sunflower oil because it won’t dominate the taste.
- Spices: To enhance the flavor of the carrot cake, we use a perfect amount of spices. We chose cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and orange zest. Be careful when zesting the orange—only use the orange part. Avoid the white pith, which can be bitter.
- Texture: After baking, you will have a moist cake with a soft texture. Add raisins and chopped walnuts for crunchy, chewy and extra rich flavor.
How to Store Carrot Cake
This is one of the best moist carrot cake recipes. It keeps well in the refrigerator and freezes nicely. Check out our step-by-step guide on storing carrot cake in the fridge. We’ll show you two easy ways to store your cake and how long it lasts.
How to Properly Freeze Carrot Cake for Later
Check out our video and storage guide for the best way to freeze carrot cake with cream cheese filling. Prepare the cake in advance and freeze it. Next time you’re in the mood for it or on special occasions, 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. It’s like a fruit cake, but you need less time to prep it. 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. It is one of the best cakes and baking recipes with perfect texture and simple ingredients.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Filling | Easy & Simple
Ingredients
For the Batter:
- 4 medium eggs approx. 60 g each
- 200 g brown sugar; you can substitute it with white sugar
- 150 g odorless vegetable oil we use sunflower oil
- 300 g grated carrots around 350 g unpeeled
- 250 g all-purpose flour
Spices:
- Zest one medium orange
- 2 tsp cinnamon 10 g
- ⅙ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt 3 g
- ½ tsp baking soda 2 g
- 2 tsp baking powder 10 g
- 8 g vanilla sugar
Filling:
- 80 g nuts – we use walnuts
- 80 g raisins
For the Cream:
- 500 g cream cheese
- 40 g maple syrup
Instructions
- Prepare the raisins and nuts. Soak 80 g of raisins in warm water. Drain the water, wash, and dry the raisins with paper towels. Add 80 g of nuts to a pan and toast them over medium heat without oil for around 5 minutes.* Stir occasionally. Chop toasted nuts coarsely.
- Wash and peel the carrots (you will need around 350 g of unpeeled carrots). Grate them using a finer grater.
- Measure 300 g of grated carrots and mix with the zest of one medium orange. Use only the yellow part of the zest. Avoid the white pith.* Mix well.
- Mix 250 g of flour, ½ tsp (3 g) of salt, 2 tsp (10 g) of baking powder, 2 tsp (10 g) of cinnamon, ⅙ tsp of nutmeg, and ½ tsp (2 g) of baking soda.*
- Beat 4 medium eggs (approx. 60 g each) with a whisk. Add 200 g of brown sugar (or white sugar) and 1 tbsp (8 g) of vanilla sugar. Beat for 5 minutes. Add 150 g of odorless vegetable oil (we prefer sunflower oil) and mix until smooth.
- Sift the dry ingredients (flour and spices) into the wet mixture (eggs, oil and sugar). Mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
- Add the grated carrots and mix. Add the chopped nuts and raisins. Mix.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the sheet and level it.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) in top-bottom mode, without convection, for 25 minutes.
Assemble the Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
Prepare the Layers:
- Trim the dry edges from the cake and crumble them for decoration. You can use a rolling pin and a bag or a blender for this.
- For the rolling pin method, place the trimmings inside a Ziploc bag, remove the air, and close the bag. Use a rolling pin to press down on the trimmings and roll back and forth to crush them. Shake the bag occasionally and continue rolling until the trimmings are broken into crumbs. Watch our video below to see the process.
- Cut the cake sheet into 4 parts and let them cool.
Make the Cream:
- Mix 500 g of cream cheese with 2 tbsp (40 g) of maple syrup with a whisk.
Layer the Cake:
- Divide the cream into 5 portions: 4 for layering and 1 slightly smaller portion for the sides and top.
- Spread the cream between the layers and apply the remaining cream to the sides and top of the cake.
- Sprinkle the cake with crumbs. Use a spatula or another flat tool to press the crumbs onto the sides of the cake. Repeat until the crumbs stick to the cream cheese frosting. Let the cake cool in the fridge for 2 hours.
Video
Notes
*Toasting nuts makes them extra flavorful.
*The white part of the zest can make the cake bitter, so add only the yellow part.
*We add baking powder and baking soda because the cake batter is thick. We need both ingredients to make the cake fluffy, so don’t skip them.
Nutrition
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