Carrot Walnut Cake Recipe (VIDEO)
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This Carrot Walnut Cake is fluffier than the traditional American carrot cake but it’s perfectly soft and moist. The cream cheese frosting has a marshmallow-like fluffiness that will make you want to lick the spatula, the whisk, the bowl and your fingers if needed ;). Why I love this carrot cake so darn much? It’s not overly sweet. Most store-bought carrot cakes throw you into a sugar coma after half a slice, but this one is just right; bite after delicious bite. Rave reviews all around (everyone ate alot of carrot cake this week).
My Mother-in-law shared this carrot walnut cake recipe with me and one of her friends shared it with her who inherited the recipe from her mother. This carrot cake has been enjoyed by several generations and I feel honored to pass it on to you! I baked it three times in 1 week and modified it only slightly to increase the amount of frosting, cut the baking soda in half and decrease the sugar. It was wonderful!
How to Make this Carrot Walnut Cake Recipe:
I hope you enjoy this video on how to make this “Rustic” Carrot cake 😉
Here’s the Print-friendly recipe. Be sure to print copies for all your friends!
Carrot Walnut Cake Video Recipe
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup of vegetable oil or extra light olive oil
- 2 cups of all purpose flour * see notes
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3 cups about 1 lb shredded carrots (grated on the large holes)
Frosting/Decor Ingredients:
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened at room temp
- 1 stick, 8 Tbsp or 113 grams of butter, softened at room temp
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted on a skillet and coarsely chopped
Instructions
How to Make the Carrot Walnut Cake Layers: Preheat oven to 350˚. Butter two 9" round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer, whisk 4 eggs and 1 cup sugar on high speed 3 min until thick and fluffy. With mixer on medium speed, add 1 cup oil in a steady stream.
- Sift 1 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp baking powder into 2 cups of flour and whisk the dry ingredients together well. With the mixer on medium low, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in fourths, scraping down the bowl as needed. Once flour is fully incorporated, use a spatula to fold in 3 cups of carrots just until evenly combined.
- Divide dough in to two round baking pans and bake at 350˚ for 30-35 min or until toothpick comes out clean (mine was perfect at 30 min). Let cake layers cool in their cake pans for 10 minutes then remove from pans and cool to room temp on a wire rack before slicing layers in half.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Once cake layers are at room temp, make your frosting: With the wisk attachment on med/low speed, cream together 1 stick butter with 2 cups powdered sugar, scraping the bowl as needed (2-3 min).
- With the mixer medium speed, add cream cheese, one chunk at a time. After all the cream cheese is in, set the mixer to high speed and beat the frosting until smooth, fluffy and no lumps remain (5 minutes), scraping down the bowl a couple of times to make sure you don't have stray cream cheese stuck to the bowl.
How to Assemble the Best Carrot Cake:
- Place the first layer, cut-side-up on a cake platter. Spread enough frosting to cover the top and sprinkle with 2-3 Tbsp of chopped walnuts. Repeat with remaining cake layers and spread remaining frosting around the sides. Decorate the top layer with remaining chopped nuts around the top border and sides of the cake.
Notes
* to measure flour, scoop into your measuring cup and scrape off the top.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Let me know what you thought of the video – your feedback is super important to me! It took us an entire day to film this between baby’s naps but we sure enjoyed making it for you. P.S. Do you have any video recipe requests?
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha, I love your recipes. One question about the carrot cake. The butter use is unsalted?
Thank you..
Hi Fulvia! It’s unsalted. 🙂
Very disappointed that on recipe it says no where to add chopped walnuts to cake batter itself, however on video it does?
Hi Lisa, on the printable recipe card, you will see that we have walnuts mentioned in step one of How to Assemble the Best Carrot Cake: “Place the first layer, cut-side-up on a cake platter. Spread enough frosting to cover the top and sprinkle with 2-3 Tbsp of chopped walnuts.” I reviewed the video to be sure, but we didn’t add walnuts to the batter either. Are you possibly referring to a different recipe? I wish I could be more helpful.
Grand baby cake the best carrot cake you’ll ever eat i’ve tried a lot and this is the only one I will ever make again
Hi. How many raisins and walnuts would I add to the cake?
My husband likes it with raisins and walnuts.
Hi Annette! I do not have an exact amount, I would just add this based on consistency and preference, just be careful so you don’t overwhelm the batter.
Hi Natasha,
TQ for sharing this recipe. I tried but little change from granu sugar to 3/4 cup of brown sugar. I prefer less sweet. It turns out as great! I have been looking for carrot cake out there but not to my liking, it’s DENSED. Finally I found this! TQ so much.
Hi Kenz! I’m so glad you finally found a recipe you love. Thank you for sharing.
Unfortunately this doesn’t fill the carrot cake craving, I wish I would have read through the ingredients prior to making it. It is very much a plain white cake with added carrots, it lacks the spice and flavor that is usually loaded in a carrot cake! I LOVE most all recipes from this site, but this one needs fixing.
Delicious cake! This is the very first carrot cake recipe that I tried and it was phenomenal! The cream cheese frosting balanced everything out, and it wasn’t too sweet. My family loved it! Thanks, Natasha, for such an amazing recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Amy!
This cake was ok but missing something like spice. Cinnamon or nutmeg just something,
Hi Asia! You may enjoy our other carrot cake recipe.
Hi Natasha,
I made this cake yesterday for a birthday. All I can say is WOW!!! What I loved most about it was that it was not too sweet, like store bought cakes. Also, the amount of carrots that went into it. I was in Heaven! So delicious! Wish I could share a picture of this deliciousness!
Thank you for sharing your recipe! 🎂♥️
So glad you love the cake! Thank you for your good comments and feedback, Josie.
I never see anybody so organize, such a precure to watch you and follow your recipe, everything looks so easy and sample. Beside everything else you are beautiful young lady. When do you have time to keep so nice and neat.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Beverly!
A good friend of mine is a huge Carrot Cake fan. About 2 years ago, she asked me to make a Carrot Cake for her for her birthday. I had never made a Carrot cake before, and I have loved all of the recipes that I have tried form Natasha’s Kitchen thus far– She absolutely loved this Carrot Cake and requests me to make a Carrot Cake for her on a regular basis!
Thank you for choosing this recipe to try, I’m glad she loved it!
Natasha, I love your recipes however, this carrot cake needs cinnamon, walnuts or pecans and raisins in the cake for enhanced flavor. The frosting is AMAZING! I’m going to make the cake again with spices stated above. Love your videos.
Hi Linda, I think you will love the carrot cake cupcakes that we will be posting next week. They are more of an American-style Carrot Cake base and are wonderful.
You can use whatever you want, this is a Natasha’s recipe, you should never criticize. Keep it to yourself.
The cake is not horrible. But it is a basic cake with carrot added into it. It is not a traditional carrot cake. Icing is delicious and I will use it when I find and “actual carrot cake” recipe
Hi Natasha! Can I replace all purpose flour to whole wheat flour? Will it bake just fine with the same recipe?
Hi Keren, I honestly haven’t tested that to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
I love pretty much every recipe I make from Natasha, but this was not my favorite. The cake texture was good but was not the most flavorful. I really do prefer a more traditional carrot cake with traditional spices, otherwise it’s just carrots in a regular cake. I also had the problem of some carrots turning green, which has to do with the baking soda I guess.
I realize this is definitely a matter of personal taste. I think you could add spices to this recipe, but I will definitely use a different recipe next time.
Hi Ann, that is odd about the carrots changing color. I’ve never seen that happen before.
Natasha, one more question 😊 Can I’m use the Mascarpone in this recipe? Thank you.⚘
Hi Margarita, I haven’t tried experimenting with mascarpone. If you try that, please share with us how it goes.
Looks delicious. Just interesting, can I lower amount of powdered sugar in the frosting/cream?..
Thanks.
Hi Margarita, The frosting isn’t overly sweet as it is. That might work but hopefully it won’t end up a little too loose with less sugar.
Natasha, I love your recipes. They truly are the best. Love your video as you showed how to prepare this recipe. I enjoyed it.
Thanks so much, I appreciate it!
I’m not a big cake eater, but I do love carrot cake. I add pineapple to give the cake a more moist cake. It is so good this way!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Hello we tried making the carrot cake but wondering how to increase the moisture content, would using more oil work or sub for shortening? Also cream cheese I can taste more, should I add more sugar to over take that?
Hi Sutha, this is a lighter and fluffier carrot cake and what you are describing is a different kind of cake. I think it would be a great one to add to my site and I’ll add it to my list.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for this Budget Friendly version of a Carrot cake.
I’ve baked it twice with success and wouldn’t add anything else in the batter which would otherwise overtake the taste and purpose of what the cake itself is named after – CARROT.
Loving your simple recipes.
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
Hi, Natasha! I have a question. Can I use this recipe for cupcakes? Thank you
Hi Amy, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I this in the comments section “I also make them in mini-bite cupcake size and bake them off at 350 for 15 min. and they turn out so good too!” Hope that helps.
Can I make this cake without adding the frosting and replace the walnuts with dates?
Hi Rae, I think that will work but I haven’t really tested that. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
I made this cake this weekend & quickly realized why it was very different from actual classic carrot cake – I wondered why this recipe didn’t have any of the usual suspects – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove? To me that’s what makes a carrot cake. Still a good moist cake but aside from the carrot flecks it doesn’t really taste like carrot cake.
Hi Nikolle, I’m glad you gave my version a try! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Do you not put crushed pineapple in your recipe?
Hi MaryLouise, I have not tested that in this carrot cake, but I want to try some crushed pineapple as well next time I make this.
Do you have a recommendation on baking time and oven temperature if I convert this recipe to cupcakes? Thanks!
Hi Meaghan, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I this in the comments section “I also make them in mini-bite cupcake size and bake them off at 350 for 15 min. and they turn out so good too!” Hope that helps.
Hi Natasha, I’m using a small oven which can accommodate only 1 tray per time. So should I still stick to the same temperature setting and timer or should they be lessened?
Hi Zorah, I haven’t baked the layers separately so I’m not sure how the second layer would hold up being out on the counter. I am assuming the bake time and temperature should be the same. The second layer might bake a little faster depending on your oven.
I made the moist carrot cake for dessert last xmas 2020. The family enjoyed it. It was gone in less than 3 days and it was so filling. This weekend they’re asking for it again.
Hi Natasha!
I made the carrot cake and it was delicious. My carrots turned green while cooking. I did cheat and purchased carrots already shredded. But do you know why the carrots would turn green? Thanks!
Hi Dorothea, I haven’t had that experience, hmm. I’m not sure that would be the culprit. Was anything else possibly substituted in the recipe?
Hi Natasha ~
No ~ I didn’t substitute anything else.
mine turned green too. I read that they turn green when baking soda that is added is too much. I might try and reduce the baking soda next time.
I haven’t had that experience, hmm. I’m not sure that would be the culprit. Was anything else possibly substituted in the recipe? Please update us on how it goes if you try reducing the baking soda next time.
Natasha.this is my first time Making Carrot cake i hope it turns out ok in the past i have made Lemon Meringue Pie i had trouble making the meringue egg whites but i have been trying every time i made it i am geting better my merigune would go flat now it turns out alot I enjoy your show very much ty
Great to hear that you’ve been enjoying my recipes, Sharon!
Natasha, thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Great cake, i baked it many times already, it is one of our favorites.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Lana!
I love your recipe. Easy to follow. Made the carrot cake and it came very nice. i love it.
I’m always so happy to read comments like this! Thank you, Sandy!
Made this cake today. Turned out perfect! I read the comments after I baked the cake. I decided before icing the cake I would add a little cinnamon to the icing in the middle layers. It worked out great. Thank you again for another tasty recipe.
Yum! That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing that wonderful feedback with me!
Hate to say it but I was very disapointed with this recipe.
The cake was moist and it did have a good texture but it did not taste like a carrot cake at all. If you are going to make this recipe add some sort of spices that are usually found in a carrot cake. Will not make again.
I’m sorry to say but I’m disappointed. The cake was moist and the had a good texture. But the taste was sort of …blah. Wish i had read the comments and have added some spices. The best thing about this cake was the frosting. Will not make again.
How much time and temperature would I do for this recipe but only in one mold?
Hi Yadira, I feel that will overwhelm one pan, and may overspill. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I made this cake today for Easter, however it didn’t rise like yours at all and I followed the recipe to the T.
Is it possible that it should be 1/4 tsp of baking soda and 1tsp of baking powder rather than the other way around?
Hi Julia, baking soda is 4 times stronger than baking powder, so having them the other way around would produce less rise. I wonder if the culprit could be that the baking soda used was inactive or expired?
I made this cake and was underwhelmed. Cake seemed a little on the dry side and it was missing a spice to give it that snap. My kids liked it but not well enough for a second piece. Will need to do more experimenting to get the flavor right, needs the spice, (to which I can’t recall the name right now). Frosting was perfect. Thanks
I’m glad you enjoyed the frosting Michael and thank you for sharing this feedback with me. I’m curious if anything was substituting in this recipe by chance?
i think cinnamon be match with carrot
Literally THE best carrot cake I’ve ever made! My husband also agrees! It was so moist and delish!
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it, Cara! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Thank you for this recipe. The texture and taste of the cake alone is delicious and then the cream….. divine!!! I added some cinnamon, ground cloves and tiny bit of all spice for my taste.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I’m surprised that there are no spices in this recipe. Cinnamon, nutmeg?
Hi Lois, this carrot cake recipe is not too sweet that’s why there were no other spices added but feel free to experiment and add more according to your preference. Please share with us how it goes if you try that.
I just love your videos but I can’t wrap my head around no spices, no pineapple , no coconut, no raisins no nuts in cake. I just can’t bring myself to even try this lol. Maybe you will post another carrot cake recipe
Love all your recipes and I also been doing the majority of them. My family loves everything I make from your recipes. Thank you ❤️
Hello Stella, I’m happy to know that. Thank you for trusting my recipes, I’m glad you’re family are loving them!
OMG! Natasha, this recipe was a huge hit for me. I am just 12 years old and I am now the chef and baker of my family just because of you! Thank you so much for creating easy and delicious recipes. ❤️
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Made your carrot cake today and it’s a hit. My husband love it. Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
This was the best carrot cake I’ve made, and I have made more than few! It was very nice and fluffy, not too sweet and not too greasy. I have also halved the recipe and omitted the frosting just for a smaller simpler cake and it was wonderful!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Em! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Can I use peanuts instead of walnuts?
That should work too! I hope you love it.
I have tried a lot of your recipe is one of my favorite one is a copycat chicken Turn The Cheesecake Factory. I love the frosting in this carrot cake recipe however there wasn’t any spices added and I feel that the carrots kind of overpower the taste. If I were to add anything to this recipe it would definitely be places all I tasted was carrot
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Maureen!
me and my 8 year old daughter just made this came out amazing !! love all your recipes super easy to follow !
Great to hear that, Joy. Thank you for sharing your good feedback with us!
Can you please help with a eggless recipe for a carrot cake.
Hi there, I don’t have an eggless recipe for carrot cake. I only have the eggless Chocolate Cake recipe.
Hi Natasha,
This cake sounds yummy but I’m wondering if I could substitute applesauce for 1/2 of the oil without affecting the texture.
Hi Joyce, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how you liked the recipe.
It did not work for me 🙁
Stick came up dry, I added 1 extra minute to be safe but the cake went down about 50%, and now is very heavy, dense, and flat. I will try again some other day.
Hi Agnes, make sure to beat the eggs and sugar adequately at the start and also be careful not to swap the baking soda and baking powder. I hope that helps. Lastly, I highly recommend watching the video to see where things may have started to look different.
Thank you, Natasha 🙂 I am making a second attempt today. I beat the eggs with sugar all right, but I added oil after the flour. Fingers crossed!
In my second attempt, I was very meticulous and used a high precision scale. Everything was room temperature! I followed instructions to the letter and yet my cake flopped spectacularly. I have to toss another batch 🙁
hello miss Natasha! i just wanted to ask that can i put some cinnamon powder at the dry ingredients?….. if i can could u tell me how much i should put?
Others shared that they added 1 tps of cinnamon and it turned out good
I made this for our Thanksgiving dessert tonight and it is delicious! I added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, but without those this cake is still delicious! It’s very moist and light (my fav kind of cake!) Thanks Natasha for another great recipe! 🙂
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Karley!
It’s delicious! My only complaint is that there should be some salt added to the cake, It would taste even better than it already does.
Hi Luminita, thank you so much for that suggestion! We think it works great without it, but if you experiment, I would love to know how you like that!
Natasha can I make this carrot cake recipe in one pan. Tube pan instead of 2 round pans.
Hi Leah, I imagine that should work well too. Please share with us how it goes if you try it!
Love your Recipes Natasha have made your Unbaked Cheesecake and it was scrumptious. Looking forward to Baking your Carrot Cake
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me Erica!
Could you give metric measures as I don’t use cups. In the carrot cake you use cup measures for the cake and ozs and grams for frosting. Thanking you.
Hi Anne, this Ingredient Weight Chart can help.
How do you thicken the cream cheese frosting?
The cake is great texture and I added the walnuts to the batter!
Turned out great!
Just the frosting was a bit runny but still was ok.
Hi Tricia, the frosting should not be runny, When softening the cream cheese be sure it is not melted or too soft. Was anything possibly altered in the recipe?
Hi Natasha,I love You so much enoy everything you create. I just made my first carrot cake and did two small squares and it came out yummy. My hubby lovs your recipes.
Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with me Rosemarie
Hi Natasha,
I plan to make this recipe on the weekend for a birthday party.
I have a question in regards to storing the cake the night before, as
I was planning to make it the day before which is Friday when the party is on Saturday.
I actually don’t know what I would store it in, and will it be good for the next day.
I hope you can help me with that?
Thanks,
Shalaka
Hi Shalaka, this cake should last at least a few days in the fridge.
perfect thank you!
Hi Natasha — why do your cakes come out flat and mine dome up? Loved the cake flavor, but had to shave off the tops. What am I doing wrong? I tested the oven temp and it was accurate.
Hi Jeannie, did you possibly use the wrong kind of leavening or too much leavening?
Hi, Natasha.
I love you to bits and have added several of your fantastic recipes to my regular lineup. I trust you all the way, but I have to say this one was a clunker for me. I’m so sorry I am a baker by trade and I was I mixing it I kept saying to my husband, “Huh. Only I c sugar? No vanilla? No salt? 3 c of carrots but only a tsp and a half of leavening? I pushed on because I love you, but I have a very flat, sad cake. I’m still going to try the frosting that goes with it, though. I’m making Pumpkin Whoopies for market this week and I’m hoping it will be a nice filling <3 Still a fan. Will still try more recipes!
HI Michele, did you possibly mixup the baking soda and powder? I’m not sure why else the rise would be off unless there was some type of substitution. Sorry to hear that. Such a bummer when a cake doesn’t work out.
Mine didn’t rise as well and wasn’t enough batter with only 2 cups of flour. Is this correct?
Hi Jenn, I’m sorry to hear that. I am always happy to help troubleshoot. Make sure to measure ingredients accurately and check that your leavening (baking soda and powder are still active).
Hi Natasha!! Thank you for your recipe…so tasty but honestly i changed a little bit the second time, i felt i need more taste in it:)
I added 1 cup of pineapple juice and put the half quantity of the oil (1/2 cup), 1 tps of cinnamon and accidentally i added 2 cup of carrot not 3 🙈 and with the frosting it was super super super yammi!!!! Thank you for your recipes and I’m sure if you create an application for your website, we will all be interested to use it!
I just made this, texture and structure are perfect but the taste is just not there for the bread part of the cake. I read the comments below about it having no taste so I added a dash of cinnamon and vanilla extract but not even that could save it :(. Im dissapointed this is the first Natasha recipe that doesn’t turn out and I’ve been using the blog for years now.
Hi Gaby, I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy this one. We loved the light flavor and texture of the cake and it is not supposed to be like the traditional dense and very sweet cakes at the grocery stores.
I agree. I love Natasha’s recipes but didn’t get a thumbs up on this one. Family loved the icing but we do prefer a little more taste in the bread part of the cake.
Is there something that I can add for a little sweetness?
Thank you.
I made this yesterday followed up by a request to bake another carrot cake after my boyfriend tried your “healthier carrot cake recipe”. This is amazing too. I think I´ve never fallen in love with carrot cakes before, but now I think Im a big fan too 🙂
I love all your recipes. They never fails me. Thank you Natasha! Keep cooking amazing 🙂
You are very welcome. So happy to hear that you loved this recipe so much! Thanks for sharing and for giving an excellent review.
For some reason I remember carrot cake having cinnamon flavor. Do you think I could add cinnamon? Also this cake has eggs so dosen’t it need vanilla to balance the egg smell? Do you think I could add both cinnamon and vanilla ??
Hi Lydia, I haven’t tried adding cinnamon but if you add it, I would suggest whisking it into the dry ingredients first and if you want a little vanilla flavor, you can add a teaspoon or so, folded in at the end until blended.
Hi Natasha, I only have canola oil is that still ok for the carrot cake , thank you
To be honest, I haven’t tried those substitutions and with baking being so much a science, I couldn’t really say without testing it myself. If you try it out, let me know how it works out.
Awesome recipe! My family loved it. It’s not as pretty as yours but it tastes really good.
Thanks Natasha
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Deanna! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Hi, I made this for my husband’s birthday. He is a carrot cake over. We were disappointed that it had no flavor. Why do you not use any spices? The frosting however was dynamite in flavor. I will add vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg the next time I make it.
Hi Natasha i love your recipes ! I made the blueberry lemon cake and it was fantastic.
Now for this carrot cake if i want to make it smaller in 5 inches tray do i need just to go to half the ingredients??!!
Hi Rola, I have not tested that in a 5″ tray to advise. I imagine you may have to. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
Can I use granulated sugar instead of powdered for the frosting?
Hi Giselle, It wouldn’t thicken up properly without powdered sugar.
Hello Natasha,
I want to make this recipe but would like to know how to toast nuts please.
Thank you!
Hi Andrea, toast on a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing frequently until they are fragrant and golden. Don’t walk away from them since nuts can easily scorch and burn.
Hi Natasha!
Can I add a tsp of cinnamon?
Hi Carmelle-Anya, I think that should work. I would add the cinnamon to dry ingredients. I hope you love the cake!
Thanks! What about nutmeg?
Others commented that they used 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and it was great!
Perfect! I’ll try 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. I’ve seen some recipes with brown sugar and/or canned pineapples. What do you think about these two ingredients?
That should work Carmelle! I would love to know how you like it with those add ons.
I’m going to make them as cupcakes! I will let you know how it turns out. Thank you again!
I look forward to it!
How did they come out? I want to make them as cupcakes this week.
I made this cake for my husband’s office party. Everyone loved it and had two pieces! He brought home the very last piece for me to try. It was delicious! You were right, it was not too sweet and also looked great, like from a professional bakery! I also need to mention that it was the first layered cake I made from scratch. Thank you for this great recipe!
Oh it really is amazing! Tha flavors are so awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me.
made this for a birthday party this evening.. did not rise… so making a 2 layer only.. but looks great
Hi Terri, I haven’t had that experince, is it possible you omitted the baking soda? Baking soda is 4x stronger than baking powder and with a full teaspoon, it should be adequate for the cake to rise. You might also check that your baking soda and baking powder are fresh. Hope that helps!
Natasha I love your receipts n videos. I want to try your carrot cake as a sheet cake 9×13 pan, what would you suggest on how long to bake it.
Hi Terry, you can just make the whole thing in a 9×13 baking pan and bake until the toothpick comes out clean. Without testing it, I can’t tell you exact baking time. Let me know how it works out.
Made this cake exactly as recommended. Lacked flavor without the spices in most other recipes Cake was not moist. Toasting walnuts give them a rustic flavor. We didn’t care for this cake at all.
I love pineapple in my carrot cake…can this be adapted…will it be too moist to add drained crushed pineapple
Hi Dianne, that is a great idea! I haven’t tested that, however. Here is what one of our readers wrote ” I’ve tried putting nuts in the batter, and added fresh pineapple chunks to the cream cheese frosting. It turned out absolutely amazing! My daughter is still begging me to make this cake one more time 🙂 It’s a family favorite recipe now!”
Thank you…the frosting is an option
Has anyone made this in a 9×13? I’m not good with layer cakes and prefer not to mess with layers this weekend when I have to transport the cake.
Hi Linda, without testing it, I can’t give you exact bake time, but you can just make the whole thing in a 9×13 baking pan and bake until the toothpick comes out clean. The bake time should be pretty close to the round pans.
Can the frosting be made with hand mixer? I can’t afford the stand mixer.
Hi Missy, yes that will work fine to use an electric hand mixer. In step 1, mix for 5 minutes instead of 3 and then in step 2, turn the mixer to low speed instead of medium/low. I hope you love the cake!
instead of using 2 pans, can i make the carrot cake in 1 pan?
Hi Raquel, I feel that will overwhelm one pan, and may overspill. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
I made it today for my husband’s birthday. The cake was a big hit. It is pretty easy to make. Maybe the hardest part was slicing layers in half 🙂 Frosting is delicious (I wanted eat it from the bowl). I added 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla, raisins (1oz) and crushed pineapple (small can without liquid).
Thank you for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Just a quick tip…..put your layers in the freezer to firm it up! It makes cutting easier. (no crumbs!)
Hi Natasha
Your carrot cake looks delicious and I would love to bake it, could you weigh the ingredients in grams or ounces please as it more accurate and many bakers fill the cups differently and it results in too much or too little. Especially the flour
Regards Ruth
Hi Ruth, We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes but it is taking some time as we have to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help
Hey, firstly I love your recipes! I just have a question about this one, what exactly is a cake pan? I actually live in Ukraine, and the measurements are completely different here. I have 1 pan which I use to bake pies in, I wonder if I should just get a 2nd of this one, or 2 of a different size. Thanks!
Hi Megan, we used 9″ cake pans. Something like this pan here will work.
Tried this recipe for the first time. Cake didn’t raise. It wasn’t as fluffy as it is on the pictures. What could be done to get it risen? The other recipes online have more backing powder. Could it be a reason?
Hi Oleksandr, is it possible you omitted the baking soda? Baking soda is 4x stronger than baking powder and with a full teaspoon, it should be adequate for the cake to rise. You might also check that your baking soda and baking powder are fresh. Hope that helps!
I have made this several times and it is great! How long can I keep extra icing in the fridge? I made enough for a second cake, but haven’t made it yet?
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Robyn. This should last at least a few days in the fridge. We have used ours up much sooner than that so I can’t advise on that.
Could I use different oil like sunflower oil or extra-virgin olive oil?
I think that should work fine, Kristina!
This carrot cake is absolutely delicious, I tried many varieties of carrot cake after I came in America from Russia, and finely I satisfied 100%, only I used different frosting, it’s was sour cream with sugar and vanilla, everyone loved , but noone would imagined it was made of sour cream. Thank you very much, God bless you!
Thank you so much for sharing this version with me, Olga!!
I’ve made this cake so many times.. It surprises me every time how much carrots go in it, but it’s so good anyways! I also make them in mini-bite cupcake size and bake them off at 350 for 15 min. and they turn out so good too!
Hi Marina! Thank you for sharing that with us! I love that you were able to make them mini cupcakes!
YUMMY 🤤 😋!!!!!!! I love carrot cake and I was so impressed to find a healthier version instead of the usual American one! My family also loved it!
I’m happy your family enjoyed it!
Would coconut be good instead of pecans.
Hi Emily, yes that would work since you are layering them in after the cake is baked. 🙂
I was wondering would it be good if I put coconut instead of pecans? Because my sister is allergic.
Hi Emily, I haven’t tried putting coconut in it but since the nuts are just sprinkled on between layers when the cake is assembled, you could really use any nuts you prefer or omit them altogether. I hope you and your sister love the cake! 🙂
Hi Natasha, I’m looking forward to making this carrot cake for a birthday party. You mentioned that the frosting is fluffy. I wanted to decorate my cake with candy melts flowers. Do you think this frosting would hold them? Thank you.
It depends on how heavy they are. This isn’t stiff like the buttercream frosting but it holds its shape.
Just be careful using any kind of candy because it tends to bleed into the icing!
Hi Natasha; i always follow your recipies and i think they are absolutely great. It’s just that i made this cake and i’m waiting for it to cool down in the fridge; but it smelled awfully eggy in the first place before adding the cream. Is that normal?
Since i made it for my friend’s birthday i’m afraid they might smell the egg !
Hi, I haven’t noticed an eggy scent when making this cake. I would suggest reading our best tips for making a sponge cake. One thing that might cause an eggy smell is if they eggs and sugar are underbeaten or if the mixture is overmixed and not baked right away after the butter is added (or using butter that is too warm) – all of these things can cause the cake not to rise properly. Our post on making a sponge cake answers most FAQ as well.
I made this cake today, 2/22/2020, everthing went as shown in your video except when I make the frosting. The powdered sugar and butter did not come out creamy and fluffy. It s powdery , as though there was t enough better. I put in the exact amount as stated in the recipe. I kept double checked if I had the amount incorrect, but it was exactly as stated. What gives?
Hi Eleni, did you use the correct amount of cream cheese? It sounds like the proportions were off somehow – this frosting is normally soft and fluffy and not too thick.
Dear Natasha,
I love all of your recipes! My husband was craving a carrot cake and I knew where to look right away. I made the cake today and it came out amazingly delicious!!! Thank you!!!!
You’re welcome Maria! I’m glad to hear how much you love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Hello mrs natasha i baked this cake it was perfect so delicious thank you very much just i add a little bit cinammon to it ❤️❤️❤️
Hello Marya! I’m glad you love the recipe, thanks for sharing your great review!
Hi Natasha! I love your recipes and want to try your carrot cake recipe. would you recommend freezing the cake portion? then frosting after it thaws out?
Hi Teresa, I think that would work well to freeze the cake layers without frosting. I hope you love the recipe! 🙂
Last week I made Spartak cake which my family loved! This week I tried the carrot cake and was so disappointed. The frosting was good but the cake was so blah we ended up throwing it out. Boxed mixes taste better. I’ll keep trying but this recipe definitely isn’t a keeper for me.
Hi Dawn, I’m sorry to hear that! I am always happy to help troubleshoot. Did you change anything about the recipe?
No I did not so likely a personal preference. I would definitely add spices and perhaps raisins to increase taste and moisture. I’ll keep trying though…you have a lot of recipes to keep me busy!
I love those add-in ideas! I want to try some crushed pineapple as well next time I make this. In general, this is much lighter, fluffier and less sweet than most store-bought American-style carrot cakes.
I think some cinnamon and brown sugar would help
Hi Natasha,
How would I adjust the baking temperature and time for a bunt pan?
Hi Angela, I honestly have not tried this one in a bundt pan so you will have to do some testing. I would start the bake for 30 minutes, do the toothpick test and bake longer if needed.
Thanks, I’ll give that a try!
You’re welcome, please let me know how it goes!
Hi I am in Australia and I was wondering how much is a stick of butter.
Love your videos. Thank you so much.
Hi Gabriella, 8 Tbsp or 113 grams in one stick of butter and you are welcome 😀
It’s 1/2 a cup for me! Or 8 Tablespoons.
Thanks so much 🙂
My friend/coworker said she loves carrot cake, so I decided to make your recipe, since I’ve never made one before. Everyone agreed, the cake was ok, the cake tasted like flour, not enough like a carrot cake. I liked that it didn’t taste so sweet, like many others I’ve had. I also liked the frosting, I thought it was creamy. But a coworker asked if it was canned, thought it didn’t taste “homemade”. Also, my cakes didn’t rise enough to cut in half, so I made a layer cake and not 4 layers. Looks good, tasted ok.
Thank you,
Sherry
Hi Sherry, This is definitely not like carrot cakes sold in US grocery stores which seem to be 90% sugar :). I’m glad you liked that it wasn’t overly sweet. That is pretty standard for most of our desserts. I am always happy to help troubleshoot. I’m not sure why it would taste like flour – that has me a little stumped. Did you make any substitutions in the recipe? It may help to see our tutorial on measuring ingredients for baking. If the cake did not rise as expected, check that your leavening (baking soda/powder) is not expired. I hope that helps!
I’ve only had bakery carrot cake, or one someone else made, and they are always too sweet. My husbands a diabetic, and I have a heart issue that doesn’t do well with sugar, so I cut back on sugar wherever I can. No, I didn’t make any substitutions, and I did measure it the way you say, scoop it into my measuring cup with a spoon, don’t pack it and level off. And I checked my baking powder and soda weren’t expired. But I wasn’t the only one who said the cake was floury tasting. But thank you, maybe it’s just a taste thing, those that didn’t mention the floury taste, liked the cake.