Best Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This is truly the very Best Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting we’ve ever had the pleasure of sinking our sweet teeth into! The cake layers are super moist, tender, soft, and delicious. The cream cheese frosting is smooth and velvety, like a bit of cheesecake heaven. *This cake can be made a day ahead, and actually tastes better the next day!
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable or olive oil
- 1 lb carrots, peeled and grated (I did half using large holes of box grater and half small holes)
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, liquid drained and squeezed out of the fruit
For Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 oz regular cream cheese, softened
- 6 TB salted butter, softened
- 4 tsp regular sour cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioner’s (powder) sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F with rack on lower middle position. Line 2 (9 in) round cake pans with parchment paper on bottom. Grease parchment paper and sides of pan. Set aside.
- Make the Cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat both sugars with eggs on medium high until combined, 45 sec. Reduce to medium speed and add oil gradually. Increase to high speed and mix until light in color, 1 min.
- Remove bowl and using a rubber spatula, fold in the carrots and pineapple. Gently fold in dry ingredient mixture just until no flour streaks remain; do not over mix.
- Scrape batter, divided evenly, into prepared cake pans. Smooth top to release air bubbles. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few tender crumbs attached, 30-35 minutes.
- Remove pans and cool cakes completely in pans on a wire rack (at least several hours.)
- Meanwhile, Make the Frosting. In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, mix the softened cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed until combined, 30 seconds, scraping down as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, 1 minute. Keep chilled until ready to use.
- Be sure cakes are completely cooled. Run thin knife around edge of cakes to loosen and invert one round cake onto serving platter. Tap back of pan to remove cake and gently peel off parchment paper. Spread half of the cream cheese frosting on top of cake. Repeat with second layer of cake, placing it gently over the top of frosting. Spread remaining frosting on top, and garnish however you like, but no garnish necessary. Cake may be covered and chilled 1 day ahead.
Notes
Cake can be fully assembled a day or two in advance. Keep covered and chilled until ready to serve. This cake container/carrier is helpful for storing or transporting.
Optional: you can add 1/2 cup raisins if you like. Top with toasted chopped pecans or walnuts if desired.
Click here if you’d like to make carrot cake cupcakes.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 667
- Sugar: 57.8 g
- Sodium: 327.8 mg
- Fat: 36.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 81.9 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 6.8 g
- Cholesterol: 82.6 mg
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Keywords: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Layered Carrot Cake, Homemade Carrot Cake