Last Updated on September 8, 2024 by PorchLightReading
Simple carrot cake recipe with an orange cream cheese frosting. Easy cake made from scratch and incredibly delicious.
Singing-“Happy birthday dear Sara, happy birthday to you!”
The birthday cake was over two months late.
My husband’s job has taken us far from home for quite some time now. With each passing year it gets a bit more difficult to make the long journey back home with school schedules, work schedules, and pets. For my husband and my birthday, we usually make a small cake for the four of us and have a mini birthday party with just our kids.
But one year Christmas brought us back home.
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- Table of contents: Simple Carrot Cake Recipe
- Ingredients
- Step by step directions
- Tips for the perfect carrot cake
- Variations
- Storage directions
- Jump to recipe card
SIMPLE CARROT CAKE RECIPE
Walking through the front door of my family home, my mother welcomed us with a big hug and said with a smile “I’m so happy you’ve made it! I made you a birthday cake.”
A birthday cake? But it wasn’t my birthday.
She brought us over to the kitchen where on a cake stand with a glass cover, was the most delicious looking carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. My absolute favorite.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3 cups finely grated carrots (roughly 5 medium sized carrots)
- ¾ cup nuts (optional)
- ½ cup rasins (optional)
- Orange cream cheese frosting
- 1- 8 oz block cream cheese-softened
- ¼ cup butter-softened
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 TBS orange juice
- zest from orange
STEP BY STEP DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
Mix dry ingredients- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Combine wet ingredients- In a separate bowl, whisk the softened butter and sugar together until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Mix the batter- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in the grated carrots, nuts, and raisins (if using) until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Bake the cake- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the orange cream cheese frosting- While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer, until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until fully combined and creamy. Stir in the orange zest and orange juice.
Assemble the cake- Once the cakes are completely cool, place one layer on a serving plate. Spread a generous layer of the orange cream cheese frosting on top, then place the second layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake as desired.
TIPS FOR THE PERFECT CARROT CAKE
- Finely grate the carrots: The finer the carrots, the more moisture they’ll release into the cake, ensuring a soft texture.
- Don’t overmix: When adding the dry ingredients to the wet, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense.
- Make ahead: Both the cake layers and the frosting can be made a day in advance. Just store the frosting in the fridge and assemble the cake before serving.
- Adjust the orange flavor: If you like a stronger citrus punch, add a bit more orange zest or juice to the frosting. For a subtler flavor, stick to the recipe as written.
VARIATIONS
Nuts and Raisins- While optional, these add texture and flavor. Both walnuts and pecans go great in this simple carrot cake recipe, or you can leave them out altogether.
Pineapple- Some people love adding crushed pineapple to their carrot cake for extra moisture and sweetness. Try adding ½ cup of drained crushed pineapple to the batter.
Single-layered cake or cupcakes- You can easily turn this recipe into a single-layered sheet cake or 24 cupcakes. Just adjust the baking time. Cupcakes will bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
STORAGE DIRECTIONS
Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting should be stored in the refrigerator and either covered in plastic wrap or in an air tight container. Will stay fresh for up to five days.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I blew out the candles and savored each bite of my birthday cake. Whether it was a bit late, or a bit early, I’m not sure. But I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to go home and have a homemade, surprise, birthday cake waiting just for us.
It’s a memory I’ll cherish forever.
RECIPE CARD
Simple Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3 cups shredded carrots
- ¾ cup nuts (optional)
- ½ cup rasins (optional)
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 TBS orange juice
- orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans (or one 9×13-inch pan if you prefer a single-layer cake). Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Combine wet ingredients- In a separate bowl, whisk the softened butter and sugar together until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Mix the batter- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in the grated carrots, nuts, and raisins (if using) until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Bake the cake- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 25-30 minutes for round pans (or 35-40 minutes for a 9×13-inch pan), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the orange cream cheese frosting- While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter, with an electric mixer, until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until fully combined and creamy. Stir in the orange zest and orange juice.
- Assemble the cake- Once the cakes are completely cool, place one layer on a serving plate. Spread a generous layer of the orange cream cheese frosting on top, then place the second layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake as desired. If you made a single-layer cake, just frost the top and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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