My favorite carrot cake recipe! Moist, cinnamon-spiced, and topped in a tangy cream cheese frosting, it's perfect for any celebration.
It’s carrot cake season! I don’t know about you, but when the weather warms up, my dessert cravings shift away from chocolate towards lighter, fruitier treats. This change works out well for me, because carrot cake is Jack’s all-time favorite dessert, and we make it every year for his April birthday.
You’ll find our go-to carrot cake recipe below. It’s based on my mom’s, and it uses her secret ingredient: applesauce. It makes the cake super moist and tender, and it steps in for some of the oil and sugar that you’d normally find in a carrot cake recipe. As a result, this recipe is on the lighter side, so you can have your cake and eat it too. 🙂 Cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla fill it with warm flavor, and a tangy cream cheese frosting takes it over the top.
If you’re looking for an easy, delicious dessert for Easter, Mother’s Day, or any celebration, I hope you’ll try this carrot cake recipe. We’ve made it and loved it time and time (and time) again, and I think you’ll love it too.
Carrot Cake Recipe Ingredients
These key ingredients make this warm, cinnamon-spiced cake moist, light, and even a little healthy:
- Lots of carrots! This cake is just lightly sweet, so the carrot flavor really shines through.
- Whole wheat pastry flour swaps in for traditional all-purpose flour. Ground from soft wheat berries, whole wheat pastry flour has more nutrients than regular white flour, but it still yields light, fluffy baked goods. If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour, you can use a 50/50 mix of white and regular whole wheat flour.
- Maple syrup takes the place of granulated or brown sugar, making this carrot cake recipe (before the frosting) refined sugar-free.
- Applesauce adds moisture and a little sweetness.
- Coconut oil steps in as a healthier alternative for butter. You can also use olive oil or vegetable oil if you prefer.
How to Make the BEST Carrot Cake
Since marrying Jack, I’ve had a lot of practice making carrot cake. Here are my tips & tricks for making the best carrot cake around:
- Grate your carrots finely. Finely grated carrots meld seamlessly into the moist, spiced cake, while larger pieces create a less uniform texture. Finely grate your carrots for light, fluffy, and cohesive cake slices!
- Don’t overmix. This rule applies to baked goods across the board. Mix your batter until just combined – and not any longer – or your cake will be dense.
- Let your cake cool completely before frosting it. Yes, this is an easy recipe, but there is one hard part: waiting for the cake to cool! If you frost it too early, the frosting will melt, so wait until the cake it at room temperature before slathering it on.
Easy Carrot Cake Recipe Variations
Jack is a true carrot cake enthusiast, and if he’s taught me anything, it’s that carrot cake can be a personal thing. If you like yours with chopped walnuts or raisins, feel free to fold ½-1 cup into the cake batter. If you like yours with coconut, fold ½ cup into the batter or sprinkle shredded coconut over the frosted cake. I like mine plain, although I think it’s pretty with a few chopped pecans sprinkled on top.
You can also choose your cake size and shape! The recipe below makes any of these:
- one 9-inch round cake (pictured)
- one square 8×8 cake
- a 2-layer cake using two 6-inch cake pans (also pictured)
Finally, choose your favorite frosting. You can make the cream cheese frosting recipe below with regular or dairy-free cream cheese (I used Kite Hill here), though the regular version will be stiffer and better for slathering between layers if you’re making a layer cake. A lighter frosting option would be the cashew maple frosting from this recipe, which is more of a glaze. Of course, this cake is also delicious without frosting!
Let me know what variations you try!
More Favorite Baking Recipes
If this carrot cake recipe earns rave reviews, try one of these treats next:
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Healthy Banana Bread
- Best Blueberry Muffins
- Pumpkin Bread
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Best Brownies
Or head to this post for more fun baking recipes!
Best Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or half white, half wheat)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup applesauce
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup almond milk, at room temperature
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups finely grated carrots
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese*
- 1½ tablespoons butter*, slightly softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, more if a stiffer frosting is desired
- â…› teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch round baking pan, 8x8 square pan, or two 6-inch round cake pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and then whisk in the applesauce, maple syrup, almond milk, coconut oil, and vanilla. Stir in the carrots.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 35 to 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
Notes
This looks so delicious! I have never tried it with apple sauce or cream cheese as frosting.
Did you know it’s a national dish from Switzerland? 😀
It’s a bit different from the traditional one I know, but I can totally imagine the benefits of apple sauce in it, I’ll definitely try it!
This looks very good….. you didn’t mention, but I am assuming flax eggs would work as a replacement for the eggs???
Hi Hollie, here’s a link to my vegan carrot cake recipe that’s very similar: https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-carrot-cake-macadamia-frosting/
Perfect. Thank you. By the way….. I just ordered your new cookbook.
yay! I hope you love it 🙂
I love carrot cake! Looks so deliciosu and festive!
I’m eager to try this! Do you think it could work as cupcakes??
yes – they won’t puff up very much, but it should taste the same! I’d check them after baking for about 20 minutes.
This recipe is incredible! I just made this for my husband today for Father’s Day as carrot cake is one of his favorites. His exact words were “The more you eat, the better it gets!” It’s moist, perfectly sweet, and I feel like you can eat a lot of it without feeling guilty considering the ingredients. Bonus…the frosting does this beautiful slow drip down the sides of the cake that make it look like something you bought in a shop! Can not recommend it enough! This is going to be made on repeat in our house from now on :).
Hi Annie, yay! I’m so glad you both loved it!
Outstanding cake!!! Made it for my birthday. Was looking for a recipe that used maple syrup and a healthier oil. This was perfect…moist, just sweet enough, spiced right. I also subbed in 1/2 cup sprouted whole wheat pastry flour. Two thumbs up from picky mom and teen son.
Hi Emily! I’m so glad you all loved it! xoxo
Hi, maybe can change applesauce into mashed banana? Thank you!
Hi Kristine, I haven’t tried that so I can’t say. It might be a bit dense and/or affect the rise.
Looks amazing and can’t wait to try this recipe. Do you have a recipe for a frosting with maple syrup as the sweetener?
So glad that I found your recipes
This is the best carrot cake ever! I’ve made it several times now; it’s delicious and wonderfully moist. Do you think it would be possible to sub puréed pumkin for the apple sauce? I have some in my fridge that I’d like to use up.
I think that could work! I’m so glad you’ve been loving the cake!
This is the best! I have been making with Bob’s Red Milk Paleo flour for amazing GF (grain free, too) version that is a bit in my family (I am only one who is GF). Thanks!
Bob’s Red Mill Paleo flour
This has to be hands down the BEST carrot cake! I made it for a friend’s birthday and have been requested to make it for every dinner party since!
I am going to attempt carrot cake this weekend while quarantining 🙂 I only have all-purpose flour and oat flour. Would it work to sub in the oat flour for the pastry flour? I’m tryyyying to avoid another trip to the grocery store (although I admit I’d love to get out of the house!). Thanks!
Hi Liz, it’ll work with the all purpose flour. I would skip the oat flour for now because I don’t always have success with it (sometimes baked goods don’t rise). I don’t like to suggest it if I haven’t tested it first.
Hope you enjoy the cake!
Hi. I don’t have almond milk. Could I substitute regular milk?
Yep!
Hello! Do the ingredients yield one single cake, and you’d just double it if you want to layer?
Hi Laura, the options are in step 1: one 9-inch round baking pan, an 8×8 square pan, or two 6-inch round cake pans.
Delicious cake !
I’m so glad you loved it!
Hi—I don’t have applesauce right now. Is there something else I could substitute it with?
Mashed banana should be a good substitution.
Wonderful to find a luscious recipe that does not include coconut. I am not a picky eater and love all foods–except coconut! The two 6″ layers look perfect.
Hi! Do you have any recommendations for gluten-free flour subs?
Hi Deena, I haven’t tested a GF recipe but someone in the comments above had success with Bob’s Red Mill Palelo Flour.
Help…can you make this carrot cake gf…please advise??
Nancy
Hi Nancy, someone in the comments above had success with Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Flour but I haven’t tried it myself.
This looks so delicious! love the flavors, it must be such a great texture with the applesauce and the carrots. Beautiful!
Will this still taste okay with only white flour?
Nevermind I see your comment above!
Can I use regular milk instead of almond milk? I have 2 nut allergy suffers in my family.
yep! Any type of milk will work.
This recipe is really incredible. I love all of your recipes and cookbook too- this one is standout. Because we are stuck at home now and low on some ingredients, I subbed almond flour for the whole wheat pastry flour, cloves and cardamom in lieu of nutmeg and added golden raisins and flax seeds. Delicious!
Hi Karen, I’m so glad you loved it! I’m happy to hear that it worked out with almond flour and I’m a huge fan of cardamom so I might steal your idea and use that next time 🙂
How can i make my own applesauce? I so.want to.try it with that.
Thx
Chamila
I haven’t done it myself (but I should, thank you for the request!). Until then, I’d google for a recipe, it can’t be too hard 🙂
OHH Apple sauce is such a good idea! Question: I usually make homemade apple sauce. Do you use completely watery apple sauce that you typically buy at the grocery store or apple sauce that is a bit more chunky? Excited to try this/adapt to gluten free!!!!
Hi Emily, I use the type from the grocery store that’s pretty smooth. Chunky might affect the rise and texture of the cake. I hope that helps!
Loved this Carrot Cake. I made it for Easter. Where can I find your nutritional charts for your recipes? I find that so important when using my FitBit. Thank you
Hi Shelly, I’m so glad you loved it! I’m sorry, I don’t calculate nutritional information.
This looks delicious! I only have sweetened applesauce on hand, should I reduce the amount of maple syrup I add?
Hi Bethany, I would still make the recipe as-is so that the texture of the cake isn’t affected. It’s not all that much applesauce (and the cake itself isn’t crazy sweet) so I think the difference in sweetness will be negligible. Hope that helps!
Thanks, it turned out great!
This is my favorite cake at the moment! It also works well with a flax egg as a replacement if anyone was interested 🙂
The cake was amazing!
The sugar was just a little on the lower side, otherwise, would make it again!
I’m glad you enjoyed it – we love this sugar level since the frosting is so sweet 🙂