Simply put, this is the Best Carrot Cake Recipe you’ll ever try! Layers of moist spiced cake filled with delicious real carrots with the perfect amount of creamy white chocolate icing – it’s a heavenly treat!
My Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe
Even though I’m usually all about chocolate, I have a soft spot for a good carrot cake recipe.
That’s because I can’t stand a dry cake, and done right, carrot cake is never dry. In fact, it should be the exact opposite! A perfect carrot cake is thick, moist, and a bit denser than traditional cakes. That’s why I love this recipe so much – it is the best moist carrot cake out there! It might just be the best carrot cake in the world! A big claim I know, but it’s pretty darn good!
Oh and let’s not forget about the frosting!
You’ll often see carrot cake with cream cheese icing, but we started making ours with white chocolate frosting. It’s extra rich and decadent! Once you try it this way, you might never go back!
Though if you really really love cream cheese icing, you can use the recipe from our red velvet pound cake. This is the world’s best carrot cake recipe no matter which style of icing you go with in the end!
The Best Carrot Cake Recipe Ingredients
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For the Cake:
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups carrots, diced or shredded in a food processor
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup chopped dates*
*You can substitute raisins for dates if desired.
For the Frosting:
- 12 ounces white chocolate
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Kitchen Supplies Used:
- Set of 3 round pans (8″)
- 8-inch parchment rounds (these have handy tabs for easy lifting)
- Cake leveler
- Offset spatula
- Cake/frosting scraper
- Electric mixer
- Frosting decorating kit
How to Make Perfect Carrot Cake
First, preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your cake pans. We sprayed three 8″ round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and then lined the bottom of each with a circle of parchment paper.
To Make the Cake:
Mix wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then add all of the dry ingredients. Stir to until just combined and smooth, but take care not to over-mix.
Stir in dates and walnuts until evenly distributed.
Divide batter evenly among the three cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes. You’ll know the cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow cake to cool in the pans for at least 30 minutes. To remove from pan, gently run a knife along the outside of the cake to make sure it isn’t sticking to the pan, then flip onto your workspace.
If needed, even the tops of your cake with a knife, or using our foolproof cake cutting method.
To Make the Whipped White Chocolate Frosting:
Combine white chocolate and heavy whipping cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir as the ganache heats, until it comes to a slow boil.
Continue stirring until ganache begins to thicken, generally within 3-4 minutes. Chill ganache until it reaches room temperature, then place in the refrigerator to chill.
When your frosting is cold (but not hard), use an electric mixer to whip the ganache until fluffy.
To Assemble Your Carrot Cake:
- Place the first cake layer top-side down on a cake plate.
- Top it with 1/3 of the whipped white chocolate frosting.
- Repeat this process with the remaining layers, reserving a small amount of frosting to decorate the top of the cake.
- Scrape any icing that is hanging over the sides around the cake using a scraper, which will lightly frost the sides. It’s okay if some of the cake peeks through on the sides.
- To decorate the top, put some of the whipped icing in an frosting decorating bag and pipe icing around the edges of the top layer.
Decorating Ideas and Options:
- Chopped or whole walnuts
- Caramel drizzle
- Baby carrots
- Carrot strips
- White chocolate shavings
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The Best Carrot Cake Recipe in the World (Printable Copy)
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World's Best Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake
- 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 Cups Carrots Diced or shredded in a food processor
- 4 Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
- 1 Cup Chopped Dates You can sub raisins for dates if desired
For the White Chocolate Icing
- 12 oz White Chocolate
- 2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Coat three 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper.
- Combine wet ingredients in large mixing bowl, then add all the dry ingredients to bowl. Stir until smooth, but take care not to over-mix.
- Divide batter evenly among your three cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 30 minutes to an hour. To remove, gently run a knife along the outside of the cake to unstick from the pan, then flip onto your workspace. If needed, trim the tops of your cakes so they are even.
For the Frosting
- Combine white chocolate and heavy whipping cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir as you cook, until the ganache comes to a slow boil.
- Continue stirring as ganache begins to thicken - about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool ganache to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator to chill.
- When it is cold (but not hard), use a hand-held mixer to whip the ganache into a fluffy frosting.
To Assemble
- Place the first layer top-side down on a cake plate.
- Frost with 1/3 of the whipped white chocolate frosting.
- Repeat this process with the remaining layers, reserving a small amount of frosting to decorate the top of the cake.
- Scrape any overflowing icing down the sides around the cake using a scraper, which will lightly frost the sides. It is okay for the cake to peek through on the sides.
- Decorate your cake with the extra frosting, using a piping bag.
- Feel free to add your favorite toppings: walnuts, caramel, carrots, or strips of carrots.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin the Best Carrot Cake Recipe on Pinterest:
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Dawn Stackhouse says
I don’t know when I’ll get around to making this but you can be sure I will. Growing up, carrot cake was what I requested as a birthday cake. I’m salivating just dreaming of biting into that first bite!