Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a perennial favorite everywhere. It is so popular, in fact, that there is a national holiday designated as Carrot Cake Day – February 3rd.

Although there are hundreds of recipes for carrot cake, with varying ingredients such as pineapple and coconut, the following Basic Carrot Cake, which is my personal favorite, has never failed to receive rave reviews. It is very moist, very easy, and because it has minimal ingredients, can be put together very quickly.

This Carrot cake is delicious just as it is with cream cheese frosting, but can be made into an elegant torte by filling the layers with Coconut Pecan Filling, similar to a German chocolate cake (of course with cream cheese frosting on the outside), or made into miniatures either baked in a jellyroll pan and cut into squares or baked in mini muffin pans. The cake can also be soaked with liqueur or flavored coffee syrup and layered with fruit and custard to make a different and delicious trifle.

Basic Carrot Cake

16 Servings

1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 cups grated carrots, (about 7 carrots)
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
4 large eggs
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 batch Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350°.


2. Grease 2 9" round cake pans, a 13 x 9" sheet cake pan, an 11 x 17"jelly roll pan, or a 9" or 10" springform pan and line with parchment.


3. In a large mixer bowl, combine oil, sugar, carrots, walnuts and eggs at medium speed.


4. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; mix on low speed until combined, then turn to medium and beat for a minute or two until light.


5. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is springy to the touch, about 35 minutes for 9" round pans, 45-50 minutes for 13 x 9" sheet cake pan, 20-25 minutes for the 11 x 17" jellyroll pan, or 55 to 60 minutes for the springform pans.
6. Cool 10 minutes, then remove from the pan.


7. Cool thoroughly.


8. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 542 Calories from Fat 235
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 43% Protein 4% Carb. 52%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 26 g
Saturated Fat 6 g
Cholesterol 73 mg
Sodium 213 mg
Total Carbohydrate 71 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 25 g
Protein 6 g

Vitamin A 123% Vitamin C 4% Calcium 0% Iron 5%