Moist Carrot Cake
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This moist carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is always a favorite. It’s incredibly tender with a delicious carrot cake flavor thanks to warm spices, brown sugar and loads of shredded carrots. It can made with or without pineapple, nuts and raisins. So simple – it’s the perfect carrot cake recipe!
**This post was updated April 3, 2025 with new photos, recipe tips, and storage instructions**
If you’re looking for a carrot cake recipe that’s incredibly moist, easy to make, and never boring – then this moist carrot cake recipe is just for you! I’ve tested and retested so many carrot cake recipes over the years, and this carrot cake is my new go-to.
The texture dense, moist and slightly springy. It’s the type of cake crumb that sticks to the back of your fork. It’s packed with an incredible amount of flavor and a thick layer of cream cheese frosting on top is the perfect pairing.
Moist Carrot Cake Recipe
As mentioned, this carrot cake is incredibly moist. Therefore, it works best in a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) pan. If you’re looking for a layer cake carrot cake, use this recipe instead: Carrot Cake Layer Cake. It’s also incredibly flavorful and moist, but the texture holds up better to stacking cake layers.
But if you’re looking for the moist, tender, flavorful recipe that requires very little fuss – then keep reading for recipe tips. Or click the link below to get straight to the recipe.
Jump to Recipe- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease and flour the pan.
- Soak the Raisins. If using raisins, soak them in a small bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes. Then blot dry with a paper towel or clean dish cloth. This softens the raisins so and ensures that they aren’t in one big lump when you mix them into the batter later (if using)
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients. Flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. This cake is quite strongly spiced – you could reduce the spices slightly if you prefer.
- Whisk the Wet Ingredients and Sugar. I always do the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla first. Because the cake is so flavorful, you won’t taste the oil whatsoever.
- Whisk in the Milk. Then whisk in the milk into the wet ingredients. This recipe uses buttermilk for the softest texture. I’ve included substitutions in the recipe notes.
- Stir in the Shredded Carrots, Crushed Pineapple, Walnuts and Raisins. The pineapple, walnuts and raisins are options. Feel free to use all three, two out of three, only one or none. I personally love the extra flavor of all three.
- Fold the Dry Ingredients into the Batter. No need for an electric mixer here. Just ensure that there are no lumps of flour when you’re done.
- Bake. It will need about 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven.
Recipe Tip
If using pineapple, you may want to reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup because pineapple adds sweetness to the cake. Be sure to use crushed pineapple in juice, as opposed to syrup. Drain well before measuring. I recommend crushed pineapple instead of pineapple chunks because the cake will slice more easily.
Cream Cheese Frosting for Carrot Cake
This carrot cake recipe is topped with a simple, easy cream cheese frosting. It’s made with butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, a little salt, and fresh lemon juice. I like adding a little lemon juice because it adds a little bit more tanginess that tastes delicious with carrot cake. The only real “tips” for making cream cheese frosting are:
- Make sure your butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature before getting started
- Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese
- Avoid over mixing the frosting – this can actually make it thinner.
- If your frosting seems too sweet or too thick, you can add in 1 tablespoons of cream or milk.
How to Make Carrot Cake with Different Pan Sizes
This carrot cake recipe is designed for a 9×13 inch pan. But it can be easily adapted for other pan shapes & sizes.
- 8×8 Inch (20×20 cm) Pan: Divide all the ingredients by 1/2. The bake time will be about 30-35 minutes. Ensure that the sides of your pan are at least 2 inches tall to ensure the cake doesn’t overflow.
- Carrot Cake Bundt Cake: For a 10-inch bundt cake, the bake time will be about 45-55 minutes. Use a non-stick pan. I recommend brushing the pan with pan release to ensure it doesn’t stick. If you don’t have pan release, be sure to grease and flour the pan very well to avoid sticking.
- Carrot Layer Cake: Use this recipe.
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes: For cupcakes, use this recipe.
For more Easter desserts, be sure to try:
For more classic sheet cakes, try these other flavors:
Moist Carrot Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan*
Ingredients
Moist Carrot Cake
- 1/2 cup raisins, optional
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (120 ml), or canola
- 1 3/4 cups brown sugar (158 grams), lightly packed, I used light
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk (180 ml), or use 3/4 cup milk and 2 teaspoons lemon juice whisked together
- 2 1/2 cups finely shredded carrot, do not use shredded carrot from a bag
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, or pecans, optional
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained, optional
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams), softened but still slightly firm to the tough
- 8 oz cream cheese (226 grams), full fat, brick-style, softened
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar (220-330 grams), sifted
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
Moist Carrot Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees (180C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch metal cake pan.
- Add the raisins to a small bowl with warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes for the raisins to soften and de-clump. Remove from the water and pat dry. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Keep whisking until you no longer see lumps of sugar or pieces of eggs.
- Whisk the milk into the oil mixture.
- Stir the shredded carrots, drained pineapple, chopped walnuts and blotted dry raisins into the wet ingredients.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Gently fold together until you no longer see lumps of flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean or with a few damp crumbs. Cool the cake in the pan.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl beat the butter until soft.
- Mix in the cream cheese.
- Add in the salt and lemon juice along with 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar. Mix together, starting with the mixer on a low speed.
- Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar a little at a time until the desired sweetness is reached. If you feel the frosting is too thick or too sweet, beat in 1 tablespoon of whipping cream.
- Frost the cooled cake, then optionally sprinkle the top with chopped walnuts.
Notes
- Carrots: Shred/grate the carrots using a smaller side of the box grater. Do not use shredded carrots in a bag from the grocery store -these are too large for baking with and will lead to a dry, less flavorful cake with carrot chunks.
- Pineapple: Optional is optional. If using pineapple, I recommend reducing the sugar in the cake by 1/4 cup (so only using 1 1/2 cups).
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, add 2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice or distilled vinegar to 3/4 cup milk. Whisk together and let sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Make Ahead: The cake can be made 1 day in advance, cooled, covered and stored at room temperature overnight. Frost the day you plan to serve. Unfrosted cake can be cooled fully, wrapped tightly and then frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge (not on the counter), then frost.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 slice of cake with frosting, assuming the pan is sliced into 15 large pieces and that walnuts, raisins and pineapple are all used.
Nutrition
Everyone loves this recipe – can cupcakes be made instead of the cake?
I have made this cake about ten times now and it has become the requested cake at family gatherings. It is DELICIOUS!
Thank you so much, Heidi! I’m so glad it’s become a family favorite
Haha, I was at Heidi Cook’s family gathering and requested the recipe!!!
Wonderful recipe, delicious cake! Thank you!