Viral Moist Carrot Cake Recipe - Everyday Dishes

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by Cheryl Najafi on Mar 27, 2016 23 comments »

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Practically everyone has a carrot cake recipe that they think is the best, but after just one bite of our extra moist carrot cake recipe we think you’ll reconsider!

Fresh baby carrots already peeled make preparation so much easier and faster, but if you already have a bag of carrots in the fridge that need to be trimmed and peeled, go for it! Just make sure to throw in a few extra to bring the weight back up to one pound—after all it is called carrot cake for a reason.

If you feel you need to make the layers more level, trim them but don’t let the scraps go to waste! Dry them in a warm oven, turn them into crumbs and press them into the sides of the frosted cake for a decorative touch.

Since we mentioned frosting, ours really ‘takes the cake.’ Rich and plentiful, it presents an extra smooth finish because the powdered sugar has been sifted into the mixture. It’s just another reason why our recipe makes an exceptional moist carrot cake that’s bound to become your favorite.

Carrot Cake Recipe Tips:

How do we get our cake so moist?Once out of the oven, cool the layers on a rack for 10 minutes. Then invert them, remove the pans that have been lined with parchment paper, peel off the paper and place the pans back on each layer for about two hours. This seals in the moisture so you can enjoy this cake’s density without it being dry.
Can’t get enough Carrot Cake? Give our Inside-Out Carrot Cake Muffins a try!

Moist Carrot Cake Recipe

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 55 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Our moist carrot cake recipe melts in your mouth. The secret is all about what happens when it’s out of the oven—plus that extra creamy frosting.

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Ingredients

Yield: 12 servings

4.26 from 272 ratings

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carrot cake

2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups oil
4 large eggs
1 lb packge baby carrots, finely grated
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

frosting

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, 1½ sticks
2 8 oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees then line the bottom of two 9" cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the pans and paper with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, oil and eggs together until completely blended then set aside.
Add the carrots to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the carrots are very finely chopped and resemble the texture of wet sand. Then, add them to the sugar, oil and egg mixture, stirring to combine.
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon on top of the wet ingredients and carefully fold the wet and dry ingredients until completely blended. If you’d like to add nuts or raisins, now is the time to fold them into the batter (our office voted a unanimous ‘no’).
Divide the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans and bake 45−50 minutes—the cakes will be firm in the center and just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Remove the cakes from the oven and cool them on a rack for about 10 minutes.
When the cakes have rested but are still quite warm, invert the layers onto a sheet of waxed paper. Remove the pan, peel the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake then replace the pan back over the cake to cover it and seal in the moisture. Leave the cakes covered until they are completely cooled (at least 2 hours).
While the cakes are cooling, get started on the cream cheese frosting. Add the softened butter and cream cheese to a medium-sized mixing bowl and cream together until completely combined and no lumps remain. Then, sift in the powdered sugar, stirring until perfectly smooth.
Add the vanilla and stir once more to combine. If the frosting’s too thick, add a few drops of milk until the consistency’s correct. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature until you are ready to frost the cake.
When the cakes are cool and the frosting has been made, remove the pans to uncover the cakes. Place the first layer on a serving plate and evenly coat the top of the cake with frosting. Place the next layer upside down on top of first layer and press gently but firmly into place. Coat the top and all sides of the cake evenly with the remainder of the frosting.
Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve then slice into big wedges and enjoy!

Author: Cheryl Najafi

Course: Dessert

Calories: 961kcal, Carbohydrates: 126g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 49g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 142mg, Sodium: 666mg, Potassium: 188mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 108g

Tried this recipe?Mention @EverydayDishes or tag #everydaydishes!

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originally published on Mar 27, 2016 (last updated Jan 1, 2024)

23 comments Leave a comment »

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23 comments on “Moist Carrot Cake”

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Joy — November 19, 2023 @ 9:39 am
SUPER MOIST
Sam — October 24, 2023 @ 5:30 pm
I made cupcakes out of this recipe. I didn’t change anything to the mixing or the recipe, just the amount of time in the oven. It made 24 cupcakes and left them in the oven for 20 minutes at the temp stated in the recipe
Kayla — September 5, 2023 @ 7:44 pm
This THEE best carrot cake! Found this recipe in 2020 and I’ve made it more than 20 times. It’s always a hit and I get so many compliments on it (although I can’t take credit)! Highly recommend.
Ellen — August 25, 2023 @ 7:53 pm
This recipe is delish!Have made several times
This time I made cake late at night and was wondering if I can put cake in fridge overnight to cool and frost in the morning?
Rebecca H. — July 1, 2023 @ 8:17 am
I made this for a friend’s birthday. It was an absolute hit! It was so moist, can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Elizabeth — April 10, 2023 @ 8:16 am
Update: It was a HUGE hit. My entire family loved the cake. The consistency was great, very moist. Also the 4cups of sugar turned out to be the perfect amount. Already commissioned to make it again for an upcoming birthday!
Jennifer — April 10, 2023 @ 7:14 am
Mine turned out great! I used 2 8in pans and divided equally with a measuring cup, however I feel the frosting recipe might be off . I used 4c of sugar and it was plenty and tasted like cream cheese frosting .
Elizabeth — April 8, 2023 @ 12:57 pm
Made this for easter tomorrow and the scraps from cutting of the top were delicious. My family gobbled every bite off the counter.
I did half the confectioners sugar for the frosting, but I prefer cream cheese frosting to still be a little tangy. Overall great recipe!! I can’t wait to serve it.
Jamie — April 8, 2023 @ 11:59 am
I’m so confused! I went to make this for Easter tomorrow and it’s been over an hour at this point and my cake is still loose inside when the toothpick comes out. I’ve covered it and have it cooking still so that the center hopefully gets to the same place the outside of the cake is. I reread every ingredient and instructions and I did every step the way it says to so I’m disappointed. Hopefully it turns out ok..!
Barbara — April 4, 2023 @ 6:27 pm
Going to make this for Easter. Looks great!
Karen Anderson — March 22, 2023 @ 1:31 pm
Can I make a sheet cake or cupcakes with this recipe? Do I need to make any changes?
Ginger — March 21, 2023 @ 9:09 am
Where is the answer to the questions?
Also can brown sugar be substituted for some of the regular sugar?
Kari — February 25, 2023 @ 9:23 pm
I have to make this for all the birthdays in my sister’s family
Debbie — February 1, 2023 @ 2:59 pm
This was by far the best carrot cake recipe ever. My cake was moist and delicious my husband really enjoyed it.
Kerry — January 19, 2023 @ 10:44 am
It was very greasy and not cooked although the toothpick came out clean not sure what I done wrong but absolute disaster and went in the bin
Carol — September 16, 2022 @ 8:03 am
Delicious recipe. This is my go to! Question- if I make cupcakes do I need to change anything?
Thank you
Anne — September 4, 2022 @ 7:03 pm
Looks amazing!
Quick question, on the video when adding eggs and oil in the bowl… What is the white creamy ingredient added before mixing?
Thanks!
Heather — August 7, 2022 @ 9:50 am
Can this be made into a 9×13 sheet cake? If so how tall does it get. Or if stacking a 9×13 sheet cake do you recommend doubling it?
Jennica — May 20, 2022 @ 1:15 pm
Great recipe I make often! But now I want to make cupcakes out of it should I have to change anything?
Lori — April 20, 2022 @ 10:53 am
Very good recipe! We added chopped pecans and golden raisins – delicious!
We made a double batch of frosting and had so much left over (even with completely frosting a two-layer cake) that we were *forced* 😉 to make a batch of carrot cake cupcakes.
Now my family of 10 has had this delicious recipe twice in one week! Thank you again!
Jane Banner — April 5, 2022 @ 10:50 am
Is there any chance these amounts can be added in the british measurements please ? I have no idea what size cup you use etc . I would be very grateful
Kathleen Scully — April 3, 2022 @ 7:36 am
What kind of oil is best,can you use olive oil.
Carol christie — February 8, 2022 @ 6:39 am
The cake was delicious and Moist. I made mine in a 9 by 13 pan. So I only did half the frosting recipe.

Viral Moist Carrot Cake Recipe - Everyday Dishes - Baking (2024)

FAQs

What makes a cake moist and fluffy? ›

I promise you SOFT & MOIST cakes!

Use Cake Flour. Reach for cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. ...
Add Sour Cream. ...
Room Temperature Butter / Don't Over-Cream. ...
Add a Touch of Baking Powder or Baking Soda. ...
Add Oil. ...
Don't Over-Mix. ...
Don't Over-Bake. ...
Brush With Simple Syrup/Other Liquid.

More items...

Aug 25, 2019

Why is my carrot cake so moist? ›

Oil: The secret to keeping our carrot cake so deliciously moist. I've used avocado oil, safflower oil, and vegetable oil with great results. Melted coconut oil works, too, but the baked cake will have a light coconut flavor.

See Details ›

What causes a carrot cake to be dry? ›

If you have too much flour in a recipe and not enough fat, like butter or oil, your cake is going to be dry and hard. For best results, I would encourage you to use a scale when baking, but if you don't have a scale, then just make sure you're using measuring cups correctly.

Discover More ›

What makes a cake more moist, oil or butter? ›

Why does oil give cake superior texture? Butter is 18% water, so when the batter is baked, some of its liquid evaporates. Replacing the water from the butter with oil means there's more fat left in the cakes to ensure tenderness.

What does adding applesauce to cake do? ›

Applesauce acts much like the fat. It keeps the flour protein from mixing completely with the wet ingredients and forming a rubbery, dense texture. This is what does applesauce do in baking.

View Details ›

Is butter or oil better for carrot cake? ›

Vegetable oil produces a more moist, tender cake than butter.

Find Out More ›

How do you keep carrots moist? ›

Keep them in an airtight container submerged in water, and you'll be a happy snacker. You can prep the carrots however you'd like, but the best way is to hold off on peeling the skin for the longest storage time.

Discover More Details ›

Can I use frozen shredded carrots for carrot cake? ›

You can use frozen carrots to make carrot cake, but you need to shred them before freezing — use the same process as above but be sure to peel the carrots before shredding and blanch them for less time. Here are a few recipes to get you started.

How fine should carrots be grated for carrot cake? ›

Think thin

It's true that carrots are the star of the show, but aim for finely grated pieces rather than chunky. The finer you grate the carrots, the more evenly they will be distributed throughout the cake (for the perfect texture), and the more evenly the cake and the carrots will bake.

Get More Info ›

Can I use pre- shredded carrots for carrot cake? ›

Make This Recipe

Shred or grate carrots. If using pre-shredded carrots, empty into small bowl and set aside. If you are not, use a food processor or hand-grate 1 pound of carrots and set aside. Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda in a medium-size bowl.

What is the green stuff in carrot cake? ›

Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking, explains that carrots turn green when the batter “contains too much baking soda, or when the soda isn't evenly mixed in the batter.” Carrots contain pigments that are sensitive to changes in pH balance.

View Details ›

Should carrot cake have raisins? ›

"Raisins are controversial in a carrot cake," says Saffitz. Whether or not you add them is up to your tolerance for the chewy little nuggets—same goes for chopped walnuts (just be sure to toast them first for better flavor).

What ingredient makes cake fluffy? ›

Leavening Agents

These are the key ingredients that make a cake rise. There are two types of leavening agents, chemical (baking soda and baking powder) and biological (yeast).

Discover More Details ›

What substance makes the cake soft and fluffy? ›

For making cake, baking powder is taken. If you use baking soda instead of baking powder in cake.

See Details ›

What substance makes cake Fluffy? ›

It is important to note that baking soda is responsible for making cakes and pastries to be light and fluffy. The chemical name and formula of baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and \[NaHC{{O}_{3}}\]. Baking soda reacts with tartaric acid and generates sodium tartrate, water and carbon dioxide.

Viral Moist Carrot Cake Recipe - Everyday Dishes - Baking (2024)