This is the best carrot cake I've ever made or eaten! If you, or someone you love, likes carrot cake, then you are going to want to make this cake.
I made it last year for Leo's birthday, and he declared it the best he'd ever eaten.
It is a super-moist cake (who likes a dry carrot cake?) and you'll see why when you look at the list of ingredients in the printable recipe below.
What you need
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 cups grated carrot
For the Frosting
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks
- 2 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 5 cups confectioners’ sugar
For Garnish
- small bag of chopped pecans
- whole pecans optional
- grated lemon zest optional
- thin slice of lemon optional
How to make carrot cake
Learn how to make this delicious carrot cake step by steps below
Intructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with nonstick baking spray with flour.
In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, and eggs; beat at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Add lemon zest, beating until combined.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Gradually add to oil mixture, beating until combined.
Stir in grated carrot. (You can grate your carrots by hand, but pull out that food processor and make things easier on yourself!)
Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans, and bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool in pans for 10 minutes.
Remove from pan and cool completely on wire racks.
You can squeeze your lemons, y'all, but I really recommend this juicer. If you ever see one of these in a kitchen store, grab it and rush to the counter to buy it! Here's a similar juicer one. I cannot tell you how many times I have used this tool because I love fresh lemon and lime juice in so many things. It's made so that you don't need to exert much pressure to get every little drop of juice from your fruit.
In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth.
Spread the frosting evenly between the layers and on top and sides of the cake.
Y'all do know about putting wax paper or parchment paper under the edges of your cake while you are frosting it, don't you? Gently pull them out and you'll have the cleanest server you've ever seen!
Garnish your cake with chopped pecans and a lemon slice. Sometimes I add additional grated lemon zest and whole pecans on the top.
I've updated this post to give you a printable version of this recipe.
📋 Recipe
Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 cups grated carrot
For the Frosting
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks
- 2 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 5 cups confectioners’ sugar
For Garnish
- small bag of chopped pecans
- whole pecans optional
- grated lemon zest optional
- thin slice of lemon optional
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with nonstick baking spray with flour. (I use Baker's Joy.)
- In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, and eggs and beat at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add lemon zest, beating until combined.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Gradually add to oil mixture, beating until combined.
- Stir in grated carrot. (You can grate your carrots by hand, but pull out that food processor and make things easier on yourself!)
- Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans, and bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Let cool in pans for 10 minutes.
- Remove from pan and cool completely on wire racks.
For the Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice at medium speed with a mixer until creamy.
- Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth.
- Spread the frosting evenly between the layers and on top and sides of the cake.
For the Garnish
- Apply chopped pecans to the side of the cake.
- Grate additional lemon zest on the top. (optional)
- Add whole pecans to the edge of the top. (optional)
- Twist a thin slice of lemon and add to the top. (optional)
Notes
Right now, I'm wishing I had a piece of this cake to go with my coffee.
Mary
My hubby loves carrot cake Jane! It's been years since I went to a bake sale, I'm sure your cake could have been sold many times over! Thanks for the tip on the juicer 🙂
jane
This is very similar to my old recipe, with all the same ingredients. My family swears it can't be beat and nothing else will do for a carrot cake as Easter. I believe it is the orange zest that gives it the special zing!
abeachcottage
Love carrot cakes and that looks really yummy. Thanks for the recipe!
Carrie @ Hazardous Design
Yum! Carrot cake is one of my favorites, but I've never tried making it myself. Thanks for the inspiration. Visiting from DebbieDoo's 🙂
for the love of a house
YUM!!!! I adore carrot cake and this one looks fabulous!
debbie
Jane this recipe looks to die for...I love everything in it. We just tried a bbq sauce by Paula Deen and it was amazing. Thanks for sharing with the newbie party.
Theresa Beaudry
OH Yummo! Carrot cake is my all time favorite!!! I'll be trying this one out!
Terry
Karen Kirby
i want a piece of that cake now!
Kim
Looks so good. I love the idea of lemon cream cheese frosting!
Laurie
I am a big fan of carrot cake. This one I'll have to make for sure.
Laurie
Karen
Oh my goodness I'm drooling! we love carrot cake. I'm going to have to file this recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
Susan in SC
I think instead of making this myself, I will just come to your house and let you make one for me! Wouldn't that be fun?! It looks delicious. Good luck on your bake sale!
Kelsie
Oh that looks soooooo yummy....I think I will request hubby gets me a Carrot Cake for mothers day...