This Spiced Carrot Cake is absolutely delicious! This recipe is for my mom, who asked for a moist, nutty, and fluffy carrot cake. I love carrot cake, so I was happy to work on creating the perfect recipe for her! The sweet carrot flavor in this cake is perfectly complemented by the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. This carrot cake is made with both grated carrots and carrot puree to help achieve an incredibly soft texture and crumb.
Tips for Making the Best Spiced Carrot Cake
Prepping the Carrots
The secret to making a perfectly moist carrot cake is all in how you prep the carrots! I like to use both carrot puree and grated carrots in my recipe for the best combination of flavor and texture. Peel all of the carrots and divide in half. Set one half aside for grating and prep the other half for the carrot puree. For the puree, chop carrots into one inch chunks and boil until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and puree in a blender or food processor. Set the puree aside to cool while grating the carrots. It’s important to use freshly grated carrots in this recipe, as preshredded carrots tend to be dry. Using fresh carrots provides the moisture needed to achieve the perfect crumb in this Spiced Carrot Cake.
Mixing the Batter
Once the carrots are prepped, this batter comes together really quickly! Start by mixing together the carrot puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable or canola oil. Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Stir in the salt and spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Add the baking powder and half of the flour, stirring until just combined. Follow with half of the milk and the rest of the flour. Once combined, finish with the remainder of the milk. Fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts (if using). Nuts are optional but recommended, as they add a nice crunch and flavor to the cake. I used walnuts, but pecans would be delicious too! This batter can be made in a stand mixer, with an electric hand mixer, or by hand – whatever you prefer!
Baking the Cakes
This cake will make two 9-inch round cakes, perfect for layering! Grease and line your baking tins with parchment paper for easy removal. Pour half of the batter into each prepared baking tin. Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.
Cooling and Frosting
Once the cakes are out of the oven, let cool in their pans for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pan and allow to cool fully on a baking sheet before frosting. If you frost a cake while warm, the frosting will melt. Once fully cooled, frost and decorate as desired! I would recommend using my Cream Cheese Frosting (pictured) for that classic carrot cake flavor. If you don’t like cream cheese, my Vanilla Buttercream would also be a great option!
Serving and Storage
Unfrosted, this cake will keep well at room temperature in a sealed container for 2-3 days. Once frosted, the cake must be refrigerated to keep the dairy in the frosting from going bad. Keep the cake covered in the fridge, and it will last for about 4 days. If you’d like to freeze this cake before assembling, freeze individual layers by wrapping tightly in plastic wrap before putting in the fridge. Once frosted and assembled, freeze individual slices in the same way – wrap tightly and freeze. Frozen cake will keep well for approximately 2 months. For best flavor, let refrigerated or frozen cakes come to room temperature before eating.
This Spiced Carrot Cake has a bright carrot flavor perfectly complemented by warming spices. It’s nutty and sweet, with a fluffy crumb and deliciously moist texture. I especially enjoy this cake when paired with my Cream Cheese Frosting (pictured) and topped with additional chopped nuts. Did you make this cake? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
If you liked this cake, check out these other recipes!
Funfetti Cupcakes
Double Chocolate Loaf Cake
Coconut Bundt Cake
Spiced Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 1 lb carrots halved
- 1 cup (230 g) brown sugar packed
- ½ cup (120 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) vegetable or canola oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (2 g) salt
- ½ tsp (~1 g) nutmeg
- ½ tsp (~1 g) ginger
- ¼ tsp (<1 g) cloves
- 1 tsp (4 g) cinnamon
- 2 tbsp (24 g) baking powder
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup (180 g) whole milk
- 1 cup (100 g) chopped nuts optional
Instructions
- Peel carrots and set aside half to be grated later. With the other half, chop into inch long chunks and boil until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Drain boiled carrots and puree. Set aside to cool.
- Grate the other half of the carrots. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans by greasing and lining with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine carrot puree, sugar, brown sugar, and oil.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Stir in salt and the spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- Add baking powder and half of the flour. Stir to combine.
- Mix in half of the milk, followed by the remainder of the flour and then the remainder of the milk.
- Fold in chopped nuts if using.
- Pour half of the batter into each prepared baking pan. Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.
- Cool slightly, then turn out of pan onto a cooling rack. Allow cakes to cool fully before stacking and frosting.
- Serve with frosting of choice – I used my cream cheese frosting (linked above). Enjoy!
Thanks for the detailed tutorial. I finally got to make a carrot cake that everyone loved!
I’m so glad you liked it!