This Scrumptious Carrot Cake Recipe with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting is so craveable, so yummy you will want to share it with everyone! The frosting is just 5-ingredients, so simple to make! Recipe adapts to double- or triple-layer!
Carrot Cake! Where did it come from? Who first decided to put carrots in Cake? Turns out, much like beets, carrots have long been used as sweeteners, since they are a ‘sweeter’ vegetable than many others, and long ago, sugar was difficult to come by. According to the World Carrot Museum, (who knew there was a Carrot Museum?) Carrot Pudding, which is thought to be the basis for Carrot Cake, was featured in a cookbook as far back as 1591.
So, it really is a classic, super-old-school, perhaps an “Ancient” or “Heirloom” dessert. Always moist and subtly flavored with cinnamon, there are many variations of the Classic Carrot Cake Recipe. Some, like the one I made, with plenty of mix-ins, such as pineapple, raisins and pecans, and some that just have shredded carrots in a cinnamon-spiced cake.
The first time I remember hearing of Carrot Cake was as a teenager, at my first job, in a restaurant, where I worked as a carhop. No roller skates, fortunately, for all involved – that would’ve been something of a disaster. Anyway, one day our boss said we were going to begin serving Carrot Cake. Yuck! – Carrots in cake? I could see chocolate, or vanilla or even strawberry, but what’s the deal with carrots in cake?
Well, soon enough, I was first in line for those slices that were “too small” to serve. Some people – and I’m not saying me – were known to disappear into the walk-in cooler for a few minutes only to emerge with a smear of cream cheese frosting coating their lips, no doubt testing the “too small” collection. Proof that carrot cake is scrumptious, I guess! And, it has that tangy-sweet Cream Cheese Frosting! My recipe for 5-ingredient cream cheese frosting is so light and fluffy, the perfect topper for this indulgent cake. It is sweetened with white chocolate resulting in extra creaminess.
Carrot cake is often served during Easter time, but of course there is no reason it couldn’t be served year-round. Other popular Easter desserts, in my house anyway, include this phenomenal Angel Food Cake this Toasted Coconut Triple Layer Cake. So enjoy an heirloom dessert! Make this exceptional carrot cake! Enjoy!
Best Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts! But I so rarely make it. After making this moist and flavorful cake and realizing how easy it is, (with just a bit of organization ahead of time), I will likely make it more often! Adapted from and inspired by the Ultimate Carrot Cake Recipe from Southern Living, this cake can be further enhanced by the addition of this Buttermilk Glaze. I did not do this, but I’m thinking this buttermilk glaze would be awesome with any cake at all!
To make it a 2-layer cake, just pour the batter into 2 9” cake pans, and bake for 28-32 minutes, instead of 22-26 minutes, and spread the frosting over the sides as well as between the layers and on top!
- Prep Time: 60 min
- Cook Time: 25 - 30 min
- Total Time: 2 1/2 hr (includes cooling time)
- Yield: 1-9” cake 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 1/2 c AP Flour
- 2 t Baking Soda
- 1 T Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 t Ground Nutmeg
- 1/2 t Salt
- 1/2 c Butter at room temperature
- 3/4 c Granulated Sugar
- 1 c Brown Sugar (either light or dark)
- 1/2 c neutral oil (I used olive oil, but canola or vegetable oil is ok)
- 3 Lg eggs, room temp
- 3/4 c Buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 t Vanilla Extract
- 3 c Grated Carrots, (about 5 large carrots’ worth)- See Note 1
- 1 – 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, well-drained
- 1 c raisins (black or golden is fine)
- 1 1/2 c Roasted, salted pecans, divided
- 1/2 c coconut (sweetened or unsweetened), optional
For the Frosting:
- 2–8oz. Blocks Cream cheese, at room temp
- 9 oz. White chocolate
- 2 oz. (1/2 stick), butter, at room temp
- 2 T Brown sugar
- 2 t Lemon juice
Instructions
Prep all of your ingredients and the baking pans:
- Preheat oven to 350F. If your pecans need toasting, place them in a bowl with 1 T melted butter and 1/8 t salt. Stir, then pour onto a sheetpan. Bake in preheated oven 8 minutes. Then roughly chop 1 cup of the pecans to go into the cake batter. Save the rest for garnishing the frosted cake.
- If using coconut, pour onto a separate sheetpan and toast 4-5 minutes until lightly browned.
- Grate carrots in food processor or with a box grater. (See Note 2)
- Butter or grease and flour 2 or 3- 9 baking pans, or grease and line them with circles of parchment paper, also buttering the parchment paper.
Prepare the cake batter:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl and using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat together the softened butter, the 2 sugars until well-blended. Add the oil, beat until blended, then add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat until each is just blended.
- Measure the buttermilk. Then, to the egg and sugar mixture, alternate 3 additions of the dry ingredients with 2 additions of the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Stir in the vanilla. Then fold in the carrots, drained pineapple, 1 cup of the toasted pecans, raisins and coconut (if using).
- Spoon batter equally into baking pans. Bake 3 pans for 22-26 minutes (mine took 24), or 2 pans for 28-32 mins. Cakes are done when a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, and they are just beginning to pull away from the edges of the baking pan.
- Cool cakes on a wire rack in pans for 15 mins, then invert to cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting:
- In a metal or glass bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the white chocolate pieces, stirring regularly so the white chocolate does not burn. Set aside to cool while you whip the cream cheese.
- Using a stand- or hand-mixer, whip the room temperature cream cheese along with the brown sugar, until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly pour the cooled melted chocolate into the cream cheese. Then add the butter, and whip until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the 2 t lemon juice and continue to whip an additional minute.
- Frost the cooled cakes. For a 3-layer cake, I like to generously frost just the tops of the layers. If you are making a 2-layer cake, there should be enough frosting to frost between the layers, the top of the cake and the sides. Garnish with remaining pecans. Refrigerate frosted cake prior to serving, and refrigerate any leftover cake.
Notes
- Grate carrots with a box grater or with a grater disk in a food processor. A box grater will produce a “thinner carrot”, sort of a ribbon, whereas the food processor will produce a thicker carrot. Both are fine in this recipe, just depends on your preference.
- For 2-layer cake, spread frosting between the layers, on top, and over the sides of cake. You may have a bit of extra frosting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/14 recipe
Keywords: Carrot Cake, Southern Living, Cream Cheese, White Chocolate, Ultimate Carrot Cake Recipe, Best Carrot Cake Recipe
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Can someone tell me if the “T” for tablespoon is a typo please? Wondering if a tbl is too much cinnamon
Hi, Joanne, thanks for your question. The recipe I adapted this one from called for 1 1/2 teaspoons. So if you feel “safer” with that amount, go ahead and use just one and one-half teaspoons. Other recipes I liked contained a full tablespoon and since we love cinnamon, (I use Saigon cinnamon), I went with that amount. Hope you love this cake as much as we do!
A whole three layers of carrot cake sandwiched in delicious cream cheese icing…I can’t imagine anything better!
Thanks! You know, for me, it’s always all about the cream cheese frosting! Thanks for visiting!
Who would have thought there was a world carrot museum!? Hah! I LOOOOOOVE carrot cake, Laura! Love! It’s my favourite. This one looks amazing – I wish I could reach through the screen and grab a giant slice of this. So perfect for Easter!!
Thanks Katherine, I think it is the perfect Easter Dessert, too! The best thing is you can make it ahead of time, because it is even more delectable the second day and even the third – if it lasts that long! Thanks for your visit!
I had no idea carrot cake had such a long history behind it. And a carrot museum? Why did I not know about this until now!? 🙂 I feel like the carrot museum should give you a piece of carrot cake with your admission ticket. My teenage self totally agreed with your teenage self…carrots in cake!? But one bite, and I’ve been hooked ever since! Your version sounds delicious with the white chocolate in the frosting!
David – that’s a great idea! Maybe we could propose it to them! I’m sure they’d be on board! Thanks for visiting!
I can remember having the same reaction about carrot cake the first time I was introduced. But you are so right, it’s amazing and classic! Looks awesome! Happy Easter!
Thanks Kim! Isn’t it kind of strange how we grew up thinking veggies are kind of a “yuck” category, whereas everything else is in a “yum” category? Glad we’ve learned the truth! Thanks for your visit!
Oh the cake looks wonderful Laura. In love with its texture! Also the addition of brown sugar in the frosting sounds awesome to me. I need to try this recipe.
Thanks so much, Neha! And you’re right, the bit of brown sugar adds some additional depth and yumminess! Thanks for visiting!
OMG a carrot museum? I’m definitely going to poke around that site when I have some time! This cake is gorgeous, Laura! I love carrot cake, maybe too much 🙂
I don’t know, Kelsie – can “Carrot Cake Love” ever really be “too much”? I think not. And, besides, I’m right there with you! Thanks for visiting!
I haven’t made a carrot cake for ages. I guess it’s a food bloggers’ problem when you have too many ideas you’d like to try that you literally don’t have room for something classic or something you’ve already tried. This guy looks fabulous. Love the addition of pinapple, pecans, and coconut (raisins are optional to me haha). Also, I love that the carrots are visible in the biscuits – often you can hardly identify any carrots in a cake.
Thanks, Ben! I totally understand the bloggers’ dilemma. I like this recipe precisely because it actually contains some carrots- because sometimes, it’s not really “carrot cake”. Thanks so much for visiting!
Laura, your cake looks absolutely to die for! I’ve always been a huge fan of carrot cake, even as a little girl. It’s easily my favorite of all the cakes I’ve tried. Carrot pudding sounds like something I should try too. I’m excited about your recipe! There are a few ingredients I wasn’t expecting and so I know it’s just going to be the best carrot cake ever! I’m betting the cream cheese frosting with the white chocolate and brown sugar is simply wonderful on its own, but the cake looks so moist and delicate, a far cry from some of the carrot cake bricks I’ve had in the past (and still loved!). I can’t wait! Easter is the perfect excuse for me. 😉
It’s true, Tonia, this cake is lighter than many carrot cakes. I feel like it has all the flavors of a carrot cake without the “brick-i-ness” of some. Also the frosting whips up so light and fluffy, the cake is simply “dreamy”. Next time, I think I will try the glaze I found and see how that changes things. Thanks for visiting! And I’m glad you’re a carrot cake fan!
Thanks, Christina! This is a great Carrot Cake recipe, I didn’t remember how much I love Carrot Cake until I took a bite of this one! Thanks for your visit!
Your carrot cake looks and sounds utterly irresistible! I haven’t eaten carrot cake in I don’t know how long! Annnd, I don’t think I’ve ever made it before. The next time I’m in need of a delicious cake, I’m giving YOUR recipe a try!