Is there really anything better than Layered Carrot Cake slathered with Cream Cheese Frosting? I don’t think so! And if there is, I have yet to discover it 🙂
With Easter right around the corner, and all sorts of other Spring celebrations (baby showers, birthdays, outdoor picnics etc) I thought it was high time to share my moms tried and true recipe for Carrot Cake!
Because I like to live by the “more is more” motto, I doubled to the recipe to make a TRIPLE Layered Carrot Cake and then topped it off with a healthy dose of Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s a little/big slice of perfection and it’s a show stopper with all the flowers on the sides! You can decorate this with any number of toppings – or just keep it simple and frosted. I looooooove to add a flower moment on the cake – it makes it more of a centerpiece AND a dessert basically killing 2 birds with one stone. ON BRAND! I know you guys are going to love this one.
Layered Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil or coconut oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 cups finely grated peeled carrots about 1 pound
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 8- ounce packages cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Lightly grease waxed paper. Using a large mixer, beat sugar and vegetable oil in bowl until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into sugar and oil mixture. Stir in carrots.
- Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 45 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely.
- Using a mixer, beat all frosting ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 1 cup frosting on top. Top with another cake layer. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. And more swirls of icing on top.
- Top with flowers and decorations as desired
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
I am so in for carrot cake with cream cheese frosting!
My favorite cake and love the cream cheese frosting!
Carrot cake is one of my favorites, I can’t decide if it’s the frosting of the cake that I like better!
Pass me a fork, girl!
Would it be terrible if I ate the whole thing myself?
Can’t wait to make this!!!
This cake looks absolutely wonderful!! I would love it on our Easter Table!
Just gained 5 lbs just looking at the recipe.
Spring is all about carrot cake for me. My brother, FIL and dad all have birthdays now and all love carrot cake. Yum, yum! This one looks so dense and moist. All necessary for a carrot cake.
Wow, that might be the moistest carrot cake I’ve ever seen. Beautiful.
Best tasting Cream Cheese Frosting I have ever made….and easiest!! Thanks for sharing!!
Nothing better than a classic carrot cake. Love it and pinning this beauty.
Carrot Cake is one of my favorite desserts and then you add in rich and delicious cream cheese frosting.
Seriously, why aren’t we neighbors? There would be guac and cake and margaritas and frivolity. 😉 Have a great week, darlin’
it looks wonderful. i like the generous layer of frosting!
This looks delicious! How do you think using coconut oil in place of the vegetable oil would work out?
I’ve never tried it – but I think it would absolutely work!!
My frosting wasn’t as thick as yours but everything else was great. Did I maybe use to much confectioners sugar?
Looks beautiful and sounds delicious! I love the modern day twist you put on the decorations! Thanks for sharing Gaby!
This cake is absolutely gorgeous! I can only imagine how amazing it tastes!
I need this stat!!! Love, love, love carrot cake!!
This cake is amazing!!!!! I made it for Easter yesterday and it was a HUGE hit!
This cake is stunning!
OMG this cake looks phenomenal! Just gorgeous, especially with the flower topping and semi-naked icing. Love carrot cake too 🙂
Hooray, carrot cake without pineapple! And so beautiful!
Beautiful cake! I would love to make this for a baby shower. Do you have a tutorial for putting together the floral cake topper? 🙂
no tutorial but that’s a great idea!!
Next time you make it try it with browned butter in the frosting. If is amazing. Love you site.
I made this cake for a colleagues birthday at the office and not only did it look professional, all my co-workers loved it! Better than we get at one of our favorite lunch places!
Didn’t do the cool flowers but crushed some specculos along the edge…I will absolutely make this again! And….
The cream cheese frosting is to die for!
Hi Gaby, is this recipe you put together already doubled to make the layered cake or should I double what you have put together there? Thanks!
it’s already doubled
Hi Gaby! Do you have any idea how many cupcakes this would make? Thanks!
I don’t – sorry!
Can I make the cake ahead of time and frost day of?
absolutely – just wrap the layers up really well in plastic wrap and I’d freeze. Then thaw and frost
Yum!! I’m TOTALLY going to try this asap, but quick question – have you tried this recipe adding either raisins or pineapple? When I’ve had carrot cake, it occasionally has both, and was just wondering what quantities you would add to the cake? Thanks! : )
I prefer my carrot cake with neither – but you could absolutely add raisins no prob. 1 cup will do it. Pineapple will change the consistency and wetness of the batter
Yep, I figured pineapple would do that and I don’t wanna mess up a good thing! Thanks so much for the response Gaby!
what flowers did you use and what was the greenery?
the flowers are Calendula – and the greenery is carrot tops!
Are the calendula edible?
yes!! otherwise I wouldn’t have used them
This is the most beautiful carrot cake I have EVER seen! Almost too good to eat – NOT!!
Yay – a carrot cake with no raisins!
AGREED
Gaby, if I were to add 1 cup crushed pineapple and 1 cup walnuts, I’m thinking I’d reduce the oil by 1/2 cup. What do you think?
haven’t tried it so I can’t say! wouldn’t want to speculate in case it didnt work
I added pecans and left the oil and it came out great. I also added a tsp of ground ginger and vanilla to the cake. Did realize there was vanilla in frosting so reduced by one tsp there. I’m sure it’ll be devoured for Easter dinner tomorrow. Mom already ate all the scraps!
I really like this easy way to decorate an Easter classic cake! Thanks!
Love carrot cake but never been quite so excited. Stunning. Que bella!
I made this for Easter 2019 and wow — what a hit!! I have definitely found my new favorite carrot cake recipe. I added a cup of chopped and toasted walnuts and it really made it. The frosting is a bit runny but firms up nicely and created a very rustic look. Thank you, Gaby!!
I have made this cake before and absolutely love it. Do you have oven heat and timing recommendations for turning these into cupcakes. My friend is getting married and we’re all helping her make finger food desserts. I would love to make some carrot cake cupcakes.
same temp – but I’d start at 20 minutes to test done-ness
Hi I am making your carrot cake ahead of time. Would it be possible to make the sponge, freeze then at a later date, defrosted and assemble?
Appreciate any comments
Thank you
Miss Wilson
totally!
I want to know exactly what flowers you used for this so I can make this beautiful baby!