This Carrot Cake is so easy and delicious! It's got a super moist crumb and is full of carrots in every bite. The cake is topped with a simple 2 ingredient glaze and chopped pecans. It is so good!
If I could only make one cake for my Easter dinner, it would be this one.
This cake is incredible! It is loaded with super delicious cinnamon and spice flavours and carrots in every bite.
The cake itself has a very soft crumb, and it comes together with no electric mixer.
For more cake recipes, try Chocolate Chip Cake, Apple Coffee Cake, and Brown Butter Coffee Cake.
Jump to:
Why this carrot cake is so good
- Easy to make: No electric mixer required.
- Delicious: This carrot cake is SO tasty.
- Perfect for spring: The best cake to bring to an Easter dinner!
Ingredients Notes
Here is a list of ingredients for this carrot cake
- Applesauce - I used unsweetened applesauce. If you don't have applesauce, replace with sour cream or buttermilk.
- Brown sugar – I used light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar. works as well.
- Baking soda & baking powder - Make sure it isn't expired!
- Carrots - These should be finely grated using your grater. Pre-cut carrots won't work, we want them freshly grated.
- Cinnamon - An essential spice in this cake! I also used a hint of cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, but these are optional.
- Cornstarch – This helps add a tender crumb to the cake.
- Eggs – Make sure these are at room temperature before beginning.
- Oil - Any flavourless oil works.
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour for this recipe and it cannot be substituted for any other type of flour.
- Pecans - I chopped these up and sprinkled them on top after baking.
- Sour Cream - This is used in the glaze.
- Powdered sugar - This will be used for the glaze.
- Vanilla – Using a good quality vanilla is important to enhance the flavours.
Step by step instructions
Here is how to make and bake this Easy Carrot Cake. You will need an 9×9 square pan lined with parchment paper, three mixing bowls, a spatula, and a whisk.
Step 1 – Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and line and grease a 9×9 inch square pan. Grate the carrots using the fine side of your grater.
Step 2 – Mix dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt. Mix together and set aside.
Step 3 - Whisk sugar and eggs. In a large bowl, add brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk this for 2-3 minutes until well combined.
Step 4 - Add oil. Whisk in the oil.
Step 5 - Add applesauce. Whisk in the applesauce until well combined.
Step 6 - Add in carrots. Whisk in the carrots.
Step 7 - Add in dry ingredients. Toss in the dry ingredients and using a spatula, mix until just combined and no dry streaks appear.
Step 8 - Bake. Transfer into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (mine took 40 minutes exactly).
Step 9 - Make glaze. Once the cake is cooled, make the glaze by mixing together sour cream and powdered sugar. Spread evenly on the cake and sprinkle chopped pecans.
Allow the glaze to set, then slice, and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
Here are a few expert baking tips from my kitchen to yours
- Make sure all of your wet ingredients are at room temperature. This is superrr important or else the ingredients won’t work the way we want them too together.
- Use a gram scale. I cannot emphasize this enough! It is the most accurate way of measuring your ingredients in the kitchen. This is one of my favourites.
- Grate the carrots finely. Use the small grater section on your grater!
- Do not over-mix! A big reason cakes don’t rise or turn out tough is because the batter is over-mixed. Once you see no flour streaks, stop mixing.
FAQ
How should I grate the carrots?
Grate the fresh carrots on the fine side of your grater (not the coarse or the thinest side, grate the middle 'thickness' of your grater).
Why does the icing have sour cream?
Sour cream tastes delicious in icing. It makes the icing a bit sour and it compliments the sweetness from the sugar. The sour cream flavour is very delicate in the icing.
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
For sure! Make the cake ahead of time and place it in the fridge in an airtight container. When ready to serve, quickly ice it, and enjoy.
Store this carrot cake in the fridge as it has a dairy icing. This cake stays good in the fridge in an airtight container for 5 days.
Check out these recipes
PS : If you enjoyed this recipe, please make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW down below! I'd love to stay connected on Instagram @taffeybakery! To get more recipes follow me on TikTok @taffeybakery!
Easy Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg optional
- 1/8 tsp cloves optional
- 1/8 tsp ginger optional
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce*
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2/3 cups oil
- 2 cups carrots finely grated
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the topping
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2-3 tbsp sour cream* room temperature
- 1/4 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and line and grease a 9×9 inch square pan. Grate the carrots using the fine side of your grater.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt. Mix together and set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp ginger
- In a large bowl, add brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk this for 2-3 minutes until well combined.1 cup light brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla
- Whisk in the oil, and then the applesauce, and then the grated carrots.1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce*, 2/3 cups oil, 2 cups carrots
- Toss in the dry ingredients and using a spatula, mix until just combined and no dry streaks appear.
- Transfer into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (mine took 35 minutes exactly).
- Once the cake is cooled, make the glaze by mixing together sour cream and powdered sugar. Spread evenly on the cake and sprinkle chopped pecans.1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tbsp sour cream*, 1/4 cup pecans
- Allow to cool, slice, and enjoy!
Comments