Easy Carrot Cake

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.

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 bake this Easy Carrot Cake. You will need a lined 9×9 square pan, three mixing bowls, a spatula, and a whisk.

Step 1 – Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Grate the carrots finely and set aside.

Step 2 – Mix dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, add in the dry ingredients. 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 the applesauce until well combined and smooth.

Step 6 - Add in carrots. Whisk in the carrots.

Step 7 - Add in dry ingredients. With 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.

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!