Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

4.91 from 11 votes

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A soft and moist carrot cake made with applesauce, crushed pineapple, and warm spices, finished with a smooth cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Cooling Time10

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrot cake, carrot cake recipe, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, classic carrot cake, easy carrot cake recipe, homemade carrot cake, moist carrot cake

Servings: servings

Calories: 676kcal

Author: Dana

Equipment

Mixing Bowl
Hand Mixer
8 inch cake pans

Ingredients

4 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup applesauce
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar lightly packed
1 cup sugar
8 oz crushed pineapples drained
2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups carrots peeled, grated

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 oz cream cheese softened
6 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoon milk

Instructions

Make the Carrot Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottoms and sides of two 8-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper if desired.
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla, both sugars, and the drained crushed pineapple until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
Fold in the grated carrots, being careful not to overmix.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.
Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk as needed until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.

Assemble the Cake

Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread frosting evenly over the top.
Add the second layer and frost the top and sides of the cake.

Notes

Make sure the crushed pineapple is well drained so the batter isn’t too wet.
Freshly grated carrots give the best texture and help keep the cake moist.
Do not overmix once the flour and carrots are added to keep the cake soft.
Let the cake cool completely before adding the cream cheese frosting.
Add milk to the frosting a little at a time until it reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency.
This is an easy carrot cake recipe that stays soft and moist with simple ingredients.

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