Dessertscambreabakes5.0
Carrot Cake
This classic carrot cake is deeply moist, tender, and perfectly balanced, made with freshly grated carrots, warm cinnamon, sour cream, and a touch of olive oil. Finished with a thick layer of tangy cream cheese frosting and just enough crunch from walnuts, it’s the kind of bakery-style carrot cake everyone loves, even people who don’t usually like carrot cake.
👥 14 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 2h⏳ Prep: 1h 30m🔥 Cook: 30 min👤 Cambrea Gordon📖 cambreabakes
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- pan
- oven
- bowl
- whisk
- spatula
- knife
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Make the Carrot Cake
2
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease the sides of two 8-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
3
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
ground cinnamon2 teaspoonsbaking soda1 teaspoon
4
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the canola oil, olive oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix until combined.
5
Add the eggs and mix until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed.
large eggs (room temperature)3
6
Mix in the sour cream until combined, then add the finely grated carrots and vanilla. Scrape down the bowl again.
sour cream (room temperature)1 cup
7
Add the dry ingredients and finely chopped walnuts and mix on low speed until just combined, and no dry flour pockets remain.
Finely chopped walnuts (for decorating)
8
Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans (~745 grams in each), smoothing the tops with a spatula.
9
Bake for 28–⏱️ 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
10
Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20–⏱️ 30 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Remove the cake layers from the pans and let them cool completely on the rack.
11
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
12
In a stand mixer bowl, cream the butter until fluffy, about ⏱️ 1-2 minutes.
13
Mix in the cream cheese on low until just combined.
14
Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated, then increase to low-medium speed and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2–⏱️ 3 minutes.
powdered sugar3 cups
15
Mix in the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste until combined. *If piping carrots, set aside a small amount for that in a separate bowl.*
heavy cream2 tablespoonsvanilla bean paste or extract1 tablespoonvanilla bean paste2 teaspoons
16
Assemble the Cake
17
Use a sharp serrated knife to level the tops of the cake layers to expose the crumb.
18
Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving platter. Spread ~3/4 cup frosting evenly over the top. Place the second cake layer upside down on top so the surface is perfectly flat.
19
Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over the top and sides of the cake, then refrigerate for ⏱️ 20 minutes, or until the frosting is set to the touch.
20
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and frost the top and sides with the remaining cream cheese frosting.
21
Decorate with additional chopped walnuts, if desired.
22
To decorate with carrots, split the reserved frosting into two small bowls. Color one with orange gel food coloring and the other with green gel food coloring. Use a very small round tip for the carrots and a very small star tip for the green tops.
Nutrition Facts
calories
607 kcal
fat Content
42 g
serving Size
1 serving
fiber Content
2 g
sugar Content
36 g
sodium Content
338 mg
protein Content
6 g
trans Fat Content
1 g
cholesterol Content
98 mg
carbohydrate Content
53 g
saturated Fat Content
16 g
unsaturated Fat Content
24 g
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