Name: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 2 h 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour), 250 g; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda); ½ tsp fine salt; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground ginger; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; 4 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 ¼ cups vegetable or canola oil, 300 ml; 1 cup light brown sugar, 200 g, packed; ½ cup granulated sugar, 100 g; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 3 cups carrots, about 1 lb (450 g) whole, finely grated (300 g); ¾ cup walnuts, 85 g, chopped and toasted, divided; ½ cup unsalted butter, 113 g, softened; 8 oz full-fat block cream cheese, 225 g, cool but softened; 3 cups powdered sugar (icing sugar), 360 g, sifted; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 pinch fine salt

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A moist, gently spiced carrot cake baked in one pan and covered with a thick layer of tangy cream cheese frosting and toasted walnuts.

By amine Published October 25, 2026

This is a carrot cake for people who want all the flavor of the tall bakery version without stacking layers. It is mixed by hand in two bowls, baked in a single 9 x 13-inch pan and finished with a thick, tangy cream cheese frosting. Oil keeps the crumb moist for days, brown sugar adds a hint of caramel, and plenty of finely grated carrot gives it its tender texture.

Why this recipe works

Oil, not butter. Oil stays liquid at room temperature, so the cake stays soft and moist even after a night in the fridge.
Finely grated carrots. Use the small holes of a box grater or a food processor's fine grating disc. Coarse shreds can stay crunchy and make the cake heavy.
Cool cake, cool frosting. Frosting a warm cake melts the frosting. Let the cake cool completely and keep the cream cheese cool but spreadable.

Making a layer cake

Divide the batter between two greased and lined 9-inch (23 cm) round pans and bake for 28 to 32 minutes. Double the frosting if you want to cover the sides as well as fill and top the cake.

Cream cheese frosting tips

Use full-fat block cream cheese, not the spreadable kind sold in tubs, which is softer and makes a runny frosting. Beat the butter first, then add the cream cheese and beat just until smooth. Overbeating cream cheese can make the frosting thin.

FAQ

Can I leave out the nuts?

Yes. Leave them out entirely or replace them with raisins or shredded coconut.

Can I make it ahead?

Carrot cake is even better the next day. Bake and frost it up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. For more cake ideas, see our chocolate layer cake.