# Carrot Cake

Moist, warmly spiced layers packed with freshly grated carrot, finished with a thick and tangy cream cheese frosting.

_Dessert_

Prep: 25 min · Cook: 35 min · Total: 60 min · Yields: 12 servings

## Ingredients

- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
- ¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups freshly grated carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese (room temperature)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract for frosting

## Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon, 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg, 0.25 tsp ground ginger, and 0.5 tsp fine salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk the 4 large eggs, 1.5 cups granulated sugar, and 0.5 cup packed light brown sugar together until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
4. Stream in the 1 cup neutral oil while whisking, then whisk in the 0.25 cup plain whole-milk yogurt and 2 tsp vanilla extract until smooth.
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine at this stage.
6. Fold in the 3 cups freshly grated carrots until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting — at least 1 hour.
9. Beat the 8 oz full-fat cream cheese and 0.5 cup unsalted butter together with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
10. Reduce speed to low and add the 3 cups sifted powdered sugar in two additions, then add the 1 tsp vanilla extract for frosting. Increase to medium-high and beat until light and creamy, about 1 minute more.
11. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread roughly one-third of the frosting over the top. Set the second layer on top and use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides.

## Tip

> Grate the carrots on the fine side of a box grater, not the large holes — finer shreds melt into the crumb and keep the cake moist without leaving fibrous chunks.

Tags: comfort-food, vegetarian, baking, make-ahead

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Canonical: https://just-recipes.io/recipes/carrot-cake