Layered Carrot Cake
Dense, yet moist carrot cake layers generously smothered with sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. It’s everything you want your layered carrot cake to be.
I have shared this recipe 2 years ago, on this blog. It was when I just started blogging, or should I say filing my recipes online? The old photos make me cringe, but the recipe is golden and needed to be shared. So couple weeks ago, I made my favorite carrot cake again, as I always do every spring. Instead of diving right into it, I snapped a few photos to bring life to the recipe and share it again with you.
Dense, yet moist layers of carrot cake is literally smothered with the most delicious cream cheese frosting (<- my husband’s favorite). What I most love about this recipe, besides the frosting, is that every bite is loaded with chewy walnuts. Such contrast in texture!
Despite heaping 3 cups of carrots, this cake doesn’t taste anything like a vegetable cake. Instead, it’s sweet, tender and moist without hint of carrot taste.
Unlike some classic carrot cake versions, this cake doesn’t have pineapples. I never understood the purpose of them, other than adding more moisture. In this case, the cake is plenty moist and doesn’t require anything additional.
When I was making my carrot cake this time, I wanted to experiment to see if I can improve the recipe in any way (not that it needed it). I used half granulated sugar and half brown sugar. I didn’t mention anything about it to my husband. Half way through his cake, to my surprise, he says: “I don’t know why, but this is not your usual carrot cake.” I was completely blown away, because when I was taste testing it myself before his arrival, I thought the same thing. A little drier, a little mellower. Something was off. I have no idea why that is, since brown sugar is supposed to add more moisture and kind of molasses flavor, right? Anyway, I decided to keep my recipe as is.
Oh and one more thing. Have you ever heard of Evenbake bake strips to wrap around your baking pan to create perfectly flat cakes? Well, I tried it and it works great. My cakes were perfectly even and great for layering. If domed cake tops bother you, I’d recommend giving it a try.
Hope you enjoyed my recipe today. Thank you for stopping by!
Layered Carrot Cake
Dense, yet moist carrot cake layers generously smothered with sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. It’s everything you want your layered carrot cake to be.
Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time:20 min
Cook Time:25 min
Total Time:45 min
Ingredients:
For Carrot Cake:
- 2 cups (250gr) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200gr) sugar
- 3 cups (300gr) finely grated carrots
- 1 cup (120gr) chopped pecans
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8oz (225gr) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (56gr) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups ( gr) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy (whipping) cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (30gr) chopped pecans for decorating, if desired
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 9-in (23cm) round cake pans with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, beat the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and vanilla extract until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture and mix until mostly combined with some dry flour visible. Add shredded carrots and pecans. With rubber spatula, mix the batter until everything is just combined.
- Divide the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pan and cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. In mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture on low for a minute, and then slowly increase the speed to medium high. Beat the frosting until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- To assemble the cake, spread half of the frosting on one cake. Then place the second cake on top and spread the remaining frosting. Decorate with some pecan pieces, if desired.
Store the cake in airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
In order to keep the cake tops flat, I used these evenbake cake strips with my dark cake pans. Works like a charm.
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Thank you for the recipe. i will definitely try this carrot cake recipe and will let you know 🙂 .
Yay, so glad you like the recipe. And please let me know how it turns out. 😉 Thanks!
Thanks for the recipe! Can I ask why you use vegetable oil instead of butter?
Delicious! Its so moist, not overly sweet, and the cream cheese frosting is heavenly match for this cake! The cake is much yummier the next day, that is if you have any leftover…. 🙂 thank you Shinee for the perfect recipe!
Yay, awesome! Thanks for your feedback, Olya! Happy to hear you loved the cake.
Carrot cake is my husband’s favorite and now I think I’ve found my recipe! Pinned and saved to be cooked soon. Thanks for the gorgeous recipe.
Thank you, Lisa! Hope you and your husband enjoy it. 🙂
Just tried this one…..and OMG…. perfecto!!
Friends came and ate it all up less than 10mins.
Changed the pecans with toasted almonds…yuuumm! Thanks for the awesome recipe shinee….
Citra, I’m so happy you enjoyed the cake! Toasted almonds sounds good too! Thank you for your feedback!
This so good! I’m drooling right now. Pinned and tweeted. We appreciate you being a part of our party. Please stop by on Monday at 7 pm. Happy Saturday! Lou Lou Girls
What a spectacular recipe!!! We love it so much over at Munching Mondays and will be sharing this week Shinee!!!!! xo Nic
Thanks a lot, Nic!
This looks so yummy!! I just tried to bake my first carrot cake…it didn’t look as good as yours!! lol!! Found You at Artsy Fartsy Mama – Link Party!! Hey I would love it if you stopped by my place and shared your stuff on my Link party – My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! Hope to see you there!!
Thanks, Elaine!
You cake looks absolutely divine! I want some please! 🙂
Thank you, Kim! It’s one of the best! 😉
Your carrot cake looks beautiful!!! I just made carrot cake cupcakes over the weekend for Easter! I love making carrot cake in the spring too 🙂
Wow that carrot cake looks SO perfect!! The cake looks moist and the frosting looks creamy – yum!! Pinned 🙂
Carrot Cake is my favorite!!! I can’t wait to try this!! YUM! Thanks for sharing at the Best Recipes/DIY Project Link UP! 🙂
Looks delicious and beautiful! Pinning! I would love for you to share at this weeks Happiness Is Homemade Link Party! Happy Easter!
This carrot cake looks amazing! 🙂
I love moist carrot cakes and yours looks fantastic, Shinee!
Shinee, this carrot cake is gorgeous!!! This might be my winner for Sunday!!! I’ve been looking for a carrot cake recipe! I’ll let you know if I try this !!! looks SO good!!!!
Sounds great, Alice. 🙂
Wonderful recipe and gorgeous pictures! I love carrot cake and your version looks moist and perfect. Can’t wait to try it out soon!
Thanks, Maggie!
This cake is gorgeous! I hate old photos too, but these look amazing!
Thanks, Ashley!
This carrot cake is perfection! I don’t like pineapple in mine either, I love cream cheese frosting AND I love the layers! Divine and an absolutely wonderful way to finish Easter dinner! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Cheyanne!
YUM! I love carrot cake! This looks sooo delicious. Love the addition of pecans on top!
Thank you, Trish!
This carrot cake looks delicious! Carrot cake is probably my favourite cake too and that cream cheese frosting is lush! 😀
Thank you, Jess!
Looks beautiful! I love carrot cake and love cream cheese frosting even more! Pinning 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Mira! 🙂
Looks like the perfect cake for Easter!!
It sure is, Lisa. Thanks!
Absolutely delicious!! I love to layer my carrot cake too… extra frosting is always a good thing!
Can’t agree more, Lucy! Thank you.
I love naked cakes and your carrot cake looks delicious.
Thanks, Chichi!
I would rather have raisins in my carrot cake other than pineapple. I want a slice of this rice now. 🙂
Thank you, Jenna!
You’ve done it again Shinee.. This looks scrumptious! I can’t wait to try it ❤️
Thank you, Charlene! I hope you’ll love it. 🙂
Look at that! It’s so pretteeee….Shinee, I really think you need to seriously consider opening a posh patisserie
Thank you, dear! Posh patisserie is my dream! 🙂
so beautifully layered. love carrot cake in general but im loving it as a layered carrot cake!
Thank you, Kelsey!