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Slice of carrot layer cake on white plate with bite taken out on fork.

The Best Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 15 Servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Cooling/Chilling Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 1 pound medium carrots, 6 to 7 large carrots, ends trimmed (no need to peel)
  • ½ cup (106 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (318 g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable, canola or other neutral-flavored oil (see note)
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (see note)
  • 2 ½ cups (355 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting (*see note for doubling):

  • 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 5 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups (143 g) powdered sugar
  • Toasted chopped pecans, for garnish (optional)

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position.
  • Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or lightly grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans (see note below for additional details on pan sizes). Set aside.
  • Finely shred the carrots in a food processor or on a box grater for about 3 cups/400 g total. Set aside.
  • For the cake, in a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until well combined.
  • Add the oil and applesauce and whisk until the batter is light in color and the oil is thoroughly emulsified in the batter.
  • Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Mix until just a few dry streaks of batter remain.
  • Add the carrots and mix until evenly combined (try not to over mix).
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake until the top springs back lightly to the touch and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes for a 9X13-inch pan and 32 to 35 minutes for 9-inch round pans.
  • Let the cakes cool for 5 to 7 minutes before turning them out to cool completely on a parchment-lined wire rack (this helps the cakes not stick to the rack as they cool).
  • For the frosting, with a handheld or stand electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium speed until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the powdered sugar and mix until very-well combined.
  • Frost the cake as desired. Top with toasted pecans. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Notes

Cake Pans: this cake can be made in two 9-inch round cake pans or a 9X13-inch cake pan (other commenters in the thread below have made it into cupcakes and other pan sizes, too).
Frosting: double the recipe for a 9-inch layer cake (the recipe as written is enough for the top of a 9X13-inch sheet cake).
Oil + Applesauce: the original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups oil. Over the years (and after hundreds of comments), I've found I prefer 1 cup oil + 1/2 cup applesauce. Many others have made this cake using 3/4 cup oil + 3/4 cup applesauce with good results. 
Make-Ahead: this cake can be made and frosted up to 24 hours in advance. Store in the refrigerator.