Is there really anything better than Layered Carrot Cake slathered with Cream Cheese Frosting? I don't think so! And if there is, I have yet to discover it 🙂
With Easter right around the corner, and all sorts of other Spring celebrations (baby showers, birthdays, outdoor picnics etc) I thought it was high time to share my moms tried and true recipe for Carrot Cake!
Because I like to live by the "more is more" motto, I doubled to the recipe to make a TRIPLE Layered Carrot Cake and then topped it off with a healthy dose of Cream Cheese Frosting. It's a little/big slice of perfection and it's a show stopper with all the flowers on the sides! You can decorate this with any number of toppings - or just keep it simple and frosted. I looooooove to add a flower moment on the cake - it makes it more of a centerpiece AND a dessert basically killing 2 birds with one stone. ON BRAND! I know you guys are going to love this one.
Layered Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil or coconut oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 cups finely grated peeled carrots about 1 pound
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 8- ounce packages cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 ½-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Lightly grease waxed paper. Using a large mixer, beat sugar and vegetable oil in bowl until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into sugar and oil mixture. Stir in carrots.
- Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 45 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely.
- Using a mixer, beat all frosting ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 1 cup frosting on top. Top with another cake layer. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. And more swirls of icing on top.
- Top with flowers and decorations as desired
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
This is the only carrot cake I will use. All my friends and family rave about it when I bring one to our gatherings! I'm actually making one rite now for my family reunion tomorrow. Thank u so much for the recipe!!
Hi Gaby! I made this 3 layer cake last year and it was SO good! I want to make it in a single layer in a 13x9. I am curious if you have any advice on ingredient quantities and whether they should be altered at all due to the size? Also whether bake time should be adjusted. Thank you!!
havent tested it in a 9x13 so I can't say for sure!
This recipe was a hit at our Easter dinner! I did 1/2 the recipe and only did 1 layer since there were only a few of us and it was a perfect amount. I added ground ginger and it was delicious!
Made this as a cake and loved it!
What do I need to adjust for cupcakes?
TY!
no adjustments on the recipe, you'll just bake them for a shorter amount of time!