Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Soft, and Moist)

Hi guys, I hope you are good… I am good myself. Today I am sharing a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting that I am genuinely proud of. If you have been looking for a carrot cake that is soft, moist, packed with warm spices and topped with a thick, creamy frosting, you are in the right place.

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The last time I made carrot cake was when I was baking my carrot loaf, and that bake has a full tutorial on my YouTube channel. A lot of you asked for the cake version, so here it is. This carrot cake uses the same flavours you loved in the loaf, but the recipe is written out in full below so you can bake it step by step in your own kitchen.

If you are new here, welcome. I am so glad you found me. Grab your mixing bowl, because this carrot cake is easy and it is a keeper.

What Makes This Carrot Cake Different

There are a thousand carrot cake recipes out there, and every one of them has its own personality. Here is what makes mine stand out:

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• It is a plain carrot cake. I wanted a cake without nuts, raisins or pineapple. Sometimes you just want a clean, simple carrot cake where the carrot and the spices do the talking.
• It is full of warm spices. I love to add all of them, and I truly believe the spices are what make this carrot cake memorable.
• It uses brown sugar. This gives a deeper, caramel-like flavour and a lovely colour.
• It has buttermilk or amasi. Many carrot cake recipes leave it out, but I added it, and the crumb comes out soft and moist.
• The frosting uses real butter. Proper cream cheese frosting made with original butter tastes rich and creamy, with a flavour you can really tell apart.

A Plain Carrot Cake, But You Can Add Extras

Let me explain why I keep this carrot cake plain. I did not want nuts, raisins or pineapple in mine. Not because they are bad, but because I love a smooth, tender slice where every bite tastes the same: spiced, sweet and creamy with the frosting.

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That said, I know many of you love a carrot cake with a bit of texture. If you want walnuts, pecans, raisins or crushed pineapple, I have included them in the recipe notes below, so you can add them in and make this carrot cake your own. The base recipe works beautifully either way.

Why the Spices Matter in Carrot Cake

If there is one thing I want you to take away from this post, it is this: spices are the heart of a good carrot cake. Carrots on their own are sweet and mild. It is the spices that turn a simple sponge into something that smells like a cosy kitchen and tastes like a bakery.

I use cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger in my carrot cake. Using all four is not compulsory, and I will explain below what you can skip. But I love adding all of them because I believe it is the combination that makes this recipe stand out.

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The Two Spices You Should Never Skip

If you only use two spices, make them cinnamon and nutmeg.

• Cinnamon gives the carrot cake its signature warm, sweet, slightly woody flavour. It is the backbone of the cake.
• Nutmeg adds a rounded, nutty depth that makes the cake taste complete. A small amount goes a long way.

If your carrot cake tastes flat, it is usually because one of these is missing or old. Check that your ground spices are fresh. Spices that have been sitting in the cupboard for years lose their power.

The Optional Spices

Cloves and ginger are optional. You can add them if you like, and I do, but if you only have cinnamon and nutmeg your carrot cake will still taste lovely. Cloves are strong, so measure carefully. Ginger brings a gentle warmth and a tiny kick.

Carrot Cake Ingredients

For the carrot cake

• 2 cups grated carrots (finely grated)
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or amasi
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

For the cream cheese frosting

• 250g cream cheese
• 113g butter
• 1 and 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Optional add-ins

• 80g chopped walnuts or pecans
• 60g raisins
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, well drained

Brown Sugar vs Granulated Sugar in Carrot Cake

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I use brown sugar in my carrot cake because it adds moisture and a rich, toffee-like flavour. It also gives the cake a lovely golden-brown colour that looks beautiful once it is frosted.

But please do not run to the shop just for brown sugar. If all you have is granulated sugar, you can use it. Your carrot cake will still be delicious, just slightly lighter in colour and flavour. Bake with what you have.

Buttermilk or Amasi: My Secret to a Soft, Moist Carrot Cake

Here is something you might not see in every recipe: buttermilk. Many carrot cake recipes do not include it, but I added it and I find it makes the cake soft and moist.

The acidity in buttermilk or amasi reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise, and it tenderises the crumb. If you are in South Africa, amasi works just as well as buttermilk and is what I often reach for. Between the oil, the eggs, the carrots and the buttermilk, this carrot cake stays moist for days.

How to Make Carrot Cake

1. Prepare. Preheat your oven and grease and line your cake tin. Finely grate your carrots.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and salt. Whisking spreads the spices evenly so every slice tastes the same.
3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and brown sugar until combined. Add the vegetable oil, buttermilk or amasi and vanilla essence and mix well.
4. Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
5. Fold in the carrots. Fold in the grated carrots (and any optional add-ins).
6. Bake. Pour the batter into your prepared tin and bake at 170°C for 30-35 minutes , or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Every oven is different, so check on it.
7. Cool completely. Let the carrot cake cool fully before frosting. This is important, because warm cake will melt your frosting.
8. If you are frosting your cake the next day, wrap it with a cling wrap and keep it in a room temperature or fridge.

Cream Cheese Frosting With Real Butter

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No carrot cake is complete without cream cheese frosting. For mine, I use original butter. It gives the frosting a richer, creamier taste than substitutes, and you can taste the difference.

1. Make sure your butter and cream cheese are soft but still cool, not melted.
2. Beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
4. Add the icing sugar and vanilla essence and mix until smooth and fluffy.
5. Spread over the cooled carrot cake.

If your frosting feels too soft, pop it in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before spreading.

Tips for the Best Carrot Cake

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• Grate your own carrots. Pre-shredded carrots are drier and thicker, so finely grated fresh carrots give a more tender cake.
• Measure your flour properly. Spoon it into your cup and level it off instead of scooping, which packs in too much flour.
• Do not overmix. Stir only until the flour disappears for a soft crumb.
• Cool before frosting. Always.
• Store it right. Because of the cream cheese frosting, keep your carrot cake in the fridge, and let it sit out for a little while before serving.

Carrot Cake FAQ

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Let’s Connect

I would love to see your carrot cake. If you try this recipe, tag me and let me know how it turned out!

• TikTok: @wandilebakes
• Instagram: @Wandilebakes
• YouTube: @wandilebakes (my carrot loaf tutorial is here)
• Pinterest: @wandilebakes

Leave a comment below and tell me: do you keep your carrot cake plain, or do you add nuts, raisins and pineapple?

thank you for staying this far

This carrot cake is soft, moist, generously spiced and finished with a creamy, buttery cream cheese frosting. It is plain, simple and so good. Remember the key points: never skip the cinnamon and nutmeg, use brown sugar if you have it, and add buttermilk or amasi for that soft, moist crumb.

If you are new here, welcome. I post content like this all the time, so stick around and let’s bake together.

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Wandile

Carrot Cake + Cream Cheese Frosting

A soft, moist, plain carrot cake with no nuts, raisins or pineapple, though you can add them if you like. It is made with brown sugar and buttermilk or amasi, and generously spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. It is topped with a rich cream cheese frosting made with real butter.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Cream Cheese 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Servings: 8 slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: South African

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

Carrot Cake

• 2 cups finely grated carrots
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves optional
• 1/4 tsp ginger optional
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar granulated sugar works if that’s what you have
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or amasi room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Optional Add-Ins

• 80 g chopped walnuts or pecans
• 60 g raisins
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple well drained

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 500 g cream cheese
• 226 g butter softened (original butter)
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla essence

Equipment

• Cake tin greased and lined with baking paper
• Fine grater for the carrots
• Measuring cups and spoons
• 2 mixing bowls one large
• Whisk
• Spatula or wooden spoon
• Electric mixer or hand whisk for the frosting
• Skewer or toothpick to test doneness
• Wire cooling rack
• Palette knife or offset spatula for frosting

Method

 

For Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C. Grease and line your cake tin.
2. Finely grate the carrots and set aside.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and salt.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and brown sugar until combined.
5. Add the vegetable oil, buttermilk or amasi and vanilla essence, and whisk until smooth.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
7. Fold in the grated carrots, plus any add-ins you are using.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
10. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack and let it cool, and cling wrap it after

For frosting

1. Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
3. Add the icing sugar and vanilla essence and mix until smooth and fluffy.
4. If the frosting is too soft, chill it for 15 to 20 minutes before spreading.
5. Spread over the completely cooled cake.
Never skip the cinnamon and nutmeg. Cloves and ginger are optional.
Do not frost a warm cake, as the frosting will melt.
Store the frosted cake covered in the fridge, and bring it to room temperature before serving.