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Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is baked in a 9x13-inch pan and finished with a smooth, spreadable topping. Finely grated carrots keep the cake moist, while cinnamon adds warm flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cooling 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 690
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake
  • 1 Nonstick cooking spray for greasing
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs large
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups carrots finely grated
For the frosting
  • 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese softened
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 0.125 teaspoon salt

Equipment

  • 1 9x13-inch baking pan
  • 1 electric mixer

Method
 

Prepare the cake
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
  5. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir just until no dry streaks remain.
  6. Fold in the carrots.
  7. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
  8. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and the edges begin to pull away from the pan.
  9. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours.
Make the frosting
  1. Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  2. Beat in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time.
  3. Add the vanilla and salt and beat until smooth and spreadable.
Frost and serve
  1. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake.
  2. Cover and refrigerate leftover cake for up to 5 days.

Notes

Finely grate the carrots for a moist cake. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days; freezer: yes, freeze portions for longer storage. For a dairy-free swap, use dairy-free cream cheese and butter.