Moist Southern Living Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This Southern Living carrot cake is the one I come back to when I want a cake that actually tastes like carrots and spice, not just sugar. It is tall, tender, and full of toasted pecans.

The cream cheese frosting is tangy enough to balance the sweetness, and the cake stays soft even on day two. Make it once, and it might just become your go-to carrot cake too.

Why This Carrot Cake Works

Freshly grated carrots carry all the moisture here. Pre-shredded bagged carrots are too dry and chunky, and they won’t melt into the crumb the same way.

The batter uses oil instead of butter, so the cake stays tender even straight from the fridge. A little buttermilk adds a subtle tang that works beautifully with the warm cinnamon.

And that frosting is simple: just cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. It whips up thick and silky, never grainy or too sweet.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour: spooned and leveled, not scooped
• 2 tsp baking soda: gives the cake its lift
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon: the only spice you need here
• ½ tsp salt: fine sea salt
• 4 large eggs: at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil: or any neutral oil like canola
• ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk: well shaken; if you do not have it, see the note below
• 2 tsp vanilla extract: the real stuff makes a difference here
• 3 cups (300 g) finely grated carrots: from about 4 to 5 medium carrots, peeled with the ends trimmed
• 1 cup (110 g) chopped pecans: toasted first for about 8 minutes at 350°F until fragrant
• For the frosting:
• 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese: full-fat brick style, softened
• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter: softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 ½ cups (420 g) powdered sugar: sifted if it is lumpy

Variations / Substitutions

• Swap pecans for walnuts: toasted walnuts work just as well.
• Make your own buttermilk: stir 1 ½ tsp white vinegar into ½ cup whole milk and let it sit 5 minutes.
• Add crushed pineapple: a ½ cup of well-drained crushed pineapple folded in with the carrots adds a little tropical sweetness.
• Raisins if you must: ½ cup raisins gives a chewy burst in every bite, but I leave them out.

If you love spiced loaf cakes, our chai-spiced banana bread is another favorite.

How to Make Southern Living Carrot Cake

Step 1: Whisk the Dry Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, and ½ tsp salt until there are no lumps of baking soda hiding in the flour.

The cinnamon will smell warm and inviting as you whisk, and the mixture will look evenly tan. Set the bowl aside near your mixer.

Step 2: Combine the Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the 4 eggs and 1 ½ cups sugar on medium speed until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer still on medium, slowly pour in the 1 cup oil in a steady stream, then add the ½ cup buttermilk and 2 tsp vanilla. Mix until smooth.

The mixture will be glossy and velvety, not bubbly. Scrape down the sides so everything is blended, but do not worry if a few streaks of oil sit on top; they will disappear when you add the flour.

Step 3: Fold in the Carrots and Pecans

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir by hand with a rubber spatula just until you can no longer see streaks of flour. Gently fold in the 3 cups grated carrots and the 1 cup toasted pecans. Stop as soon as the carrots and nuts are evenly distributed.

The batter will be thick and speckled with orange flecks and little nuggets of pecan. Overmixing at this stage makes a cake that is dense and tough, so a few delicate streaks of flour are better than a perfectly smooth batter.

Step 4: Divide and Bake the Layers

Divide the batter equally between the two prepared pans and use the spatula to smooth the tops. Bake on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a moist crumb clinging to it.

The tops will look golden brown and spring back lightly when you press them with your fingertip. Let the layers cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges, invert them, peel off the parchment, and let them cool completely.

Step 5: Beat the Cream Cheese Frosting

In a clean bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the 8 oz cream cheese and ½ cup butter on medium until completely smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the 2 tsp vanilla and mix in. With the mixer on low, gradually add the 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, then turn the speed up to medium and beat until fluffy, another 1 to 2 minutes.

The frosting should be thick enough to hold its shape but silky and spreadable. If it feels too soft, chill it for 10 minutes. If it stiffens too much straight from the fridge, let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes before spreading.

Step 6: Frost and Serve

Place one fully cooled cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Drop a generous scoop of frosting on top and spread it evenly out to the edges. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and around the sides. Swirl the top with the back of a spoon for a little texture.

Slice and serve the cake at room temperature whenever you can. The crumb will be moist and deeply orange, and that thick swath of tangy cream cheese frosting will have you reaching for a second slice before you finish the first.

A Few Tips Before You Start

• Grate your own carrots on the small holes of a box grater or with the shredding disc of a food processor. The fine, fluffy shreds melt into the crumb.
• Toast the pecans while the oven preheats. A few minutes on a baking sheet until you can smell them makes a huge difference.
• Make sure the cream cheese and butter are genuinely soft. Cold cream cheese or butter will leave tiny lumps in your frosting.
• For the cleanest slices, chill the frosted cake for 20 minutes before cutting.

Bake times by pan size:

Storing Leftovers

• Refrigerate: Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap or store slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The cream cheese frosting needs the chill.
• Serve at room temp: Cold carrot cake is nice, but letting a slice sit out for 15 minutes brings back that soft, tender crumb.
• Freeze unfrosted layers: Wrap the cooled layers tightly in plastic and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yes. A good 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend that contains xanthan gum works well in place of the all-purpose flour.

Will crushed pineapple work in the batter?

Absolutely. Add ½ cup well-drained crushed pineapple when you fold in the carrots. Reduce the buttermilk by 1 tablespoon to account for the extra moisture.

Why did my cake sink in the middle?

Sinking usually means the oven temperature was too low, the batter was overmixed, or the flour was packed too tightly into the cup. Weighing the flour or spooning it into the cup gives the most consistent result.

Can I make the frosting ahead of time?

Yes. Make the frosting up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature until it is spreadable again, then give it a quick stir before using.

Southern Living Carrot Cake Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 480

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
• ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups (300 g) finely grated carrots
• 1 cup (110 g) chopped pecans, toasted
• 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 ½ cups (420 g) powdered sugar

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs and sugar until thick, then stream in oil, buttermilk, and vanilla.
4. Stir dry ingredients into wet by hand, then fold in carrots and pecans until just combined.
5. Divide batter between pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
6. Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, add vanilla, then gradually beat in powdered sugar until fluffy.
7. Frost the cooled cake layers, stack them, and frost the top and sides. Slice and serve.

Notes

The cake layers must be completely cool before frosting, which takes about 1 hour after baking. You can speed that up by placing them uncovered in the fridge once they are at room temperature. The frosting recipe makes enough for a generous layer in the middle and a thick coat on top.