I’m glad you loved it, Deborah! I’ve made it twice in the past few weeks as we’ve had a couple of birthdays here, and this was the cake that was requested both times. 🙂

I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of our favourites here too!!

Simply delicious!!! This carrot cake was soooo easy to make with simple ingredients! Would definitely recommend this recipe….. or maybe I’ll keep it as a little secret 😉 I made it for my boyfriend and I, we were both pleasantly surprised with the outcome. It was so easy that I’ll definitely be making it for friends and family in the future!!

Hi Andrea, This article about substituting pan sizes. There’s a section for 9×13 which lists the sizes of round pans you can use instead: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2019/04/23/the-essential-alternative-baking-pan-sizes

If you wanted to make this in two layers (rounds). What size do you think would use up the batter?

I can’t say for sure, Shawna. I’ve only used oil. I would do some googling about replacing oil with butter in a cake recipe. It might be ok or it might seriously affect the results. Wish I could be of more help. Sorry!

Great idea, Gabby! Glad to know that works!

I’m so happy to hear it’s one of your favourites too, Linda. I’m going to add a dash of lemon to my frosting next time!

Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Zenobia!

Thanks so much for the 5-star review, Daphne! I’m glad you loved this recipe too!

I would imagine so, Judy. I’ve never tried it, but if the banana cake worked, I’m guessing the carrot cake would as well.

Glad you loved it, Megan!

I use half a brick of cream cheese, Nancy. In the recipe, I have that noted as 3oz. If you want a thicker icing, you can use the full brick, but follow the instructions in my “crazy banana cake” recipe if you’re making your frosting that way.

What is the correct amount of cream cheese to use? 3 oz or 4oz.

I always use salted butter when baking because that’s what I have on hand. Many people prefer to use unsalted for baking, but this cake will work either way.

I grate my carrots on the big side. I’ve tried it with the smaller side especially when making mini cupcakes but I don’t see much of a difference. I like how I can grate the carrots ahead of time and when I’m ready to bake it’s already grated. Roughly 3 large carrots makes 3 cups. I’ve also only ever used brown sugar and it tastes amazing.

I’ve used it to make cakes, cupcakes and mini cupcakes in many occasions, baby showers, kids birthday’s (my eldest is 4 so I am more than happy to choose this healthier option on their birthdays) and just a lunch with friends. I’ve even made it as just muffins (without the icing) as a good afternoon snack when out and about. The batter makes about 84 mini cupcakes, or 24 regular cupcakes and are cooked in abt 15 and 22 mins respectively. The icing also goes well with Wilton decorator preferred fondant. They also freeze well, defrost super quickly. I’ve even forgotten one in the back of the fridge and tried it over a week later (maybe even 2 weeks) and it was still amazing and moist.

Thank you so much for this super easy recipe!

Yay! I’m glad you loved it so much too, Von! I made one last weekend and I’m making another this weekend for Easter too!

I love baking, but I’m disabled and have a hard time getting around; therefore, I prefer easy recipes with minimal prep/cleanup, and this fit the bill. It smelled wonderful, tasted better, and the cream cheese icing was to die for~ my coworkers loved it, and I’m going to bake another one for us (my husband and I) tomorrow.

-I might try again with a bit more sugar, since he prefers sweeter cake. But the recipe as is was perfect for me. Will definitely make this again.

Hey Charlotte! I just came across this article, and thought about you. I wonder if you’re beating the batter at too high of a speed? https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2014/07/15/how-to-prevent-dense-gluey-streaks-in-your-cake/

Yay! So glad your family loves it as much as we do, Ella! I’d take it over chocolate cake any day too!

I’m sorry, Charlotte. I don’t know what would cause your cake to collapse in the middle every time. I make it often, and I’ve never had that happen. I wish I had an answer for you!

Wow! That’s so great to hear, Nakita! I’m glad you love this cake as much as we do!

Hi Carly! You’re in for a treat! It’s so good!! You’ll be fine to ice it the day before. Just keep it covered in the fridge overnight. You can take it out a little ahead of time so it’s not super-cold when you serve it.

Thank you!
Carly 🙂

Oh my. I’ve never heard of that happening, but it does make sense. Butter turns to liquid when temperatures are very warm, so I’m guessing the butter in the frosting did just that. Hopefully it will firm up in the fridge, and you can beat it again.

I haven’t done it with this recipe, but I’ve done it with other cake recipes, Brittany. Just watch your bake time. Do a toothpick test much sooner than you would for a cake. I would start testing at the 15 minute mark.

So glad you loved it! I checked out your IG. The round cake you frosted looks amazing!

I still have extra carrots, so I made another batch for my colleagues. This time, I used a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake pan. I added some chopped walnuts and dates (since we have a lot of it here in Qatar). I adjusted the temperature a bit lower, covered the pan with aluminum foil, but made sure to add extra baking time. It was perfect! I had no more cream cheese frosting, so I brought it at work as a plain carrot cake. They were asking for more! 🙂

The picture is posted in my Instagram account: @kapitanaskitchen

Thanks a lot for this recipe!!!

Thanks!

Yes, it will still be moist on Saturday. I would probably make it the day before if possible, but sometimes ours lasts for a couple of days, and it’s amazing, right to the last bite. Just make sure it’s sealed well with plastic wrap when you refrigerate it.

Yay! So glad everyone loved it, Zoe!

I would think it would freeze well, Tamara. Just let it cool completely and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and then with foil or with plastic wrap and then into a sealable container.

Thank you!!

Great to know, Catherine! Thanks you! And I’m glad you loved it too!

I don’t know what could’ve gone wrong either, Stephanie. If you scroll through the comments on the post you’ll see that most of the 150 comments left echo my sentiments – that this is the best carrot cake ever, so something definitely was amiss in your kitchen.

Best carrot cake receipt I have ever eaten so moist I divided into 2 9 inch cake pan and baked itfor 25 minutes to make a double layer 325 oven

Yay! I’m so happy you gave it a try, Yamile! I’ve never thought to add coffee to my icing. I’ll bet that would be delicious!

Thank you so much for the cupcake recipes! I will def be trying the orange crush ones for sure. I do have one question: If I made cupcakes out of your crazy carrot cake recipe, how long would I bake them for & at what temperature? I have one cake in the oven now, for tomorrow, Easter & I would love to make the carrot cupcakes for the little ones…thank you so much & Happy Easter!

Glad you loved it, Carly!

I wouldn’t refrigerate it overnight. I would just cover it with foil or plastic wrap and leave it out. If you do refrigerate it make sure it’s tightly wrapped so it doesn’t dry out at all.

Hey, Raheemah. A 9×13 should go into two 9″ pans well. As for baking time, I would start checking them at about the 30-35 minute mark and every 5 minutes after. When the edges pull away from the sides of the pans and the surface is springy to the touch, it’s a good sign that it’s ready. Do the toothpick test to make sure though.

So glad your family loved it, Sristi! Let me know how it turns out tomorrow!

Hi Cindy! I’m so glad you loved the cakes! Believe it or not, I have one of each in my fridge as we speak! Unfortunately, I don’t have anymore crazy cake recipes, but I do have these cupcakes that are made with crazy ingredients if you want to check them out: https://happyhooligans.ca/crazy-cupcake-recipes/

I’m not really sure, Rachel. I would just start checking about 15 minutes before it’s supposed to be done and then every 5 minutes afterwards to make sure you don’t over-bake it.

And Natalie, you should try my Crazy Banana Cake too. It might be even better than the carrot cake! It’s a tough call. I can’t decide which one is my favourite.

Yay!! You’re so welcome, Natalie!

You’re so welcome, Evonne! Glad you guys loved it!

You’re so welcome! I’m glad they loved it!

I just baked it today & I understand what you mean about the texture, but just continue to follow the directions (especially the electric beaters, because the batter is so thick) because it turns out beautifully. Light & moist.

I just made the cake today & because I added the carrots last, I thought the same about the texture, but I just kept following the instructions (the electric beaters were useful for a thick batter) & it turned out beautifully. Light & moist.

I finally baked the cake & you’re right it’s fantastic!! I also love that all the measurements are so simple…it makes it super-quick to make &.not too many measuring spoons/cups to wash after!

I also used only one cup of sugar and found it to be plenty sweet enough 🙂
I doubled the cream cheese frosting too 🙂

Good to know, Elise! I’ve never made this recipe as cupcakes!

Yay! I’m so glad you love the icing, Rubina! Let me know how you like the cake!

Glad your friends and family love it too, Paul!

Is it possible that you baked it at 350º instead of 325º, Janet? I know, out of habit, I often set my oven temp to 350º without even thinking about it.

I’m so honoured to know that both of my cakes are favourites with you and your peeps, Mary Ann! I made both in one week recently, and even having them back to back, I couldn’t decide which one I loved best.

You’re welcome, Margaret! So glad your family loved it too!

I’m not exactly sure, Jen. It’s the only recipe that I’ve made that calls for the baking soda to be dissolved too. I’ve done some googling, and it seems that while there are very few, some recipes do call for the baking soda to be dissolved first in water, milk or yogurt. It speeds up the leavening process. I’m not sure what the difference would be in the cookies if the baking soda wasn’t dissolved first, but because baking is a science, and to get the best results, the instructions should always be followed, I just do what I’m told when baking. lol

That’s a good question, Glenda. I can’t speak from experience here, but if it were me, I would add a icing sugar in small increments until the icing reaches the right consistency.

The temp is for a regular oven, Colleen.

It’s a 9×13 baking dish, and probably about 2 to 2.5 inches deep.

You’re welcome! I’m so glad you loved it!

Baking is a science, and achieving exact results means using the exact ingredients because the results are based on how they interact with each other. You can try substituting – if you’ve had success with that substitution before, you’ll probably be ok, but the cake’s density and texture will likely be different. It may be great – just different. Re: olive oil, most bakers don’t recommend baking with olive oil because of the flavour it imparts, but so again, you can try swapping the oil, but it will likely affect the flavour of the cake.

Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil

THanks
Dot

You are so welcome, Marisa! Yay! I’m so glad you love it! It might have been your first time, but I’ll be it won’t be your last! Enjoy!

Congratulations, Sam! You have to try this one. It’s amazing!

I just grate mine directly into a large measuring bowl, and I stop grating when I get to the 3 cup mark. What you can do is fill a large glass bowl with 3 cups of water. Mark the outside of the bowl at the waterline with pencil or piece of tape or sticky note. Empty the water and grate your carrots into the bowl, stopping when you get to the waterline mark. You’ll probably require about 3-4 large carrots.

That’s a good question. I’ve never made it with either. I would google “carrot cake with walnuts and raisins”, and see what the recommended amount is in the recipes that pop up.

I’m so glad everyone there loves it too, Lois!

Yay! I’m so glad it turned out, Samantha, and that everyone loved it! I made it last night, after seeing your comment about mixing it by hand, and I think you’re right. That’s probably the reason it was so thick. Good to know it turns out just as well either way! You have a lovely Mother’s Day too! x

Hi again! Update: the cake came out moist and DELICIOUS. I made it for the residents at a care home I work at (skipped the icing because majority are diabetic) and they love it. Thanks so much for the recipe.
I think the issue is I mixed the batter by hand rather than using an electric mixer as recipe required.
Have a wonderful Mothers Day
Samantha

I don’t know why it would turn out so thick, Samantha, but I’m making it later this afternoon for our Mother’s Day dessert tomorrow, so I’ll pay attention when I’m mixing things to see if I can figure out what might have caused it to turn out like that for you. I hope it bakes well for you. It’s such an amazing cake.

I haven’t frozen this cake before, but I’ve done it with lots of box mixed cakes, Ruth. I can’t see why it wouldn’t work for this one. I always let mine thaw at room temperature for a few hours. Sounds like you are going to be busy this weekend! Have a lovely Easter!

Yay! Glad everyone loved it, Rebecca!

I’ve had others tell me they’ve added raisins, and the cake turns out beautifully. I would likely soak my raisins first. I’ve never had a problem with them adding too much moisture to recipes when I soak them for muffins, so I think you’d be alright.

I’m guessing it would, Rebecca, but it’s hard to say. Baking is such a science, and the success of a recipe usually depends on the specific ingredients and amounts being adhered to. You can usually double a recipe without a problem, but halving it, and reducing the amount of some ingredients, may be an issue. Sorry I can’t say for sure!

I haven’t, Thalia. Sorry. I’m not sure what the results would be like if you changed the recipe that drastically. Most cakes call for oil, and not butter, so I’m thinking that’s probably for a reason. Baking is such a “science”. I never make major changes to my recipes in case things didn’t work out.

I cup is 250ml. If you have a liquid measuring cut, it should have ml marked on it.

Yay! Glad you love it too, Lisa!

I’m so glad you loved it, Christine!

Hmm. I make it regularly, Barb, and I’ve never had any issues with the batter being that thick/dense. I just scrolled through the comments on the post, and most people say it turned out beautifully for them. One other person said their batter was more like dough but I can’t imagine what you and she might have done that would result in that happening. Did you bake it? Did it turn out?

Glad you liked it, Eva!

Oh good! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

I would think so, Christin. You’d have to alter the baking time to suit the pan size. I would google baking times for assorted cake sizes i.e. 9×9, 8inch round, etc. This recipe makes a lot of icing too. You might have enough to do a triple layer cake.

I’m glad you loved it too!

So glad you love this cake too! Great tips about cutting back on the sugar. Thanks for sharing!

Yay! So glad it was a huge hit!

I’m not sure what the reason would be, Michelle. I’m guessing one of your measurements or ingredients might have been off. I’ve made this cake for years – usually once a month, and I’ve never had any troubles with it.

You bet. I would just stir them into the batter before pouring into the baking dish. You could also sprinkle them on top of the icing if you’d rather.

I’ve never made it as a layer cake, Anna. I imagine it would be fine made that way. I would use the cream cheese recipe from the banana cake post. It uses a full brick of cream cheese, so it will make more than this one, which would be good as you’re going to be frosting that middle layer.

I’m more surprised than you, Brittany! I’ve made this cake dozens of times, and it’s always moist and delicious. If you scroll through the comments, you’ll see that it was for others as well. Are you sure you had the baking temperature right? It’s 325ºF. If that was right, I’m guessing there must have been an error in your measurements? I’ve never had a problem with the recipe in all the years I’ve been making it. Sorry it didn’t turn out for you. 🙁

I’ve never tried, Mary, but I think you should. You might have to reduce the baking time by a bit, but I’m not certain.

Yay! Glad you loved it, Nancy!

Woohoo! Thank you for your glowing review! Glad you loved it!

Glad you loved it, Maxine! Isn’t it just the best?! Topping with pecans sounds divine!

It’s a 9×13 cake, Jenny, if that gives you an idea.

I imagine it would be!

I’ve done half and half, Sathya – one cup all purpose and one cup whole wheat flour. It makes for a more dense cake, but it’s nice. I’ve never done the full 2 cup substitution though.

I’m not sure. I don’t use self-raising flour, Yunita. I’d imagine you can “google” it to see if you can substitute.

I made cupcakes last night, 25 mins , the toothpick came out clean.

I haven’t tried that personally, but if you scroll through the comments on the post, you might find someone who has?

You can google “measurement conversions” to convert any measurement, Petra. One cup here equals 8 fluid ounces. 🙂 Glad you’re loving the recipes!

Thx for the reciepes in my mailbox…love them

It could be the method you use to measure the flour could have had the measuring cup more densely packed so you would end up with a denser cake

Hmmm. I have no idea, Janae. It sounds like maybe there isn’t enough liquid in there? Are you certain that you had your measurements right?

Yay! I’m glad you love it! I know what you mean about stuffing your face with it. Ha! It’s SOOO good!

I guess you’d say mine are on the thicker side? The holes in my grater are quite large.

Hi Nikki, I’m sorry, I don’t have the weight ingredients, but if you google “measurement conversions”, you can convert all of the amounts into measurements that you’re familiar with. Our “cup” is an 8 oz. cup.