Best Carrot Cake Recipe

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups shredded carrots, packed and squeezed dry
• 2/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (optional)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 24 ounces (3 packages) cream cheese, room temperature
• 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Prepare the Cake Batter

Preheat your oven to 375F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

In a small bowl, combine the vegetable oil and lemon juice.

You need to remove as much moisture from the carrots as possible. After shredding them, place them in a cheesecloth or a few layers of paper towels and squeeze until no more liquid comes out.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs and sugar on high speed. Continue whipping until the mixture triples in volume, becomes pale yellow, and reaches the “ribbon stage” – when you lift the whisk, the batter that falls off will form a ribbon that sits on the surface for a few seconds before dissolving.

With the mixer still on high, slowly stream in the oil and lemon juice mixture. Pour it down the side of the bowl to avoid splatters. Continue whisking until the oil is fully emulsified and you can’t see any separation. The mixture will deflate slightly.

Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add all the dry ingredients at once and use a rubber spatula to gently fold them in. Stop when there are still a few streaks of flour visible.

Add the squeezed carrots and optional walnuts, and fold until everything is just combined. Do not overmix.

Bake and Frost the Cake

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.

Bake for ~25-30 minutes. This cake is too moist for a toothpick test to be reliable. It’s done when the center feels set and springs back when you gently press on it.

Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack. Let them cool completely upside down for a flat top.

While the cakes cool, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature cream cheese and butter together until smooth.

Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed to combine, then increase the speed and beat until fluffy. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate.

Once the cakes are completely cool, place one layer on a serving plate. Add about 1/