Carrot Cake Video

Watch Natasha make this Carrot Cake. You will be surprised at how quickly and easily this cake comes together. This is a terrific weekend baking project and It’s the perfect springtime or Easter dessert.

What Makes Carrot Cake Moist?

Carrots – the star ingredient and they naturally contain a lot of water. The key is to finely greater the carrots so they release their moisture in the baking process and also disperse more evenly in the cake without sinking to the bottom. Get organic carrots if possible. They always seem sweeter to me.
Oil – we use light olive oil to add richness to the crumb, but you can substitute it with canola oil or vegetable oil. Oil is preferred over butter because oil remains liquid at room temperature which helps keep the crumb soft and moist.
Brown Sugar – contains molasses which adds moisture and a little bit of acidity to create a more tender crumb.
Eggs – add moisture and richness to the cake. They also help hold the cake together.
Applesauce – adds extra moisture, and creates a denser, more tender crumb. We love homemade applesauce but storebought works fine. You can also substitute with crushed pineapple.

Ingredients for making a cake with carrots, pecans and raisins

Substitutions

Good news – you can swap out several ingredients in this cake. These are some of our favorite substitutions:

Pecans – you can leave the nuts out or substitute with walnuts, almonds, cashews, or shredded coconut.
Raisins – add great texture and flavor. You can substitute for golden raisins or chopped pitted dates. If you don’t like raisins, leave them out.
Spices – adjust to preference. Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice are convenient substitutes instead of using several individual spices.
Pineapple – you can substitute applesauce for lightly drained crushed pineapple. Pumpkin puree or mashed ripe bananas would also work as substitutions but will have different flavor profiles.

How to Make Carrot Cake

The process for making this carrot cake comes together in 2 bowls; stirring the dry ingredients, stirring the wet ingredients, and combining them with your carrots and optional mix-ins.

Dry ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugars, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves, breaking up the brown sugar if you see clumps.
Wet ingredients – in a second mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients – oil, apple sauce, and eggs until well blended.
Combine – Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until moistened, scraping down the bowl.
Add-ins – Fold in carrots, pecans, and raisins (if using) just until incorporated.
Bake – Divide the batter between 2 prepared 9-inch cake pans and bake at 350˚F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool – Rest in the cake pans for 15-20 minutes then run a knife or spatula around the edges to release the cakes and transfer to wire racks to cool.