This is theBEST carrot cake recipe, and so simple to make for any easy spring time (or anytime!) dessert. It’s moist and rich with the warm spiced flavor you love in carrot cake.

carrot cake on white cake stand next to slices of carrot cake on two round white plates with plaid pastel napkin

If you lovecarrot cakethen you have to give this easy recipe a try for your Easter celebration … or any celebration, for that matter! You could also try myCarrot Cake Roll Recipe, or theseWhole Grain Carrot Cake Pancakesif you love carrot cake as much as I do!

The Story Behind this Recipe:

Happy Easter! I have a recipe that my dad loves and we have been talking about for over a year to share with the world. My dad volunteered for two years as a missionary for our church, and during that time the local members at the church he volunteered at would often feed the missionaries. At the end of the two years, this is the only recipe he brought home. Yes, it is that good!

The story starts in 1980 in Northern Nevada in the town of Gardnerville, where Barbara and her husband invited the missionaries over for dinner one night. After dinner was over, she brought out dessert, and after one bite my dad fell in love. He asked what it was, and she said carrot cake. He couldn’t believe it … these were the best carrots he ever had!

He asked for the recipe, and Barbara hand wrote it out and told him the story how she got the recipe. Oh, yes, the story gets better as we go.On a trip many years earlier, Barbara and her husband were in one of the big cites on the east coast of the U.S. (Dad thinks it was New York City.) One evening, they went out to dinner at a big fancy restaurant, and Barbara got carrot cake for dessert. Yes, this carrot cake!

She loved it so much, she asked to talk to the head chef. He came to their table, and she told him how good it was and how much she loved it, and she said she wondered if she could get the recipe. To her delight, he said yes, and soon she had the recipe in hand.As they went to pay for their meal when leaving that evening, they noticed the bill was 4 or 5 times higher then they thought it should be. That is when she noticed there was a charge for the recipe. The recipe was not free … she had to pay for it! She did pay for it, and has enjoyed ever since.

Enjoy this favorite recipe from my dad, at no charge. I hope you love it as much as our family does!

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

Canola or vegetable oil:Oil adds the moistness to the cake that makes it divine.
Eggs:Eggs help the cake to rise.
Granulated sugar:Sugar sweetens the cake.
Applesauce (unsweetened preferred):Applesauce adds another element of moisture. You could use all oil and no applesauce, but I think it’s too oily then.
Vanilla:Vanilla adds a touch of warmth.
Flour:Flour givesthe cakethe bread-y texture
Baking powder and baking soda:Baking powder and soda help the cake to rise.
Ground cinnamon:Cinnamon brings a touch of warm spice.
Salt:Salt balances the other flavors.
Grated carrots:Carrots are what make this cake, carrot cake! They are shredded to be easily incorporated to the cake.
Raisins and chopped walnuts, optional:These add a little more texture and sweetness if you’d like.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese:Cream cheese frosting is SO good, and the cream cheese adds a little bit of salty, cheesiness to bring down the sweetness.
Unsalted butter:Unsalted butter makes it extra rich and thick.
Powdered sugar:Powdered sugar is what sweetens the frosting and makes it velvety.
Vanilla extract:Vanilla give the frosting a warming flavor.

carrot cake with slice missing sitting on white cake stand with two slices of cake on round white plates on white surface with forks

Frequently Asked Questions:

What makes this the best carrot cake?

This carrot cake is so moist thanks to the combination of oil and applesauce used in the batter. It has those warm flavors from the vanilla and cinnamon, while the carrot gives it a nice spongey texture. I love this frosting too, because it’s rich, creamy, and sweet with subtle hints of nuttiness from the cream cheese.

How do you store carrot cake?

This cake is best enjoyed right away for within 24 hours. If making the night before, store on a cake platter with a cover in the fridge. Serve chilled or set out to let it come to room temperature an hour before serving.