Super Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A tall three-layer carrot cake with applesauce, warm spices, and thick cream cheese frosting, baked in three 9-inch pans.
Five cups of freshly grated carrots, applesauce, oil, and sour cream keep all three layers moist. Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg supply warmth, while a thick full-fat cream cheese frosting finishes the American layer cake.
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut three 9-inch parchment rounds. Grease the bottoms and sides of three 9-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and grease the parchment.
- 2
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, applesauce, sour cream, cake vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix only until combined. Fold in the coarsely grated carrots with a spatula.
- 3
Divide the batter evenly among the three pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden and set and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and cool completely for about 40 more minutes.
35 min
- 4
Beat the cream cheese, butter, and frosting vanilla with a paddle mixer or hand mixer on medium-high speed until completely smooth, about two minutes.
2 min
- 5
Reduce the mixer to low and gradually add the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Once incorporated, beat on high speed for one to two minutes until smooth and fluffy.
1 min
- 6
Place one completely cooled layer on a cake stand and frost its top. Add the second layer, press very lightly, and frost its top. Add the third layer, then evenly frost the entire top and sides of the cake.
- 7
Decorate with chopped nuts only if desired, then slice and serve. Refrigerate the covered cake for up to three days and return it to room temperature before serving.
Ago's Notes
- Bring the eggs, sour cream, cream cheese, and butter to room temperature before starting.
- Coarsely grate fresh carrots. Pre-shredded carrots are drier, while finely grated carrots can make the cake heavy or gummy.
- Once the flour is added, mix only until combined, then fold in the carrots gently to avoid a dense cake.
- Bake the three pans in one even row on the middle rack. If they do not fit, bake in batches and let a reused pan cool before refilling.
- Cool the layers in their pans for 20 minutes, then cool completely on wire racks before frosting or the cake may slide and collapse.
- Canola oil may be replaced with an equal amount of vegetable oil or melted coconut oil. Do not replace the oil with melted butter.
- The source allows up to 1 cup chopped nuts or raisins in the batter and additional chopped nuts as decoration. Both are optional; nuts add a tree-nut allergen.
- Keep the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and bring it to room temperature before serving.
- For freezing, cool the unfrosted layers completely, wrap each in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting.
Slice only after the three cooled layers are filled and the entire cake is evenly frosted.
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