Celebrate Spring with this layered carrot cake lightly frosted with brown sugar cream cheese. Minimally decorated with fresh carrots, this is an easy cake everyone can make!
Cake decorating can be intimidating. It can be overwhelming and time consuming. I’m here to hold your hand and help you. This is a SUPER easy and fast way to decorate cake.
You don’t need a ton of tools, sprinkles, or gadgets. All you need to decorate this cake is fresh carrots and a plastic zip-top bag (or a piping bag).
Naked Carrot Cake
The term “naked cake” refers to stacked layers cake with little to no frosting on the sides. This cake is sweet enough on it’s own. Rather than drench the cake with a ton of frosting, I’ve opted to keep the sides of the cake bare.
Other examples of naked cakes include: lemon layer cake, coconut cake with whipped cream frosting, and tiramisu cake.
Marks of a Great Carrot Cake
- In my opinion, the cake should have visible specks of carrots. I use a coarse grater to shred the carrots.
- The cake should be soft and moist. To achieve this, most carrot cakes are made with vegetable oil instead of butter.
- A variety in texture makes all foods more exciting. I like to add chopped walnuts to the cake batter. Chopped almonds or pistachios also make wonderful additions.
- It isn’t complete without cream cheese frosting! The frosting for this cake is sweetened with brown sugar and molasses and it’s spiked with a touch of sour cream for extra tang.
Ingredients
You need all the standard carrot cake ingredients of: flour, baking soda and baking powder, sugar, eggs, oil, milk, and grated carrots. In addition, ground cinnamon and pure vanilla extract provide flavor. Chopped toasted walnuts are an optional, but highly recommended ingredient.
The cream cheese frosting differs from the traditional recipe. It is made with brown sugar, molasses, and touch of sour cream. These key ingredients really amp up the warm and tangy flavors.
Assembly Instructions
The cake batter recipe makes either four 6-inch round cakes or three 8-inch round cakes. Fully cool cake layers before assembly. Make frosting while the cake cools.
By using a piping bag (or plastic zip-top bag with a corner snipped off), you can evenly apply frosting to the cake layers. This allows you to add a distinct clean border of frosting along the outer perimeter of the cake.
While it’s tempting to simply stick the entire carrot into the cake, I don’t advise it. You risk splitting the cake. Slice off about 1 -3 inches of the top portion of the carrot and then attach it to the cream cheese frosting.
Add movement and texture by placing a few sprigs of the carrot greens on top and around base of the cake. VOILA! That’s it. Carrot cake complete.
Serving Suggestions
Cold cake directly out of the fridge is easier to slice into clean portions. Use a sharp knife and wipe knife clean after each slice.
This 6-inch layer cake serves 8-10. Eight very generous portions or ten moderate portions of cake.
Let cake slices sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to allow cake and frosting to soften before serving.
Related Carrot Desserts
- Carrot cake cinnamon rolls frosted with whipped cream cheese and topped with toasted walnuts. It’s the iconic flavors of carrot cake injected into sweet rolls!
- Made with ground flaxseed, grated carrots, raisins, dried pineapple chunks, and pumpkin seeds, it is a medley of flavors and textures. These whole wheat morning glory muffins are healthy breakfast treat.
- This carrot nut cake features two layers of carrot cake sandwiched with brown sugar cream cheese frosted with caramel buttercream.
Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- 3 cups (370 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons (7 g) ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups (295 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, packed
- 4 large eggs (218 g)
- 1 ½ cups (328 ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (303 g) grated carrots
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz (240 g) cream cheese
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 2 cups (212 g) confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and lightly flour four 6-inch round cake pans (or three 8-inch round cake pans). Tap out any excess flour. Line cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat together sugars, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add half of dry flour mixture to mixing bowl and stir together. Add grated carrots and continue mixing. Add remaining dry flour mixture and chopped walnuts. Mix until just combined and there are no longer any dry streaks of flour.
- Distribute cake batter evenly among prepared cake pans. Bake 6-inch cakes for 40-45 minutes (or 8-inch cakes for 35-40 minutes), until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Rotate cakes midway through baking. Allow cake layers in cool in pan for 5-8 minutes. Unmold cake layers and allow to cool completely on wire racks.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing. Add brown sugar, molasses, powdered sugar, salt, and sour cream. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Assembly:
- If necessary, level cake layers once completely cooled to room temperature. Place one cake layer on cake board (or serving plate). Pipe a ring of frosting along the outer perimeter of cake. Fill in the center by continuing to pipe spiral.
- Place second cake layer on top. Gently press cake layer down to secure. Pipe layer of frosting. Repeat with remaining cake layers. Use a mini offset spatula or the smooth end of butterknife, to smooth the top layer of frosting. Let assembled cake chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to allow frosting to harden.
- Allow cake to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to soften before serving. Decorate cake with sliced carrot and carrot top greens.
Video
Notes
- Store cake slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm to room temperature before eating.
- Omit nuts, if desired. Pecans or pistachios are a great substitute.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
This is my go-to carrot cake recipe now! The full recipe is a lot for my small family, so I have split the recipe in half and baked in two 6-inch pans, and it works great as a petite cake. My husband likes that the sides of the cake get almost a brownie-like chew, even though the interior of the cake stays moist. I think this works well as a naked cake for that reason. I concur with other reviewers that the frosting has been wonky for me, but it is easy enough to swap with another cream cheese frosting of your choice. The cake is delish though!
Thanks for sharing! So happy to hear you enjoy the cake recipe. Not sure what went wrong with the frosting. I will have to go back and rework it.
Can the frosting be made ahead of time?
can I use only three 6inch round pans. I only have three. :(
You can use two or three 8-inch round pans. Adjust cooking time depending on whether you are using two or three pans.
This recipe never fails! Thank you for sharing this. ?
Wow! I made this cake for Easter, scrumptious! But a bit dry I don’t know what I did… but everyone loves it, my first carrot ? cake, this will be my go to for carrot cake or cupcakes. Anything I might have miss or done why it was just a bit dry? O actually crumb coated the whole cake too! It look really nice!
Wow! I just made this for Easter and decided to bake in cupcakes (16 minutes), and they turned out amazing! I didn’t have molasses on hand, but the frosting is super yummy regardless! Thank you for providing weights for all ingredients! Overall 5 stars!
Do you have to use the molasses?
Wow! I just made this for Easter and decided to bake in cupcakes (16 minutes), and they turned out amazing! I didn’t have molasses on hand, but the frosting is super yummy regardless! Thank you for providing weights for all ingredients! Overall 5 stars!
Nope, I didn’t have molasses on hand either, but the frosting is super yummy regardless!
This recipe is so amazing I’ve already made it twice! This will be my go to for carrot cake anything in the future. The walnuts are a must – they give the cake the perfect bite. I’ve made this both in 6” and 8” pans and both turned out without fail. Made the cake as instructed no changes but for the frosting I first browned the butter – this is an obsession of mine, I just can’t get enough of that toffee nutty note it creates. I also omitted the sour cream – I’m sure it would give it a nice tang but it’s not an ingredient i keep in the house. Also I have made this frosting (with browned butter both times) with light brown sugar the first time and dark brown sugar the second time. Both turned out amazing but not surprisingly the dark sugar frosting had a more robust flavor.
Thank you for trying the recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Adding the brown butter is a nice touch! :)
Hi. Could I use 9” pans and if so will it be better 2 layer or 3 layer. Also would the cooking time be reduced to 30-35 minutes? Unfortunately I don’t have 6/8” pans and would like to try your recipe, it looks delicious.
You can bake it using three 9-inch cake pans. The layers will be a bit thinner than what is photographed in the post. Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
You could also bake it in two 9-inch cake pans for about 35 minutes.
Terrific recipe!!! It never fails!
That’s wonderful to hear! Thanks for trying the recipe!