“Carrot cake recipe made from scratch the way grandma makes it! Full of carrots and perfectly spiced! This is the carrot cake that people pay her to make!”
Watch me make Grandma Barb’s Moist & Easy Carrot Cake recipe from start to finish!
The Chit Chat
My grandma Barb gets lots of food requests from people. Folks around town know that if they want something done right, with that old-fashioned flavor then she is the woman for the job!
Whenever somebody asks her to make them something, she smiles and laughs her lil signature laugh before saying, “Oh now listen! You probably could make it yourself, it’s really easy!”
She then proceeds to tell them how to make it. Of course, she always ends up making it for them. She seriously can’t resist a mouth to feed.
I’ve been hooked to my sister’s carrot cake for a long time but I’ve been craving my grandma Barb’s old-fashioned carrot cake lately. I pulled out the unorganized, food-stained, overstuffed shoebox that I keep of all of her recipes in and prepared for the long search.
I swear I could create a food bible with the number of recipes I have from her. As soon as I opened it there was the carrot cake recipe! Right in the front as if it knew I was coming for it!
The BEST Carrot Cake Ever
This moist carrot cake recipe I’m sharing with you today is one of my grandma Barb’s most requested carrot cake recipes. She gave this to me a long time ago and I haven’t made it in years.
After that first bite, all those happy Easter childhood memories started flooding back in! My mom’s elaborate Easter egg hunts in the front yard, me in my pink and white Easter dress, (I always requested a pink and white dress with white patent leather shoes), and seeing this beautiful carrot cake on a glass cake stand. Just waiting to be devoured after a huge Easter dinner.
For some reason, I only remember having Grandma Barb’s carrot cake around Easter time. We had a lot of once of year recipes growing up. I think that’s what made things so special.
This moist and easy carrot cake recipe is …AMAZING!!! The texture is so moist and tender, it just melts in your mouth! I love how balanced the cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg is.
I can’t tell you how many carrot cakes I’ve had that pretty much just tasted like a plain spice cake. This carrot cake recipe is loaded with CARROTS!!! Shredded carrots and pureed carrots. It gives the cake such a great texture and beautiful natural orange color. Use a food processor to puree some of the carrots.
What makes this carrot cake so delicious?
This carrot cake uses oil instead of butter. Don’t let that scare you! As much as I love butter in cakes, the oil creates a texture that will stay moist for days. Buttermilk also makes an appearance in the epic carrot cake! It will lend us the creamy dairy that we need, not to mention give the cake the best crumb ever! This carrot cake also uses shredded carrots and pureed carrots. The pureed carrots help to give the batter a beautiful natural orange color and you guessed it, a moister crumb. All of this, paired with teaspoons of warm spices creates an unforgettable carrot cake!
And if that wasn’t enough, it’s frosted with layers of cream cheese frosting made with cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla extract.
The History of Carrot Cake
I often wonder how certain foods came about. Especially when they are so doggone delicious! According to bakerpedia.com, carrot cake hails from England and was created by housewives during WWII. They started getting into using naturally sweetened things to sweeten up their cakes and carrots was a great option. Far from healthy though, but hey, I’m right there with them. If it has vegetables it’s good for ya! The first carrot cake recipe was published in 1943 and became popular in the US in 1980.
Carrot Cake Ingredients
- vegetable oil or canola oil- gives carrot cake its moist texture, allowing it to stay soft for many days.
- granulated sugar- add sweetness
- brown sugar- adds sweetness and flavor
- large eggs, room temperature- help bind and leaven the cake
- vanilla extract- enhances the flavor
- Grated carrots- add sweetness and natural color
- all-purpose flour- Creates a soft texture and base
- baking soda- works as a leavening
- salt-works as a leaving
- cinnamon-adds flavor
- nutmeg-adds flavor
- ground clove-Adds flavor
- buttermilk-Adds flavor and moisture
How To Make To Make The Best Carrot Cake Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together oil, sugar, and brown sugar with a mixer.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla extract medium-low speed
- Stir in carrots using a rubber spatula. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Set flour mixture aside.
- At medium speed, gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk until well combined.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Baked for 15-18 minutes or until moist crumbs cling to a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake. Do not overbake. The cake will continue cooking as it cools.
- Place cakes on cooling racks to cool.
- Once cooled enough to handle, remove the cake from the pans.
- Frost the cake layers with cream cheese frosting and top with pecans (if desired)
To Add Pineapples and Nuts To Carrot Cake or Not?
Crushed pineapple and nuts like pecans or walnuts are popular additions to carrot cake! You may have noticed on Divas Can Cook that I’m not a fan of adding things like nuts, raisins, and things to my cakes. I’m weird when it comes to textures but if that’s how you get down then have at it! Pineapples, nuts, raisins are all popular carrot cake additions!
Here is the frosting I used! It’s my favorite cream cheese frosting because it tastes like cheesecake!
FAQs
Is carrot cake healthy? Because traditional carrot cake has substantial sugar, fat and white flour is not considered a healthy cake. However, carrots are healthy and there are ways to make traditional carrot cake healthier if desired. Such as replacing the oil with applesauce, using a healthier flour blend, and decreasing the sugar.
I hope you enjoy this carrot cake recipe as much as everyone else does!!
Grandma Barb's Easy, Moist Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups carrots grated see note
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground clove
- 1 cup buttermilk
- GET CREAM CHEESE FROSTING RECIPE
- Pecans for garnishing (if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Grease and flour 3 round cake pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl cream together oil, sugar, and brown sugar.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla extract.
- Fold in carrots. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk until well combined.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Baked for 15-18 minutes or until moist crumbs cling to a toothpick inserted into the center. Do not over bake. The cake will continue cooking as it cools.
- Once cooled frost with cream cheese frosting and top with pecans (if desired)
Video
Notes
Want it Gluten-FREE Carrot Cake? Check out this recipe!
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ever had Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies? So good!!!
Grandma Carrot cake recipe was the best!
This is my second time making this cake and it taste better and better!. I was gifted 5 lbs of carrots and my husband hates carrots and I barely eat them. I specifically went straight to your website for a carrot cake recipe. At first, I was thinking: so much carrots in a cake, but, like always, I trusted the process and I was not disappointed. So moist!. The only ingredients I omitted was the nutmeg, because I’m allergic to nutmeg.
Congratulations on your cookbook!!!
I made into muffins using coconut milk instead of buttermilk and will ice some with plain lemon icing to make a truely dairy free option. The rest will be cream cheese frosting.
I doubled the mixture and made 24 muffins and a cake.
Hi I love this cake! Thank you for sharing I did the cupcake version! Or the cakes what size cake pan did you use? 8″ or 9″?
Thank you again for sharing! The best & everyone devours every time!
EXCELLENT RECIPE, I PLANNING MY THANKSGIVING DESSERTS THIS IS ON THE LIST, THANK YOU
Thank you Monique, and your grandma Barb. This is the best carrot cake; very light, just the right spices, moist. I have another recipe I’ve made for years, but this one has changed my mind on what a carrot cake should be. So delicious!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Monique, and your grandma Barb. This is the best carrot cake; very light, just the right spices, moist. I have another recipe I’ve made for years, but this one has changed my mind on what a carrot cake should be. So delicious!!!
This recipe looks amazing! I’ll be making this for Easter! Could you please let me know are the round cake pans 8 inch or 9 inch rounds? Thank you!
Did you try making it? I’m wondering the same if it’s better 8 or 9 inch?
I have baked this carrot cake three times! Thanks “Divas can Cook”!
I could not find the size pan to use, only said 3. I had 3 9″ but think it would have done much better in 2 8″ but would have taken longer to bake and took 21-22 minutes. Batter was more liquid than any I’ve ever worked with so to say I was skeptical at this point is the least. Surprisingly it did bake but the layers were very moist and not easy to handle. In looking at other recipes for comparison, the big difference was the cup of buttermilk which others did not contain. Tastes good and will probably taste better tomorrow after carrots age but not sure if I’d use this recipe again.
Made this for a friend found on YouTube. First time making carrot cake. Best carrot cake I’ve ever had. My friends loved it. It’s the new favorite!
Tried the recipe today. Flavour was 10/10 but the only thing I did not like was how dense the cake was, wish it was more airy and fluffy.
Would this recipe work for mini Bundt cakes?
Divascancook.com, I baked this carrot cake. It was a hit! I put plenty of cream cheese frosting on top, and between the layers! I am very pleased with this cake! Thanks for sharing!!
Pamela!!
How long do I cook it in a 9×13 pan. Do I have to change any of the ingredients?
I make it in a 9 x 13 and I bake it for 35-40 minutes. You might need a little longer depending on your oven.
I’ve cooked it in that length of a pan and I cooked it for about 25-35min(I’d start with 25 and then go from there and check on the cake every 5min at the 25 mark if it’s not done.). Basically you check until the middle of the cake looks like it’s baked. And like she said when you put the toothpick in the middle of the cake and it comes out with moist crumbs.
Thank you for this delicious recipe – entire family loves it!! ❤️❤️ Thank you for posting
Hi. Can I cut down on the baking soda? I’m scared since where I live the baking soda may over power the whole cake. Would it be ok to sub it for 11/4 baking powder and 3/4 baking soda?
As in its really strong here. Also my bad I meant 1 1/4.
Can I use avocado oil instead of vegetable oil?
hi can i please download the video of the cake please,
Oh My Gosh !!! I lost my Carrot Cake Recipe and needed a new one fast, so I got this off the Diva web site because it is the best most reliable website for the best recipes, and this Cake was “OVER THE MOON” !!!!! I didn’t need frosting, once I got a taste out of the Pan, I just kept going. I almost tasted like Pumpkin to me but who cares it was awesome, I don’t ever review, but thought this one deserved a review, it was mega good !!!
how can i make the ingredients in to half?
Carrot cake is my husband’s favorite. It was even his groom cake at our wedding. I made this today for Father’s Day. It was absolutely incredible! So moist and the flavors! OMG! Just absolutely deliciousness.
Great recipe! I’ve been trying a few carrot cake recipes, and this one stands out the best…moisty & carrot-filled!
Do you have a recipe for a carrot cake loaf also? This ones amazing by the way! ❤️
Omg this carrot cake is nothing short of amazing ! Just love it ! It’s so good that my son asked me to make it for his grooms cake! Grandma Barbs cake is so moist and fantabulous., I just substituted 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple in place of the 1/2 cup of the shredded carrots and substituted 1/4 cup of oil with applesauce. Not that it’s not perfect as it is I just like pineapple in mine. Thanks Monique for sharing your awesome recipes.
This carrot cake sounds delicious. How long would you cook it in a 9×13 pan.
this is one of my favorite recipes. it always turns out great and my family/friends love it! thank you so much for a great recipe!
Looking for the best carrot cake ever to bake for this Christmas and i stumbled on your grandmas recipes by you. Out of all the recipes that Popped up, i was glued to your grandmas. Am glad i went through it and i will be trying it on the 23rd. I hope to get the satisfaction others are testifying about. Thank you Monique
Thank you so much for the recipe. Would you please advise what size pans you used?.
If i only have one round cake pan. Should I cut the recipie in thirds and mix and bake each layer separately or do you think I can mix up the entire recipie at the same time and let the mixture sit and wait while cooking each layer in the one pan that I have???
I replaced buttermilk using milk and cream of tartar but used everything else following the recipe. The mixture was very watery and looked that it was not necessary. The result was sticky and nothing like carrot “cake” texture I expected.
Oh wow! I have no idea what could have went wrong there. Never had that happen before.
I made this recipe for thanksgiving and it was out of this world!!! I highly recommend it!
I also added toasted pecans to it right before baking.
Made it today. Tastes absolutely delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
I really want to try so many of your recipes can we please have them in grams. I have made some with success i.e lemon pound cake and this using online conversions but would be way easier if we had them from your website to ensure accuracy. BTW its not just your recipes i love, me and my mom love your tone of voice and love watching your videos! Thankyou for the best recipes ever! and also for my appreciation and love for buttermilk 🙂
Very moist and flavorful cake. Three different sized carrot shreds lend to a great texture. I used equal amount of butter instead of oil and made my own buttermilk with fresh squeezed lemon juice and heavy cream. Also, I used 2T lebkuchengewürz homemade spice mix instead of spices in recipe. Baked in two 9” round heavy aluminum cake pans. Go with the frosting in this recipe. It’s excellent! My husbands favorite cake is carrot cake and he said this is the best he’s eaten. I don’t like pineapple or nuts in a cake so just added rum-soaked raisins in batter and toasted, salted pecans to top the frosting. Thanks for sharing a great family recipe.
Would it be possible to get your delicious looking carrot cake recipe in grams?? I would love to make your Grandma’s perfectly moist and crumbly carrot cake but hate that I’m not familiar with ‘cups’ measurement. It’d be so helpful to calculate and follow your recipe in grams!! Pls share your recipe in grams! Thanks, Monique:)
I have used a conversion chart that can find on Pintrest to convert from grams to cups and it worked great. Just do a search for it. Hope this helps.
What size were the round cake pans that you used?
Wondering this as well!
OMG, yaaaaas Queen.lol. So delicious! I added all spice, substituted oil with butter, and added pecans. I also made cupcakes instead of cake. Grandma recipe is bomb, thanks for sharing!
We made this carrot cake, and your cream cheese frosting today for our family lunch. It was a HIT! I loved it. Thank you for sharing Grandma Barb’s recipe with the world.
We made this today for our family lunch. It was a HIT! Thank you for sharing this amazingly moist and delicious carrot cake recipe. I think we would have made Grandma Barb proud.
Can this recipe be made into cupcakes?
It sure can!
As I read your story, I was reminded of when I used my mom’s recipe box and wanted to tell you. As a surprise, I “borrowed” my mom’s box so I could sort through it and make a recipe book using an on line company. It took me several months to type out the recipes, and look online for a photo to go with each recipe. I found some old family photos to add intermittently throughout the book, and I wrote a story like yours at the beginning of the book. I even put a page glossary in the back. There are so many websites now, but I used blurb for mine. Just an idea for you. My mom loved it.
No need to use baking powder?
When I tell you this carrot cake is so BOMB!!!!! Whenever my mom makes it I get so happy! The cake is very moist and delicious and the texture is perfect.
This has been my favorite carrot cake recipe for a couple of years now. I made this today for a Christmas dinner tomorrow, can’t wait to share this beautiful recipe, it turned out amazing. Thank you for this recipe.
This cake came out perfect! I used walnuts and pecans and made my own recipe of cheese cream frosting. Thanks!
Greetings Monique! Im so excited to stumble across your video on YOUTUBE which lead me here! I was looking for a carrot cake to make FROM SCATCH as usual because I did my first banana pudding cake from scatch just a week ago.FIRST TIMER and killed it! lol (scratch is the best in my opinon lol)…So your video was AWESOME and looked delish! And was the perfect carrot cake I love baking so much more now , but when i bake from scatch it puts just a little more love in it! So I will be trying YOUR recipe on tommorow for the first time! Hopefully its as good as your Grandmothers or atleast right up under it! WISH ME LUCK! THANK YOU!
What buttermilk do you use? And where do you get it from?
Okay…. never in my life have I ever liked carrot cake like ever. When i saw this video the part where you smash the cake with the fork and it was so crumbly and moist my mouth literally salivated so I made it. Had everything on hand and girl… this recipe is by far THE BEST carrot cake recipe in the world!!! Ive made this SEVEN x since mid october… today is Nov 30. Jeesus! Love this recipe so much!!! My husband loves it too and as soon as we finish the last peice immediately he runs out to get carrots for me to start another batch!
This is the best carrot cake ever!!! Just follow the instructions for a perfect cake.
hiw much pineapple, raisins and walnuts do i put if i want to add them?
This was by far the best carrot cake I’ve ever eaten and made! It was super easy. People kept asking for more.
Thank you for sharing the recipes.
They are simple and easy to folloe.
i will try out the carrot and velvet cakes this week. My daughter turns 31 on the 1st and i just want to surprise her with these.
Hello this recepi looks amazing. Im from belgium and we use grams here. Could you send me the recipe in grams so i can try it out. Lots of love xoxo Meryem
Hi I have tried this cake about 5 times but the cake never bakes through. I leave it till a tooth pick comes out clean but still when I cut the cake it is not baked through. What am I doing wrong I follow the recipe as is. Please let me know.
OMG!! This is THE BEST Carrot Cake I’ve ever made. My husband who refuses to eat anyone other than his mother’s carrot cake, LOVED this cake!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Amazing!!! Carrot cake is my favourite ever! I tried your recipe for my birthday and everyone enjoyed it! Thanks.
I just baked this cake today on a whim. And OMGOSH so delicious and moist it was like pudding. I didn’t make the frosting but next time I will. Thank you Grandma Barb
OMG, I made this cake on Saturday 6/2 for my nieces birthday and was a hit! It was so soft and moist, Thanks for sharing your grandmother’s recipe.
Made this carrot cake was lovely and moist whole family enjoyed it another way to get kids that had carrot in to them I
I made the carrot cake for mother day on May 13,2018 and it came out just like yours .everyone loved it.i took a picture of it put I deleted it .i will make it again
Let me tell you this was out of this world delicious! Not dry at all and dense enough not to crumble and fall apart.
I had lots of frosting leftover so I froze it. I made two layers, not three. Delicious! my husband and I both attacked it.
I made this recipe, as well as the gluten free one. Very good cake! I was drawn to this recipe because it didn’t have a crazy amount of sugar and oil as many other recipes I looked at did. But still plenty moist. I added walnuts, coconut, and raisins, because to me that seemed like the right way to have carrot cake!
I made this cake yesterday for Easter Dinner and it was absolutely the most delicious carrot cake I’ve ever made or tasted. Thank you for sharing!
I want to thank you for sharing your Grandma Barb’s carrot cake recipe. I made the cake with the frosting and took it to a sewing group that I attend on Tuesdays. I worried that the other none women wouldn’t like carrot cake but that wasn’t the case at all. I got so many compliments about your recipe, it was a total hit with everyone! I even had one lady apologize for NOT taking a piece home because she knew she would have eaten it! Thank you again for the great recipe.
Lovely, I will try to make it ASAP
Delish, it’s a keeper recipe but took 50 mins to bake in a 9″ springform.
I made this cake and the cream cheese frosting! The best! Thank you so much
I made this carrot cake for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! Thank you Diva!!
I made this cake last month and will be making it for someone tomorrow. My husband said he loved it, don’t change a thing. Really easy to make.
Monique,
Thanks for blessing us all with your incredible southern cuisine recipes. Southern cuisine embodies love,peace, and happiness all wrapped up in every single bite, and you offer us just that with each recipe that you post. I pray that this is only the beginning of what God has in-store for your food ministry. I pray blessings and favor over you.
God Bless,
Reyneisha
I just made this cake.. AMAZING!!! Thank you for sharing!:)
I do not want to frost this cake, can I bake the entire cake in one pan？What should be its size? Im just starting out with baking. Thanks in advance.
You’ll need a 9×13 inch pan for the amount of batter in this recipe. You’ll need to increase the baking time. I would increase to 25 minutes.. Check with a toothpick and add time if necessary, checking every two minutes. Your toothpick should come outb with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. . Hope that helps!
I’ve been baking for a while.
You don’t have to frost is and yes you can make th whole cake in one pan I just don’t recommend is
Hi Monique. I have just stumbled on your website and I love your recipes. Do to you think I can make this cake in a 9×13 pan ? Can’t wait to try this, looks so easy to make and delicious.
I am trying this recipe and I’ve noticed that the cook time is longer than 18 minutes. Will that mess up the moisture of the cake?
It says 15 to 18 and to not over-bake, “Baked for 15-18 minutes or until moist crumbs cling to a toothpick inserted into the center. Do not over bake. Cake will continue cooking as it cools.”
I want my cake in one pan instead of three different pans,pls suggest me if the baking temprature and time varies in that case?
OMG! I made this cake last night and it came out so delicious!! It was perfect, not a thing I would do differently except maybe add raisins next time.
Hi,hun,can I use 1/2 grated apple with the carrots?And maybe a tiny miny,just a punch of a cinamonin it?Thanks,tomorrow will make it for my lil one
I really need the measurement in grams … pls help me out with this … i really want to bake this cake
I must be blind. Sorry I see the 3 eggs now. 🙂
Just wondering about the eggs. How many do you use?
Can I add more regular sugar and avoid the brown sugar??? Will it affect the texture?????
What size pans are being used?
I made this for Easter and it was such a huge hit my mom wants me to make cupcakes for her small wedding reception with his recipe! Have any clue how long I should cook the cupcake at?
Hi, recipe looks good. May I know how many inch of baking pan u are using?
Thanks
Monique!!!!! I couldn’t decide which recipe of yours to try for a coworkers birthday. I decided to try this one and let me tell you…..it was gone literally in minutes. Everyone LOVED it . The cake is moist and flavorful and the icing is PERFECTION. I will definitely be making this again and again. Btw, this was the first time I’ve ever made a 3 layer cake!!!!
What a treasure for you to share, Monique.
Thank you for the recipe and the story that goes with it.
I made this cake( it was awesome)…husband love it!!!
Gurl!! I have been looking for the “perfect” moist carrot cake recipe!! My mouth watered like crazy when you cut into this cake!! OMG!! Thanks so much for sharing. I am going to make this cake on Friday.
Gurl!!! I have been looking for the “perfect” moist carrot cake recipe!! I can’taste wait to make this on Friday!!
This is one hell of a carrot cake! What a fantastic recipe, grandma Barb is a true genius! And obviously, so are you. Carrot cake is my favourite cake EVER and I have never seen one that looks as delicious as this one. I will definitely trying out this recipe soon- thanks for shring it! Keep up the good work hun, both your blog and cooking channel are INCREDIBLE!
Just had a report from family on the carrot cake I made for Easter. My husband and I had to leave before we were able to taste it, but I was told “the carrot cake is amazing…Dad is working on his third piece.” I think it’s a hit!
This cake looks delicious. I love your enthusiasm!
Thanks so much!
Monique, do you know exactly how many cupcakes this recipe will make?
Monique, this cake is amazing! I made it on Friday and let’s just say the cake was going on Saturday morning!!!!!
Monique, this cake is amazing! I made it on Friday and let’s just say the cake was GONE on Saturday morning!!!!!
Finally!!!! a carrot cake recipe without pineapple in it (Im allergic). Thank you.
5 stars
I baked this cake last night and it came out perfect! This is my dad’s favorite cake and with his birthday being this weekend, her video could not have came at a better time. It was simple, easy and quick yall. I love her recipes.
I like this recipe. I would like to add rasins, pecan, and coconut, what measurement changes would you suggest when adding those ingredients?
I would suggest finding a recipe that includes those ingredients. There are many lovely recipes that include them. Once you add those ingredients (which is how I make carrot cake btw) it will no longer be her Gran’s Carrot Cake.
I will be making this eill let you jnow how much.