“Moist, tender 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 from start to finish!

My grandma Barb get lots of food requests from people. Folks around town knows 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 shoe box 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!

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 moms 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 beautifully natural orange color.

To Add Pineapples and Nuts To Carrot Cake or Not?

Pineapples and nuts are popular additions for 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’ how you get down then have at it!

Here is the frosting I used! It’s my favorite cream cheese frosting because it tastes like cheesecake!

I hope you enjoy this carrot cake recipe and much as everyone else does!!

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4.76 from 29 votes

Grandma Barb's Easy, Moist Carrot Cake

A classic carrot cake recipe that moist, easy and fresh carrots and cream cheese frosting.

Course cake

Cuisine American

Keyword award winning, best, buttermilk, cake, carrot cake, carrots, cinnamon, easter cake, easy, ingredients, moist, old fashioned, pineapple juice, puree, recipe, simple, southern, spice

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Servings 16 servings

Author Divas Can Cook

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups carrots grated see note
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
• 1 cup buttermilk
• GET CREAM CHEESE FROSTING RECIPE

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

CARROTS: I grate my carrots in 3 different textures. I use the smallest three holes on my grater so that I have 1 cup that is regular shreds, 1 cup that is finely shredded and 1/2 cup that is like carrot pulp. I use about 3-4 extra large carrots total.

Want it Gluten-FREE Carrot Cake? Check out this recipe!

Ever had Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies? So good!!!