Carrot Cake Layered Cream Cheese (Printable)
Moist spiced carrot cake layered with rich, tangy cream cheese frosting and optional nuts and pineapple.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Carrot Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
09 - 1 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
11 - 1 cup vegetable oil
12 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
13 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
14 - 3 cups finely grated carrots
15 - 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
16 - 3/4 cup raisins
17 - 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
→ For the Cream Cheese Frosting
18 - 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
19 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
20 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
21 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
22 - Pinch of salt
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Fold in grated carrots, nuts, raisins, and pineapple until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
08 - In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, beating until light and fluffy.
09 - Level cake layers if needed. Place one layer on a serving plate, spread with frosting. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost top and sides of cake evenly.
10 - Decorate with extra chopped nuts or carrot curls if desired. Chill for at least 30 minutes before slicing to set the frosting.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The perfect balance of warm spices and tangy frosting feels like comfort in cake form
- Moist, tender layers that stay fresh for days making it ideal for make-ahead celebrations
- Crowd pleasing nostalgia that somehow tastes even better than you remember
02 -
- Cold ingredients in the frosting will create lumps that you cant fix, so patience with softening is non-negotiable
- Overmixing the batter creates a tough, rubbery cake so stop as soon as you see no dry flour
- Wait until the cakes are completely cool or the frosting will melt right off and slide everywhere
03 -
- Grate your carrots by hand rather than using food processor shreds for better texture
- Line your cake pans with parchment rounds every single time for guaranteed easy removal