Single Layer Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Sweet, spiced, and positively loaded with carrots: this easy single layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting delivers on a spring classic in smaller proportions.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword carrot cake, cream cheese frosting, easter, easy, spring
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour5 minutesminutes
Servings 8slices (1 8-inch or 9-inch round cake)
Author katiebirdbakes.com
Equipment
1 8-inch / 9-inch round or square cake pan (or see notes for 6-inch cake pan instructions)
Electric mixer (optional, for cream cheese frosting)
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake:
1cup (125g)all-purpose flour(measured via spoon and level method)
1/2teaspoonbaking powder
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
1/2teaspoonsalt
1teaspooncinnamon
1/4teaspoonnutmeg
Pinchground ginger and/or ground cloves(optional)
1/2cup (113g)unsalted butter(8 Tablespoons)
3/4cup (150g)brown sugar(packed)
2largeeggs(room temperature preferable)
2cups (165g)grated carrots(from 2-3 large carrots)*
1/2cup (26g)unsweetened shredded coconut(optional - see notes for other add-ins)
Extra grated carrots and/or chopped walnuts or pecans, for decoration(optional)
Instructions
For the Carrot Cake:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch round or square, 9-inch round, or 6-inch** round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, to give extra insurance that the cake will come out cleanly. Just trace the bottom of the pan on a sheet of parchment paper and cut it out, then place inside the pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
In a large microwave-safe bowl (I use a large glass bowl), or on the stove, melt the butter. Let it sit for a couple minutes to cool, then whisk in the brown sugar, followed by the eggs one at a time, until combined and smooth.
Dump the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir together until well-combined and no lumps remain.
Fold in the carrots and shredded coconut until evenly distributed.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the surface, and bake for 28-32 minutes if using a 9-inch round pan, or 32-34 minutes if using an 8-inch round or square pan, until cake springs back when touched and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. (**See notes for 6-inch cake instructions).
Let cake cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert the pan onto the rack to release the cake, remove the parchment from the bottom, and flip back right side up onto a cake plate. Let cake cool while you prepare the frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large bowl using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter at high speed until pale and very fluffy - this should take 2-3 minutes. You want to incorporate as much air as possible into the mixture to make it light and fluffy.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat at medium to high speed until fully combined and light.
Spread cooled cake with cream cheese frosting. It should make a thick layer, and can be swirled in pretty patterns with an offset spatula (I like this one).
Decorate the outer edges of cake with additional grated carrots and chopped walnuts or pecans if desired. Serve!
Video
Notes
Storage: Frosted cake will keep, well-wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. I like to microwave leftover pieces of cake on 50% power for 20 seconds to reheat. You can also freeze slices for up to 3 months in containers, or freeze the entire cake for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Unfrosted cake will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, and can be refrigerated up to a week or frozen up to 3 months.*I recommend grating the carrots by hand using a box grater, which doesn't very long since you only need 2-3 large carrots to get 2 cups worth of grated carrots. You can also grate them in a food processor, but make sure they are very finely grated or they may not soften enough as the cake bakes. Pre-shredded carrots are too thick and dry and will not soften correctly!**6-inch cake instructions: cut the entire recipe in half for a single layer 6-inch carrot cake, or bake full recipe in two 6-inch pans and make a layer cake. Bake 6-inch pans for 18-21 minutes at 350 degrees F.Substitutions:
Add-ins: I used shredded coconut here but you could also use raisins or chopped nuts instead. I would not recommend using crushed pineapple as this is already a moist cake and I think it would be too much.
Butter: you can use a neutral-flavored oil in place of the melted butter.
Make a carrot coffee cake instead: I made this for Easter and it was fantastic! Instead of making the frosting, before baking the cake, mix together a crumble and sprinkle evenly on top of the cake batter: 2 tbsp (28g) melted butter, 2 tbsp (25g) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup (23g) old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/2 cup (56g) chopped nuts, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, pinch of salt. Bake as directed.