Cakes/ Desserts/ Easter/ Holiday Food

Cinnamon Carrot Cake

An easy homemade Cinnamon Carrot Cake recipe for a super moist cake made from scratch. This traditional carrot cake is tender and perfectly spiced, with balanced sweetness.  This southern carrot cake recipe is sinfully delicious.

Classic Carrot Cake - A moist carrot cake recipe with incredible sweet carrot flavor with spices. A traditional Easter dessert.

This is our best-ever carrot cake recipe.  Make this classic favorite for a crowd and you might not have any leftovers to bring home.  The cake is full of flavor and moist without being mushy.  This cake is so delicious that frosting is optional.

Cinnamon Carrot Cake - Swankyrecipes

Traditionally, carrot cake is baked in the spring with holidays like Easter.  However, carrot cake is enjoyed year round in the south.  When my favorite little shop in the French Quarter was out of carrot cake on a busy weekend, I knew I had to whip up my own version to satisfy my sweet tooth.  That is the kind of inspiration behind this cake.  I’ve always wanted to make Petit Fours and this recipe would be a great start to adapt from.

One of the reasons I love carrot cake so much is because the warm spices pair perfectly with frosting and ice cream.  This carrot cake doesn’t need frosting, in fact, during the summer months I usually like to go light on desserts.  However, adding a nice big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is where it is at!  Yesss, I’ll take the ice cream while it’s still hot outside.

Cinnamon Carrot Cake Recipe

 This cake is perfectly spiced, light and moist.  The thing I really love about this recipe is how easy it is to make.  The last thing I want to do in summer in the south is bake a cake that requires a lot of work.  This cake — doesn’t require a lot of work, it’s great to toss in the oven with dinner.

This recipe has everything I look for in a good cake.  It’s moist, has great texture and has a wonderful balance of sweetness and spices.

Cinnamon Carrot Cake Recipe

This carrot cake is sinfully delicious.  It has the perfect amount of spice and is fantastically moist and decadent, without being too compact and heavy.

Cinnamon Carrot Cake Slice
Classic Carrot Cake - A moist carrot cake recipe with incredible sweet carrot flavor with spices. A traditional Easter dessert.

Carrot Cake

A moist carrot cake recipe with a wonderful nutty and carrot flavor. A traditional Easter dessert recipe with incredible flavor!
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: carrot cake, Easter dessert
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 289kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 cup grated carrots
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ cup walnuts (chopped, optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Prepare cake pan by greasing it with butter.
  • In a medium bowl fitted with a mixer, combine sugar and eggs.
    Mix on medium/low for 4-5 minutes.
  • Beat in oil, and vanilla extract.
  • Add flour, baking powder and cinnamon and mix for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add thinly shredded carrots and walnuts and stir by hand.
  • Pour in cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until center of cake comes out clean when a toothpick is inserted into the center.
  • Allow cake to cool before removing from pans.

Nutrition

Calories:289kcal | Carbohydrates:54g | Protein:5g | Fat:7g | Saturated Fat:2g | Cholesterol:55mg | Sodium:44mg | Potassium:200mg | Fiber:2g | Sugar:35g | Vitamin A:5425IU | Vitamin C:2mg | Calcium:44mg | Iron:2mg

updated 3/2022

15 Comments

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    Joanne
    07/25/2014 at 1:52 pm

    Is there a typo with the measurement for the baking powder?

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      Jessica Knott
      07/26/2014 at 6:05 pm

      oh my, 1 teaspoon baking powder. Thanks Joanne, I will fix it!

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    cathy
    07/26/2014 at 7:38 am

    This looks amazing! I love carrot cake and adding the cinnamon is a nice touch! Following you now and saying hello from show stopper Saturday!
    Cathy

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    Kelly - LEFT SIDE OF THE TABLE
    07/26/2014 at 8:35 am

    I’m totally a carrot cake girl! I agree, why just have carrot cake around easter? Everyone eats carrots all year round, and the cake is too good to seclude to eating just around Easter. I usually love this cake frosted, but you’ve convinced me it will be great without it!! Such cute little carrots on each slice! Thanks for sharing 🙂

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    nadia
    08/07/2014 at 1:50 pm

    When do you put in the cup of veg. Oil???

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      Jessica Knott
      08/07/2014 at 2:24 pm

      With the eggs, thanks I will add it to directions!

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    Linda S.
    08/14/2014 at 12:40 pm

    Beautiful cake! What size pan did you use? Thanks!

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      Jessica Knott
      08/14/2014 at 6:33 pm

      Hi Linda, 9 inch round cake pan. Have a good weekend!

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    Patty
    09/07/2014 at 1:12 am

    I wonder how do you make those mini cute carrots ?

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    The Better Baker
    04/03/2015 at 12:29 pm

    5 stars
    LOOOOVE carrot cake – yours looks wonderful…love the adorable carrots on top too. Pinned! Thanks for sharing with us at Weekend Potluck.

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    Sapana
    02/27/2016 at 4:07 am

    5 stars
    This looks super delicious. I love the spongy carrot muffins. I am going to try this recipe!

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    Marilyn
    04/04/2021 at 11:50 am

    I was confused with the oil. But figured it out!

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