Classic Carrot Cake Recipe with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
Happy Monday!! Easter is just around the corner and a classic carrot cake recipe is a must. I love carrot cake but it’s hard to find a recipe that hits just that spot. especially one that my entire family will enjoy too. These carrot cake cupcakes were my favorite for a long time until the rest of the family declared they are not fans of pineapples in their carrot cakes. What?? Seriously people? So I went on the hunt for another carrot cake recipe and I think I found one that we will all love.
This classic carrot cake recipe is everything you want your slice of carrot cake to be. It’s moist…like seriously moist, filled with spices that warms the cockles (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, you know!), dense with carrots, walnuts and bursting with orange zest for a citrus flavor. It is seriously aย cake to contend with.ย It gets even better when frosted with a ginger cream cheese frosting. The traditional cream cheese frosting is OK but when infused with freshly grated ginger, it is AMAZING. I just wanted to drink the frosting by itself.
So my friends if you are looking for a solid carrot cake recipe, this is it for you! Whether you have one that you swear by, I urge you to try this and be prepared to love it like I did. Of course if you are like me and still like some pineapple chunks in your carrot cake (or raisins…to each their own), feel free to add them to this recipe. Make it your own and what your family will enjoy. After all, it’s all about the feeding the people you love!
Classic Carrot Cake with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For Cake:
- 2 ยฝ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ยผ teaspoon ground allspice
- ยผ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 1 ยฝ cups granulated sugar
- ยฝ cup light brown sugar
- 1 ยผ cups vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- ยฝ cup applesauce
- freshly grated zest of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
- ยพ cup chopped walnuts (toasted)
For Frosting:
- 2 8-ounce cream cheese packages, at room temperature
- ยฝ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 4-inch piece ginger, grated
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Notes
Adapted from FNM
Another wonderful cake! I don’t think I’ve ever actually made a carrot cake before and I am going to have to fix that immediately! Thanks for the inspiration ๐
What? Yeah you need to fix that ๐
What a perfect carrot cake, love the frosting!
Thanks!!
What a perfect cake! I love this! It looks just divine!
You’ve done it again — another beautiful cake! I love carrot cake, and I can tell how moist this is just by looking at it. And the ginger in the frosting sounds incredible! Pinned. ๐
hahha thanks Marcie!!
Love that you put ginger in the frosting! A kick of fresh ginger is one of my favorites. So pretty, too!
Z, I LOVE this cake!!!! Carrot cake is one of my faves. . and it’s funny, I never associated carrot cake with Easter until I became a food blogger!!! but makes perfect sense! I LOVE how you frosted this cake, gorgeous!!!! you are seriously the cake queen these days!!! wow!!!
Right? It’s like bloggers tell you when to eat things. I always thought coconut was year round..in my world at least it is but it’s mostly a spring flavor in the blogger world!
You are so right. It is hard to find the best carrot cake but you may have succeeded. This is absolutely fantastic my dear.
Thanks girl!
You are killing it with the layered cakes. Z! This one is another showstopper! So pretty and I love the ginger cream cheese frosting!
Thanks Kelly!! I do love making layer cakes ๐
Ginger cream cheese frosting sounds amazing! This is one mean carrot cake. I feel my pants getting tighter just looking at it. It looks incredible, Zainab!
Hahha the pants are always the limiting factor :p
Loving all of your layer cakes recently!
Thanks Meghan!!
Girl, you are on a layer cake ROLL! Carrot cake is my favorite and that ginger cream cheese frosting definitely has me swooning!
I didn’t even realize I posted two layer cakes in a row! I must be in love this week ๐
I’m totally craving carrot cake now! It’s been so long. Love the sound of ginger cream frosting. Looks delectable!
Have a great week!
Thanks Melanie! Hope you have a great week too ๐