Super Moist Carrot Cake

I bet you already have your best carrot cake recipe that you treasure.

I also have two favorite carrot cakes that I make a lot: this vintage carrot pineapple cake and the ginger carrot cake that is to die for.

Still, I think you can add this moist cake to your list.

About this recipe

This recipe today is a favorite cake for birthdays and Easter around here that gets made often.

• Very moist: it has an apple in the batter that adds moisture as well as some sharpness and sweetness.
• Make it any shape you want: in a tube pan, round layers, sheet cake, cupcakes, or loaves – it’s very adaptable.
• Fresh and moist: When you bake a carrot cake from scratch, you can control the quality and freshness of the ingredients you use. Freshly grated carrots and high-quality flour, sugar, and spices can make a big difference in the taste and texture of the cake.
• Ingredients: baking a carrot cake from scratch can be cost-effective because you can buy ingredients in bulk and use them for multiple recipes. And also know the quality of ingredients you use, fresher with no preservatives.
  

Ingredient list

• Carrots: you can peel them or not. I recommend grating them with a large-holed grater and at the last moment. That way they retain the moisture better and don't become soggy. Beware of using a small-holed microplane grater as the carrot tends to clump and not integrate well in the batter.
• Apple: Granny Smith (green ones) is my first choice because it adds acidity, but any baking apple works well. Use it finely chopped by hand or grated with a large-holed grater.
• Spices: they're used ground. Make sure they haven't expired so they have more flavor.
• Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper. 
• Sugar: both granulated white sugar and brown sugar (light or dark) are used for this recipe.
• Unsalted butter.
• Eggs: large, fresh.
• Milk: it's a small amount so you can use whole milk, reduced-fat, or even almond milk.
• Flour: all-purpose flour and cake flour, both work.
• Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
• Baking soda and baking powder: both act as leaveners to make the cake rise in the oven, so make sure they're not expired.

Variations & substitutions

• Spices: my favorite combination is cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice, but I know a lot of people like cloves. You can also use just one or two. Any combination that you already love is fine. So adjust to your preference or to what you have available. 
• Nuts: add some chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter, about ½ cup, or sprinkle on top of the batter before baking.
• Pan sizes: for years (when I had a Cafe) I made this cake in a tube pan or individual loaves (2 large ones per recipe). You can also make cupcakes.

How to make carrot cake

This cake seems much more laborious than it is.

• Mixing: the best way is to use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric mixer with a large bowl because it's a dense cake and a pretty large amount of cake batter.
• Sifted dry ingredients: don't skip this step, especially when you use baking soda which might sometimes clump together during storage, and will not dissolve during baking.

Creaming: beat the butter with the sugar until light and airy. Then add the eggs. The batter will be quite smooth and thick before you add the spices.

Carrots and apple: don't be tempted to grate them with a fine-holed grater as they tend to release too much liquid and tend to clump, and the texture will not be the right one. Use a coarse grater (large holes) or a food processor to shred them.

Baking the cake: the best way to make layer cakes is baking each layer in a separate pan. They will bake faster and more evenly. See how many pans your oven holds and stick to that. Mine for example holds two 8-inch round pans or three 7-inch pans.

When is the cake done? When a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven. Place on a wire rack and let cool completely.

Vintage Kitchen tip: this is a moist batter with lots of add-ins, so I don't recommend baking just one layer and then splitting it as it might not bake well in the middle.

Cream cheese frosting

It's the perfect one for carrot cake. Period. Who would dare think of carrot cake without that heavenly cream cheese frosting, right?!

So that's what we filled and frosted it with, the same way we do with our fabulous hummingbird cake.

Easy to make, it keeps for weeks in the fridge, and I've yet to meet someone that doesn't love it.

Offset spatula: I find this little utensil the best for spreading fillings, frostings, and batters. I use this offset spatula from Ateco and highly recommend it.

Storing

• Keep the layers refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for a month, well wrapped of course. I use plastic wrap first and then aluminum foil if using the freezer.
• It's always a good idea to fill and frost layers that are cold. It's easier and there's less chance of the cake falling or breaking. 
• Assembled cake: keep it in the refrigerator, well covered to prevent dryness. This is important because the apple in the batter will start to ferment if left at room temperature for a few days. Trust me on this one.

Maple Walnut (or Pecan) Carrot Cake

This is a variation I make sometimes but with pecans more than walnuts. It's a more sophisticated cake, perfect for celebrations.

The layers are filled with a drizzle of maple syrup (flavor and moistness) and chopped nuts (crunch) in addition to the cream cheese frosting. So much flavor and richness!

And served with an extra drizzle of maple syrup. OMG, it's unreal how good it is. It has a smoky undertone that is out of this world.