This single-layer carrot cake is a simple, moist, small carrot cake slathered with nutty, tangy brown butter cream cheese icing. It's a generously spiced one-bowl cake that is great for small gatherings, can be made a couple of days ahead, and can be adapted to bake in various pan sizes!
While carrot cake is traditionally reserved for Easter, this is a cake that I think should be enjoyed all year round!
It's an easy homemade one-layer cake that has all the classic flavors you want in a carrot cake, without the extra effort of making a layer cake. Want to make it even easier? Try these Carrot Cake Blondies!
Cakes in 8" pans ("snack cakes") are underrated. Some of my favorite cake recipes are single layer - like this chocolate snack cake, pecan pie cake, blackberry apple cake, banana cake, coconut cake, and almond fig cake!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
One bowl - this easy carrot cake is made in one bowl with no special tools needed (you can even make the frosting by hand)!
Simple carrot cake - the cake is made with mostly pantry ingredients, but every bite is so flavorful! It has everything you want in a classic carrot cake, with half the effort since it's only one-layer.
Brown butter - this magical ingredient adds a nuttiness to the sweet cream cheese icing that pairs perfectly with the warm spices in the cake. While browning the butter is an optional step, it makes a world of difference!
Adaptable - this recipe has a handful of mix-ins to add based on your taste! There are also instructions on how to make this carrot cake in different pan sizes, including cupcakes!
Ingredients
- Carrots. Shred your own carrots rather than buying store bought shredded carrots. Pre-shredded carrots lose so much moisture (which is key to keeping this recipe moist) and are quite thick.
- Orange juice. This adds a bit of brightness to the cake. Orange juice, grapefruit juice, or pineapple can be used.
- Oil. Rather than butter, oil is used alongside the carrots to keep the cake moist for days.
- Shredded coconut. An optional ingredient, but I love the slightly crunchy contrast and extra flavor it gives the cake.
- Spices. A blend of ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg produce the classic carrot cake flavor profile.
- Unsalted butter. This gets browned until golden brown, then re-solidified to room temperature to use in the cream cheese icing.
- Cream cheese. Use a full-fat block of cream cheese (Philadelphia brand is my favorite) at a very soft room temperature.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add chopped toasted walnuts to the batter and/or on top of the cream cheese icing.
- Add ¼ cup crushed pineapple in place of the orange juice.
- Mix ⅓ cup of raisins into the batter.
- Use normal room-temperature unsalted butter if don't want to brown it.
- Try adding an orange glaze for a citrus-packed version!
How to Grate Carrots for Baking
The easiest way to grate carrots for baking is by using a box grater. This allows for your choice of how fine you'd like to shred the carrots.
You can also grate or shred the carrots by using a food processor the the grating attachment in it, though this lends itself to more clean up.
You can use either a thick or thin shred for this recipe - just be sure it's the correct cup or weight amount listed in the recipe! A thick shred provides a bit more texture to the cake, while the thin shred "melts" into the batter more.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Two: Whisk together the wet ingredients.
Three: Add the dry to the wet and mix to combine.
Four: Add the shredded carrots and coconut (plus any other mix-ins you use).
Five: Fold the carrots and coconut into the batter.
Six: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, bake, and cool completely.
Timing tip! While the cake is in the oven, brown the butter then let it re-solidify to room temperature.
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Cream Cheese Frosting for Carrot Cake
Seven: Mix together room temperature brown butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Eight: Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add milk or cream to loosen the frosting until it's a spreadable consistency.
Nine: Spread the frosting on to the cooled cake.
Ten: Top with toasted walnuts and/or shredded coconut. Slice and serve.
Speckled Egg Frosting Decoration
To make the robin's egg decoration for the cream cheese frosting, add a mix of blue and green food coloring a very small amount at a time and mix in between additions until the desired color is achieved. Spread evenly over the cake.
To make the speckles, add cocoa powder (½ tablespoon) and vanilla extract or vodka (1-2 teaspoons) to a very small bowl and mix to combine. It should be a relatively viscous liquid.
Dip a small, firm bristled paint brush into the mixture, then use the tip of your fingernail to spray the mixture over the frosting to create a speckled robin's egg design. Be sure to place a dish towel or paper towels around your cake to catch the excess splatter.
Baking the Cake in Different Pans
8x8" pan - bake for 25-35 minutes.
9x9" pan - bake for 20-30 minutes. This will produce quite a thin cake.
9" round - bake for 22-28 minutes.
9x13" pan - double the recipe and bake for 25-35 minutes.
Loaf pan (9x5") - bake for 45-60 minutes.
Cupcakes - fill cupcake liners ⅔ full and bake at 350℉ for 25 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Shred the carrots yourself - don't use packaged, pre-shredded carrots (they're dry & thick).
- Only mix the batter until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.
- Cool the cake completely before adding the frosting, otherwise it will melt off.
- Use very soft cream cheese to make frosting so it's not lumpy.
- The recipe makes enough frosting to frost the cake down the sides to make for a more elevated look.
Recipe FAQs
Oh yes! This is one of the most moist cakes you can make thanks to the carrots and oil. If your cake is dry in any capacity, check that you measured the flour correctly and baked at the correct temperature and time.
Absolutely! This cake stays moist for days. Once cooled, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature. Then, whip up the frosting right before you're ready to serve and dress the cake.
Yes, it must be refrigerated due to the dairy in the frosting. Remove the cake (or slice) and allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to one hour before enjoying.
Definitely. Omitting these items will not affect the the bake, so feel free to leave them out if you'd like. Though I highly suggest the coconut!
Either is fine. A thick shred will produce a more textured cake, and a fine shred will "melt" into the cake more.
Storage
Cover the carrot cake as best as possible with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Allow the cake or slices to come to room temperature before eating.
To store the cake before adding the frosting, cover it and store it at room temperature for 2-3 days.
To freeze the cake, cool it completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze it for up to three months. Unwrap completely and thaw it at room temperature. Add the frosting once no longer frozen.
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What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
- If you'd like to make the recipe in a different pan, use the pan size converter.
Did you make this recipe? Share it with us! Tag @thecozyplum on Instagram & Facebook and leave a star rating ⭐️ below!
📖Recipe
Single Layer Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 8-inch round pan
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup orange juice fresh or store-bought juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1½ cups shredded carrots
- ⅓ cup sweetened shredded coconut optional
- ½ cup chopped walnuts optional
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (browned* or normal)
- 6 oz full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃ and grease and parchment line an 8-inch cake pan. Then, shred the carrots on a box grater to whatever thickness you'd prefer.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice.1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat together the eggs, vegetable oil, citrus juice, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for about 2 minutes.2 large eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil, ¼ cup orange juice, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- With the mixer on low speed, spoon in the flour mixture until it’s just about incorporated. Scrape down the sides, then fold in the carrots, shredded coconut and walnuts (if using) by hand until evenly disbursed.1½ cups shredded carrots, ⅓ cup sweetened shredded coconut, ½ cup chopped walnuts
- Add the batter to the prepared cake pan and smooth over. Bake in the center rack for 25-35 minutes until the edges have just pulled away from the sides and the center springs back when touched. A toothpick inserted into the center will come out with moist crumbs.
- Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and finish cooling on the wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- *If using brown butter, brown the butter as soon as the cake goes in the oven and allow it to re-solidify to room temperature.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), cream the room temperature butter, cream cheese, and vanilla on medium low speed until smooth.6 oz full-fat cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- Add the powdered sugar one spoonful at a time until incorporated then add the vanilla.1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- Mix on medium speed for 1 minute, then scrape down the sides and stir once more with a rubber spatula.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake. Slice and serve.
Notes
After the powdered sugar has been mixed in, add blue and green food coloring in very small amounts until the desired color is made. To make the speckles, combine 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and drops of vanilla or vodka in a very small bowl and mix until no longer pasty. Using a taught bristled paint brush, dip it into the mixture and spray it overtop of the cake by running a fingernail across the bristles.
Heather Leibert says
Is this sweetened or unsweetened coconut?
The Cozy Plum says
Hi Heather, sweetened shredded coconut for this recipe!
Aubrey says
This cake was a MASSIVE success at our Easter dinner. I made it the day before and it stayed so moist. I did the browned butter for the icing and it added a richness that I hadn’t had before in a cream cheese icing. Will definitely make again soon!
The Cozy Plum says
Glad to hear you tried the brown butter in the frosting! Thank you 🙂
Heather says
I've tried this twice now and it just woke bake right. Not sure what I'm doing wrong but my centers won't cook ☹
The Cozy Plum says
Hi Heather - oh no! I'm sorry to hear this. I haven't had this experience in any of my tests with this cake, unfortunately. A few questions - are you using an in-oven thermometer to ensure correct temperature calibration? Is you baking soda/baking powder fresh? Are you using an 8-inch cake pan or a different size/shape? Let me know so I can see if I can help you troubleshoot!