Spiced Carrot Cake Recipe

This easy spiced carrot cake is an easy snacking cake version of my classic carrot cake. It's lightly spiced and made with applesauce and crushed pineapples to keep it extra moist! 

I love carrot cake and usually my carrot cake is filled with nuts, raisins, coconut, carrots and pineapples in every bite. But this is a shortcut and easy version which may not be your mom's classic carrot cake. It's baked in an 8 inch cake pan and frosted with cream cheese buttercream with crushed walnuts on top. Applesauce and crushed pineapples are added to create a moist carrot cake without adding additional oil which also helps create a tender cake. 

Cakes are a great way to celebrate, and I just feel like you can never have or eat enough cake. This recipe base is similar to my most favorite carrot cake recipe, it's the best carrot cake with a velvety cream cheese frosting. And if you are looking for something kids would also love you'll love my triple chocolate cake recipe because my kids are not a fan of carrot cake. You can also never go wrong with my berry Chantilly cake, it has light vanilla cake layers with fresh berries and a mascarpone frosting. 

Why You'll love this recipe

• Easy enough to whip together for those carrot cake cravings
• Packed with warm spices and carrots, applesauce and pineapples
• Perfect dessert for Easter or thanksgiving holidays 
• Not too sweet, the tangy cream cheese frosting is paired with a not over sweet cake

Spiced carrot cake ingredients:

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour as it was tested with this recipe. 
• Baking powder/Baking Soda- Don't skip or substitute but you can read more about baking soda and baking powder from my ultimate guide
• Sugar: A blend of white sugar and brown sugar is used to create depth of flavor and color to the cake. 
• Brown Sugar- I tend to use dark brown sugar more, but light brown sugar will do just the job too! 
• Eggs: Eggs help bind ingredients together and also help create that fluffy cake like texture 
• Salt: Believe it or everything needs a little salt to balance
• Spices: cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon are used to create a warm spice cake with carrots and applesauce 
• Carrots: use fresh carrots and organic if your budget allows as organic carrots tend to be much sweeter 
• Applesauce:  unflavored applesauce is recommended but use any flavor you'd like with the understanding that it might change the flavor of the cake a bit. 
• Oil: Use a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil, olive oil and coconut oil are also great substitutions too but may alter the flavor
• Crushed Pineapples: Use canned and not fresh, make sure the pineapple is crushed and drain before using. 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Butter: Use unsalted butter at room temperature 
• Cream cheese: Full fat cream cheese at room temperature is recommended. 
• Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners' sugar or 10x sugar. 
• Vanilla Extract: I love vanilla extract but feel free to use any other extracts to change the flavor. 

See recipe card for full measurements 

Let's make spiced carrot cake

This spiced carrot cake doesn't require a stand mixer or hand mixer, spiced carrot cake batter is so easy it can be mixed with a wooden spoon. 

Preheat oven at 350F

Line an 8in square pan with parchment paper and set to side until needed. 

​Wash and shred carrots with a box grater, a food processor with a grater also works great! 

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment add in all the wet ingredients (oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract)

Mix on low speed until mixed. 

In another bowl add in the flour, leavening agents and spices and whisk until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until it's almost mixed in. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Batter will look thick. 

Add the shredded carrots, applesauce, and drained crushed pineapples and mix on low until mixed in.

The batter should be thinner now. 

Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted in the center of the cake and comes out clean. 

Once spiced carrot cake is baked take it out of the oven and allow it to cool on the counter for 10 minutes before taking it out and allowing it fully cool on a cooling rack. Tip: Insert a butter knife to the sides of the pan for easier release. 

Cream cheese frosting:

In the stand mixer add in your softened cream cheese and room temperature butter. Cream on medium-high speed until light for 3 minutes. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat for 2 minutes until light and creamy. 

Assembly:

Spread cream cheese frosting on top of the spiced carrot cake with an offset spatula. Crush walnuts or nuts of choice and sprinkle on top of the cake. 

​Slice and cut spiced carrot cake into 16 small slices. 

Serving: Refrigerate before slicing and serving if you love a cold slice of carrot cake like me! 

​Storage:

Refrigerate spiced cake carrot in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Spiced carrot cake Tips

Freshly grate your carrots instead of using the grocery store carrots. 

Measure the flour in grams, if possible, too much flour can cause a dry cake. 

Use room temperature ingredients as it will help bind ingredients together better. 

Adjust bake time according to your oven, check cake at 24-minute mark and add time as needed as not all oven temperature are the same. 

Variations:

• Add in coconut shreds, raisins, nuts to the batter. This carrot cake can hold up to an additional 1 cup of add ins. 
• ​Use different spices to change the spices in the cake
• Make a browned butter cream cheese frosting for extra nuttiness