Laurie’s Wonderful Carrot Cake is known. This carrot cake is moist, crammed with grated carrots and spices for wonderful taste and essentially the most unimaginable texture!
My pal Laurie created this carrot cake recipe for a household wedding ceremony reception years in the past. She made the muffins for the marriage, and I catered the dinner. I don’t cater any extra, however I’ll all the time keep in mind the primary time I ate Laurie’s carrot cake…
The reception was the one wedding ceremony reception within the historical past of man (or girl) the place all the cake was eaten. Critically, not a slice left! I used to be busy within the kitchen arranging plates of meals, and when the reception was over, I went in search of a chunk of cake. But it surely was all gone. Each crumb. The place is my crying emoji??
Laurie is aware of how a lot I really like cake, so for my birthday a few weeks later, she made me MY VERY OWN CARROT CAKE! This cake is so dense and scrumptious, and is much more scrumptious after sitting within the fridge for a day or two or three!
What makes THIS recipe essentially the most wonderful carrot cake? A number of the components and ideas will make sense to you, and others might not. I promise in the event you belief me, you’ll be glad you probably did, and your seek for one of the best carrot cake recipe will probably be over!
The ornamental poms are from “My Minds Eye”
Explanation why Laurie’s Wonderful Carrot cake is one of the best carrot cake ever!
Laurie’s Wonderful Carrot Cake is crammed with recent grated carrots, buttermilk and oil (as a substitute of butter) for extra-moist texture. These three components mixed take the moisture issue to the following stage on this cake!
do i have to grate carrots for my carrot cake?
Ensure to grate recent carrots to your carrot cake! It’s tempting to make use of pre-grated carrots for comfort, however grating carrots will make an enormous distinction within the texture of this cake. Pre-grated packaged carrots are handled to stop caking and molding and can have an effect on the ultimate product. On this recipe, recent is greatest! The two minutes it takes to grate your carrots is value it, and key to moist carrot cake!
I desire to grate carrots as a substitute of grinding the carrots as a result of I desire little bits of carrots within the cake. I take advantage of a normal dimension field grater or the grate attachment on my meals processor. For those who like your carrots further small, use a smaller grater!
Distinctive technique of Grinding raisins and nuts
Earlier than you say ” I don’t like nuts” or “I hate raisins!” I promise in the event you give this a attempt, you’ll notice the nuts and raisins are hardly noticable on this recipe. The particular technique of grinding the nuts and raisins collectively in a meals processor earlier than including to the batter provides texture and sweetness however with out massive chunks!
The grinding of the raisins and nuts are what I name the secret components or course of on this recipe which units it other than so many different carrot cake recipes!
Oil or butter?
Most cake recipes I really like embrace butter, however this cake is unquestionably higher made with oil. This text in Epicurious helps the oil vs butter alternative in muffins! Our Carrot Cake will be made with canola, vegetable, olive, avocado or coconut oil. The cake could have much less of a fall-apart texture if made with canola, olive or vegetable oil. I like to recommend a lightweight olive oil with out a lot taste.
the simplest is to cut nuts and add to the edges or prime!
Carrot Cake for a crowd
This recipe makes a HUGE quantity of cake! Laurie developed this recipe for a marriage with numerous company in thoughts. No worries, it’s simply halved.
Though it’s a massive recipe, I nonetheless normally make a complete recipe as a result of the additional layers freeze effectively for months. The frosting recipe is for 2 layers, or a half recipe. If making a full recipe, use the frosting quantity within the recipe notes!
Half the recipe and different directions for adjusting recipe yield
I’ve had many requests for half the recipe and the quantities shared on this publish. For 1/2 recipe the batter yields 2 (9) inch layers, OR 3 (8) inch layers. The frosting quantity is appropriate on the recipe, as a result of it’s written for 2 layers, assuming you’ll freeze the opposite muffins for later.
When halving the cake batter, the layers won’t be fairly as thick as whenever you make a complete recipe. As an example. Once I make a complete recipe and bake 3- 8 inch layers, I even have sufficient for a number of muffins as effectively or one other single layer.
Once I combine up a 1/2 recipe it’s sufficient for 3 8 inch layers, however they aren’t as full as when making a full recipe. Observe recipe instructions for mixing and baking.
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup oil
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 4 massive eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 2 1/4 cups all objective flour
- 1 cup raisins darkish or golden
Laurie’s Wonderful Carrot Cake freezes effectively frosted or unfrosted. Simply be sure in the event you freeze the cake frosted, to take it out of the freezer at the least 2 hours earlier than serving to permit the cake to thaw utterly.
Additionally, in the event you love this cake, additionally, you will love Laurie’s Wonderful Chocolate Cake. It’s the greatest chocolate cake, in case you are in search of deep darkish chocolate cake with unimaginable chocolate frosting!
Laurie’s Wonderful Carrot Cake was initially posted in August 2009. Publish has been up to date in 2026 with recipe updates.
Laurie’s Wonderful Carrot Cake is the final carrot cake recipe you’ll ever want. This tremendous moist cake is filled with carrots, buttermilk and the key components: raisins and nuts floor collectively for sweetness and texture!
Please learn all recipe notes earlier than making this cake! For half portion, see recipe notes
Cream Cheese Frosting for two layers (see recipe notes for frosting 4 layers) * If creating ornamental prime with frosting, improve frosting by one other 1/2 for piping
Stop your display from going darkish
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Set rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 325 levels for at the least quarter-hour earlier than baking.
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Put together cake pans by lining the underside with parchment paper, and spraying the underside and sides of pans frivolously with cooking spray.
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Grind the pecans and raisins in a meals processor with a steel blade. Pulse till chopped into very small items, put aside.
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Beat the eggs, oil and buttermilk collectively in a big bowl or bowl of a stand mixer till blended effectively.
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Add all the dry components, together with the nuts and raisins to the moist components. Combine till all components are integrated. Cease mixer as soon as and scrap sides and backside to combine totally. Don’t over combine.
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Pour into ready pans, lined with parchment paper. Fill pans 3/4 full.
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Bake at 325 levels for about 1 hour if utilizing 9-10 inch Spring type pans. Bake for about 45 minutes for spherical cake pans. Check with toothpick to see if executed earlier than eradicating from oven.
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After eradicating from oven, wrap every layer individually with saran wrap and place in freezer whereas nonetheless heat.
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Take away the cake from freezer after cake is cooled and frozen or at the least chilly. Place one layer on a platter and apply one layer of frosting to prime of first layer. Place second layer on prime of first. Frost the highest of the second layer, and frost the edges of the cake with a skinny layer of frosting. Return to freezer.
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Let cake freeze once more till the frosting is agency. Take away and frost outer sides and prime of cake once more. At this level you possibly can both place again in freezer till prepared to make use of, or let sit out to thaw.
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If making the cake upfront of serving day, cowl the cake when frosting is ready with plastic wrap and retailer in freezer.
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On day of serving, take away cake from freezer 2-3 hours earlier than serving.
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
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Beat the butter and cream cheese in a mixer till easy.
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Add vanilla OR lemon, salt and about 3 cups of powdered sugar. Beat till easy.
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Add remainder of powdered sugar a cup at a time with the mixer on medium velocity. Add milk or cream to desired consistency, beat for about 2-3 minutes on excessive, scraping down sides of bowl a number of instances.
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Frost the cake as directed. See recipe notes for quantity of frosting to make if making 4 layers and frosting at one time. Refrigerate any leftovers!
- To make buttermilk at residence, pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar right into a one cup measure. Fill the measuring cup with milk. Let sit for 5-10 minutes earlier than utilizing. For cake, it’s best to warmth the milk for a number of seconds. Then proceed to make substitute. I’ve additionally used 1/2 cup plain (unsweetened) Greek yogurt, or 1/2 cup of bitter cream combined with 1/2 cup milk to make 1 cup of buttermilk substitute.
- If making 4 layers, use the next measurements for frosting so you’ll have sufficient frosting for all 4 muffins. If making both 2 -10 inch spring type muffins, or 2- 9 inch muffins, and holding the smaller 8 inch muffins within the freezer for later use, one batch of frosting is sufficient. FROSTING FOR 4 LAYERS: 3/4 cup or 12 tablespoons butter, 12 oz cream cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 pinch salt, 9 cups powdered sugar, milk or cream to skinny frosting
- If you’re adorning the cake with frosting make one other 1/2 recipe of the frosting within the recipe. To make the cake with frosting swirled on prime, use a 2A or 2D tip.
- Flip the cake so the flat aspect is up when frosting to keep away from a dome on prime.
- To half the recipe, use two 9 inch pans, or three 8 inch pans. Fill the pans 3/4 approach full. You may additionally use one 9- 9.5 inch spring type pan and minimize in half after baking.
- This cake stays moist and recent for at the least per week within the fridge when coated tightly.
Did you make this recipe?
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