Delish editors handpick every product we feature. We easter cake ideas earn commission from the links on this page. There are thousands of carrot cake recipes out there, but ours probably takes the cake.
We bet it’ll be a star on your Easter dessert buffet. Read on for tips on how to make this delectable classic cake. And if you’re looking for more dessert inspiration, check out some more of our favorite layer cakes recipes. How do I keep my carrot cake tender and moist? Bakers are often concerned about getting dry, tough cakes, but here you don’t have to worry, thanks to the use of vegetable oil in the cake batter. Cakes made with vegetable oil are noticeably moister than the average cake baked with butter. Consider the ingredient on its own: vegetable oil is liquid at room temperature, while butter is solid.
Can I leave the nuts and raisins out? This is your cake, so feel free to customize it to your liking. Sub in walnuts or pistachios, or leave the nuts out entirely. Feel free to, or switch them out for dried cranberries, cherries, or any other dried fruit you want. Just keep in mind that large chunks of dried fruit tend to sink to the bottom of cakes, so if you want to try larger fruits like dried apricots or figs, you should chop them up before adding to the cake batter. Many classic carrot cake recipes include pineapple. Our recipe does not—and we think it’s delicious as it is.
But it will work if you’d like to add it in. I don’t want a layer cake. And so it will bake more quickly. We recommend checking after 35 minutes to see if it’s done: If a toothpick comes out clean, it’s good to go. What’s the best frosting for a carrot cake? Cream cheese frosting all the way.