It’s not often that you can have your cake and eat your carrots, too! Carrot cake has been around for ages and has its roots all over the world in places like England, France, Switzerland and the United States. It’s a deliciously different recipe that’s perfect for a springtime celebration or a crowd-pleasing treat any time of year!
What is Carrot Cake?
You’re probably wondering why anyone would think to put a vegetable in a cake, right? Those are basically opposites! Well, there’s a pretty interesting (and tasty) explanation as to how this recipe came to be.
History of Carrot Cake
Believe it or not, carrots have been used in place of sugar for centuries! Sweeteners were often scarce or expensive, so people had to get creative with what they had at home. Since carrots are one of the sweetest and most accessible veggies out there, the use of carrots as natural sweeteners only made sense.
The practice of using carrots in desserts started in medieval times. Cooks would make a type of “pudding” with boiled carrots, spices, flour and eggs. Once ovens were more readily available, it became much more popular to bake desserts instead of boiling or steaming them. Adding more flour and fat to the mix is what eventually gave carrot cake that lighter, fluffier texture we all know and love today.
What's in Carrot Cake?
The rumors are true — there are actual carrots in carrot cake. But don’t let that scare you away; it’s actually quite delicious! Carrot cake is typically made with the same ingredients you’d find in a lot of other cakes, like flour, oil, baking soda and vanilla extract. However, most carrot cake recipes will add spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, chopped walnuts, brown sugar and a cream cheese frosting on top.
How to Bake a Carrot Cake
Want to bake the perfect carrot cake? From choosing the right ingredients to balancing flavors, these expert tips will help you create a moist, flavorful and perfectly textured cake every time.
Use Fresh Carrots
Fresh, firm carrots provide the best moisture and texture for carrot cake and ensure a soft, tender crumb. Avoid pre-shredded carrots, which tend to be dry, or old carrots that have lost their natural moisture.
Grate, Don’t Chop
Finely shredded carrots distribute more evenly throughout the batter and release their moisture properly while baking. Chopped or thickly grated carrots can create an uneven texture and make the cake too dense
Keep the Batter Light
Carrot cake batter is naturally thin due to its oil base. Avoid the temptation to add extra baking powder or baking soda. For a fluffier texture, whip the eggs and sugar until light and airy before slowly drizzling in the oil. Fold in the remaining ingredients gently to maintain the cake’s delicate structure.
Choose the Right Oil
Since carrot cake relies on oil for moisture, opt for neutral oils like vegetable, canola, avocado or sunflower oil. Coconut oil can be used for a slight coconut flavor, which works well if you're also adding coconut flakes. Strong-flavored oils can overpower the cake’s spice profile.
Be Selective with Add-Ins
While nuts, fruit or chocolate chips can enhance carrot cake, too many mix-ins can make it overly dense. Pineapple is a popular addition, but orange, apple and apricot also work well. If using fresh or canned fruit, remove excess moisture before adding. Toast nuts at 350°F for 8-10 minutes to enhance their flavor before mixing them in.
Spice it Up
Carrot cake is a spice cake at heart, and its flavor can be customized to your liking. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove are traditional, but for a bolder taste, try adding allspice, cardamom, black pepper or anise. Don’t be afraid to let the spices shine! Carrots provide natural sweetness, but the spices bring depth.
Perfect the Frosting
Cream cheese frosting is a classic pairing with carrot cake. For the best consistency, use room-temperature butter and cream cheese. Melting them will result in runny frosting. Beat them together before adding powdered sugar for a smooth, tangy finish. For extra brightness, add a teaspoon of citrus zest (lemon or orange) to enhance the cake’s flavor.
Homemade Carrot Cake Recipes
The combination of carrots and spices in desserts has been around for a long time. That means there are many different recipes, and everyone’s got their favorite! Take a look at some of these recipes and see if one or more of them can sweeten up your life.
Carrot Cake
If you’re new to carrot cake, try making it our favorite way! It’s a classic recipe with a twist — chocolate! Get creative with your carrot cake and add HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips for some extra sweetness.
Carrot Cake Pops
These cake pops feature a moist carrot cake center and are covered in a rich coating of sweet, melted HERSHEY’S Cream Cheese Flavored Chips. Great as a treat for the kids or a quick dessert for a spring party.
Carrot Cake with REESE’S Peanut Butter Chips
Enhance the recipe you know and love with some REESE’S Peanut Butter Chips! This carrot cake will be a new favorite with the peanut butter lovers in your life. It’s also one of our most popular Easter recipes, so hop to it!
HERSHEY’S KISSES with Almonds Topped Mini Carrot Cupcakes
These portable little carrot cakes are the perfect bite of moist cake, rich cream cheese frosting and sweet milk chocolate. A yummy treat for bake sales or any kind of group celebration.
Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Spiced carrot cake and creamy cheesecake come together in one decadent dessert. Topped with rich cream cheese frosting and HEATH BITS O’ BRICKLE toffee bits, you’ll get a sweet, buttery crunch in every bite.
FAQs about Carrot Cake
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Yes, of course! Check out this deliciously easy recipe for Carrot Cake.
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The main ingredient in carrot cake is, of course, carrots! But most recipes include cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts and even raisins. You can add whatever you’d like to make the dessert your own.
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A lot of recipes for carrot cake use toasted walnuts or pecans. But if you prefer a nut-free version, feel free to leave them out.
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There’s not a lot that’s different between the two recipes, which is why people sometimes mistake them for one another. What makes carrot cake a carrot cake is, you guessed it, carrots! Spice cake lacks carrots, but it does have more spices like ginger and allspice.
Hopefully you agree that the idea of veggies in your dessert is tastier than it sounds! Warm spices, naturally sweet carrot and cream cheese frosting make this recipe so delicious, it’s no wonder carrot cake is so popular around the world. One bite of this cake will have you including these recipes in your celebrations all year round!
