My Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe

This best carrot cake recipe delivers a reliably moist, deeply spiced two-layer cake topped with tangy cream cheese frosting.

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Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease two 20 cm (9-inch) round pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
Toast whole cinnamon or nutmeg in a dry skillet for 30–45 seconds, then grind or measure ground spices.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk oil with light brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla; whisk until homogeneous.
Add dry mix to wet in two additions. Fold gently until no dry streaks remain.
Stir in grated carrots and chopped walnuts until evenly distributed.
Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for 35–45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Beat cream cheese with butter until smooth, then gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla.
Level cake tops, spread frosting between layers, and crumb-coat the whole cake. Chill and finish frosting smoothly.

For nut-free version, omit walnuts or swap with sunflower seeds. Can be made gluten-free with 1:1 gluten-free blend.