Insanely moist and flavorful Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting! Perfect for Easter celebrations!
Best Pumpkin Carrot Cake Recipe
Aka the BEST carrot cake in the world!
Happy Friday, my friends! I’ve got a really stellar recipe (and giveaway!) for you today… but first! Let’s talk about the weekend. What have you got planned? We’ll be in the city for the weekend, and that means shopping, visiting old haunts, a haircut, and wine. Lots and lots of wine. I always need a little liquid courage before allowing someone to take scissors to my hair.
I hope your weekend is fabulous and you take some time to treat yourself extra lovely!
Alright. Moving on to the good stuff. Today’s recipe is Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and it is straight-up delicious! The recipe is from Averie Sunshine’s first cookbook: Cooking with Pumpkin: Recipes That Go Beyond the Pie
This book is adorable and more than that, it’s FULL of amazing recipes that cleverly incorporate the king of all flavors: PUMPKIN. I’ll never understand why us foodie folks go nuts over pumpkin come September then throw it to the wind once November ends, but I’m here to say pumpkin should be celebrated year-round, y’all.
How to bake Pumpkin Carrot Cake
Wanna know the secret to the best carrot cake I’ve EVER had? Pumpkin. No, really. I’m not joking! I am not typically a huge fan of carrot cake (I’d much rather eat my weight in carrot cake blondies, thank you very much) but when I spotted this recipe for pumpkin carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in the book… I dunno! It just kind of called to me. I’m sure you know how certain recipes can have that “must make NOW” effect, right? Lucky for us, I had everything to make this cake right in my kitchen. It’s always a win when I don’t have to run out of the house to buy ingredients!
The ingredient list for this luscious cake is simple and I bet you have everything – if not close to everything – to bake it up now in your very own kitchen. The dry ingredients are made up of the usual suspects: flour, sugar (brown and granulated), baking soda and powder, a slew of spices, and a dash of salt; the wet ingredients call for buttermilk, pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, please!), a hearty amount of freshly grated carrots, and oil (you can use vegetable or canola… or be a little tropical and use melted coconut oil like I did!). You can toss in raisins and/or chopped nuts, too… but that’s totally up to you!
The best part about this recipe method? Everything gets mixed together in ONE-BOWL. You know I love one-bowl recipes (mountains of dirty dishes are no man’s friend!), so this alone added another little gold star to this recipe.
The batter is thick and smells incredible! You will spread it in a greased 9″ springform pan (Please don’t use a regular 9″ cake pan as it’s not deep enough and your cake will overflow and make a very ugly mess in your oven) and pop it in the oven to about 45 minutes. Spoiler alert: Your house will smell AMAZING while this cake bakes up in yo oven. That’s a promise and a fact.
Once the cake has baked, it’s time to make your frosting! I like to do this right after the cake has been transferred to the cooling rack (cake must cool completely before frosting!) but you can also make it while the cake is baking. The one important note I want to stress for making this cream cheese frosting is you must bring your cream cheese and butter to room temperature! They both should be very very soft. I like to set them out on the counter for a good hour before getting started. Soft and slightly warm ingredients will result in the creamiest dreamiest frosting ever! We want that.
Icing this cake is a piece of… well, you know. Simply slather the frosting over the top and around the sides, then decorate with extra nuts if you’d like! I chose bright and salty pistachios because they’re vibrant and delicious, but walnut or pecans would also work great.
A note on the finished flavor: This cake is not overwhelmingly pumpkin-y. The pumpkin just sort of melts into the carrot cake flavor, creating this whole new flavor profile that is sure to blow your mind! It’s like cake magic.
More Carrot Cake Recipes:
I’ll be bringing this cake home for Easter this year, and I highly encourage you to do the same! It also makes a great snack cake to keep in the fridge for little bites here and there! xoxo
4/2/2015 Update: Giveaway has ended and the winner has been contacted via email.
Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 8 slices of cake
My favorite carrot cake - made with pumpkin! After one bite you'll want to add pumpkin to your carrot cake recipe every time. Silky cream cheese frosting and chopped pistachios finish off this delicious cake!
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup canola, vegetable, or coconut oil (I used melted coconut oil because I love the slight flavor it adds to the overall cake)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon all-spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrots
- 1/2 cup raisins, optional
- 1/2 cup diced nuts, optional (I used pistachios with great results)
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 6 oz cream cheese, VERY soft
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, VERY soft
- 1 tablespoon vanilla pure extract
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Generously grease a 9" springform pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the eggs, granulated sugar, oil, pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, and spices; beat well to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture; stir until just combined. Batter will be on the thicker side but resist the urge to over mix! Add in the carrots, raisins, and nuts; gently fold together until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake cake for 42-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and set, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make your frosting!
- In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on medium-high speed until completely smooth; about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted confectioners' sugar. Once all of the sugar has been added beat on high-speed for 1-2 minutes. Once the cake has completely cooled, spread the frosting over the cake, decorate with additional nuts, if desired, then slice and serve! Store this cake in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. Not that I think it'll last that long 😉
Notes
This recipe is exerted, with permission, from Averie Sunshine's cookbook: Cooking with Pumpkin (Recipes that go beyond the pie). The recipe is written in my own words. This post is not being compensated in any way or form, and all words and opinions are, as always, my own.
Courses Dessert
Cuisine Cake
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 slice of cake
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
% Daily Value |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Jen says
March 13, 2015 at 3:57 pmI’d make her lemonies!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
March 13, 2015 at 5:31 pmAshley, thank you!!! Thank you so much for doing this giveaway, for making something with pumpkin in a ‘non pumpkin season’ (although as you said, the cake isn’t overly pumpkiny and it just melts into the carrot mixture – perfect description of how I remember this cake as well), and all the nice things you said. I am just….blown away!! Thank you!!
And your photography is gorgeous!! Way prettier than mine turned out in the cookbook I think! I love the sprinkling of pistachios on top. The color and texture is just perfect looking!
bakerbynature says
March 13, 2015 at 5:38 pmAverie, your comment made my day 🙂 I am so happy to be able to share your wonderful book with my readers and this pumpkin carrot cake is seriously my new favorite, so thank you for that :)!!! Photography is always such a battle, so thank you! I tried hard to really capture the beauty of this cake and do it justice 😉 xoxo
LauriM says
March 13, 2015 at 5:54 pmI want to make her Loaded M&M Oreo Cookie Bars!
Lana says
March 13, 2015 at 6:53 pmI would attempt to make banana pudding pie. And this carrot cake too.
manda says
March 13, 2015 at 8:15 pmLove the cookie skillet.
Becca M says
March 13, 2015 at 8:30 pmI think cookies n’ cream frosting is a great idea! Might even mix some Monster Cookie crumbs in as well!
Mary Morrison says
March 13, 2015 at 8:30 pmBlueberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars! YUM!!
Victoria Taylor says
March 13, 2015 at 9:59 pmI love anything made with pumpkin. I must try this recipe!
Rachel says
March 13, 2015 at 11:11 pmI’d definitely make her Baked French Toast Muffins! That would be a great way to start out the weekend!
Malissa W says
March 14, 2015 at 1:09 amTagalong Cookie Bars! Look sooo yummy. Thanks for the giveaway!
Erin M. says
March 14, 2015 at 3:00 amI love her website and recipes! I’ve made several recipes from her blog and just made her salted caramel sauce this am!
Rachel says
March 14, 2015 at 4:04 amI’d try Avery’s tagalog cookie bars
Lauren G. says
March 14, 2015 at 5:54 amI want to try Averie’s Lemon Loaf (better than Starbucks Copycat). Sounds like a nice little dessert or morning treat for the upcoming Spring.
Medeja says
March 14, 2015 at 5:55 amLovely and moist cake.. Yummy!
Laura H says
March 14, 2015 at 3:40 pmThe lemonies and the cookie skillet look amazing!!
Susan Chapman says
March 14, 2015 at 4:22 pmI have a lemon tree and the lemon loaf gets my vote.
June Burns says
March 14, 2015 at 5:30 pmThis looks awesome! Pumpkin + carrot in the same cake sounds very delicious, great idea 🙂
Teresa Mason says
March 14, 2015 at 8:02 pmSoft Ginger Molasses Pumpkin Cookies sound wonderful, especially if they have a bit of chew to them.
Rachel says
March 14, 2015 at 9:58 pmI am going to make the Samoa Cookie Pie. What a great idea!
Marty Musser says
March 15, 2015 at 5:52 pmHer Best Lemon Loaf looks delicious. I need to try it! Thanks for the giveaway!
Tammy says
March 15, 2015 at 10:24 pmI’d have to make her Crispy Roasted Parmesan Chickpeas with Spiced Ranch Dip, and then after that I’d also have to make your pumpkin carrot cake and then the carrot cake blondies……I love blondies AND carrot cake….can’t wait to try these!
Dee says
March 16, 2015 at 1:58 amI am excited to try the Pumpkin Carrot Cake, and Avery’s Tagalog bars!
Ashley says
March 16, 2015 at 2:30 amOh, I would love to try the Loaded M&M Oreo Cookie Bars!
Eva @ Eva Bakes says
March 16, 2015 at 1:31 pmCosmic brownies!
Clarence Smith says
March 16, 2015 at 6:22 pmI would love to try the Blueberry Pie Bars.
Jennie @themessybakerblog says
March 16, 2015 at 7:00 pmThis is such a pretty cake! I love the combo of pumpkin and carrot. It must be moist. Pinned.
JenniferAnne says
March 17, 2015 at 2:17 amI’d like to try her Raspberry Peach Crisp recipe!
Amanda says
March 17, 2015 at 4:10 amThis looks like a delicious cake, love the pumpkin!
Amy L says
March 18, 2015 at 2:35 amI’d like to try the recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola.
Susan Christy says
March 18, 2015 at 3:45 amI want to make the Tagalongs Cookie Bars.
One of my favorite recipes OF ALL TIME is Averie’s Salted Caramel Swirled-Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. I’ve made them a gazillion times since I found the recipe a couple of years ago and they are absolutely to die for!
Barb says
March 18, 2015 at 10:59 amLemon Loaf, no doubt!
rondah says
March 19, 2015 at 5:01 amEasy Pizza Bake
Rachel says
March 19, 2015 at 4:49 pmI do believe that I will need to give her version of Crack Pie a try. Looks and sounds addictive. 🙂
Cecily says
March 22, 2015 at 10:45 amEither the Nutella Swirled Peanut Butter Chip Blondies or the Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Crumble Bars.
Janelle K. says
March 23, 2015 at 2:27 amFudgy nutella brownies with cream cheese frosting. Yum!!!
Kerri says
March 24, 2015 at 3:51 pmThe Best Pineapple Upside-Down Cake no doubt!
bakerbynature says
March 25, 2015 at 1:18 pmThat one does sound delightful 😉
Annette says
March 31, 2015 at 11:04 pmThis pumpkin/carrot cake recipe looks so good! The first recipe of hers that I’d love to make is the, “Blueberry Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze.” I’m crazy about all things lemon.
Bree says
November 10, 2015 at 7:00 pmI made this cake and it turned out terrific.Reduced the sugar by a quarter cup. Very moist and delicious.
bakerbynature says
November 12, 2015 at 12:34 pmSo happy to hear it, Bree! And thank you for letting me know it came out well with your adaption – always helpful to know.
Kristen Chidsey says
March 22, 2016 at 11:45 amPumpkin and carrot cake together?! Thank you!! I know I will love it and the moistness has to be over the top!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
March 22, 2016 at 6:43 pmI love a good carrot cake and this looks wonderful!
Melanie @ Gather for Bread says
March 22, 2016 at 10:12 pmThis is stunning Ashley. I love the nut topping!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
March 23, 2016 at 3:32 pmCarrot cake is one of my favs!
Eunique says
August 10, 2017 at 4:51 pmMade it this morning. I substitute half of the coconut oil for apple sauce. Also, 2/3 cup was whole wheat flour and the rest wheat pastry flour. It turned out great. I love the sponge moist texture it has. Thank you!!!
Nancy Mette says
January 5, 2018 at 7:36 pmJust found this delicious looking cake! Am trying it today. Love pumpkin and carrots, what a duo.
Shay says
March 7, 2018 at 11:37 amCan I substitute the all purpose flour to almond flour or coconut flour?