Homemade Pecan Carrot Cake

Aerial of three pieces of pecan carrot cake with a tray of toasted pecans and candles around the cake.

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Homemade Pecan Carrot Cake

This homemade pecan carrot cake is a Southern classic, with toasted pecans, fresh carrots, and all the warm spices. The moist carrot cake is topped with a whipped cream cheese frosting to make each bite perfection.

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Total Time55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrot cake, Easter dessert

Servings: people

Calories: 659kcal

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 ½ cups chopped pecans 1 cup for cake, ½ cup for decorating the top of cake
1 ½ cups light or dark brown sugar packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
4 large eggs
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups carrots grated from about 4 large carrots

For the cream cheese frosting:

16 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese softened to room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
pinch salt to taste

Instructions

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the chopped pecans on the baking sheet and toast for 7-8 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while making the batter.
Turn the oven up to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla together. In another medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold the ingredients together until just combined. Gently fold in the carrots and 1 cup of the toasted pecans.
Pour the batter evenly amongst the two cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before flipping them over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together for 2 minutes. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Crank up speed to high and beat for 3-4 more minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add a bit of milk. If it's too thin, add extra confectioners' sugar.
Assemble and frost: Level the first cake using a serrated knife so the top if flat. Add about ⅓ cup of cream cheese to the top, spreading it evenly across the surface. Add the second layer on top of the first, this time coating the sides and top with frosting. Sprinkle the top with the remaining pecans. Enjoy!

Notes

Storage: Store leftover cake in an airtight container. The cake will stay fresh for 2-3 days.

Nutrition