Simple Carrot Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This Simple Carrot Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is loaded with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. It is super tender and moist from the carrots, buttermilk, and oil. It also couldn’t be easier to make.

If you love the flavors of this easy carrot cake recipe, you need to try my Banana Carrot Muffins or Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl. All of these recipes are loaded with warm spices.

Another one of my favorite cake recipes is this Easy Strawberry Snack Cake.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simple & easy - This recipe uses mostly pantry staple and ingredients you already have in your refrigerator. There are also some swaps you can make so you can use what you have on hand. 
• Snack cake - The beauty of snack cake is that you do not have to assemble and frost multiple layers with a piping bag. You also do not need a round cake pan. 
• Moist - This cake is made with oil instead of butter which makes it much softer and more moist. The buttermilk also adds moisture and the acidity gives a nice flavor. 
• Loaded with carrot - This recipe is heavy on the carrots. These prevent the cake from drying out. 
• Spiced - The cake is flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. 
• Topped with cream cheese frosting - The tangy and sweet cream cheese frosting is the best part. The salted butter contrasts the sweetness of the powdered sugar nicely. 
• Kid friendly - Any kid is sure to eat their veggies when they are prepared like this! 🙂

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Neutral Oil: Vegetable oil and avocado oil are great options. Olive oil will also work but it will have more of a distinct flavor. 
• Buttermilk: Substitute for Greek yogurt, sour cream, or apple sauce. 
• Carrot: Be sure to freshly grate whole carrots. Do not use the bag of pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store. These are much drier and will produce a dry cake.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.

How to Make Carrot Snack Cake

Quick Overview

• Whisk dry.
• Whisk wet. 
• Combine wet and dry. 
• Bake and cool. 
• Frost.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 pan by spraying it with oil and lining it with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Step 2: In a separate larger bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and carrots.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Fold until just combined.

Step 4: Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Step 5: Bake for 34-37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. There should not be any raw batter. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before removing.

Step 6: Place the cake in the refrigerator until it cools to room temperature or leave it on the counter for a few hours to cool at room temperature. While it cools, in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the cream cheese on high until light and fluffy. This will take 2-3 minutes.

Step 7: Add the butter and beat on high until well combined.

Step 8: Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla. Mix on the low until the sugar is absorbed. Increase the speed to high and mix for another 1-2 minutes until creamy.

Step 9: Once the cake has cooled, spoon all of the frosting on top of it and spread into an even layer using an offset spatula, a spoon, or a butter knife. Garnish with chopped nuts if desired.

Expert Tips & Variations

• Weigh the ingredients. A kitchen scale is the most useful baking tool. Not only does it make clean up easier (no measuring cups needed), it is also much more accurate. Too much flour can make the cake dry and often when using a measuring cup the flour is overpacked. If you do not have a scale, be sure to spoon the flour into the cup and level it with a knife, instead of scooping the flour with the measuring cup itself. 
• Use a cheese grater with a rotating handle to grate the carrots. You can also use a hand or box grater, but this gadget makes grating them super easy and quick.  
• Do not over mix the batter. Just fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the flour is absorbed. Do not continue to mix after it absorbs. 
• Keep an eye on the cake as it bakes. Over baked cake will be dry. Check the cake with a toothpick around the 34 minute mark. 
• Let the cake cool completely. Warm cake will melt the frosting and it will not stick to the cake. 
• Use an electric mixer to make the frosting. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer. It will be almost impossible to beat the cream cheese by hand.

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5 from 41 votes

Carrot Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This Simple Carrot Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is loaded with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. It is super tender and moist from the carrots, buttermilk, and oil. It also couldn’t be easier to make.

Servings12

Prep10 minutes minutes

Cook35 minutes minutes

Chilling Time1 Hour

Total1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Brianna May

Equipment:

• ▢
  8x8 pan
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Hand Mixer
• ▢
  Stand Mixer
• ▢
  Mixing Bowls
• ▢
  Cheese Grater with Handle

Ingredients:

Carrot Cake

• ▢ 1 ½ cups (195 g) all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon fine salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ ½ cup neutral oil*
• ▢ 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
• ▢ ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ ⅓ cup buttermilk*
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 ½ cups (210 g) freshly grated carrots*

Cream Cheese Frosting

• ▢ 8 ounces full fat cream cheese (brick-style)
• ▢ ¼ cup (4 Tablespoons or 57 g) salted butter
• ▢ 1 ½ cups (180 g) confectioners sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ chopped pecans or walnuts, for garnishing, optional

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 pan by spraying it with oil and lining it with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
• In a separate larger bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and carrots.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Fold until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 34-37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. There should not be any raw batter. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before removing.
• Place the cake in the refrigerator until it cools to room temperature or leave it on the counter for a few hours to cool at room temperature. While it cools, in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the cream cheese on high until light and fluffy. This will take 2-3 minutes.
• Add the butter and beat on high until well combined.
• Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla. Mix on the low until the sugar is absorbed. Increase the speed to high and mix for another 1-2 minutes until creamy.
• Once the cake has cooled, spoon all of the frosting on top of it and spread into an even layer using an offset spatula, a spoon, or a butter knife. Garnish with chopped nuts if desired.

Notes:

• Neutral Oil: Vegetable oil and avocado oil are great options. Olive oil will also work but it will have more of a distinct flavor. 
• Buttermilk: Substitute for Greek yogurt, sour cream, or apple sauce. 
• Carrot: Be sure to freshly grate whole carrots. Do not use the bag of pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store. These are much drier and will produce a dry cake. 
• Weigh the ingredients. A kitchen scale is the most useful baking tool. Not only does it make clean up easier (no measuring cups needed), it is also much more accurate. Too much flour can make the cake dry and often when using a measuring cup the flour is overpacked. If you do not have a scale, be sure to spoon the flour into the cup and level it with a knife, instead of scooping the flour with the measuring cup itself. 
• Use a cheese grater with a rotating handle to grate the carrots. You can also use a hand or box grater, but this gadget makes grating them super easy and quick.  
• Do not over mix the batter. Just fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the flour is absorbed. Do not continue to mix after it absorbs. 
• Keep an eye on the cake as it bakes. Over baked cake will be dry. Check the cake with a toothpick around the 34 minute mark. 
• Let the cake cool completely. Warm cake will melt the frosting and it will not stick to the cake. 
• Use an electric mixer to make the frosting. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer. It will be almost impossible to beat the cream cheese by hand. 

NUTRITION:

Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 347mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g

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