Moist One Layer Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This moist one layer carrot cake comes together in just one mixing bowl and is topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. The cake is tender, soft, and filled with spices like ground cinnamon and nutmeg. It's a perfect springtime cake that can be baked in either an 8 or 9 inch cake pan.
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 437kcal
Equipment
- 8 or 9-Inch Cake Pan
- Mixing Bowl
- Cheese Grater
- Electric Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ cup Lifeway Kefir Organic Plain Whole Milk, room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup freshly grated carrots
Small Batch Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces block-style cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line one 8-inch cake pan (you can also use a 9-inch) with parchment paper then nonstick spray. Set aside.
Carrot Cake
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, sugar, kefir milk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves and whisk just until everything is combined. Then gently whisk in the grated carrots.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake come out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing and placing it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Small Batch Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on high speed until light and creamy (2-3 minutes). Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined (30 seconds).
- Increase the speed to high and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Decorate
- Once the cake has completely cooled, use an offset spatula to spread on the frosting. Feel free to top the cake with sprinkles, crushed walnuts, or use a piping tip like I did to add dollops of frosting.
- Keep any leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Cake Pan: Use either an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan. Line the pan with parchment paper and non-stick cooking spray.
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Any ingredient that needs to be at room temperature should be taken out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you want to bake. Do not skip this step! It's super important so that the ingredients can incorporate properly.
- Carrots: Do not buy pre shredded carrots. Instead, use a cheese or box grater to shred it yourself. That will ensure the carrots are moist and not dry.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 2432IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg
