Grandma Catherine's Old Fashioned Carrot Cake Recipe (2024)

Grandma Catherine's carrot cake recipe has been enjoyed by our family for decades. I spent many wonderful hours with grandma while mom was busy on the farm, and will always remember her kind eyes and loving heart.This carrot cake recipe is nice and moist, never dry. The original frosting is on the sweet side for our tastes now, so I'm including a version with less sugar.

Grandma Catherine's Old Fashioned Carrot Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups butter, melted
• 2 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts (I usecrispy nuts)
• 3 cups grated carrots

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Blend together dry ingredients in a medium bowl, and then add to egg mixture. Add nuts and carrots.

Pour carrot cake batter into a greased and floured 9″x13″ cake pan or two nine inch round cake pans. Bake at 325°F until edges are lightly browned and cake tests done with toothpick, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Leave in pan and set on cooling rack, or invert onto wire rack to cool. Once the cake has cooled completely, icewith cream cheese frosting, if desired.

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Grandma Catherine's Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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This made from scratch, old fashioned carrot cake recipe includes two options for cream cheese frosting – one traditional, and one with less sugar.

• Author: Laurie Neverman
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 20 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

UnitsScale

For the cake

• 1 1/2 cups butter, melted
• 2 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts (I use crispy nuts)
• 3 cups grated carrots

For Traditional Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
• 2 – 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For Less Sugar Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar or 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Instructions

For the cake

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Blend together dry ingredients in a medium bowl, and then add to egg mixture. Add nuts and carrots.
2. Pour carrot cake batter into a greased and floured 9″x13″ cake pan or two nine inch round cake pans. Bake at 325°F until edges are lightly browned and cake tests done with toothpick, about 40 to 45 minutes.
3. Leave in pan and set on cooling rack, or invert onto wire rack to cool. Once the cake has cooled completely, ice with cream cheese frosting, if desired.

For traditional cream cheese frosting

1. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together for about 3 minutes on medium speed, until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
2. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding powdered sugar until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.

For less sugar cream cheese frosting

1. Whip cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, blend cream cheese, sugar (or honey) and vanilla until smooth. Fold cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream.

Notes

It’s best if you wait to frost the cake until it is completely cooled. To frost a two layer cake with crumb coat:

• Place first layer on serving plate, and scoop a large dollop of frosting in the center of the layer. Spread the frosting to the edges of the cake. Place second layer of carrot cake on top of the first layer. Scoop an ample dollop of frosting onto the center of the cake. Spread the frosting outward and down sides of cake, coating evenly. Let set for five to ten minutes, until the frosting has a chance to dry slightly. Wipe away any crumbs that have stuck to the edge of the plate. After the crumb coat has set, apply the rest of the frosting.
• For the cake shown in the photos, I used the traditional cream cheese frosting and applied it with a 16″ pastry tube and #4B star icing tip.

Traditional Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
• 2 – 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions

With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together for about 3 minutes on medium speed, until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding powdered sugar until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.

Less Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar or 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Whip cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, blend cream cheese, sugar (or honey) and vanilla until smooth. Fold cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream.

Tips for Frosting Your Carrot Cake

It's best if you wait to frost the carrot cake until it is completely cooled. If you choose to leave the cake in the pan, simply spread the frosting on with a knife or spatula. When you frost a cake that's been removed from the pan, it's often helpful to apply a crumb coat before coating the entire cake, or to apply the frosting with a pastry tube. A “crumb coat” is a layer of frosting that “catches” the crumbs and keeps them away from the finished outside layer of frosting, making for a neater looking end product.

To frost a two layer cake with crumb coat:

Place first layer on serving plate, and scoop a large dollop of frosting in the center of the layer. Spread the frosting to the edges of the cake. Place second layer of carrot cake on top of the first layer. Scoop an ample dollop of frosting onto the center of the cake. Spread the frosting outward and down sides of cake, coating evenly. Let set for five to ten minutes, until the frosting has a chance to dry slightly. Wipe away any crumbs that have stuck to the edge of the plate. After the crumb coat has set, apply the rest of the frosting.

For the cake shown in the photos, I used the traditional cream cheese frosting and applied it with a 16″ pastry tube and #4B star icing tip.

Are you am old fashioned carrot cake fan? Do you prefer it with or without nuts? Maybe pineapple? This is our family recipe, but I know there are many, many variations.

If You Enjoy Baking…

“Never Buy Bread Again – 20+ Homemade Bread Recipes”is the bread book designed for beginning bakers and those who enjoy quick and easy homemade breads. It’s also fun for those who remember recipes “like grandma used to make” and want to recapture that flavor in their own kitchen.

In this book you’ll find:

• Troubleshooting tips so you can bake without fear
• Easy everyday breads such as sandwich bread and crusty French bread
• Quick breads such as buttermilk biscuits, corn bread and pancakes
• Gluten free breads
• How to Make a Sourdough Starter and Basic Sourdough Bread
• Holiday and special occasion breads, like fruit filled kolache, Polish doughnuts and pretzel bread
• How to store and freeze breads (before and after baking) for best quality
• Fun bread “go alongs” like flavored butters and cheese fondue
• Recipes to make with leftover bread

The book includes full color photos, so you know what the finished bread should look like, and stories from our family about the recipes and baking traditions. It has a spiral binding so that it lays flat on the kitchen counter for easy reading while cooking. Some of these recipes have been featured on the website, others are exclusive to the book.

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You may also enjoy:

• Gram Irene’s Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• Grandma Catherine’s Polish Doughnuts
• Old Fashioned Chocolate Pudding

Originally published May 2010, updated 2016, 2018.