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A super moist carrot cake filled with warming spices and juicy, plump raisins, topped with a pipeable cream cheese icing!

Why This is the Best Carrot Cake Recipe

If you know me, you’ll know I’m obsessed with carrot cake. It’s rich, moist, and packed with flavour, with just the right balance of spices, sweetness, and texture.

I spent years testing different carrot cake recipes, trying to recreate the most incredible one I ever tasted. After so many attempts, I finally nailed it—and this is the result!

This carrot cake verges on the slightly underbaked side for extra moisture, so every bite is soft and melt-in-your-mouth good. The raisins add juiciness, while the cream cheese icing is silky smooth and easy to pipe.

If you love carrot cake with a rich, soft texture, this will be your new favourite one!

Tips for the Best Carrot Cake

Use room temperature eggs for a better cake texture.
Grate the carrots finely so they blend into the batter and keep the cake moist.
Don’t overbake—this cake is meant to be moist and slightly dense.
Chill the cream cheese icing before piping for a firmer texture.
Swap the raisins for walnuts or chopped pineapple if you prefer (or add them all in!)

Ingredients for Super Moist Carrot Cake

For the Carrot Cake:

2 large eggs, room temperature
100g dark brown sugar (½ cup packed brown sugar)
75g granulated sugar (⅓ cup granulated sugar)
50ml buttermilk (3 tbsp buttermilk)
175ml vegetable oil (¾ cup vegetable oil)
230g plain flour (1¾ cups all-purpose flour)
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
220g carrots, finely grated (2 cups grated carrots)
100g raisins, juicy and plump (½ cup raisins)

For the Cream Cheese Icing:

50g unsalted butter, softened (3½ tbsp butter, softened)
50g cream cheese, room temperature (3½ tbsp cream cheese)
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g icing sugar, sifted (1¼ cups powdered sugar)

How to Make Super Moist Carrot Cake

Step 1: Make the Cake

Preheat your oven to 180C (160C fan) / 350F and line a 3lb loaf tin (8.5 x 5″) with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, buttermilk, and vegetable oil until well combined.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then fold them into the mixture until just combined.

Gently fold in the grated carrots and raisins, making sure they are evenly spread throughout the batter.

Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf tin and smooth out the top evenly.

Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs. If it comes out completely wet, bake for a few more minutes.

Let the cake cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before adding the icing.

Step 2: Make the Cream Cheese Icing

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand whisk to beat the softened butter until creamy.

Add the cream cheese and vanilla extract, then whisk until smooth and fully combined.

Gradually add the icing sugar, one-third at a time, whisking after each addition until you get a smooth and creamy icing.

For firmer icing, chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes before piping.

Step 3: Decorate the Cake

Place the carrot cake on a serving plate and either pipe or spread the icing on top.

You can decorate with chopped walnuts or a sprinkle of cinnamon for a beautiful finish.

Slice and enjoy!

Why This Carrot Cake is So Good

Super moist & soft texture – The combination of buttermilk, oil, and finely grated carrots keeps it incredibly moist.
Perfect balance of spices – Just enough cinnamon and nutmeg for a warm, comforting flavour.
Rich & creamy icing – The smooth cream cheese frosting perfectly balances the sweetness of the cake.
Easy to make – No fancy equipment needed, just a mixing bowl and an electric whisk.
Versatile & customisable – Add chopped walnuts, pineapple chunks, or even coconut for a different twist.

Watch My Step-by-Step Video

Want to see exactly how I make this Super Moist Carrot Cake? Watch my full step-by-step video on my YouTube channel.

For more baking inspiration, follow me on Instagram @fitwafflekitchen and TikTok @fitwaffle!

Other Recipes You’ll Love

If you love moist, spiced cakes, try these recipes from Fitwaffle Kitchen:

Cinnamon Apple Loaf Cake – A soft and moist apple loaf cake with a cinnamon swirl and a sweet glaze.
Biscoff Loaf Cake – A rich and buttery Biscoff sponge topped with Biscoff buttercream and a caramelised Biscoff drizzle.

Both are easy to make and packed with flavour!