This apple carrot cake is an easy, one-layer cake that's full of cozy spiced flavor and natural sweetness. Made with freshly grated carrot and apples, it's a delicious cake with a moist crumb that's perfect for Spring or Fall baking. It's topped with a tangy honey cream cheese frosting too!
Carrot cake is usually served for Easter, but I think it should be made year-round! This apple carrot cake in particular is made with freshly grated apples for moisture and flavor, making it a great way to use Fall or Spring produce.
This is a single layer cake with all the spiced, cozy flavors that homemade carrot cake is known for. One layer makes assembly super simple.
My favorite part is the burnt honey cream cheese frosting, but you can top it with classic cream cheese frosting instead.
For more spiced cake recipes, try this chai spice cake, caramel apple crumb cake, banana caramel cake, or dirty chai cake!
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What Makes This Cake Special
- Grated apples and carrots- Hand grated apples and carrots add to the cake's flavor and give it that soft, moist texture carrot cake is known for.
- Burnt honey cream cheese frosting- When you cook down honey, it turns into a thick sauce like caramel and the flavor becomes concentrated and deep. The floral taste compliments the apples, carrots, and spices perfectly and makes this cake super unique. You can make regular honey buttercream if you don't like cream cheese.
- Easy to customize- If you like your carrot cake plain, with nuts, pineapple, or with raisins, you can customize this recipe to suit your tastes!
Key Ingredients
- All purpose flour- Using too much flour makes the cake dry, so make sure to measure it accurately in grams with a kitchen scale. If you don't have a scale, use the spoon and level method. Fluff up the flour and gently spoon it into your measuring cup. Don't pack it down! Then swipe off the excess with the back of a knife.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar-ย You need white sugar to sweeten the cake and hold on to moisture. The brown sugar adds depth of flavor and even more moisture. Light or dark brown sugar work.
- Spices-ย I flavored with cake with ground cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
- Unsalted butter- Make sure it is room temperature so it's easy to cream with the dry ingredients. Pull it out 1-2 hours before baking. You can use salted butter if needed, just omit the additional salt the recipe calls for.
- Vegetable oil- Butter adds flavor, but oil creates a super moist cake. You can also use olive oil or canola oil.
- Eggs- You need 2 large eggs at room temperature to add structure and a spongey texture.
- Applesauce- Use unsweetened applesauce to add moisture and extra apple flavor without making the cake too sweet.
- Carrots-ย Make sure to use freshly grated carrots for the most moisture! Pre-shredded carrots are too thick and dry, giving the cake a weird texture. You can use large or baby carrots.
- Apples- I used my personal favorite Honeycrisp apples, but Pink Lady, Cortland, Fuji, or Granny Smith apples are also great for baking. A firm sweet-tart apple is best! You need to grate them like the carrots. You can leave the skin on or peel it off before shredding.
- Honey- Burnt honey adds so much flavor to the frosting, so don't replace it with something else. Any type of honey works!
- Cream cheese-ย Be sure to use room temperature, full-fat cream cheese bricks for the richest frosting.
Ingredient Variations
- Add ins- I prefer my carrot cake without any crunch, but you can throw in some chopped toasted pecans, walnuts, or coconut for more texture. You could also use the toasted nuts as a topping.
- Crushed pineapple- Add ยผ cup crushed pineapple in place of the apple sauce.
- Raisins- Mix โ cup of raisins into the batter.
How to Grate Carrots for Baking
Peel your carrots before grating them. The skin can be bitter and tough, so removing it gives you a smoother texture that blends better into your batter.
The easiest way to grate your carrots is by using a box grater so you can choose how fine they are. I used this coarse grater which is similar to the medium holes on a box grater.
You can also shred the carrots and apples in a food processor with the grating attachment, but you'll have more cleanup.
When measuring your grated carrots, try not to pack them into the measuring cup. Loosely spoon them in so you don't end up with too much, which can weigh the batter down and make your cake dense.
How to Make the Cake
Step 1:ย Mix the dry ingredients together with an electric mixer or stand mixer on low speed until evenly combined.
Step 2:ย Add the butter to the flour mixture and beat it in on low for 5 minutes until the mixture looks like wet sand.
This is called the reverse creaming method. Coating the flour with butter reduces gluten development for a more tender texture!
Step 3:ย Next, mix in the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract on low speed until a thick batter forms. Scrape down the sides and mix in the applesauce.
Step 4:ย Add the grated carrots and apples, folding until they're evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Step 5:ย Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached. Then transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool completely.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
Step 6:ย Add the honey to a small saucepan on medium heat. Cook until it turns a dark amber color and smells burnt. It will bubble viciously, so occasionally mix to keep it from overflowing.
Take it off the heat to cool slightly (but not too long because it will solidify).
Step 7:ย While the honey cools, beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.
Step 8:ย Beat in the vanilla, salt, and honey until evenly combined on medium speed.
Step 9:ย Gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low speed 1 cup at a time. Then increase the speed to medium until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Step 10:ย Spread or pipeย the frosting on top of the apple carrot cake and garnish with toasted nuts or coconut.
Expert Baking Tips
- Shred the carrots and apples yourself. Packaged pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store are dry and thick.
- Use room temperature dairy ingredients.ย This helps your carrot cake batter and frosting mix together smoothly and evenly. Cold eggs can make the batter curdle, which can lead to a dense texture. Letting everything come to room temp ensures a softer, more tender cake with a consistent crumb.
- Cool the cake completely. If you frost the cake while it's still warm, the frosting will melt off.
How to Store Apple Carrot Cake
If the apple carrot cake is unfrosted, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in a large airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
If the cake has cream cheese frosting, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator because of the dairy. It lasts up to 5 days. Take it out to come to room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe works in 2 6-inch round cake pans or a regular 9-inch round pan. The bake time is the same for both.
It's best to peel both for the smoothest texture, but you can leave the apple skins on if they're thin and tender. I opted to leave the apple skins on myself.
Yes! Once completely cool, wrap the cake snugly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Freeze the whole cake or individual slices for 2-3 months. If it's already frosted, just flash freeze it uncovered for about an hour until the frosting is firm, then wrap it up as described. Before eating, let the cake thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a few hours.
More Cake Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Apple Carrot Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 box grater
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
Cake
- 130 grams all purpose flour
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 50 grams light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger
- ยผ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ยผ teaspoon ground cloves
- ยผ teaspoon allspice
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 54 grams vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 grams unsweetened apple sauce
- 100 grams fresh grated carrots
- 100 grams shredded apples
Burnt Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
- 43 grams honey
- 56 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 113 grams full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 180 grams powdered sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Grate your carrots and apples using a box grater or a coarse grater and set aside.
- Add all purpose flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer). Mix on low speed until combined.130 grams all purpose flour, 100 grams granulated sugar, 50 grams light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ยฝ teaspoon ground cardamom, ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger, ยผ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ยผ teaspoon ground cloves, ยผ teaspoon allspice, ยฝ teaspoon salt
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and beat it in on low for 5 minutes until the mixture looks like wet sand. The butter should be no larger than pea-sized pieces.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Mix in the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract on low speed until a thick batter forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a if needed and beat in the applesauce.54 grams vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 50 grams unsweetened apple sauce
- Add the carrots and apples to the batter, gently folding them in with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed throughout the batter.100 grams fresh grated carrots, 100 grams shredded apples
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached. Crumbs mean it's still moist!
- Carefully remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 5-10. Release the sides and transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool completely for about 30 minutes.
Burnt Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add honey to a small saucepan on medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes until it turns a dark amber color and smells burnt. It will bubble viciously, so occasionally mix to keep it from overflowing. Take off the heat to cool slightly (but not too long because it will solidify).43 grams honey
- While the honey cools, beat the room temperature butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl on medium-high speed until creamy.56 grams unsalted butter, 113 grams full-fat cream cheese
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla, salt, and honey on medium speed until evenly combined.ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract, ยผ teaspoon salt
- Mix in the powdered sugar on low speed 1 cup at a time until combined. Then increase to medium and beat until light and fluffy.180 grams powdered sugar
- Spread or pipe frosting on top of the cooled cake and garnish with toasted nuts or coconut. Slice and enjoy!
Megan Weimer
I love how moist this carrot cake is, and the frosting is the best part for sure!