Carrot Cake Layers

Oct 13, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Vanilla: Extract Easy

Two bare, level rounds of carrot cake layers stacked on a cooling rack with one slice cut to show the crumb

Moist, spiced carrot layers made with oil, so they stay tender for days. The base for cream cheese frosting, with pecans or pineapple folded in if you like.

Prep 25 min

Cook 35 min

Cooling 1 hr

Total 2 hr

Yield 12 slices

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

2.0 cups (250.0 g)all-purpose flour
2.0 tsp (10.0 g)baking soda
½ tsp (3.0 g)fine sea salt
2.0 tsp (5.0 g)ground cinnamon
½ tsp (1.0 g)ground nutmeg
4.0 (200.0 g)large eggs
1.0 cup (200.0 g)granulated sugar
¾ cup (160.0 g)light brown sugar, packed
1.0 cup (240.0 ml)vegetable oil
2.0 tsp (10.0 ml)pure vanilla extract
3.0 cups (300.0 g)finely grated carrots (about 6 medium)

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter two 8-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment and butter the paper; dust with flour and tap out the excess.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk the eggs with both sugars until thick, then whisk in the oil and vanilla.
Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture just until no dry streaks remain, then fold in the carrots.
Divide between the pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in the pans 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely before filling.

Tips

Grate the carrots on the fine holes so they melt into the crumb.
Fold in 1 cup chopped toasted pecans or 1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple with the carrots if you like.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make carrot cake layers?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour to rest. The recipe makes two 8-inch layers (12 slices).

How should I store carrot cake layers?

Wrap cooled layers tightly and keep at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months; frost them cold from the freezer for the cleanest crumb.

Can I make carrot cake layers ahead?

Bake the layers a day ahead, wrap and chill; cold layers are easier to fill, stack and frost.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (10 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Moist, spiced carrot layers made with oil, so they stay tender for days. The base for cream cheese frosting, with pecans or pineapple folded in if you like.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

300 Calories / serving

9.9g Fat

48.6g Carbs

4.5g Protein

31.1g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~3600 cal · 119g fat · 583g carbs · 54g protein · 373g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.