This Carrot Walnut Cake is fluffy and moist, with warm cinnamon and an abundance of sweet carrots, and complemented by crunchy walnuts. It comes together in just minutes and is absolutely delicious—surprisingly easy to make, making it the ideal snack cake without frosting or pineapple.
If you love simple snack cakes like this one, then you also love my strawberry yogurt cake made in one bowl.
This Carrot Walnut Cake is incredibly easy to whip up—I bet you have most of the ingredients in your kitchen!
I love incorporating walnuts into snack cakes, like my orange walnut cake and banana walnut cake. They add a delightful crunch that contrasts perfectly with the soft cake, while also balancing the sweetness.
It’s moist yet light and fluffy, studded with chopped walnuts. The rich flavor comes from brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and fresh carrots. This subtly spiced cake is sure to become your new favorite!
Fresh carrots and vegetable oil keep the cake wonderfully moist for days, allowing you to enjoy slices throughout the week—perfect with a cup of coffee or as an after-school snack for the kids!
The key to making the best carrot cake at home is to grate the carrots yourself. Pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store tend to be too thick and dry, which won't give you that desirable moist crumb.
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Why you'll love it?
- No frosting needed
- Light, fluffy and moist
- No pineapple
- Loaded with plenty of grated carrot
- Subtly spiced from vanilla and cinnamon
- Make it nut-free
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
The ingredients for this recipe are pretty standard for a simple carrot cake. However, I’d like to highlight a few that you might have questions about:
- Carrots: Three cups of freshly grated carrots are what make this the best carrot cake! You’ll need about three medium carrots for the recipe. As you grate them, you’ll see just how juicy they are, which adds incredible moisture to your cake—not to mention enhancing the flavor!
- Walnuts: Use raw walnuts, there is no need to toast them.
- Raisins: These add texture, but they are optional.
- Sugars: I love using a combination of white and brown sugar in this recipe. Brown sugar adds not only sweetness but also rich flavor and moisture, while white sugar provides sweetness that balances everything beautifully.
- Oil: The secret to keeping it deliciously moist and tender lies in using a flavorless oil, such as vegetable or canola oil. Melted coconut oil is also a great option, though it will impart a subtle coconut flavor to the finished cake.
How to make carrot walnut cake?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
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🥕 Should you peel the carrots? I always prefer to peel the carrots before grating them, as the peel can sometimes have a bitter taste and a texture that differs from the rest of the carrots.
Step 7 - Transfer batter into a greased cake pan, spread evenly and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes clean.
No frosting?
This carrot cake with walnuts is delicious even without frosting! You can enjoy it plain or simply sift some powdered sugar on top. However, if you're making it for a celebration, a classic cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch, as in the eggless carrot cake.
Cake pans
You can use an 8-inch round or square baking pan for this cake. A 9-inch pan works as well, but keep in mind that the cake will be slightly shorter. If you double the batter, you can bake it in a 9x13 inch pan to create a simple carrot sheet cake that’s perfect for snacking!
Storage
Store it at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can also refrigerate it for up to a week, and it will stay soft thanks to the use of oil instead of butter. For longer storage, simply freeze it.
Recipe tips
- Grate carrots in the coarse side of your box grater - Wash, peel, grate and then measure 2 cups for the recipe.
- Do not use pre-shredded carrots
- Chop walnuts into small pieces
- Line your cake pan with parchment, for easy removal
More carrot recipes
Carrot Walnut Cake
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup packed golden brown sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Additional ingredients
- 2 cups coarsely grated carrots about 3 medium
- ¾ cup finely chopped wlanuts
- ¼ cup golden raisins optional
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350° F and grease an 8-inch square or round baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Add all dry ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add all wet ingredients (except eggs) into a larger bowl and whisk for about 1 minute, until thoroughly combined. Add both eggs and whisk until blended well.
- Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in dry ingredients, grated carrots, walnuts and raisins, until evenly combined.
- Transfer batter into the prepared cake pan, spread evenly and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes clean.
- Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love your feedback! Please let me know by leaving a comment or review below or snap a photo and share on Instagram.
All contents and images are my original work, unless and otherwise mentioned. Please do not use my recipes or images without linking back to www.kitchenathoskins.com. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite in your own words and don’t forget to include a link back to the original recipe.
HD
Very tasty cake- thanks for the recipe❤️
Ashita Banerjee
Perfect recipe for a quick carrot cake ..
It came out so good. Moist and soft.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡
JT.
Liked the simplicity of the recipe. However I did reduce some of the white sugar,oil and the cinnamon. And reduced the baked time.