Golden Harvest Cake

Pumpkin Carrot Cake is the ultimate autumn indulgence, masterfully combining two beloved spiced cakes into one unforgettable dessert. Infused with a harmonious blend of warming fall spices and crowned with a luscious tangy cream cheese frosting, this cake transforms into a truly cozy seasonal favorite that will captivate your senses and delight your taste buds.

Discover the Unrivaled Delight of the Best Pumpkin Carrot Cake

Prepare yourself for what might become your new all-time favorite dessert! This extraordinary Pumpkin Carrot Cake recipe is a triumph, born from the fusion of my two most cherished cake creations: the classic Carrot Cake and the wonderfully comforting Pumpkin Cake. The resulting synergy creates a dessert that has truly exceeded all expectations, even for my family!

What sets this particular Pumpkin Carrot Cake apart is its incredible depth of flavor. Each bite offers a complex profile of autumn spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves – perfectly balanced with the natural sweetness of pumpkin and the earthy notes of fresh carrots. Beyond its rich taste, the cake boasts an unparalleled moist and tender crumb that practically melts in your mouth. The generous layer of homemade cream cheese frosting acts as the perfect counterbalance, adding a creamy, slightly tangy sweetness that ties all the delightful elements together. It’s safe to say, fall just wouldn’t be complete without baking – and indulging in – this magnificent cake.

The Essential Step: Bringing Ingredients to Room Temperature for Your Pumpkin Carrot Cake

Achieving the perfect texture for your Pumpkin Carrot Cake is crucial, and one of the simplest yet most overlooked steps is ensuring all your key ingredients are at room temperature. This isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a fundamental principle of baking that significantly impacts the final outcome, leading to a consistently lighter, fluffier, and more evenly baked cake.

• Room Temperature Eggs: When eggs are at room temperature, their proteins are relaxed. This allows them to emulsify more effectively with other ingredients, creating a smoother, more homogenous batter. Cold eggs, on the other hand, can cause butter to seize and create a lumpy mixture, preventing proper aeration. Room temperature eggs also trap air more efficiently when beaten, which contributes to the cake’s desirable light and airy texture.
  • Quick Tip for Eggs: If you’re short on time, simply place refrigerated eggs in a bowl of warm (not hot!) water for about 10 minutes. Alternatively, plan ahead and pull them out of the fridge approximately 30 minutes before you begin baking your Pumpkin Carrot Cake.
• Room Temperature Butter and Cream Cheese for Frosting: The ideal consistency of your cream cheese frosting hinges on using softened butter and cream cheese. When both are at room temperature, they cream together beautifully, resulting in a smooth, luxurious, and lump-free frosting that spreads like a dream. Cold ingredients will lead to a stiff, chunky frosting that’s difficult to work with and lacks the desired silky finish.
  • Quick Tip for Butter & Cream Cheese: Remove butter and cream cheese from the refrigerator 45 minutes to 1 hour before you plan to make the frosting. For a faster method, unwrap the cream cheese and microwave it in 5-second intervals, flipping it frequently, until it’s evenly softened (but not melted). Repeat this process for the butter in a separate bowl, as they soften at different rates.

Mastering Your Pumpkin Carrot Cake: Essential Baking Tips for Success

Creating the perfect Pumpkin Carrot Cake involves a few key techniques that can elevate your baking from good to truly exceptional. Follow these expert tips to ensure every slice is moist, flavorful, and wonderfully textured.

• Measure Flour with Precision: The “Spoon and Level” Method. Over-measuring flour is one of the most common baking mistakes, often leading to a dry, dense, and less flavorful cake. To avoid this, use the “spoon and level” method: gently spoon flour into your measuring cup until it overflows, then use the straight edge of a knife or a flat spatula to level off the excess without packing it down. This ensures you’re using the exact amount of flour needed for a perfectly moist crumb. For a visual guide, consider searching for online tutorials on how to properly measure flour.
• Finely Grate Carrots for Optimal Texture. The texture of your shredded carrots plays a significant role in the overall feel of the cake. To ensure they blend seamlessly into the batter and provide an even dispersion of flavor without being overtly chunky, always grate your carrots using the smallest holes on your grater. This yields very fine shreds that soften beautifully during baking, contributing to the cake’s tender consistency.
• Thoroughly Drain Crushed Pineapple. Crushed pineapple adds a delightful tang and moisture to the cake, but excessive liquid can throw off the batter’s consistency. First, double-check that you’ve selected the correct can size—an 8-ounce can is ideal for this recipe. Once opened, drain the pineapple completely, pressing out all excess moisture through a fine mesh sieve. This step is crucial for maintaining the intended balance of wet and dry ingredients.
• Avoid Overbaking at All Costs. Overbaking is the enemy of a moist cake. Even a few minutes too long in the oven can transform your perfectly tender layers into dry, crumbly ones, significantly diminishing their flavor and appeal. Start checking for doneness at the lower end of the recommended baking time. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached.
• Proper Cooling is Key to Cake Integrity. Patience is a virtue when it comes to cooling cakes. Allow your cake layers to cool in their pans for about 20 minutes after removing them from the oven. This brief period allows the cakes to firm up slightly, making them less prone to breaking when inverted. After 20 minutes, carefully turn them out onto wire cooling racks to cool completely. It is absolutely essential that the cakes are 100% cool before you even think about applying the frosting; frosting a warm cake will lead to a melted, messy disaster.

The Foundation of Success: Properly Lining Your Cake Pans for Pumpkin Carrot Cake

For a beautiful, clean release and perfectly shaped layers of your Pumpkin Carrot Cake, meticulous pan preparation is non-negotiable. While a good non-stick spray and a dusting of flour are helpful, the incredibly moist nature of this cake demands an extra layer of protection: parchment paper. Trust me, I speak from experience – attempting to skip this step often results in frustration and compromised cake layers.

For the best results, always use 9-inch cake pans. These are the exact cake pans I rely on for consistent success. Lining the bottom of your cake pans with parchment paper creates a barrier that prevents the delicate cake from sticking, ensuring each layer comes out perfectly intact and ready for frosting. Here’s a simple, foolproof method to cut perfect parchment circles:

1. Tear off a square sheet of parchment paper that is slightly larger than your cake pan.
2. Fold the parchment square in half.
3. Fold the parchment in half again, creating a smaller square.
4. Now, fold this square diagonally into a triangle.
5. Fold the triangle in half once more, making it even narrower.
6. Hold the pointed tip of the triangle against the very center of the cake pan’s bottom. Align the long, straight edge of the parchment with the center.
7. Using scissors, trim the parchment paper right where it meets the edge of the cake pan along its curved rim.
8. Unfold the parchment to reveal a perfect circle. Press this circle firmly into the bottom of your prepared cake pan.

Once your pans are lined, proceed with spraying and flouring the sides of the pan as usual. This dual approach guarantees your cake layers will release beautifully every time.

Pumpkin Carrot Cake Troubleshooting: Addressing Common Baking Challenges

Even experienced bakers can encounter hiccups. Here are solutions to common issues you might face when baking your Pumpkin Carrot Cake, ensuring a perfect result every time.

How to Achieve Perfectly Even Cake Layers

When baking a multi-layered cake, uniformity is key for both visual appeal and even baking. Uneven layers can lead to a lopsided cake and inconsistent texture. The simplest and most effective way to ensure your cake layers are perfectly even is to distribute the batter equally between your pans before baking.

Solution: After preparing your cake batter, carefully pour it into each of your prepared cake pans. To guarantee precision, use a kitchen scale to weigh each pan with batter. Adjust the amount of batter in each pan as needed until they all contain the exact same weight. This simple step will ensure your layers bake at the same rate and stack beautifully.

What Makes a Cake Moist, and How to Avoid a Dry Pumpkin Carrot Cake?

The hallmark of a truly great Pumpkin Carrot Cake is its moist, tender crumb. A dry cake is often the result of one or more common baking errors, which can easily be avoided with careful attention to detail.

Common Causes of Dry Cake:

• Incorrect Ingredient Ratios: Too much flour or not enough liquid can quickly lead to dryness.
• Overmixing the Batter: Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, resulting in a tough, dry cake.
• Overbaking: Leaving the cake in the oven for too long, even by a few minutes, will strip it of its moisture.
• Incorrect Oven Temperature: An oven that runs too hot (especially if it’s not calibrated) can also contribute to overbaking and dryness.

To ensure a consistently moist cake:

• Follow the Recipe Precisely: Pay close attention to ingredient measurements, especially flour (using the “spoon and level” method).
• Mix Just Until Combined: Once the dry ingredients are added to the wet, mix only until no streaks of flour remain. A few small lumps are better than an overmixed batter.
• Monitor Baking Time Closely: Start checking the cake at the earliest suggested baking time. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but not wet batter.
• Calibrate Your Oven: If you suspect your oven temperature is inaccurate, consider getting an oven thermometer. An accurately calibrated oven ensures proper baking temperatures.

Storing Your Delicious Pumpkin Carrot Cake

Proper storage is essential to maintain the freshness and flavor of your homemade Pumpkin Carrot Cake. Due to its luscious cream cheese frosting, this cake requires refrigeration.

Finished Cake Storage:

Once frosted, your Pumpkin Carrot Cake should be stored in the refrigerator. Ensure it is tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or kept under a cake dome to prevent it from drying out or absorbing odors from other foods. Stored correctly, the cake will remain fresh and delicious for up to 3 days. It’s important to note that frosted cake does not freeze well; the frosting’s texture can become watery and separated upon thawing.

Make-Ahead and Freezing Options:

If you wish to prepare your Pumpkin Carrot Cake in advance, it’s best to freeze the cake layers before frosting.

• Refrigerating Unfrosted Layers: Once your cake layers have cooled completely, wrap them individually and tightly in plastic wrap. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before frosting.
• Freezing Unfrosted Layers: For longer storage, wrap the completely cooled cake layers tightly in several layers of plastic wrap, then an additional layer of aluminum foil. They can be frozen for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to assemble and frost, transfer the frozen layers to the refrigerator to thaw for at least 24 hours.

I personally find that making and freezing the cake layers ahead of time actually enhances their flavor, allowing the spices to meld and deepen over time. When ready to frost, I thaw them in the fridge and then let them sit at room temperature for about an hour (they don’t need to be fully thawed) before applying the frosting.

More Delightful Pumpkin Recipes

If you’ve fallen in love with the flavors of this Pumpkin Carrot Cake, you’ll surely enjoy exploring these other fantastic pumpkin-inspired treats, perfect for any fall gathering or cozy evening:

• Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Pie with a decadent maple whipped cream topping.
• Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, bakery-style and utterly irresistible.
• Fluffy Pumpkin Waffles served with a rich buttermilk syrup.
• 7 Layer Pumpkin Bars featuring sweet, gooey coconut.
• Homemade Pumpkin Scones finished with a simple, sweet glaze.

Pumpkin Carrot Cake

By Chelsea Lords

Pumpkin Carrot Cake brings together the best of both worlds—rich, spiced pumpkin and carrot cakes—topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting. It’s the ultimate cozy fall treat!

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

• 2 9-inch cake pans
• Parchment paper
• Sifter
• Cooling rack
• Stand mixer

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup carrots, shredded (2-3 medium-sized carrots)
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1-1/4 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling and not the whole can)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, well drained
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups flour, spooned and leveled
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Frosting

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature (do not melt)
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (do not melt)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional, for consistency)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional, for decoration)

Instructions

Cake Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans by spraying them generously with cooking spray, dusting lightly with flour, and then lining the bottoms with parchment paper (refer to the “Lining The Cake Pans” section in the blog post for detailed instructions).
2. Begin by peeling and very finely grating your carrots. Measure precisely to ensure you have exactly 1 cup of shredded carrots.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the whole milk and lemon juice. Set this mixture aside for 5 minutes; it will curdle slightly, which is normal and desired.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree (ensure it’s not watery), granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vegetable oil, large eggs, vanilla extract, and the milk/lemon mixture. Whisk everything until the mixture is completely smooth and well-combined. Gently fold in the finely grated carrots and the thoroughly drained crushed pineapple until evenly distributed.
5. Place a fine-mesh sifter over the wet ingredients bowl. Sift in the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground cloves. After sifting, add the sweetened coconut flakes. Mix the batter gently until the dry ingredients are just combined with the wet, being careful not to overmix.
6. Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. For precise layers, use a kitchen scale to ensure each pan contains the same amount of batter. Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
7. Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in their pans for 5–7 minutes. This helps them firm up. Then, carefully invert the cakes onto wire cooling racks to cool completely before proceeding to frost them.

Frosting Preparation and Assembly

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese and softened unsalted butter on medium speed until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps. Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
2. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until you have incorporated about 3-1/2 cups. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting reaches a smooth, creamy, and spreadable consistency. If the frosting is too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved.
3. Reserve about 1/4 of the prepared frosting to use as the filling between the cake layers. While this cream cheese frosting won’t be as stiff as a traditional buttercream, it will be firm enough for delicious layering.
4. To assemble the cake, place a small dollop of frosting on your serving plate or cake stand; this acts as an adhesive to hold the bottom cake layer in place. Carefully place one completely cooled cake layer on top. Spread the reserved 1/4 of the frosting evenly over this layer.
5. Gently place the second cooled cake layer on top. Use the remaining frosting to generously cover the top and sides of the entire cake. If your frosting becomes too soft while working, you can refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes or mix in an additional 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to firm it up. Remember, you might have a bit of extra frosting, so don’t feel obligated to use it all.
6. For an extra touch, decorate the sides of your frosted Pumpkin Carrot Cake with chopped pecans, if desired.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: For detailed visual instructions on how to perfectly line your cake pans with parchment paper, please refer to the specific “Lining The Cake Pans” section earlier in this blog post.

Note 2: To ensure perfectly even cake layers, accurately divide your batter. Pour equal amounts into each pan, then use a kitchen scale to verify. Adjust the batter in each cake pan until both contain precisely the same weight.

Storage: Store your frosted Pumpkin Carrot Cake in the refrigerator, tightly covered with plastic wrap or under a cake dome. Frosted cake does not freeze and thaw well, as the cream cheese frosting’s texture can be compromised. However, unfrosted cake layers freeze nicely for up to one month when properly wrapped.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 953kcal | Carbohydrates: 144.6g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 40.1g | Cholesterol: 123.3mg | Sodium: 783.3mg | Fiber: 3.6g | Sugar: 114.5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.