Looking to make your own magnolia bakery carrot cake recipe? Magnolia Bakery in New York City is famous for its pastries, cakes, and other baked goods. The Magnolia Bakery carrot cake has fresh carrots, raisins, walnuts, and rich cream cheese icing.
Carrots and other components make the cake moist and flavorful, but dense. The mildly spiced cake pairs well with the sweet, creamy frosting. Magnolia Bakery’s carrot cake is a city favorite and a menu staple.
How To Make Magnolia Bakery Carrot Cake
I enjoy sharing my baking passion with viewers. Today, we’ll make the Magnolia Bakery Carrot Cake, one of the most popular cakes. This moist, dense cake with cream cheese icing is a family favorite.
This blog post will walk you through making this cake, answer some commonly asked questions, and give you some tips to make it a success.
Magnolia Bakery Carrot Cake Ingredients
To make the Magnolia Bakery Carrot Cake, you will need the following ingredients:
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking soda
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1 ¾ cups of granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups of vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups of grated carrots
- 1 cup of chopped walnuts
- 1 cup of raisins
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 8 oz of cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 cups of powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
Instructions To Make Magnolia Bakery Carrot Cake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and vegetable oil together until well combined.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Fold in the grated carrots, chopped walnuts, raisins, and vanilla extract.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy.
Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix until well combined.
Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
Assembling the Cake:
Place one cake layer on a cake plate or stand.
Spread a layer of cream cheese frosting over the top.
Place another cake layer on top and repeat the process.
Place the third cake layer on top and spread a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake.
Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Once chilled, spread a thicker layer of frosting over the entire cake.
Decorate the cake with additional chopped walnuts and/or raisins, if desired.
Tips and Tricks
Use fresh carrots: Grate your own fresh carrots instead of using pre-packaged shredded carrots. The fresh carrots will add more flavor and moisture to the cake.
Don’t overmix the batter: Overmixing the batter can result in a tough and dense cake. Mix the ingredients until just combined.
Use room temperature ingredients: Make sure your eggs, butter, and cream cheese are at room temperature before using them in the recipe. Room-temperature ingredients will blend together more easily and result in a smoother batter.
Chill the cake before frosting: Chilling the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before frosting will make the cake easier to handle and prevent the frosting from melting.
Use a cake strip: Using a cake strip (a strip of aluminum foil or fabric soaked in water and wrapped around the cake pan) will help prevent the edges of the cake from becoming overcooked and ensure even baking.
magnolia bakery carrot cake recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking soda
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1 ¾ cups of granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups of vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups of grated carrots
- 1 cup of chopped walnuts
- 1 cup of raisins
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 8 oz of cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 cups of powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
- In a large bowl, beat the sugar and vegetable oil together until well combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the grated carrots, chopped walnuts, raisins, and vanilla extract.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
