Olive Oil Carrot Cake

This layered Olive Oil Carrot Cake is made with extra virgin olive oil and over two cups of grated carrots for a moist and tender cake spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg and frosted with a simple velvety cream cheese icing.

Using olive oil is a great way to add flavor to a cake and can be used in all sorts of cakes, such as Italian Olive Oil Cake or Blueberry Lemon Olive Oil Cake.

I've tested this recipe many times to get it just right, using all sorts of ingredients like pineapple and applesauce (which I've found are unnecessary), grating the carrots in different ways, and adjusting the amount of eggs, flour, and spices.

All to make an easy cake that is flavorful, but not overpowering, using all real ingredients, and not making it overly complicated or difficult. This results in a delicious, moist carrot cake with an emphasis on extra virgin olive oil and freshly grated carrots.

🛒 Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make this Olive Oil Carrot Cake.

• Olive Oil: Use extra-virgin olive oil (not regular or light). I prefer to use Spanish olive oil, which can be found at Trader Joe’s, Costco, or Whole Foods. It’s often less expensive and higher quality (Spain is the largest producer of olive oil).
• Milk: I recommend using whole milk, but 1% or 2% will work in a pinch.
• Eggs: This cake uses 3 large whole eggs and an extra egg yolk for extra richness.
• Vanilla Extract: Use real vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla. Large bottles can be purchased at Costco or other wholesale stores for much less per volume than at the grocery store.
• Carrots: Buy whole, large fresh carrots and grate them yourself. Use a vegetable peeler to first peel the carrots, then grate them in a food processor or by hand with a box grater. Do not use pre-shredded carrots, as they are tougher and have a much lower water content. Pre-shredded carrots will leave you with tough, crunchy carrots in your cake. Use any leftover grated carrots to make these Banana Carrot Muffins.
• Flour: Use all-purpose flour, unbleached.
• Granulated Sugar: Because this cake is layered with creamy cream cheese frosting, the cake is not overly sweet (though it is sweet enough that you could eat it on its own). Feel free to substitute brown sugar for a more caramel/molasses like flavor.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: For leavening.
• Salt: To balance and bring out flavor.
• Cinnamon, Cloves, Allspice, Nutmeg: I err on the side of more cinnamon and less nutmeg as nutmeg can be overpowering. Feel free to adjust the spices according to your preference.
• Pecans or Walnuts: Optional for topping the cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese bars.
• Butter: I use salted butter.
• Powdered Sugar: For a velvety smooth frosting.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds a subtle vanilla flavor.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

🫒 Other Ways To Use Olive Oil in Cake

Olive Oil can be used to replace butter, vegetable oil, or canola oil in many cakes. Butter adds fat and flavor but leads to a denser cake. Vegetable oil and canola oil create a fluffier cake, but it can be flat in terms of flavor. Olive oil is a healthier ingredient that adds both fat and flavor and results in a light, fluffy cake.

Use it to make any of these cakes, all of which are great year-round.

• Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Mascarpone Cake
• Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake

📝 How to Make Olive Oil Carrot Cake

Below are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this Olive Oil Carrot Cake.

Step 1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans.

Step 2. Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, milk, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Stir in the grated carrots.

Step 3. Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg.

Step 4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the large mixing bowl and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.

Step 5. Bake: Divide the carrot cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F for 40 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown with a rounded top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool fully.

Step 6. Tangy Cream Cheese Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. This can be done with a hand mixer or by hand.

Step 7. First Layer: Use a large bread knife to remove the rounded top of the cake. This allows the two cake layers to sit flat on top of each other. Spread a thick layer of the frosting over the top of the first cake.

Step 8. Second Layer and Crumb Coat: As you did with the first cake, remove the top rounded portion with a bread knife. Invert the cake on top of the first cake. Add a thin layer of the frosting around the top and sides of the cake. This is the crumb coat.

Place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes. This locks in the crumbs so that you can add a second layer of frosting that will cover the crumbs so that you can no longer see them.

Step 9. Frosting and Decorating: Remove the cake from the fridge and add a second, thicker layer of frosting. Use a large butter knife or an offset spatula to create a smooth appearance. Top the cake with chopped pecans or walnuts, if using.

💖 If You're Interested In More Cakes, You May Enjoy These

If you tried this 🥕 Olive Oil Carrot Cake or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!