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    The Heirloom Pantry » Sweets

    Carrot Cake with Chai Spiced Frosting

    Published: Oct 14, 2018 · Modified: Sep 21, 2023 by Kathleen Higashiyama · The following content may contain paid links. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission.

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    This homemade Carrot Cake with Chai Spice Frosting is our go to cake recipe for parties and celebrations. The carrot cake is rich and moist while the chai frosting adds a creamy and spicy kick. The walnuts and pepitas add a hearty crunch that balances the soft cake.

    Serving slice of Carrot Cake with Chai Spiced Frosting.

    My best friend Megan & I have been going to The Alcove in Los Feliz since we were in high school. They have the most delicious chai lattes I've ever had, and whenever we go, I always order one. The taste of cinnamon sugar and earthy spices make for a well-balanced, fall-forward flavor.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • How to Store Carrot Cake
    • Baking Tips
    • Related Recipes
    • Did You Like This Recipe?
    • Carrot Cake with Chai Spiced Frosting

    Since chai is one of my favorite flavors, I turned it into a yummy whipped frosting for cakes. I love to pair this chai frosting with a moist carrot cake, which is delicious and easy to make. Each bite of this carrot cake with chai spiced frosting tastes like fall!

    Slices of Carrot Cake with Chai Spiced Frosting on plates and cake on cake stand in background.

    Ingredients

    Cake

    • Ground cinnamon - Cinnamon adds a warm, fall flavor.
    • Vegetable oil - Vegetable oil makes the cake moist.
    • Granulated sugar - Sugar adds sweetness to the cake batter.
    • Brown sugar - Brown sugar adds both moisture and sweetness to the cake batter.
    • Carrots - Freshly grated carrots add the signature carrot taste that pairs beautifully with the sugar and cinnamon.
    • Eggs - Eggs bind the ingredients together. Use a room temperature egg so it spreads evenly in the dough.
    • Walnuts - Chopped walnuts provide a hearty and rich crunch.

    Frosting

    • Cream cheese - Cream cheese is the base of the frosting
    • Butter - Gives the batter its creamy and smooth texture.
    • Confectioner's sugar - Powdered sugar provides the sweetness in the frosting
    • Vanilla extract - Vanilla extract adds complexity and sweetness to the frosting.
    • Salt - Salt balances the sweetness from the sugar.
    • Cinnamon - Cinnamon Adds the warm fall spice to the frosting.
    • Ginger - Ginger adds a unique and pungent aroma to the frosting.
    • Cardamom - Cardamom provides a light and piney flavor.
    • Nutmeg - Nutmeg has a nutty sweetness that belnds well with the other flavors.
    • Cloves - Cloves provide a little spice to the frosting.
    • Pepitas - Toasted pepitas add a light and delicious crunch.

    Instructions

    Cake

    • Heat the oven and grease cake pan - Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease & lightly flour the bottom & sides of two 9-inch round cake pans and set aside.
    • Whisk dry ingredients - In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
    • Mix wet ingredients - In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk sugars, vanilla, and oil. Add eggs and whisk until well blended.
    • Mix wet and dry ingredients - Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula. Using a spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are incorporated and well mixed. Add in carrots and walnuts and mix until the mixture is homogeneous.
    • Pour batter into cake pan and bake - Split the batter in two and pour in each of the cake pans. Place the cake pans on the same rack in the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean.

    Frosting

    • Whip the wet ingredients - While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Whip the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
    • Add sugar and whip again - Add sugar one cup at a time, salt, and spices to the frosting and whip on high for 15 seconds. Put the frosting in the fridge until the cake is ready to frost.
    • Cool the cake before frosting - Cool cake in the pan for 10-15 min, then flip onto a cooling rack until completely cooled. O
    • Frost the layer cake - Once the cakes are completely cooled, place the first layer on a cake stand, frost the top, then place the other cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top of the cake and smooth with an angled spatula.
    • Garnish cake and serve - Garnish the top of the cake with toasted pepitas and walnuts.
    Slices of Carrot Cake with Chai Spiced Frosting with cake on cake stand and pepitas.

    Substitutions

    • Whipped Cream - Top the cake with whipped cream instead of chai frosting for a light and rich topping. Check out our Homemade 2-Ingredient Whipped Cream.
    • Cream Cheese Frosting - Replace chai frosting with regular cream cheese frosting if you prefer the taste.
    • Pecans - Use chopped pecans instead of walnuts for extra richness and sweetness.
    • Gluten free - use gluten free all purpose flour to make this cake gluten free. We recommend this gluten free flour for the best results.

    Variations

    • Carrot Cake Cupcakes - Instead of placing the carrot cake batter in a cake pan, place the batter in a greased cupcake pan or muffin pan and fill each cup â…” full.  Bake the muffins for approximately 20 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean.
    • Ice cream - This cake will pair well with vanilla bean ice cream or your favorite ice cream.
    • No nuts - If you are allergic to walnuts or simply don't like the taste, you can omit them.
    • Pineapple - If you like the taste of pineapple, add ½ cup crushed pineapple to the batter and/or ½ cup crushed pineapple on top of the frosting for decoration.
    • Apple curd - Add 1 tablespoon of apple curd to the frosting for rich caramel apple flavor.

    Equipment

    This homemade carrot cake recipe requires common kitchen essentials. To make this cake, you need a measuring cup, mixing bowl, 9" cake pan or springform pan, stand mixer or hand held mixer, paring knife, and wire rack. Serve it on a cake stand with a cake server.

    How to Store Carrot Cake

    This easy carrot cake is moist and can last up to 4 days covered at room temperature. Whenever we bake this cake, we store it in our favorite marble and glass cloche. The cake looks so pretty on the marble and stays fresh and delicious until the last crumb! You could also gift half the cake to a friend if you don't think you can finish it in time.

    Baking Tips

    • Don't over-mix ingredients to ensure the cake evenly and has a light texture. Over mixing can make the batter tough.
    • Bake on the middle rack for even baking.
    • Cool down the cake a little before adding the frosting so the frosting won't melt and get runny. Also make sure the cake is completely cooled before storing to ensure the cake maintains its texture.

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    Did You Like This Recipe?

    Love this carrot cake recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below & leave a comment below. Thanks!

    Sign up for THP's newsletter and keep in touch on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube. If you make this recipe, tag #theheirloompantry so we can see your cake creation!

    Slices of carrot cake on plates and cake in background.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Carrot Cake with Chai Spiced Frosting

    This homemade Carrot Cake with Chai Spice Frosting is our go to cake recipe for parties and celebrations. The carrot cake is rich and moist while the chai frosting adds a creamy and spicy kick. The walnuts and pepitas add a hearty crunch that balances the soft cake.
    Prep Time40 minutes mins
    Cook Time50 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert, Sweets
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 837kcal
    Author: Kathleen Higashiyama

    Equipment

    • 1 measuring cup
    • 1 mixing bowl
    • 1 9" cake pan
    • 1 springform pan
    • 1 stand mixer
    • 1 handheld mixer
    • 1 paring knife
    • 1 wire rack
    • 1 cake stand
    • 1 cake server

    Ingredients 

    Cake

    • 2½ cups All purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoon Baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
    • 1¼ cups Vegetable oil
    • 1½ cup Granulated sugar
    • 1 cup Brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
    • 4 Large Eggs
    • 3 cups Carrots, grated
    • 1 cup Walnuts, chopped

    Frosting

    • 8 oz Cream cheese, softened
    • ½ cup Butter, softened
    • 2 cups Confectioner's sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon Ground ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground cardamom
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground cloves
    • Toasted pepitas or toasted chopped walnuts for garnish
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    Instructions

    Cake

    • Heat the oven and grease cake pan - Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease & lightly flour the bottom & sides of two 9-inch round cake pans and set aside.
    • Whisk dry ingredients - In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
    • Mix wet ingredients - In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk sugars, vanilla, and oil. Add eggs and whisk until well blended.
    • Mix wet and dry ingredients - Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula. Using a spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are incorporated and well mixed. Add in carrots and walnuts and mix until the mixture is homogeneous.
    • Pour batter into cake pan and bake - Split the batter in two and pour in each of the cake pans. Place the cake pans on the same rack in the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean.

    Frosting

    • Whip the wet ingredients - While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Whip the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
    • Add sugar and whip again - Add sugar one cup at a time, salt, and spices to the frosting and whip on high for 15 seconds. Put the frosting in the fridge until the cake is ready to frost.
    • Cool the cake before frosting - Cool cake in the pan for 10-15 min, then flip onto a cooling rack until completely cooled.
    • Frost the cake - Once the cakes are completely cooled, place the first layer on a cake stand, frost the top, then place the other cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top of the cake and smooth with an angled spatula.
    • Garnish cake and serve - Garnish the top of the cake with toasted pepitas and walnuts.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 837kcal | Carbohydrates: 108g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 939mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 7103IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 3mg
    Keyword: Carrot cake, carrot cake recipe, Chai frosting, cream cheese frosting, the best carrot cake recipe
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theheirloompantry or tag #theheirloompantry!

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    About the Author

    Kat Higashiyama and Alec Totto are recipe developers, food photographers, and the authors behind The Heirloom Pantry. Since 2017, they have shared recipes inspired by their Japanese and Italian heritage and California and Hawaii roots. They reside in San Jose with their two dogs, Peeps and Paisley. Read More…

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    Alec and Kat with Paisley and Peeps on the beach

    Welcome! We're Kat and Alec, the recipe developers, food photographers, and food writers behind The Heirloom Pantry. Here you'll find approachable elevated recipes and tips for weeknights and entertaining.

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