Carrot Cake Using Yellow Cake Mix

Ingredients

See recipe card for exact amounts. 

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Yellow Cake Mix: Use your favorite boxed mix.
• Grated Carrots: I grate my carrots with a box grater, you can use a food processor or mandolin. 
• Eggs: We use large eggs that we allow to come to room temperature for about an hour. 
• Oil: I use canola oil, you can use vegetable oil. You can swap this one-to-one for more applesauce, but we like it because it adds moisture.
• Unsweetened Applesauce: This adds moisture to our cake. This can be swapped for an equal amount of undrained crushed pineapple. 
• Vanilla: Gives our carrot cake warm flavor. 
• Cinnamon: This is a common ingredient in carrot cake. You can also add about a ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg and/or ground ginger.

How to Make Carrot Cake Using Yellow Cake Mix

1. Pre-heat oven to 350° and spray a 9″ x 13″ pan with nonstick cooking. 
2. Combine the dry cake mix and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl with a whisk. 
3. Add the eggs, oil, applesauce, water, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until no dry mix is visible. Beat on medium speed until well combined. 
4. Fold in the carrots. 
5. Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake for 34-38 minutes, or until the top begins to brown and the sides pull away from the pan. 
6. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. If desired, sprinkle frosted cake with chopped pecans or walnuts, about ⅓ cup (or more). 

Tips

• Freshly shredded carrots work best in this recipe because they have more water in them than store-bought grated carrots.
• This can be mixed by hand if you don’t have an electric mixer.
• Let the eggs come to room temperature for about an hour before baking the cake. Food Network gives the rundown on why to do this here.
• If using dark nonstick pans reduce the oven temperature to 325°. 

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting

My Lazy Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting is perfect on this carrot cake, see the full post here. You’ll only need half a batch for a 9″ X 13″ cake. If you make a full sheet cake, layer cake, or cupcakes, then double the amounts below. 

Ingredients

• ½ pkg cream cheese, 4 oz
• 1 cup powdered sifted sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ½ tub whipped topping, 4 oz

Instructions

1. Add the room temperature cream cheese, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Or a large bowl if using a hand mixer. Whip until completely combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.
2. Fold in the whipped topping. 

Variations

• Chopped pecans or walnuts can be added to the cake batter before baking, about ¼-1/2 cup. 
• Add some regular or golden raisins to the cake batter before baking, about ¼-1/2 cup.

Storage

Store covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. See how to freeze this cake below.  

Can You Freeze Carrot Cake?

Yes! This carrot cake freezes very well, even with the cream cheese frosting. To freeze individual slices, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 3–4 hours. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container.

To thaw, unwrap the cake while still frozen so the frosting does not stick to the plastic wrap. Then thaw in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the entire cake covered in the baking pan.

FAQs

Try These Cake Mix Recipes Next!

• Mississippi Mud Cake – Moist chocolate cake topped with gooey marshmallows and easy chocolate icing.
• Peach Cake with Cool Whip Frosting – An easy peach cake made with boxed cake mix and fluffy Cool Whip frosting.
• Pumpkin Pie Cake – Easy pumpkin pie cake with just 4 ingredients and all the flavors of pumpkin pie.