Easy Carrot Cake (blender recipe)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more details.

If you’re looking for a super easy carrot cake recipe, this is the one! A slightly spiced, moist, delicious, and simple carrot cake that is a breeze to make: blend all the ingredients and bake!

No grating carrots, no whipping frosting, no mess.

Close-up of a slice of easy carrot cake with a bundt carrot cake in the background dusted with powdered sugar.

We all deserve a slice of homemade cake, but who has time to bake on a Monday? Let’s be real: baking on a weekday can be a bit of a hassle, but I’m here to help you!

But maybe you didn’t know you could whip up a super easy carrot cake in minutes until now. And I’m here to tell you that you can!

This simple carrot cake requires just a handful of baking essentials, a few carrots, and 5 minutes of prep time.

No grated carrots, no cream cheese frosting, no cake layers.

All you have to do is blend all the ingredients in a food processor, transfer the batter to a cake pan, and bake.

The result is absolutely delicious. The texture is moist and denser than a typical cake, and the flavor is slightly spicy with a subtle orange flavor.

And it’s not overly sweet, even though it is sweet. It’s just right.

It’s also easy to customize. Think of chocolate chips, raisins, pecans, walnuts.. the possibilities are endless.

This is a simple carrot cake recipe for a no-frills yet delicious cake perfect for any occasion, any time of the day, any time of the year. Monday included.

Don’t wait any longer, gather your carrots, blender, and baking essentials and get started on this simple yet utterly irresistible carrot cake.

List of the ingredients

  • Carrots
  • Eggs
  • Sugar
  • Flour + baking powder
  • Spices
  • Sugar & salt
  • Vegetable oil
  • Orange zest (missing in the photo)
  • Vanilla extract
The ingredients to make this easy carrot cake recipe are arranged over a white background.

How to make this easy carrot cake recipe

(Note: this is a quick description with step-by-step photos; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)

  • Whisk the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside
  • Puree the carrots with eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, zest, and oil until smooth (I use a food processor. If using a blender, see notes in the recipe card).
Two images showing a glass bowl containing the dry ingredients and a food processor containing carrots, sugar, and eggs.
  • Add the flour mixture to the batter in three steps and pulse each time just until the flour is incorporated.
  • Do not over mix, it’s OK if the batter looks lumpy.

Note: once you add the flour, resist the temptation to turn the batter into a smoothie! Overmixing the cake batter creates a dense and rubbery cake.

Top view of a food processor containing the carrot cake batter and showing a spoon that adds flour in steps.
  • Use a rubber spatula to transfer the carrot cake batter to the prepared cake pan (I used a pretty bundt cake pan here!).
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes (it depends on the pan used).
  • Enjoy at room temperature, dusted with some powdered sugar.
Top view of a bundt cake tin full of easy carrot cake before and after baking.

Recipe notes & tips

Easy carrot cake recipe ingredients

Carrots: inexpensive, low on calories, rich in antioxidants, carrots are an excellent staple. Peel them or not, slice or cut them into chunks, or do whatever saves you time in this fuss-free recipe. You’re welcome!

Eggs: 3 medium-sized or large eggs to bind all the ingredients.

Vegetable oil: we blend ¾ cup vegetable oil with the rest of the ingredients for this simple carrot cake. I used light olive because it brings moisture and the flavour is not overpowering. Expeller-pressed canola oil (rapeseed oil for my UK readers) or melted coconut oil can be used instead of olive oil.

Sugar: I use unrefined caster sugar, it dissolves easily into the batter, but either granulated sugar or brown sugar work fine.

All-purpose flour + baking powder: make sure they are well combined.

Vanilla extract, salt, orange zest, spices: for flavor. I used cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ginger, but you can use only 2 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon instead of the mix of spices.

A hand showing a slice of tender and simple carrot cake over a white cake dusted with powdered sugar.

Carrot cake variations

Carrots and warm spices is a popular delicious combination, but get creative and think of this cake as a blank canvas for other delicious ingredients.

Add dark chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or dates, and raisins to the batter. Make sure to stir in your add-ins as soon as the flour is combined with the liquid ingredients, and pulse only for a couple of seconds to mix them thoroughly.

Finally, you can serve this easy carrot cake drizzled with some orange glaze as I do for this orange cake; you can pour over melted dark chocolate like in this recipe. I also love a dollop of sweet cream cheese on the side rather than cream cheese frosting. All delicious options to fancify this simple homemade carrot cake.

How long does this carrot cake keep?

It keeps well for 3-4 days in an airtight container, at room temperature, or in the fridge.  You can also store it in the freezer:  wrap the cake, or slices of cake, in plastic wrap (clingfilm), store it in an airtight container, freeze for up to 1 month, and thaw it at room temperature.

Close-up of a slice of carrot cake showing the soft crumble.

More easy cake recipes?

If you are looking for more easy treat recipes, check out these recipes:

If you make this easy carrot cake recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!

Close-up of a moist and tender slice of easy carrot cake dusted with sugar.
Print Recipe
5 from 8 votes

Easy Carrot Cake Recipe

If you are looking for a super easy carrot cake recipe, this is the one! A delicious, dense, tender, and simple cake, perfect any time, and totally fuss-free: blend the ingredients and bake! 
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword: easy carrot cake
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 302kcal
Author: Katia

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 (10oz/280 grams) medium-sized carrots, sliced
  • 3 medium-sized eggs
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) vegetable oil (I used light olive oil)
  • ⅔ cup (130 grams) sugar, use a bit more if you wish (see notes)
  • 1 orange, zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 360℉/180℃, place a wire rack in the middle position, grease a 9-inch bundt cake pan, or grease with butter, cooking spray, or line with parchment paper a 9-inch round pan. Parchment paper helps the cakes release from the pan.
  • Place the flour, spices, baking powder, and salt in a large or medium bowl and whisk until combined.
  • Place the carrots, eggs, oil, sugar, orange zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a food processor bowl and puree until smooth and well combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the liquid in three steps, pulse for a few seconds then stop to scrape down sides of the bowl as necessary. Pulse until the flour is just combined with the rest of the ingredients; do not overmix. If you want to add other ingredients (nuts, chocolate chips…) do it now and pulse briefly again until combined.
  • Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the greased pan, level the top, and bake in the middle shelf of the oven for about 30 minutes (round pan) or 35 minutes (total time if using a bundt pan).
  • After 30 minutes check the cake by inserting a thin skewer or toothpick into the centre of the cake. If the cake is fully cooked then the skewer will come out clean, if there is still batter clinging to the skewer then return the cake to the oven for a further 3 minutes and test again.
  • When the cake is ready, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly.
  • Remove your cake from the pan, dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Sugar: the recipe uses 2/3 cup of sugar, but go for 1 cup if you prefer a sweeter cake.
2. Food processor: I use a food processor for this recipe, not a blender. A blender is ok to mix wet ingredients, but it might overmix your batter when you add flour. To avoid overmixing, transfer the liquid to a bowl and add the dry ingredients by hand using a spatula.
NOTES: the nutrition values are  for one serving and are based on an online nutrition calculator.  It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 4749IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

26 Comments

  1. I love your yoghurt cake which I make often. However with the carrot cake, which I haven’t made yet, is it possible to reduce the oil to 80mls like the yoghurt cake because 180mls is quite a bit??? Also, would I be able to bake this in a 20cm cake tin? (don’t have 23cm) Thank you so much for all your recipes, especially the yoghurt cake😄

    1. Hi Mo, I’m so happy you enjoyed the yogurt cake, thank you! : )
      I’ve never tested this recipe with only 80 ml of oil, but I think you might use 1/2 scant cup rather than 3/4 cup of veg oil. A 20 cm tin should be fine, but the baking time might be slightly longer, make sure you check the doneness with a skewer.
      Happy new year. xx

  2. 5 stars
    I made these today. It’s simple and not very sweet and I don’t feel guilty eating a lot haha good for kids snacks too.

    1. I’m so pleased it turned out well and the kids loved it too! 😊 Thanks for your lovely comment.x

  3. I would love to make the yogurt cake but I only use olive oil or avocado oil. Will these work with this recipe?

    1. Hi Annette, both vegetable oils will work in the recipe (olive oil has a stronger flavor, though). x

    2. 5 stars
      Not too sweet, taste great and easy to make 👍👍

    3. Thanks so much for sharing your lovely feedback, Stefani! I’m so pleased you liked it.
      Cheers x

  4. 5 stars
    Really delish and simple to make! Thanks!

    1. Thanks for your lovely comment, Heba! I’m so glad you liked it 💛

  5. 5 stars
    Such a lovely recipe. I made it into muffins. Used 1/3 cup olive oil and orange zest. Butter was thick and the result was yumm…

    1. I’m so pleased it turned out delicious! Thanks for sharing your feedback 😍

  6. Merle Piazza says:

    Is there any way the calorie content of the cake could be given?

    1. I’ve done it right now 😊

  7. Hello, are you able to use honey as a substitute for the sugar or is it unreplacible for the recipe?

    1. Technically, it should be fine, but since I’ve never used honey in this recipe I’m not able to tell you the right quantity, sorry 🙂

    2. Hi! Could I use melted butter or coconut oil instead of the canola oil?

    3. Hi! I’ve never tested this blender recipe with butter or coconut oil, I’m sorry x

    4. 5 stars
      Hi Katia. I love your carrot cake. Iys so easy but delicious. But why my dough feels too runny? So the cake result is not fluffy. What should I do? Should i add the flour or reduce the egg/oil?

    5. Hi Debby, Thanks for your feedback! Just one question: do you weight the ingredients with a kitchen scale?
      If the measurements are fine you shouldn’t have this problem, but if you’ve done it and you still think the batter needs to be adjusted, try to use only 1/2 cup of oil.
      Hope this helps. Cheers x

  8. 5 stars
    This was a lovely cake and so easy to make. 🙂

    I am loving your cake recipes in general , especially the yogurt cake.

    I’m thinking of adding 1 cup of dried currants to the yogurt cake recipe, just to experiment because I like currants what do you think?

    1. Hi Bianca! Thanks for your comment 🙂 the yogurt cake is very versatile, I think 1/2 or max 3/4 cup of dried currants is fine x

  9. 5 stars
    Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe again. The cake was just perfect! It was moist, healthy and very easy to make, (in shorter words, just the type of cake I was looking for!) I also tried out your beetroot cake recipe, and it was amazing! Again, we finished half the cake when it was still in the baking tray 🙂 I added a little more sugar, roughly 3/4 cup and it tasted excellent! The lemon zest gave the cake a lot more amazing freshness than I thought! Now, I’m in love with fruit and vegetable cakes! Could you also make a mango cake recipe? I would love to try more fruit cakes 🙂 I’ll definitely make this cake again along with your beetroot cake!

    1. Hi Sanika, welcome back, and thanks again for your comment! 🙂 I’m so pleased you fell in love with fruit and vegetable cakes, that’s amazing! I love mango and I’m going to test new fruit recipes over the summer. Stay tuned ?

  10. Christina says:

    5 stars
    This was really nice! Not very sweet, which is perfect for my tastes. If you’re looking for something on the sweet side, you’ll need to use more sugar.

    I used Just Egg to make it vegan and made it in a loaf pan. It needed closer to 45. minutes to be done. Would definitely make again!

    1. I’m so glad you liked it, Christina! Thanks so much for your comment and tips 😉

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating