4 Ingredient Carrot Cake

This carrot cake is soft and moist. It is just 4 ingredients and doesn’t require any eggs, dairy or butter. You also don’t need a mixer to make it. The cake can be made ahead of time and customized.

This carrot flavored cake is perfect for any upcoming brunches or gatherings. It can also be customized with various mix-ins and spices.

Ingredients

• Carrot puree: You can use store bought carrot puree or homemade carrot puree. If using store bought carrot puree, you will want to choose one that has a consistency of applesauce. I also share an easy homemade carrot puree in the recipe notes section.
• Sugar: This cake is sweetened with regular granulated white sugar. Sugar also adds moisture to the cake.
• Oil: This cake works best with a neutral oil like canola oil or avocado oil. Oil will help make the cake crumb lighter and more moist. I do not recommend substituting oil with butter. Butter will make the cake crumb more dense in this cake.
• Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is a flour that already has a leavening agent and salt added to it. If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can also make your own with baking powder, all purpose flour and salt. I share a homemade self-rising flour in the recipe notes.

How to Make Carrot Cake

• The carrot puree, sugar and oil are all whisked together in a large mixing bowl. The flour is then stirred in with a spatula. Transfer the batter to your prepared cake pan.
• Bake until done.
• Allow cake to fully cool in pan before removing and cutting. You can also decorate the cake with frosting.

Texture

This cake has a texture similar to a snack cake. It is a simple cake that is moist and soft. You can add more flavors and textures if you want.

Expert Tips

• This is a simple carrot flavored cake. It is not the same as a classic American carrot cake which usually is a spiced cake with shredded carrots and nuts mixed in. However, you can easily customize the cake with spices and nuts to achieve a cake that tastes like classic American carrot cake.
• The cake can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer.

More Carrot Recipes

• 4 Ingredient Carrot Cake Oatmeal Bars
• 4 Ingredient Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
• 3 Ingredient Carrot Cake Donuts

4 Ingredient Carrot Cake

Servings: 12 slices

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

This Carrot Cake is a simple, moist treat that requires no eggs, milk, or butter. The natural sweetness and moisture from the carrot puree create a tender, light cake that’s perfect for any occasion.

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

• 1 1/8 cups (258 g) carrot puree homemade or store bought, see note before starting
• 3/4 cup (152 g) granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/59 ml) canola or avocado oil
• 1 3/4 cups + 2 tbsp (253 g) self-rising flour see note before starting

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch square pan with non-stick cooking spray and then line with parchment paper. Make parchment edges a little above the cake pan so that you can lift the cake out later.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the carrot puree, sugar and oil until evenly combined. Add the flour and fold it in with a silicone spatula until flour is completely incorporated. Keep folding until the flour is fully mixed into the batter and there are no pockets of unmixed flour. Make sure to only use a spatula to mix in the flour and not a whisk or beater because that will overwork the batter. The batter will be thick when you are done.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until done. When the cake is done it should be lightly browned on top and if you apply light pressure to the surface, it should bounce back.
• Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting or frosting. Store uneaten cake in fridge or freezer.

Notes

• Carrot Puree note: If using store bought carrot puree, you want to choose one with a consistency similar to applesauce. I like Happy Baby carrot puree.* Avoid brands like Gerber where the consistency is too thin and watery. You can also make homemade puree with the recipe below.
• Homemade carrot puree:
  • 1/2 lb baby cut carrots 
  • 3/4 cups water
  • Steam carrots until fork tender. Add carrots and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Measure out 1 cup for the recipe. The recipe yields around 1.5 cups of puree so don't use the full amount.
  • Notes: 1/2 lb carrots is measured before steaming. The carrots release water as they cook so they will weigh less after
  • You can substitute with peeled chopped regular carrots, but I highly recommend baby cut carrots which are more tender and sweet. This recipe was tested with baby cut carrots and using regular carrot could cause the cake to be more dry or not sweet enough. If using regular carrots, try to choose very thin young carrots.
• Self-rising flour note: There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30g) serving). The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with Gold Medal self-rising flour* (regular amount of protein). Please use a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup), or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
• *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
• Homemade self-rising flour:
  • Whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove 2 tbsp of flour because you don't want to use the whole amount and use the rest for the recipe.
  • Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill, which will not work well for this recipe.
• Optional Cream Cheese Frosting 
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 8 oz cream cheese (brick type), softened to room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • To make the frosting: Add butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy and light. Add vanilla extract and mix in on low speed. Gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar on low speed until completely combined. Add enough powdered sugar for a thick frosting that is still spreadable over the cake. Start with 3 cups and add more if needed. This recipe makes a generous amount of frosting. You likely won't need it all.
  • If you want to pipe carrots like in the recipe photos, you will need orange and green food coloring added to some of the leftover frosting. The carrots were piped with Wilton 16 (carrots) and round piping tip 2 (stems).
• Cake pan note: This cake was baked in an 8 inch square pan that is less than 8 inches at the bottom. The bottom measures around 7.5 inches. This is typical for most cake pans sold in the US. If you use a true 8 inch pan then your cake will not rise as high.
• Estimated nutrition does not include optional frosting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 159kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 224mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 13g, NET CARBS: 27

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

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