Martha Stewart carrot cake layers a spiced batter with a pound of shredded carrots and chopped pecans into two 9-inch rounds, then stacks them with cream cheese frosting. And it serves 10 at approximately 1,040 calories per slice in about 3 hours, since the cooling and frosting time account for most of that.

Most carrot cake recipes rely on vegetable oil for moisture, but Martha Stewart uses three full sticks of butter instead. That swap gives the crumb a richer, denser structure, while the butter creams with the sugars in a way oil cannot, which traps more air and keeps the layers tender.

The one thing you cannot shortcut is shredding the carrots yourself on a box grater or food processor, because store-bought pre-shredded carrots are too coarse and dry. Fine shreds melt into the batter as it bakes, so every bite has carrot flavor without stringy chunks breaking the texture.

Source: Martha Stewart website

Martha Stewart Carrot Cake

Recipe by medshi8Course: Desserts

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Butter creams with brown and granulated sugar before eggs, vanilla, water, and a pound of finely shredded carrots fold in. Then the spiced flour mixture and chopped pecans finish the batter, and it divides between two prepared 9-inch pans for a 30-minute bake. And once cooled, the layers stack with cream cheese frosting and coarsely chopped pecans pressed around the sides.

Ingredients

For the cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 sticks (12 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1 lb carrots (about 9 medium), peeled and finely shredded (about 2 3/4 cups)
1 cup finely chopped pecans (for the batter)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (for decorating the sides)
For the frosting:
Easy Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe linked separately on the source page)

Directions

Preheat and prep the pans: Set the oven to 350°F, then butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, butter the parchment, and dust with flour.
Whisk the dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg so they distribute evenly.
Cream the butter and sugars: In a stand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter with both sugars until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs: Then beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides after each, and continue mixing for 3 minutes total.
Mix in the wet ingredients: Add the vanilla, water, and shredded carrots, then beat about 2 minutes until well combined.
Fold in the flour and pecans: Reduce the speed to low, then add the flour mixture and the finely chopped pecans, since over-mixing at this stage toughens the crumb.
Divide and bake: Scrape the batter evenly into the two prepared pans, then bake for about 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in the pans: Let the cakes rest on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen them.
Unmold and cool completely: Turn the cakes out onto the rack, flip right side up, and let them cool completely before handling.
Trim and stack: Using a serrated knife, trim the rounded top off one cake so it sits flat, then place it cut-side up on a platter and spread 1 cup of frosting over the surface.
Add the second layer: Set the second cake on top of the frosting, then spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides.
Decorate and chill: Gently press the coarsely chopped pecans onto the frosted sides, then refrigerate for 1 hour before slicing so the frosting sets.

FAQs

Why does the recipe use butter instead of oil?

Three sticks of butter give this cake a richer crumb than the vegetable oil most carrot cake recipes call for, because butter solidifies as it cools and creates a firmer, more structured slice. Oil makes a softer, more fragile cake that can feel greasy, while butter brings its own flavor that oil cannot match.

Creaming the butter with the sugars also traps air into the batter, which contributes to the lift alongside the baking powder and soda. That aeration step is impossible with oil, so the texture difference starts before the cake even goes into the oven.

How should I shred the carrots for the best texture?

A food processor fitted with the fine shredding disk gives the most consistent result, since every piece is thin enough to melt into the batter during baking. A box grater works on the smallest holes, though it takes longer by hand.

Store-bought pre-shredded carrots are too thick and too dry for this cake, because the coarse shreds stay intact during baking and create chewy pockets. The recipe calls for about 2 3/4 cups from 1 pound of whole carrots, so peel them first and trim both ends before shredding.

Can I substitute walnuts for the pecans?

The source page notes walnuts as a direct swap, and they work in both the batter and the side decoration. Walnuts have a slightly more bitter, earthy flavor than pecans, so the overall taste shifts a little, but the texture stays the same.

Toast either nut in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes before chopping, since toasting deepens the flavor and keeps them from going soft in the moist batter. For another Martha Stewart baking recipe where nuts play a starring role, try her Martha Stewart banana bread.

How far ahead can I make this cake?

The baked and cooled layers wrap well in plastic and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days before frosting, which makes it easy to split the work across two sessions. A fully assembled cake also holds in the fridge for up to 2 days wrapped tightly, since the cream cheese frosting acts as a moisture seal.

For longer storage, freeze the unfrosted layers in a double wrap of plastic and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting, because room-temperature thawing creates condensation that makes the surface sticky.

How should I store leftovers?

The frosted cake keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days, but do not leave it at room temperature, since the cream cheese frosting can spoil. The moisture in the cake actually improves the texture after a day or two in the fridge, because the crumb absorbs the frosting and softens further.

Freezing frosted slices works for up to 1 month if each slice is wrapped individually in plastic and foil. Thaw in the fridge rather than on the counter, so the frosting holds its shape. And for another Martha Stewart dessert that stores and travels well, her Martha Stewart blueberry crisp is a lighter option to rotate alongside this cake.