Our carrot cake recipe, homemade
Carrot cake is the signature dessert at Berchoux, in Montmartre. Here is our notebook: the exact recipe, the frosting trick and the small gestures that turn a decent cake into a slice you remember.
The essentials in 30 seconds
For a moist carrot cake, finely grate and drain 500 g of carrots, combine flour, baking powder and a cinnamon-ginger-nutmeg blend, then emulsify eggs, brown sugar and neutral oil before folding in carrots and nuts. Bake 45 to 50 minutes at 170 °C, cool completely, then top with a lightly sweetened cream cheese frosting. The house secret: well-drained carrots, gentle baking and a fully cold cake before frosting.
Why a homemade carrot cake is worth it
Carrot cake looks simple, but it quickly reveals the baker's skill. A good one stays moist for days, with a tight yet tender crumb and spices you sense without them taking over. A failed one shows at once: too dry, too sweet, or drowned in frosting.
At Berchoux we bake it every week and have refined the recipe slice after slice. This article isn't about a complicated version: it's ours, born of a generous, waste-free neighbourhood kitchen. You can make it at home with a regular oven and a little patience.
Carrot here is no health alibi. Finely grated, it melts as it bakes and releases its natural sugar, letting us cut back on added sugar without losing indulgence.
The ingredients of a good carrot cake
Use a 22–24 cm tin for eight to ten slices. The carrots matter most: firm, sweet and in season. Here is the list we follow.
- 500 g freshly grated, drained carrots — the moist base
- 250 g plain flour and a sachet of baking powder
- 3 whole eggs at room temperature
- 180 g brown or muscovado sugar for caramel notes
- 150 ml neutral oil: sunflower or grapeseed
- Cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and a touch of vanilla
- 100 g lightly toasted walnuts or pecans
- Frosting: 200 g cream cheese, 80 g soft butter, 60 g icing sugar
Unsure of a quantity? Trust the weight of the carrots once grated and drained, not before.
The essential equipment
No professional gear needed. A fine grater — the key step — a large bowl, a whisk, a spatula and a springform tin are enough. Carrots grated too coarsely stay crunchy and stop the crumb from binding, so take your time.
Also keep a scale, a clean cloth to drain the carrots and baking paper. Bring eggs, butter and cream cheese to room temperature: they emulsify far better and give a more even cake.
The carrot cake recipe step by step
Follow the order: each step sets up the next. Twenty minutes of prep, fifty of baking.
Prepare the carrots
Peel and finely grate the carrots, then press them in a cloth to remove excess water — the key to a moist, not soggy, crumb.
Mix the dry ingredients
Sift flour with baking powder, add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and a pinch of salt for an even, lump-free base.
Emulsify eggs, sugar and oil
Whisk eggs with brown sugar until slightly pale, then pour in the oil while whisking for a smooth, glossy base.
Fold and bind
Add the dry mix in two batches, then fold in the drained carrots and toasted nuts without overworking the batter.
Bake gently
Pour into the lined tin and bake at 170 °C for 45–50 minutes. A knife should come out barely moist. Gentle heat keeps it soft.
Cool completely
Unmould after ten minutes and cool on a rack. Never frost a warm cake: the cream cheese would melt and slide.
Make the frosting
Whisk cold cream cheese with soft butter and icing sugar into a smooth, firm cream. Keep it lightly sweet.
Frost and finish
Spread generously, smooth with a spatula, scatter a few crushed nuts and chill thirty minutes before serving.
The cream cheese frosting
The frosting makes or breaks a carrot cake. Too sweet, it hides everything; too runny, it slides. Ours stays deliberately low in sugar to let the carrot and spices speak. Use cold cream cheese and soft butter: that contrast gives a firm cream that holds without weighing down.
Whisk just enough — overbeaten cream cheese loosens. If it feels soft, twenty minutes in the fridge firms it up. A few drops of lemon juice add a welcome brightness.
Baking, texture and tips
The ideal texture sits between a loaf cake and a fondant: firm enough to slice, moist in the mouth. Two levers: gentle baking near 170 °C, and oil rather than butter in the batter, which keeps it moist for days.
Watch the end of baking rather than the clock — every oven differs. It's ready when it springs back and the knife comes out barely moist. If it colours too fast, cover with paper halfway. Made the day before, it's often even better.
The Berchoux spirit
Here this cake is a neighbourhood habit: served by the slice at the counter, packed for an afternoon treat, slipped into our catering trays. Same batter, same hand, week after week.
Prefer to skip the baking? It's waiting for you in Montmartre, under the greenery-wrapped neon sign.
Variations and adaptations
The base recipe adapts easily. Gluten-free: swap wheat flour for a rice-corn blend with a spoon of starch. More plant-based: replace eggs with apple compote or a flaxseed mix for a slightly denser but just as tasty crumb.
For flavour, anything goes: soaked raisins, orange zest, shredded coconut or pineapple pieces. Keep the same balance — the carrot stays the star, the rest supports it.
An anti-waste carrot cake
Carrot cake was born in thrifty kitchens, which is exactly what we love. At Berchoux, anti-waste is no slogan: slightly tired carrots, perfect once grated, get a second life. Peelings can go to stock, nut trimmings become topping.
At home, apply the same logic. Softening carrots from the drawer are ideal here: their sugar has concentrated. A bit of cream cheese, leftover nuts, the end of a bag of brown sugar — it's the dessert of a well-kept pantry.
Storage, transport and serving
A frosted carrot cake keeps three to four days in the fridge, covered, so the frosting doesn't pick up odours. Take it out twenty minutes before serving. Unfrosted, the base freezes very well: wrap it tight and frost only on the day.
For transport, prefer an unfrosted base and a separate pot of cream to spread on site — cleaner slices, no accidents. Serve it simply: a generous slice and a strong coffee.
The three mistakes to avoid
Carrots too wet
Not draining the grated carrots risks a soggy crumb that never bakes through. Always press them in a cloth first.
An oven too hot
Baking at 200 °C to save time dries the cake and burns the edges. Gentle baking is the only way to keep it fondant.
Frosting too soon
Cream cheese on a warm cake melts and slides. Wait until it's fully cold, even if it means baking the base a day ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make the carrot cake the day before?
Yes, and it's even better. The base benefits from an overnight rest as the spices settle. Frost on the day of serving and keep it chilled.
Are nuts mandatory?
No. Nuts add crunch but are optional, especially for allergies. Swap them for pumpkin seeds or leave them out without changing the bake.
How do I get a really moist carrot cake?
Three keys: finely grated, drained carrots, oil rather than butter, and gentle baking near 170 °C. Never over-bake out of caution.
Can I reduce the sugar?
Yes. Carrots already bring natural sweetness, so you can cut the brown sugar by about a fifth. Keep the frosting lightly sweet for balance.
Does cream cheese frosting freeze?
It freezes poorly, losing its texture. Freeze the plain base instead and make fresh frosting when serving.
Where can I taste Berchoux's carrot cake?
In Montmartre, at our restaurant in the 18th arrondissement, served by the slice all week, to eat in or take away.
Going further
Want to enjoy it without turning on the oven? Discover our carrot cake Montmartre, served by the slice in our dining room every day.
Also worth reading
Come see us in Montmartre
Theory is fine. A fresh slice under its frosting is better. We'll be at the counter.
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