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Home » Recipes » Cakes

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Icing

Jan 7, 2022 by Heather Janak · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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This Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Icing recipe includes finely grated carrots for a velvety, smooth crumb and is covered and filled with a fluffy cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream.

After trying carrot cake with finely grated carrots I never went back to chunky carrot cake again. The texture is so smooth and really lets the carrot and spice flavors shine. If you like your carrot cake with more texture, you can still use this recipe and just modify it by using a grater with larger holes.

whole carrot cake with white frosting and little carrots piped all over

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy.

Another unique aspect of this recipe is the cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream. Carrot cake is typically paired with cream cheese American buttercream, which is denser and sweeter. I used this version in my Easy Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes. In an attempt to please many people with different tastes, I made this cake with what I call "lightly cream cheese" cream cheese icing. I have been able to sway even the most ardent cream cheese frosting haters with this version. If you don't like cream cheese frosting or Swiss meringue, try out the ermine frosting in my Chocolate Strawberry Swiss Roll.

Another favorite cake of mine that uses cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream is my White Almond Cake with Raspberry Filling. For an easier take on carrot cake, try my carrot loaf cake.

Jump to:
  • What is swiss meringue buttercream?
  • Ingredients
  • Substitutions and variations
  • Instructions
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More recipes you'll love
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

What is swiss meringue buttercream?

Swiss meringue buttercream is less sweet and less dense than traditional American buttercream. Swiss meringue buttercream is made by emulsifying room temperature butter with swiss meringue. Swiss meringue is egg whites and sugar that have been cooked and whipped to stiff peaks. American buttercream is just powdered sugar and butter, which can sometimes be too dense and overly sweet.

However, if you like sweeter, denser frostings and dislike intense butter flavor then you can pair this carrot cake with a traditional cream cheese American buttercream, like this recipe from Liv for Cake.

Ingredients

Here's what you need to make carrot cake:

overhead view of ingredients, clockwise: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, eggs, dark brown sugar, carrots, ground cloves, vanilla, cream cheese, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, vegetable oil, unsalted butter

Substitutions and variations

Here's how to customize this recipe to your liking:

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  • Fresh ginger — substitute dried ground ginger for freshly grated ginger root
  • No dark brown sugar — use light brown sugar instead
  • American buttercream — use an American cream cheese buttercream instead
  • Ermine buttercream — use an ermine buttercream instead
  • No small grater — use whatever size grater you have on hand or use your food processor with the grater attachment

Instructions

overhead view of cake layer with a dollop of frosting in the middle

1. Place the first layer of cake on a cake board. Fill with frosting. Repeat with the remaining cake layers

dollop of frosting on top of a naked layer cake

2. Dollop more frosting on top of the layered cake. Cover the outside with a thin coating to make a crumb coat to seal the crumbs. Chill 10 minutes in the refrigerator.

piping large amounts of white frosting on the side of a crumb coated cake

3. Pipe frosting around the outside and top of the cake. Reserve ¼ cup for carrot decoration. Smooth with an offset spatula or bench scraper.

piping a small carrot in buttercream on top of the cake

4. Divide the remaining buttercream in two bowls. Color one bowl with orange food coloring and the second with green food coloring. Pipe tiny carrots around the cake for garnish.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar?

Yes, the resulting cake just might be lighter in color.

Can I omit the cream cheese?

Yes, you can leave out the cream cheese in the frosting. You will have vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream.

How do I store the cake?

Store the cake in the refrigerator, but serve slices at room temperature. The cake will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

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Tips:

Use a serrated knife to make cutting the cake layers easier.

Store this cake in refrigerator but serve it at room temperature to ensure the frosting is creamy.

If you have issues with your swiss meringue buttercream use these tips from the Sugar Coated Cottage.

Lastly, if you make this Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Icing be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!

📖 Recipe

slice of carrot cake

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Icing

Heather Janak
Carrot cake made with finely grated whole carrots and topped with a lightly cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream
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Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Resting Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 slices
Calories 600 kcal

Equipment

  • 3 6-inch cake tins
  • Offset Spatula
  • Kitchenaid mixer
  • Cake board(s)

Ingredients
  

Carrot Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • pinch ground cloves
  • 1 ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 cups finely grated carrots (300g shredded, approx. 4 large carrots)

Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • 6.25 oz egg whites
  • 7 oz sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 lb unsalted butter room temperature, 72 degrees or warmer
  • 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • white, purple, orange and green food coloring
Shop Ingredients on Jupiter

Instructions
 

Make the cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds, line bottoms with parchment circles.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine vegetable oil and sugars. Beat until well combined, about 2 mins. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.
  • Add flour mixture in 3 parts, careful not to overmix. Fold in carrots.
  • Spread batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Cool cakes in their tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting

  • Combine egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl. Set over a bain-marie and cook, stirring constantly, until 160°F. Remove from heat and pour into a Kitchenaid mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment.
  • Beat on high until stiff peaks form and the bowl is cool to the touch. This may take 10 minutes or more.
  • Change to a paddle attachment, add room temperature butter and mix on the lowest setting until butter is incorporated and frosting is light and fluffy. This may take 15 minutes or more, but stay on the lowest setting. If it looks curdled, keep mixing. When in doubt, keep mixing.
  • At this point, you have made swiss meringue buttercream. Set aside.
  • Beat your room temperature cream cheese for at least 5 minutes until very fluffy and smooth. Add vanilla and mix.
  • Add your swiss meringue buttercream to your cream cheese in thirds. Do not add your cream cheese to your swiss meringue buttercream. It will not mix in properly.
  • Your frosting is ready to use as is, or you can add food coloring. I added whitener and a drop of purple to whiten the majority of the frosting. Then for decorations, I removed ¼ cup and added orange food coloring for the carrots and removed another ¼ cup and added dark green food coloring for the leaves.

Assemble the cake

  • You can either build one cake with three thick layers, two cakes with three thin layers or one cake with six thin layers. I like to cut each baked layer in half and make (2) thin, three-layered cakes.
  • With an offset spatula, swipe a teaspoon of your frosting onto the cake board to hold the first layer in place.
  • Place one layer of cake onto the cake board. Top with about ½ cup of buttercream and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat and chill to set the crumb coat.
  • Spread a thicker layer of frosting on the top and outside with offset spatula. Smooth with a bench scraper. If desired, pipe little carrots all over with orange and green icings.

Notes

Store in the refrigerator, but serve at room temperature for creamier frosting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 600kcal
Keyword butter, buttercream, cake, cakes, carrot cake, cream cheese, cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream, frosting, swiss meringue buttercream
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

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Hi, I'm Heather!

I am a baker with a passion for elevated desserts. I personally write, test and photograph every recipe you see here. Follow along as I develop easy and challenging recipes alike!

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