Carrot Cake! With a hint of cinnamon, soft crunch from nuts, ultra moist crumb and piled high with the fluffiest ever cream cheese frosting, this has the perfect texture and flavour. Easy and foolproof, absolutely to-die for!
Carrot Cake
This Carrot Cake is from a reader, the lovely Dorothy of Tennessee in the States, a long-time reader of RecipeTin Eats. She promised it was dead easy, foolproof, ultra moist with a heavenly flavour.
One bite was all it took for me to ditch the recipe I’d been using all my life up until that moment. This was The One. Hands down the best Carrot Cake I have ever had in my life!
I love it so much, in fact, that I’ve also just published a cupcake version too!
Why you’ll love this Carrot Cake recipe
The cake itself is not too sweet, with less sugar than most recipes;
The cake is moist, but not doughy or “mud-cake” like;
The subtle crunch from pecans and coconut in the cake. The textural contrast with the crumb is really terrific; and
There is plenty of frosting!!
What you need for Carrot Cake
Here’s what you need for this Carrot Cake. The “secret ingredients” in this are:
Crushed pineapple (canned) – this adds to the moistness of the crumb, as well as sweetness and flavour. We’re going to use all of the pineapple and some of the juice; and
Coconut and walnuts (or pecans) – they add a subtle soft crunch which provides great textural contrast in this cake that has a very soft crumb.
No butter! Did you know – oil makes cakes moist and butter adds flavour. In this recipe, we don’t need butter because there’s all sorts of flavour from the other ingredients so we just use oil.
How to make Carrot Cake
Just use a standard box grater to grate the carrot. Then it’s as simple as mixing the Dry ingredients, mixing the Wet, then mixing them together.
I’ve made a 2 layer cake here but you could also make one rectangle single layer cake.
Cream Cheese Frosting for Carrot Cake
There’s just no question – fluffy cream cheese frosting is the BEST frosting for Carrot Cake! Here’s what you need:
Cream cheese – use BLOCK, not the spreadable cream cheese in tubs (too soft);
Softened butter – softened but not super soft / borderline melting;
Icing sugar aka powdered sugar – 🇦🇺use soft icing sugar, NOT pure icing sugar (which is used for things like royal icing ie sets hard); and
Vanilla.
How to make cream cheese frosting
There’s no secret trick to making fluffy cream cheese frosting. Just beat, beat, beat until fluffy! It will take a good 3 to 5 minutes to make the frosting super fluffy.
TIP for even layers (without trimming)
No cake comes out of the oven with a perfectly level surface.
But rather than bothering to cut the top to make it level, just flip the cake upside down before frosting.
You’ll still get a slight dome in the middle with this cake but it’s less pronounced than if you frosted it without turning it upside down.
And so I present to you, Dorothy’s Carrot Cake, with 2 layers, though it’s marvellous as a single layer sheet pan rectangle cake – goes further and there’s a thicker layer of frosting on the surface.
Thank you Dorothy, for sharing your wonderful recipe with us!!! I’m so honoured! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Carrot Cake (Easy and ultra moist!)
Ingredients
- 440g / 20 oz can crushed pineapple , drained but RESERVE juice (Note 1)
- 1/4 cup (65 ml) reserved canned pineapple juice (from canned pineapple above)
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (185 ml) milk , at room temperature (full or low fat)
- 1 tsp white vinegar (or lemon juice or other clear vinegar, (Note 2)
- 3 eggs (55g/2oz each)
- 1 1/2 cups (265g) brown sugar (loosely packed)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil (or canola)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (300g) flour , plain / all purpose
- 2 tsp baking soda (aka bi carb soda, Note 3) (NOT BAKING POWDER)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
Stir Ins
- 2 cups grated carrot , about 2 carrots, peeled (Note 4)
- 1/4 cup coconut , shredded or desiccated (plain / unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans , roughly chopped
Frosting
- 180g / 6oz cream cheese , at room temperature (Note 5)
- 225g / 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups (480g) icing sugar / powdered sugar , sifted if clumpy (Note 6)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types). Grease and line two 20-22.5 cm/8 – 9" round pans OR a 9 x 13" / 22 x 33cm pan with baking/parchment paper. (Note 7)
- Drain crushed pineapple well, reserving the juice. Measure out 1/4 cup of pineapple juice.
- Whisk Dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, vinegar, eggs, sugar, oil and the 1/4 cup pinepple juice from Step 2.
- Stir in carrot, crushed pineapple, coconut and pecans into the Wet ingredients bowl.
- Pour Wet into Dry ingredients, stir until flour is incorporated.
- Pour into prepared pan(s). Bake round cakes for 35 minutes, rectangle cake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and the cake is golden on top.
- Rest for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a cooling rack. Frost once completely cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth. Then beat in the icing sugar in 2 batches until it is well incorporated and the frosting is fluffy – about 3 minutes on speed 7 stand mixer.
- Flip one cake upside down on serving platter (for flat surface). Spread with 1/3 frosting. Place 2nd cake upside down on frosting. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting.
Storage
- If cooler than 25°C/77°C and not humid, ok to keep cake in airtight container not in fridge. If very humid OR warmer than 25°C/77°C, store in fridge (Note 8).
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published April 2016. Updated with new photos, and new recipe video added!
“Let them eat cake!” 10 classic cake recipes
Life of Dozer
Project Manager Dozer on duty for the video shoot! Quality Assurance is his speciality 😂
And here he is from when I originally published this Carrot Cake – no surprises, Dozer lurking under the shoot table! I’m not going to lie to you. He scored a big hunk of carrot cake. His bottom can afford it. Mine can’t.
Another winner! Still perfect with a 1/2 cup less sugar.
That’s great to hear Marina!! N x
I made this on the weekend and everyone loved it. Even one of my kids who doesn’t like pineapple or walnuts (I didn’t tell him til after he’d eaten some!). Delicious!
I don’t like overly sweet cakes. Is there any way I can reduce sugar? What is the minimum sugar I need for this recipe.
Hi Shuba, I haven’t tried to be honest sorry as I love the cake as is 🙂
I know this is heresy, but dessicated coconut is one of the very few foods I really don’t like.
Can it be omitted, or replaced with something else?
Hi Colin! You can just leave it out 🙂 Very small part of the cake, you won’t miss it! N x
Hi Nagi! Sounds like another awesome Nagi recipe!!
If I make it in a sheet pan, what size would I use and how long would I cook it?
Thank you!
Hi Rozanne – a 9 x 13″ / 22 x 33cm pan
Amazing! I made this for my husband because carrot cake is his favourite-actually ‘cake’ is his favourite!:) he love love it! I really enjoyed too…the walnuts added a wonderful crunch. I thought I made too much icing but it was the perfect amount and you are right…this cake is very moist! I also made the lettuce wraps as a healthy starter which were delicious and the cucumber salad! It was a lot of steps but worth very scrumptious bite…thank you again!
Fabulous Geraldine, sounds like you nailed it! N x
Can this be frozen with the frosting on?
Hi Lucy, I haven’t tried to be honest! Not sure how the frosting would hold up upon thawing – N x
Ok…its in the oven. House smells great. Made it exactly as written. Stay tuned as i will give an update tonight
I hope you loved it Lynda! N x
Hi Nagi, is there a healthier option for the frosting? Also there is no blocked cream cheese in the UK 😩 so I’m stuck!
There is cream cheese in the UK-just not called cream cheese. In Europe they call it by the name “philadelphia”..also known as soft cheese in the tubs…
Hi J, why not try a glaze like this one instead: https://promotown.info/lemon-cake/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hi Nagi, does this cake freeze well? Thank you
Hi Justine, I’d just freeze without the frosting 🙂
Can’t wait to try this. Don’t have canned pineapple. Could I sub with thawed frozen pineapple all chopped up & a bit extra pineapple juice?
Hi Michele, yes definitely! N x
Nagi, if someone has a tree nut allergy and cannot have walnuts/pecans, will pistachios work well in the recipe?
Hi Mary, you can leave them out or sub with another nut – N x
I would like to add raisins.. How much should i add ??
Hi Brenda, I would think 1/2 cup would be great! N x
After my husband salivating over this recipe, I made a promise to make it for him. His favourite is Carrot Cake. I think it will be light and moist. Yum!
Isn’t Dozer a sweetie – helping his special Nagi to photograph the cake. Some, just might drop off the plate, if he’s in real luck. :))
Love to know if it’s a hit with him Mary! N x
Thanks Nagi, another brilliant recipe! Quick question…. we don’t use vegetable oil or any of the processed oils like canola etc. we only use ghee, coconut oil and olive oil generally. What can I use instead of the vegetable oil? TIA
Hi Michele, I feel Olive oil would be too strong in flavour so I’d opt for coconut instead – N x
Hi there 🙂 I use delicate-flavoured olive oil in this recipe every time and I have found it works very well. Having said that, I will try coconut oil next time for something different xox
Oh wow Nagi, this looks so simple and good. Carrot cake is my favourite and there is NO chocolate which is great as I am allergic to it. Love Dozer’s antics and all the great recipes. Thanks a bunch. xx
There’s definitely no chocolate in this carrot cake 😂
Any suggestions substitutions for people with nut allergies?
Your recipes always work well done!
Hi Mimi, you can simply leave them out 🙂 N x
I Haven’t baked it yet
I hope you give it a go Glenis!!
WOW! This cake was exactly as described. Easy, moist, and fantastic in every way. Followed it exact with rounds and it came out 100%.
Wahoo! That’s great to hear Erica! N x
Such a delicious carrot cake the best ever whatever anybody says The family and friends simply enjoyed it so much Thank you Nagi I do lppk forward to all your recipes so much Marion
That’s great to hear Marion!