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.
What’s the difference in cooking time if you use light colored pans rather than the dark ones?
For this one – none. I’ve used my pale silver ones and pictured dark ones and cook time the same. The cake is so moist, cook time won’t affect it even if dark or heavier duty ones cooks faster 🙂
I have been following you for awhile now, love all your recipes. It is hard to pick a favorite they are just so yummy and I’m going to start a Pin board called “Nagi!” I’m always looking for your recipes. Thanks for all your time and effort, I really enjoy it! Also I like that there are recipes we don’t see much any more (Christmas Cake) and I appreciate that, like someones tried and true recipe on an old traditional recipe. I see recipes now that people think are unique or new and when i go to even my Grandmothers old cook books they are in there LOL Thanks again!
That’s awesome to hear Marie – thanks so much!
Hi Nagi, I don’t have a big oven to bake the 2 cakes at the same time.
Can I bake one at a time?
Would the second one bake as well as the first one?
TNX
Hi Ena! Unfortunately not that straight forward 🙂 Once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed, the baking soda is activated so you can’t leave the batter lying around, you have to put it straight in the oven. The best thing would be to Mix the Wet and Dry separately per recipe, then tip half of each into a bowl then bake that. The repeat once that one is baked. 🙂 N x
Sounds delicious!
If i used GF flour, what adjustments would I need to make?
I’m sorry Jen I haven’t tried with GF flour and a bit concerned about whether it will hold up in this particular cake – because it’s weighed down with carrots! N x
Good morning Nagi and the lovely Dozer, i loved carrot cake and would have made your recipe until i seen just how many calories it has per serving. I think i have just found the very good reason to stick to my diet(sort off diet), because i would put on a stone in weight just looking at this delectable delight, lol. I shall save this wonder for special occasions and have just a sliver at those times. Thank you flower for such a lovely way to wake up in the morning and i’m glad your offical food tester gave it his approval :D. All the very best from Scotland
If you’re going to have cake – I say go all out! And everything in moderation 😉
Yum! Can’t wait to try this! Nagi, I think there’s a typo in note 4 re measuring grated carrots… ought to be cups not cubes.
Thanks Liz – will update!
I make it this way except i always toast the pecans And the coconut before adding them.
This is very close to recipe for hummingbird cake , only it has carrots in place of bananas .
Yum, sounds great David! N x
I’ve been impressing all the parents at my children’s french primary school with Anglo-cakes like Victoria sponges, and I think they would love this. Trouble is that I’ve never seen crushed pineapple in France. Do you think I can blitz up some ordinary tinned pineapple?
Been waiting for you to make a carrot cake so that I can make your recipe! I always love your recipe because it’s full of notes, tricks and replacement. One question: can I omit the pineapple? I hate pineapple (sorry). Is there any substitute? Thanks.
Hi Sherly, it’s been no my website for a while now! You really need the pineapple in this recipe as it’s what keeps the cake super moist 🙂
You won’t notice the pineapple,,,, it just adds moisture.
Been after a good carrot cake recipe for ages so will definitely try this.
One Q though – I don’t have an electric heater so would I beat the frosting with a wooden spoon or a hand beater?
Sorry, electric beater is what I meant!
Hand beater! It will take some elbow grease but I promise it’s worth it 🙂 (I didn’t have an electric beater until I started full time work, I learnt to cook using a handheld beater!) N x
OMG this is like a carrot cake and a hummingbird cake had a baby! Can’t wait to try this. I’d never thought of putting crushed pineapple in a carrot cake, but it just makes sense!
It’s sooooooo good Angela!
Can I omit the shredded coconut and use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil? Family likes coconut flavor but not the texture of shredded coconut. Would I have to replace 1/4 c shredded coconut with something else to keep dry/wet ingredients in balance.? Thanks!
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried omitting the coconut Karen, although it’s not overpowering. You could definitely use coconut oil if you prefer – N x
I love how you include all the hints and tricks where we might possibly go wrong to make everything turn out perfectly each time, like yours, I really appreciate that about your recipes ! Your site is my go to site where I search first for recipes.
Thanks so much for the great feedback Michelle, that’s so kind of you ❤️
Dozer – you gave it the slurp of approval so I’ll have to give it a go. Lurve carrot cake. x
Yep, paws up from Dozer 🙂
I’ll have to try it, I’ll be honest though I’m dubious it will beat my recipe!
And that’s TOTALLY ok!! 😉 N x
This cake looks fabulous! I want to try baking it this weekend and I am wondering what size is a cake sheet pan? I’m hoping that I have something suitable already sitting in my kitchen cupboard!
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes you publish, You are my go to for nearly every recipe when I am planning my week’s meals.
Hi Renee, it’s all in step 1 🙂 N x
Hi, just finished icing this beast of a cake, it turned out great, soooo much icing on top.. however.. i foolishly did not read all the notes before i started so didn’t realize it should not be cooked in round tin… so it took a wee bit longer and had to turn the heat down.
any tips on how to store it? can it go in the fridge?
Hi, just finished icing this beast of a cake, it turned out great, soooo much icing on top.. however.. i foolishly did not read all the notes before i started so didn’t realize it should not be cooked in round tin… so it took a wee bit longer and had to turn the heat down.
any tips on how to store it? can it go in the fridge?
Great recipe! I substituted all the pineapple for an equal amount of my homemade unsweetened chunky apple sauce. It is sooo goood! Had some for dessert after dinner and can’t wait for tomorrow so I can have it again for breakfast!
Hi Janie – That’s great to know that it worked!!
Should I buy sweetened crushed pineapple or crushed pineapple in it’s own juice?
Hi Pamela, you want it in natural juice – not sweetened – N x
I reeeeeally wanted to try this recipe but couldn’t find a pan of same dimensions so I bought a square, added less mixture into it and cooked it for less time. Spare mixture I put into muffin tins which cooked in 12 mins. It’s a very light and tasty. A hit !
Awesome Katrina!!