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.
Is my sons 20th birthday today and needed to take a cake to work for morning tea. As he requested a Carrot Cake with cream cheese icing this was perfect as I made the large rectangle version.
Smelt lovely as it cooked and you know you are onto a ‘winner’ when 3 people asked for the recipe!
Thanks Nagi and of course Dorothy!
Happy birthday to your son Jane! So glad he enjoyed it!!! N xx
Is baking soda the same as bicarb soda please?
Hi Claire! It sure is 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi,
Could I substitute evaporated milk for the whole milk?
What about using melted butter in place of the oil?
Thanks,
John
Hi John! Evaporated milk is fine to sub for milk, you can also use butter but the cake won’t be quite as moist. 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi and Dorothy. Thank you for this recipe. It’s the best carrot cake I have ever tasted. My in-laws think so too and they’re very picky when it comes to sweets. You are amazing.
That’s so great to hear Nyss! I’m so happy to hear that! N x ❤️
I am waiting for it to finish baking, I made a mistake,I saved the 1/4 cup of pineapple juice,but put all the juice from the can in the mix! Oops so I added an extra egg,and no extra saved juice,ha,so extra baking time,70 min,and the last 18 min on bottom rack. Hope. I didn’t ruin it! Have you made any errors?
I’m sure it will work just fine! I find this type of batter very forgiving! N xx
This is the BEST carrot cake I have ever had. The icing is awesome. I have made this cake several times and each time I get many people asking for the recipe. Very easy to make also. Couldn’t get it to rate the stars but I definitely give it a 5 star rating!!!
WHOOT! So pleased to hear that Pam! N xx
Made this today for my father-in-law in honor of Father’s Day. It was a super hit! I used a 1:1 ratio of whole wheat flour and AP flour because my in-laws are very diet conscious. In any case, this is the BEST carrot cake I have ever made or have ever had. Definitely a keeper.
Thank you Nagi (and Dorothy from Tennessee).
That’s fantastic to hear Prakriti! Thanks for letting me know – N xx PS And I’ll share with Dorothy too!
I give this recipe 5 stars because the cake tastes wonderful. However, I am having issues with doneness. I have baked this cake 3 times. The first time it was soggy throughout. The second time the middle was soggy, so for the third time I increased baking time by 10 minutes, but it still came out soggy around the centre though more evenly cooked than the second time. Each time to check for doneness, a skewer inserted in the centre came out clean and when I pressed the top the of cake with my finger it bounced back. These checks have failed me when it comes to carrot cake, for some reason. Please advise, Nagi. Thank you!
Woah! That is the strangest thing – the skewer comes out clean and the top bounces back yet its soggy inside??? When you say “soggy”, can you describe it more? Is it actually uncooked batter? This is a very moist cake!
Hi Nagi…thank you for replying!! yes I would say it’s undercooked batter. The rest of the cake has a different texture while still being very moist and delicious.
That is so odd! Do you have a standard or convection/fan oven, and when you bake other recipes, do you notice that they take longer to bake?
I made this today. I only used half the frosting as there was way too much. I’ve frozen the rest to use on the next one. Thankyou Nagi and Dorothy for an absolutely delicious recipe.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Annita! Yes it is generous on the frosting which I personally LOVE!
This could be called “Irene’s ” Carrot Cake, too! My mom made this cake and also put some crushed pineapple in the frosting for the 13×9 cake… it was known as a Tropical Carrot Cake. Not too sweet, just right!
It looks divine! Thanks Nagi and Dorothy 🙂 looks like Dozer likes the look of it too.
Seriously the most amazing carrot cake ever!!
This was fantastic. I whipped it up today quickly during baby nap time, and divided it up into a muffin tin (made 16 exactly!) and baked for 20 mins on the same temp. So delicious, thanks Dorothy (and Nagi!)
Hi Nagi, I absolutely love your recipes! I’ve been allergic to walnuts and pecans all my life (but all other nuts are fine) – can you recommend any substitutes?
Hi Kate! I would do either cashew or macadamia, both have a similar soft crunch and relatively mild flavour. 🙂 Not peanuts – it will make it taste too peanuty I think! Oh – hazelnuts would also be nice! N x
Thank you so much! So excited to make this now 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Liz!!! It’s fabulous isn’t it? Impressed you whipped it up during nap time!!! N x
Hi Nagi! I just saw your recipe for the magic custard cake. It could be as simple as serving that with some stewed Apple. Or even canned pie Apple to make it super easy! I will make it next week and let you know how I go ????
I thought of that, but actually, I think that there is not enough sponge 🙂 The base layer is fudge-like. I didn’t think it would be close enough!
Hi Nagi and Dorothy and all
Yum!! Such a lovely cake I am nibbling on some now. It was fun to make too. Mixing together the things no food processors and beaters and etc etc soooo good!!!!! And it’s nice it’s big too – so it doesn’t disappear too quickly!!!
I think I saw somewhere you were asking about what we readers like to bake. A firm favourite is a cake with custard in the middle and apple on top (http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/37582/apple+and+vanilla+tea+cake). its a bit fiddly to make but those flavours are so lovely. Apple custard and butter cake. It would be good to find a cake / pudding that puts those flavours together easily…
Anyways thanks again!
Jules ???
Isn’t it incredible??? I LOVE that it doesn’t require appliances too!!! Ooooh, thank you so much for letting me know what you like to bake!! When I started sharing baking recipes more regularly, I honestly had no idea where to start. So many ideas!!! Hmmm….I’m wondering if it’s possible to make something like this using the Magic Custard Cake recipe as the base….one batter, 3 layers….. 😉
HI Nagi, can this recipe be made as muffins.
YES IT CAN! 🙂 Not exactly sure of baking time though – for regular muffins, I’m guessing 20 – 25 minutes 🙂
Tried this recipe on two occasions. The first attempt was ok, a bit undercooked in the middle. But my second attempt was absolutely delicious (received many compliments). This will be one of my favorite dessert. Thank you Nagi.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Carol! 🙂 Try using a skewer to pierce the cake to test whether it is cooked or not, I find that’s the easiest way to tell!
Nagi – you may have already seen this, so if you have, disregard! But someone pointed out this girl’s “blog” and this jumped out at my because I had just seen it on yours…. http://beyondsavory.blogspot.com/2016/04/dorothys-carrot-cake.html – I don’t understand how she’s totally plagiarizing your ENTIRE post???!!! SO crazy!
Grrr!!! I have seen that blog before, drives me nuts. It is SO CRAZY isn’t it????
The cake is great, but the frosting, I need that in my life. YARM! 🙂
I don’t bake Carrot Cake often cuz I tend to eat half of it on my own (I’m not kidding) It’s embarrassing, my husband doesn’t say anything but if looks can kill!
This version sounds delicious Nagi, thanks for sharing the recipe, I will try it soon and will let you know ow it came out and if I attacked it before anyone 🙂
I totally hear you Muna. I have to get any form of sweet treat OUT of the house asap, I have terrible self control issues!!! 🙂
HI Nagi! Had to tell you that I emailed my “other son” in Florida (my son’s best friend) to check out your blog and his response was “Mom, that’s soooo cool” (he’s 37). He cooks and bakes and frequently calls me to talk about food. I thought you would enjoy his comment. 🙂
Awwww Dorothy! That is SO CUTE that you have “another son”! I’m glad he thinks this is “cool”! Also glad to hear another 30-something year old still uses the word “cool” 😉 N x