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.
Laura Loew says
If someone is allergic to nuts do I need to add another ingredient? Thank you!
Nagi says
Hi Laura, you can just leave them out 🙂 N x
Sandra Tan says
Hi this is Sandra . I would love to try your recipe but I don’t think I saw the measurements like for your flour , oil sugar etc. did u include in your recipe or did I miss out? Would appreciate your reply . Thanks so much
Nagi says
Hi Sandra, yes it’s all listed in the recipe on this page. N x
Elisha Riley says
Hi Nagi. If I were to turn these into cupcakes, how long would I bake them for?
Nagi says
Hi Elisha, they work great as cupcakes – they take about 20 minutes in the oven. N x
Kirsten says
I have never been let down by one of your recipes Nagi!
My boyfriend and I absolutely loved the sticky date pudding!
Going try this one this weekend 🙂
You are the best!
Christine Forell says
My husband insists on raisins in his carrot cake. Do I need to modify the recipe?
Nagi says
Hi Christine, I’d add 1/4 cup to the batter 🙂 N x
Annette says
Another amazingly easy recipe! Thank you. I put in two really heaped tablespoons of honey instead of the sugar. So yummy! My two yo loved it (and my husband and I!)
Jamie says
Am I able to use buttermilk in place of the milk/vinegar combination? I have some I want to use up 🙂 Excited to try this recipe!
Nagi says
Yes 100% Jamie!! N x
Anna says
If I am replacing the milk / vinegar combination with buttermilk (which I also want to use up!!) how much buttermilk do I use?
Jamie says
I did it 😁 made this for a friend’s birthday, it was a huge hit! The buttermilk worked perfectly. Thanks for another excellent recipe ❤️
Rachel says
Very very good. I substituted 1 tsp of cinnamon for 1/2 tsp ground ginger as its used in the Hummingbird Bakery’s carrot cake. I was very suspicious of the pineapple but you can’t taste it. It made 24 muffins exactly and iced 24 muffins exactly. I baked for 22 minutes then let rest for 10.
Nagi says
Perfect Rachel!! N x
sue says
Can you use any other nuts my h is allergic to pecans, walnuts and peanuts. Many thanks Sue
Nagi says
Hi Sue – sure can or just leave them out all together! N x
Hanushia says
Can I make cupcakes instead?
Nagi says
Hi Hanushia – yes you can! N x
Hanushia says
Same temperature etc? Can’t wait!
Kylie says
Hi Nagi
I want to try and make a gluten free cake for some guests, any suggestions of the best substitute in this recipe?
Ps I have tried so many of your recipes, they are so easy to follow and reliable! Thank you!!!!
Tara says
So I had some friends come over for afternoon tea who are Gluten free. I substituted the flour for plain GF flour and added 3 tablespoons SR GF flour because my batter was still a bit too moist. Cooked it and it rose beautifully. Perfect cake for afternoon tea, everyone was happy with the results and raved I had outdone myself just for an afternoon tea ☺️
Nagi says
Hi Kylie, unfortunately I haven’t tried with a gluten free alternative here! N x
Rosemarie says
Hi Nagi! So in love with your carrot cake recipe! I made 2 today and I’m just wondering if I can freeze this? Thanks!
Rosemarie xx
Nagi says
Hi Rosemarie, Yes you can! N x
Karen says
Hi – Carrot Cake- I have two 22cm round cake tins but they don’t fit on the same oven rack any suggestions re cooking times- alternating shelves thanks Karen
Ann Peel says
This recipe was so easy but as there is only my husband and I in the house, and this is a big cake, I decided to make it in a rectangle pan and once cooled I cut it in 3 and froze 2 sections, I quartered the icing measurements which was plenty to cover a 3rd. It is so moist and lush.
Sandy says
If I omitted the coconut will it cause a problem?
Nagi says
Hi Sandy, just leave it our if you prefer 🙂 N x
Chivonne says
I will never make another carrot cake recipe ever again. It’s perfect.
Nagi says
Wahoo, thanks so much Chivonne! N x
Sarah ross says
Hi I’m in love with all your recipes they have never failed to amaze me every time I made them. can I substitute the pineapple or exclude it because I’m very allergic and I really want to make the carrot cake help. Thank you
Marni says
Devine cake absolutely loved it !!
Di says
What can you use instead of the block of cream cheese, not available in uk
Nada Yakimov says
Love, love this cake! I have made it round, as a slab and as muffins! Best carrot cake recipe ever! Thankyou Nagi!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you love it Nada! N x