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!
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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.
Sabrina says
Hi Nagi.
I am a totally amateur baker and tried your carrot cake. It was absolutely amazing and will definitely make this cake again and the instructions were so easy to follow.
I actually find that you are my “go to” for any recipes.
I love Dozer by the way.
Nagi says
That’s amazing, thanks so much Sabrina, I love hearing this!! N x
Ti Cao says
First time I baked a cake ever!!!! My partner says it’s the best carrot cake he’s ever eaten! The cake was moist, delicious and instructions were super easy to follow! Thank you so much!! I love all your recipes!
Marie Kilfoyle says
Hi Nagi,
I would like to serve this carrot cake on Sat but I want to cook it on Friday. Will it dry out by Sat?
Catie Bartelen says
Never ever would I have put pineapple in my carrot cake until seeing this recipe. One word – genius!!!! This carrot cake is very moist and absolutely delicious, can recommend!
Indraji says
Hi Nagi,
I love your website and the recipes. But most of all I love to read what’s Dozer been up to. Just adore him.
Thank you for sharing Dozer. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Shachi says
Hi Nagi.. we get only one type of icing sugar where I live.. can I use castor sugar in place of icing sugar?
Marta-Michelle Bloem says
To make your own icing sugar just grind your castor sugar until it resembles the texture of icing sugar I grind mine in the coffee grinder
Carol says
This cake was perfect. Moist and very tasty and of course the cream cheese frosting was delicious. It would make a great birthday cake. The only change I made was to use fresh pineapple, I crushed it in my food processor. I will definitely be making this again. Shame I can only share it with my husband due to lockdown but he will enjoy it. Thank you for the recipe.
Karen says
The cake had great texture and flavour, but tasted less like a traditional carrot cake which I think may be from the amount of pineapple in the recipe. I also found the frosting too sweet but that is personal preference. I would definitely make this again but might try using more carrot and less pineapple, it really was a lovely cake.
Janelle says
Hi if I was to do this cake in a loaf tin what size would you suggest and how long to cook?
Diane says
Oh dear … you know that feeling when you should have read the notes… only had one round tin 🤔😱 fingers crossed 🤞🤞
John says
Instead of just saying fingers crossed, don’t you think it would have been a far more useful comment to wait till the cake was cooked and let us know the outcome of your experience using the round tin?
Ann says
Made this today but it came out dry and chewy, almost rubbery. Things I did differently were use less sugar, half olive oil half coconut oil, and whisked wet ingredients with a fork rather than a whisk, split batter between a loaf tin and a square tin – could any of these have been to blame?
Have had great results on other recipes from you (you’re my go-to!) but haven’t baked a cake in years so not sure what I’ve done wrong!
Any suggestions for my next attempt?
Nagi says
Hi Ann, when you change the recipe especially when baking, you will end up with a different consistency. Next attempt I would try make it as per the recipe – you’ll end up with a beautiful carrot cake! N x
Komal says
HEY nagi.. made this carrot cake today.. & i have to say the best till now.. moist, easy.. not tooo sweet.. & yes i used half oats & half flour. It was appreciated by everyone. Thank u & all the credits to u for the appreciation i get.. for every desert i make
Komal says
Hi nagi.. want to make this cake for sure.. just wanted to know if i can use oats instead of flour & my mother is allergic to gluten.. if yes pls let me know the measurement & what i need to add:.
Nagi says
Hi Komal, oat flour reacts completely different to regular flour, it has a different texture and different hydration rate. Unfortunately I haven’t tried using it in a sub for this recipe but would love to know if you give it a go! N x
Viyona says
Hello,
Thanks for recipe,
Can I omit the coconut?
Ariana Council says
Dorothy & Nagi!
I was raised in TN and I’ve never tasted anything so wonderful! I really love the light texture of this no nonsense carrot cake! It’s unbelievably moist and wonderful! This was an absolute hit at our family get together! Thank you both! I look forward to trying out the cupcake version!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Ariana!!! N x
becky says
Super easy and delicious! Too lazy to grate carrots. Put 2 medium size carrots with wet ingredients in VitaMix blender. When mixing wet with dry, added 1/3 cup raisins. This is a keeper!
Nicole says
Best carrot cake ever! I made two 20cm cakes, cooked for 35 mins but next time (and there will be a next time!) will try 40 mins. I added 1/2 tsp cloves and reduced icing sugar in frosting to 350g – personal preference. I made this to take to a BBQ, everyone was impressed and said it was the best carrot cake they’d eaten. Hats off to you Nagi for the recipe xx
Ariana Council says
Hi! I saw where you mentioned you can sub white vinegar for lemon juice. Could you use apple cider vinegar? Or would lemon juice be the best substitute in this case?
Kel says
Can this be made in a loaf pan? And freezable? As single person here would like to slice an freeze and loaf makes that easier. Cant wait to make it 😀
Nagi says
Hi Kel, you can although I’d just need to test the size/cook time here to give you an accurate answer – N x
Kel says
PS forgot to mention I too have a quality assurance dog too hehe – he’s actually a fully certified assistance dog to would love to show you but can’t add pics :/ Hes a kelpie x koolie x
Kel says
Awesomeness that’d be great as between reduced budget an closest shop 45min away as I live rurally 🙂 hence why the slicing and freezing as I make treats pre slice an freeze so have a selection of yummies to eat one of my favs are carrot cake but yet to find one that can be loafed an frozen that actually tastes awesome an this looks like it would hit the mark 🙂
Judy Maughan says
I have made this carrot cake a few times. Always a hit. Today I took it to work and everyone commented ever bite was tasty and moist. The best carrot cake ever. Thanks.
Kirti says
Can I omit the pineapple?