Valentina's Corner
The BEST Carrot Cake Recipe makes for a delicious dessert on any occasion! Soft and moist cake layers with shredded carrots, pineapples, and walnuts covered in a rich cream cheese frosting.
Though we share so many Dessert Recipes, this carrot cake and Tiramisu cake are definitely the most popular.
CARROT CAKE RECIPE-
This easy carrot cake recipe is going to become a favorite dessert! The moist carrot cake layers combined with the creamy cream cheese frosting are such a wonderful combination of flavor.
We love making this classic carrot cake and it’s always a crowd pleasure at Easter and Thanksgiving.
CARROT CAKE INGREDIENTS-
This cake recipe takes just a few basic ingredients and comes together so quickly!
- Cake Ingredients– You will also need the classic eggs, flour, vanilla extract, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and walnuts.
- Carrots– You need grated carrots.
- Coconut– We love adding shredded toasted coconut flakes for extra flavor. You also use untoasted coconut flakes and you can just totally opt out of adding the flakes.
- Pineapple– This is the secret ingredient that gives the cake a natural sweetener. You can use freshly chopped or pureed pineapple or canned pineapple.
- Walnuts– Crushed or finely chopped nuts work great in the cake! You can also use pecans.
- Frosting– For the sweet and creamy frosting, we use cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
HOW TO MAKE CARROT CAKE-
You are going to love how EASY this carrot cake comes together!
- Prep– Line 8-inch round baking pans with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Dry Ingredients– In a bowl, measure out and sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- Wet Ingredients– In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and cinnamon until creamy and fluffy. Add in the oil, shredded carrots, vanilla, and pineapple, and whisk until combined.
- Combine– Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. With a spatula, fold until combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts and coconut until combined.
- Bake- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pans and bake until cooked.
- Cool– Transfer the cake onto cooling racks and allow it to fully cool.
- Frosting– Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add in the sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Assemble– Add the first cake layer onto the cake stand and cover in cream. Repeat with the rest of the layers and cover all sides and top of the cake with the frosting. Decorate as desired.
- Refrigerate – Refrigerate before serving.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-
Yes, you can use frozen shredded carrots.
Yes! If you like raisins in your carrot cake, you can add them.
For this recipe, we use 8-inch round pans, but you can also use a 9-inch or a 10-inch round pan but the bake time will be less.
You can also make it as a sheet cake style like our Banana Cake.
Yes, you use pecans or just take out the walnuts completely.
We use toasted shredded coconut, but you can use untoasted shredded coconut or just omit them completely.
Because pineapple is a key ingredient you should not leave out the pineapple.
Once the carrot cake is frosted, cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. If you want to store the cake layers un-iced then you can store them in a container or covered in a dry area for up to a week!
The carrot cake also freezes great un-iced. Cover in plastic wrap and then add to a container or freezer bag and freeze. It can last in the freezer for 2-3 months. Then just thaw, make the icing, and assemble the cake.
Yes! Use our carrot cake cupcake recipe.
OTHER CAKE RECIPES-
The BEST Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
carrot cake-
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, measured then sifted
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups grated carrots
- 1 ½ cups pineapple, cubed (1 cup pureed)
- 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 2/3 cup sweet coconut flakes
cream cheese frosting-
- 16 oz cream cheese, room temp
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- crushed walnuts for decor, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 355° F. Spread coconut flakes onto a baking sheet, bake 5-7 minutes, until golden in color. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Cut pineapple into cubes, puree with a hand mixer.
- Peel and grate carrots.
prepare cake layers:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line three 8-inch round baking pans with parchment baking. Spray with baking spray and lightly dust with flour.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs with sugar on high speed until mixture starts to become fluffy.
- In a different bowl combine oil, carrots, vanilla, and pureed pineapple. Add to the eggs mixture and mix with a spatula until combined.
- Add half the flour to the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the remaining flour and continue mixing with a spatula until combined.
- Add the chopped walnuts and toasted coconut. Fold into the mixture with a spatula.
- Pour the cake batter evenly between the three prepared baking pans. Bake at 350° F for 16-18 minutes. Once the cakes have completely cooled, remove from the pans and set aside to cool completely.
prepare frosting:
- In a bowl, mix together cream cheese and butter on high speed.
- Add the sugar and vanilla, mix.
assembling the cake:
- Place first cake layer onto a cake stand, add cream. Repeat with remaining layers and cream. Cover sides and tops of cake with frosting and decorate as desired.
- Refrigerate before serving.
- Enjoy!