My All-Time Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe
I have made my share of different carrot cake recipes over the years, but none can hold a candle to this one; it is the gold standard as far as I’m concerned. The cake is subtly spiced, super moist, and packed with tons of extras like pineapple, coconut, raisins, and pecans. Last but not least, it’s filled and frosted with my all-time favorite cream cheese frosting. It’s a winner on every level and the best carrot cake recipe you’ll ever try, guaranteed. Make it for Easter, Thanksgiving, or anytime you need a special cake!
Carrot cake is, in my mind, one of the most absolutely underrated cakes out there. Most people love chocolate or yellow cake, while others go nuts over white or red velvet. It’s understandable, they’re delicious… but my gosh, carrot cake is just SO GOOD.
I’ve always been a fan of carrot cake, but on a weekend trip to the Outer Banks back when my husband and I were dating, we ate at the Outer Banks Brewing Station and for dessert had the most enormous, most delicious piece of carrot cake to ever grace my plate. I’ve been officially obsessed from that moment on.
While carrot cake is typically served for spring occasions like Easter and Mother’s Day, I argue that it deserves a permanent place on any dessert rotation for family dinners, holidays, birthdays, or special occasions.
Let’s dive in!
How to prep the carrots
Since this is a carrot cake, let’s take a moment to discuss how to prepare the star of the recipe – the carrots!
We are using peeled, grated carrots and since we need 3 cups of grated carrot, you’ll need about 6 medium carrots to get that yield. Of course, the size of the carrots will play in role in how many you ultimately use, but a general rule of thumb:
2 medium carrots = 1 cup grated carrots.
In order to grate the carrots, use the large holes on a standard box grater. You could also use a shredding disc for a food processor and follow the instructions in the manual for shredding carrots.
Important Note: Do NOT use store-bought shredded/grated carrots. While a shortcut is tempting, these are drier and harder than freshly shredded carrots; they will not impart the necessary moisture into the cake and will result in a less-than-desirable texture.
Making carrot cake from scratch
Making carrot cake is super simple (you only need two bowls, a whisk, and spatula – no mixer required!), and now that we’ve got the carrots out of the way, let’s walk through the next steps!
- Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Whisk wet ingredients + sugars together in a large bowl, ensuring everything is thoroughly combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and fold together with a spatula.
- Fold in those add-ins! Stir in the carrots, pineapple, coconut, raisins, and pecans.
- Divide between the cake pans and bake.
- Make the cream cheese frosting, then assemble the cake! All done!
Carrot cake FAQ
Answering some of the most common carrot cake questions:
Is carrot cake better with oil or butter?
This cake is made exclusively with oil, which is a key ingredient in keeping it nice and moist. For that reason, I do not recommend substituting butter in this particular cake. You can use canola oil, but I do not recommend using olive oil or other strong-tasting oils.
Can you adjust the seasonings?
Yes, absolutely! I only use cinnamon in this cake, so it’s subtly spiced, which I feel pairs wonderfully with the other ingredients, but you can decrease the amount if you’d like. You can also increase the amount or add in other warm spices like ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
Can you omit any of the add-ins like pineapple, coconut, raisins, and pecans?
Yes, you can. I strongly advise keeping the pineapple because it does add moisture, but it’s not absolutely necessary. You can omit any of the add-ins in the cake without making any other adjustments to the batter, but the cake may bake more quickly so start checking for doneness sooner.
Can this recipe be converted to cupcakes, a sheet cake, or other size cake pans?
Yes, all of these will work:
- 8-inch round pans: Prepare as directed below but bake for 27 to 35 minutes.
- 9×13-inch pan: Bake in a greased 9×13-inch pan until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Bundt pan: Generously grease a 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan and bake for 60 to 75 minutes.
- Cupcakes: Fill standard muffin cups two-thirds full and bake for 20 to 22 minutes.
What type of frosting should be used?
Cream cheese frosting, of course!! It’s the go-to standard for all carrot cakes, however, if you are really averse to it, here are a few other options:
How to decorate and serve carrot cake?
The beauty of carrot cake is that there is so much substance to the cake that it lends itself to a very minimalist or rustic decorating vibe. I don’t typically do any piping on a carrot cake, but instead will use one of these ideas:
- Do a “spiral” design on the top of the cake with chopped pecans pressed into the sides (shown in these photos).
- Flip that and do a spiral or ribbed design on the sides and press chopped pecans around the top outer edge.
- You can also save some frosting and tint it orange and green and pipe little carrots on the top of the cake.
Make-ahead, storage, and freezing tips
Carrot cake is a wonderful candidate for making ahead, so it’s a perfect choice when you don’t want to be baking and frosting a cake at the last minute!
- Storage: Leftover cake should be stored in an airtight container (or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Make-Ahead: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and wrapped in plastic wrap up to 2 days before frosting and assembling. The entire cake can be assembled and refrigerated for up to 1 day before serving.
- Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and placed into a freezer zip-top resealable bag and frozen for up to 3 months before thawing in the refrigerator overnight and proceeding with the recipe. The entire cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and frozen for up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
If you like carrot cake, you’ll love these:
- Hummingbird Cake
- Carrot-Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Icing
- Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting
- 158 Easter Recipes
Carrot Cake Recipe
I highly, highly recommend this cake for any dessert-worthy occasion. Made completely from scratch and incredibly versatile, meaning that you can create the exact carrot cake that you will love. Make it and enjoy it sometime soon!
If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake
- 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons (1.25 teaspoons) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cups (298 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (107 g) light brown sugar
- 1½ cups (297 g) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups (297 g) peeled grated carrots
- 8 ounce (227 g) can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup (114 g) finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup (149 g) raisins
- ½ cup (43 g) sweetened shredded coconut
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 cups (454 g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons (1.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 16 ounces (454 g) cream cheese, chilled and cut into 16 pieces
To Garnish
- Chopped pecans
Instructions
- Make the Carrot Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with a round of parchment, grease the parchment, then flour the pans and tap out the excess. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined and there are no lumps of brown sugar. Add the flour mixture and, with a rubber spatula, gently stir until mostly combined. Add the carrots, pineapple, pecans, raisins and coconut and fold together until thoroughly combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with clean, 22 to 28 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Make the Cream Cheese Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt on low speed until smooth, then mix for an additional 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Increase the speed to medium-low and add the cream cheese one piece at a time and mix until smooth, then mix for an additional 2 minutes.
- Assemble the Carrot Cake: Place one cake layer on a serving platter and spread with 1 cup of the cream cheese frosting. Top with a second cake layer and again spread with 1 cup of the cream cheese frosting. Place the final cake layer on top, top-side-down (so the bottom of the cake is actually facing up), then frost the top and sides with the remaining cream cheese frosting and garnish the sides with chopped pecans, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. The cake can be made up to 1 day in advance and leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Equipment: Three 9-inch round cake pans / Box grater
- Vegetable Oil: Do not use butter in place of vegetable oil, but you can use canola oil or another neutral-flavored oil.
- Add-in Substitutions: You can omit the coconut, pecans and/or the raisins in the cake without making any other adjustments to the batter, but the cake may bake more quickly so start checking for doneness sooner.
- 8-inch round pans: Prepare as directed but bake for 27 to 35 minutes.
- 9x13-inch pan: Bake in a greased 9x13-inch pan until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Bundt pan: Generously grease a 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan and bake for 60 to 75 minutes.
- Cupcakes: Fill standard muffin cups two-thirds full and bake for 20 to 22 minutes.
- Storage: Leftover cake should be stored in an airtight container (or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Make-Ahead: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and wrapped in plastic wrap up to 2 days before frosting and assembling. The entire cake can be assembled and refrigerated for up to 1 day before serving.
- Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and placed into a freezer zip-top resealable bag, and frozen for up to 3 months before thawing in the refrigerator overnight and proceeding with the recipe. The entire cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and frozen for up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Dee Frances
I would love to make that carrot cake but I am vegan I don’t use oil butter or egg what can I substitute for the oil on egg
Hello, can I make this carrot cake without the sugar?
This cake has been requested by our whole family. I have made 4 of them since Valentine’s Day and the next one gets baked tommorrow for Father’s Day. The recipe is delicious, decadent, moist, and a giant success. I never liked carrot cake until my husband requested it a couple of years ago and I came across this recipe. You will not be disappointed.
So moist and just what a carrot cake should be like. Everyone loved it! Don’t skip the pineapple and it works well with walnuts too.
I am disappointed you no longer have your original carrot cake recipe on your site. The one without the pineapple but had added spices (Clove, Nutmeg and AllSpice). Even the old link I saved take me to this new recipe. Please please consider re-posting the original one – it is my family’s favorite. Glad I saved an old paper copy – no matter how tattered it now is. Thank you
Hello there! Any way you couldshare that old recipe, it was my families favorite and I’m pretty disappointed I don’t have access to it anymore. Thanks!!
Try once onceuponachef. She has an amazing carrot cake recipe without pineapple (I agree with you, I do not believe pineapple should ever be in carrot cake) but with all the spices you mentioned.
Will Coconut Oil work in this recipe?
I leave out the raisins, but get rave reviews every time I make it! Use juicing carrots, and make sure you pack them in to measure.
Unbelievably moist, tender cake!
Beautiful cake! Can I substitute the flour with gluten free flour? Thank you 😊
Question, and great recipe….. I use the grater on the food processor, and then use the blade to cut the carrot lengths… is that ok? I think the processor makes the carrot pieces too long for the cake…. any thoughts?
thanks
Love this cake. It’s been my Easter go to for a few years now. Didn’t it used to have applesauce instead of oil?
This recipe is amazing! Best carrot cake ever!!
Hi Michelle
I’ve been making your recipe for years. The best carrot cake ever! Went on today to make again and I’m so confused. The pictures are different and says published 2021… even though other comments from 2010. And this now calls for pineapple which it didn’t before. Do you have old recipe somewhere? I know I never used pineapple before and I thought maybe other spices?
Thanks!
I have the same issue.
This is not the old
Recipe that I’ve been making for years……where can we find it???
Absolutely the best carrot cake ever! So moist and flavorful – even without pecans and coconut. And the cream cheese frosting is the best I have ever made! I will never try another recipe.
PS: I am not a big cake person, but I can’t stop eating this one!
i have never liked carrot cake until our daughter made this for her father—it is amazing!!!!!!! Now I bake it for him every year for his birthday and one for Thanksgiving, as well. Easy to follow, results are scrumptious
We are carrot cake snobs at our house, and this is the absolute best recipe ever! We will never make a different recipe!
Love it so much.
Absolutely the ONLY carrot cake I will EVER make and I’ve been baking for 50 years. The pineapple was a pleasant surprise to some and they thought it was brilliant. Absolutely it needs cream cheese frosting but I step it up a notch by adding a couple tablespoons of crushed pineapple to the frosting. (you can swoon now). Thank you thank you. My nephew travels often and tries carrot cake in every city and still says nothing compares to yours. Thanks again. I’ve also made this into cupcakes with equally good results.
It was overall really good the first time I made it but this last time (yesterday) I made a few modifications;
* Increased the powdered sugar in the frosting by 1/2 cup (made a huge difference). Plus added an 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. The cream cheese twang is still there but with the additional sugar and vanilla, it created a better flavor profile.
* Left out the coconut….did not need it. What I did instead was make a coconut and pineapple simple syrup and brushed that on each cake layer which in my opinion OMG.
How did you make the coconut and pineapple simple syrup? I normally make the original syrup with sugar and water.
This recipe is a direct steal from The Farm Journal.
Oh who cares! Seriously. There is so many other crazy and important things going on in the world and you have to slap a nasty comment. You could have said, this recipe looks very similar to the one in the Farm Journal …. and left it at that. No…Mr. Nasty has to be nasty! I am sure there is a rock that you call home.
Can I just say, you made my day? I’m so very tired of negative human beings. Loved your post!
I SO want to try this recipe, but I need to know ……. can I substitute Gluten Free flour for white flour? Thanks.
I have not used gluten-free flour, but I know folks have had good luck baking with blends such as Cup4Cup and Bob’s Red Mill One-to-One Baking Flour. Let me know how it goes!
Awesome cake…I really enjoyed making it. Love the frosting! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
This is just awesome carrot cake 😊 I made it as written and wouldn’t change a thing. The frosting is fabulous; I found myself eating it by the spoon. That method of adding the cream cheese at the end really makes all the difference!
Yummy carrot cake ! I was receiving guests and i knew one of them was a carrot cake connoisseur so the stakes were high!
I made the following tweaks:
– reduced white sugar by 1/2 cup
– reduced oil by 1\2 cup
– added 1/2 of plain full fat yogurt
– frosting: as i didnt have an electric beater, i literally beat the butter, sugar and cream cheese with my (clean) hand, using all my 5 fingers (c: i also added a splash of lemon juice to make it more tangy.
– cooked in a 9 x13 cake sheet pan. I cut the cake in 2 equal parts, pricked the surface with a fork and applied a couple of table spoons of dark rum on the surface with a silicon brush. Once the cake was completely cold, i assembled the two parts with the frosting. I ended up with a big, rectangular, 2- layer cake, perfect for cutting.
Our guests asked for the recipe !
Does it taste like pineapple at all?
Hi Tanya, There are some little bits of pineapple here and there, but the flavor is not overwhelming. I hope that helps!
I’ve been baking this cake for over thirty years. It’s almost impossible to have it not come out delicious except if it bakes too long. When I bring this cake to get togethers I’ve learned to bring the recipe with me because I get asked for it so many times. I’m glad to see this recipe calls for 3 cups of carrots. Mine called for 2 but I usually put in 4. I also use half cake flour and half AP flour. All the extras like raisins and nuts are optional. I put just a little of the pineapple juice in the frosting to make it easier to work with. I use 1 1/2 times the frosting recipe because, well, why not. Who doesn’t like frosting. This is a delicious cake. Please try it.
Hi Frank, Please advise, why do you use half cake flour and half AP flour?
Is AP All Purpose flour or Almond Flour?
Thank you
Cathy Westerbrink
Sydney Aust.
Not a big cake person myself, however, carrot cake along with just chocolate cake I love
Would you have a “healthier” version of this recipe. Love your recipes and LOVE carrot cake but had no idea the calories were this high…
Hi Nina, I don’t have a healthier version, but a few things you could try (other than just enjoying a small slice!):
– A reader below shared a tip about replacing some of the oil with pineapple juice from the cruised pineapple.
– Eliminate some of the mix-ins (coconut, pecans, and raisins are all higher calorie foods).
– Bake in a 9×13 and top with fresh whipped cream – you could cut small slices and eliminate a lot of the calories from the frosting.
Hi Michelle,
This is the same recipe that I’ve used for years! The only difference is that when I drain the crushed pineapple, I save it & measure out the vegetable or canola oil to 3/4 cup & add the pineapple juice to equal the 1 1/2 cups oil needed. I find it not so heavy. You could also add 1 cup oil & 1/2 cup pineapple juice. Everyone loves this recipe. I also use a 9×13 glass pan. Easier to cut to the size people want.
Fantastic tip, thank you for sharing!
Hello, this looks delicious and I’m going to make it today. Is there a special “trick” to getting the nuts to adhere to the sides of the cake? I’ve tried to do this in the past on other cakes with either sprinkles or nuts and end up with a mess. Thanks!
Hi Donna, I grab a big handful in the palm of my hand and press as best I can, gather up what falls off, and keep going. It’s definitely a bit messy, but I don’t worry about it being perfect, as I love the rustic look on these types of cakes!
Hi Michelle,
I love this cake, minus the coconut! It might interest you to know that I used to bake for a NY style deli in Tucson, Arizona, and this is the exact recipe I used! I can’t tell you how many times I have baked this delicious cake. It was the most popular dessert on the menu. When I left the deli, I took the recipe with me. 😉
I was glad that Ahiam got the information of a Unique recipe and I will make this recipe and freeze it all. I am really thankful that I got important information.
I think this will be so delicious if you make it 2-3 times in a week.
Hi Dori
Is it possible to do this cake in one layer?
It’s too much batter for one round cake layer, but you could probably do a 9×13
What would the baking time be if you made this as a bundt cake?
Thank you!
Hi Jenna, Probably around 45-55 minutes if I had to guess (I haven’t made it that way yet).
Can I adapt this to 6in rounds? And what temp and time if yes
Hi Bethany, Yes, you’ll need to cut the recipe in half. Temperature should stay the same, time will just be trial and error, I’ve never made cakes that small so I can’t give an exact time.
What would the bake time be for two 9×2 inch round pans?
Hi Lorraine, Unfortunately I fear there would be too much batter for only two pans.
I made this cake exactly as directed and had sooo many people tell me it was THE BEST they had ever had!!!! Thank you once again-you are my “go to”!!!!!!
Thoughts on decorating the cake? What is the best method for covering the sides with nuts?
Hi Carolyn, Sometimes I use my fingers, or a really wide offset spatula.
I made this for my grandma’s 80th birthday, and she LOVED IT. She said it was the best carrot cake she has ever had. And I know it’s not just because her granddaughter made it for her, because she has never been one to not tell me when something falls flat.
The cake was moist, and they came out of the pan easy peasy, which was great! I didn’t have 3 small cake pans, so I made this cake with two large(ish) cake pans and it worked out great. The frosting really helped make the cake, and I did end up making 1.5 times the amount of frosting (because…cream cheese frosting).
Thanks for this great recipe!
Oh this looks wonderful! Carrot cake is my absolute favorite but I’m so bad at icing cakes so I’m going o try it in the trifle form for Thanksgiving. Yum! Question: I have never made a trifle (I think they look so fancy!) and am wondering how you serve it. Do you just scoop it out with a long spoon? Or do you cut it then scoop it out? Help!
Hi Christine, We just scoop with a big spoon! Enjoy! :)
Hi Michelle,
If I leave these ingredients out of the carrot cake (walnuts, coconut, raisins), will the cake still hold? I’m a little worried about that. I plan to make it into a 10 inch cake. Any advice on scaling it up?
Thanks
I just saw your response to comment #89. I guess there is no leaving them out. Thanks
if dessicated coconut is the only ingredient available, how many cups is needed for this recipe?
thanks!
Hi Meanne, You can substitute it 1:1, just be sure to use shredded, and not the powdery kind.
I made this cake for my husband’s bday and the flavor was great! I did omit the raisins and walnuts (unfortunately) because my kids don’t like them in cake. But it was still great. I plan to make it ‘as is’ sometime soon.
Hi! I’m going to be making a cake this coming weekend for my birthday. Looking for a stable base cake that will hold the weight (it’ll be a four-layer-tall, 8″ cake!). Do you think this cake won’t crumble when stacked? Thanks!
Hi Flora, This should be sturdy enough.
Hi! I made this last week for my birthday, and the only thing I changed was that I didn’t put any coconut in (I found out my coconut was expired but it was already 2AM and 2 late :< ). I got a sh*t ton of compliments on the cake! You were right, it is an out-of-this-world carrot cake! They were talking about it for hours! Thank you! :D
I’ve long been a fan of your site, but this is my first time commenting. I made this carrot cake for the second time for dessert on Easter Sunday (the first time was last Easter). I just wanted to say that this is not only the best recipe I’ve found for carrot cake, but is the best carrot cake I’ve ever tasted (seconded by my wife’s uncle). This is a great balance of chunky good stuff plus a significant spice flavor (not too much, but the spice is definitely there, unlike other recipes I’ve tried. And the texture is perfect….moist, toothy, but not at all heavy. I’ve made the Cooks Illustrated recipe in the past, but found this to be far better.
Michelle, great job with the site. You bring out everything that is enjoyable and exciting about cooking. I don’t think I could be as committed as you’ve been and you do such a great job with every part of the presentation (baking, writing, photography). You have such a knack for finding truly excellent recipes, and I always enjoy reading your site and find it very inspiring, so thanks!
Hi Mike, I’m so glad you enjoyed this carrot cake! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and for the sweet words.
Made this last night for an Easter potluck and it turned out Fabulously!! The rich icing balances out the less sweet cake, it’s the perfect combination. If I can offer one piece of advice on this cake-it’s to Make It ASAP! Yummmmmm… :)
I had my old trusty true carrot cake recipe that I’ve used for years but was trying to find a different recipe and turned to you :) I liked the ingredients in this so I tried it last night as cupcakes. I baked them at 350 for about 28 minutes, flipping them halfway (I have an older oven so I watched them like a hawk). I was able to get 24 beautifully moist and light cupcakes. I waited until this morning to frost and they were just perfect. I doubled the frosting recipe and had enough leftover to keep on the side for dipping other goodies into ;) And this frosting is just one of the yummiest I’ve ever tasted.
I made this cake in a 9×13 pan and if came out perfect. It is definitely one of the best carrot cakes I have tried. My niece couldn’t get enough of the frosting and kept licking it off the cake. She said this is the most amazing frosting !!
love Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam they are my weakness
Best carrot cake ever!
Have you ever used this recipe to bake cupcakes? If so, did you vary the cooking time and temperature? Thank you!
Hi Stef, I have not. If you do, I’d love to hear how they turn out!
I made these as cupcakes this weekend. Only change was I added 1 cup brown sugar, and 1 cup white. I also left out the coconut as I’m not a fan. Results? DELICIOUS!
I’ve made 5-6 of your recipes and I honestly think this might be my favorite.
Just wanted to say I made these into cupcakes for a coworker’s birthday and my coworkers said they were the best cupcakes they’ve ever eaten! I had enough left over to make individual trifle jars that were a _huge_ hit too!
Hi Michelle. Can I use Dessicated coconut instead of shredded coconut? Thanks!
Hi Aimee, Yes, I think that would work fine.
I made this in a 9 x 13 pan and it baked perfectly in the time designated– much easier for me to transport to school. I also used ginger and mace with the cinnamon and some whiskey-soaked currants (no raisins). My teammate loves carrot cake and this is my go to recipe, so thanks again. Try adding some powdered ginger to the frosting for a little heat…
After researching several Carrot Cake recipes I decided to try yours. I have made many of your other desserts and gotten rave reviews. It was my father-in-law’s bithday and was worried since this was my first attempt making carrot cake. It was Amazing! Thank You!
Dear Brown Eyed Baker,
Thank you for such a heavenly recipe. My mum and I tried it last Sunday and everybody loved it!
Shall be trying more of your recipes,
Thanks again from Malta :)
I decided to make this last week for my family’s Thanksgiving. I worked on really early on Thursday morning and when I took out for dessert, EVERYONE was floored! I rarely have time to bake and I’m SO happy I opted for your carrot cake recipe. Seriously, the guest could not stop gushing about it. I honestly started to wonder if they were pulling my leg or what, it was that good! Your recipe was PERFECT!! I followed it exactly and it turned out fantastic. So many people wanted the recipe and seconds! I just gave them the link to your website. This is the first recipe I have used from your site, I definitely plan on trying out some more. Thanks so much for sharing it with us, it really was a delicious cake!
I am deathly allergic to chocolate…like when I bake anything chocolate for the family, I wear surgical gloves ha! So… Carrot cake is one of my favorite things. The best carrot cake I have ever had was at J. ALexanders and I don’t think its the recipe so much, its the way they serve it. Right before the serve it, they heat it up so the cream cheese frosting is melting over the ginormous slice and the inside is hot and gooey….. Heat up your carrot cake- might sound odd BUT it is AMAZING!
Would this recipe hold up if I omitted the chunk (coconut, raisins, and nuts)? We’re more pure cake fans!
Hi Laura, Yes, you can omit those without issue! The bake time may be a little shorter.
I omitted the coconut and the raisins, but not the nuts. I’m sure you will be fine :)
i made this yesterday for a friend, and it was DELISH! very moist. I didn’t use the nuts (she’s allergic) or the dried fruit, but i added in chocolate chips, as i am a firm believer that chocolate makes everything better =). will definitely make this again!
This cake is out of this world! It’s moist and flavorful, and the frosting…Oh the frosting! Perfection. Thank you!
This is my new keeper for a carrot cake recipe!!!!
I have had your blog bookmarked for a while now and I have made many of your recipes, but this one is hands down the best. It turned out amazing. One thing that I did was put the layers in the freezer for 45 minutes as soon as they came out of the pan. This kept them sooo moist and was super easy to frost. Thank you, thank you!
Thank you so much for posting how you got your cakes out of the pan easy! This is my first time making a cake so the more tips I can get the better :D
Trying out this recipe today for my moms birthday! :D Wish me luck.
It was a hit!! My mother told me that it was the best carrot cake that she has ever tasted! :D For a first time making a cake, I am pretty proud of myself. Thank you for this Recipe!
Do you think this would work as a cupcake recipe?
Hi Claire, I have not made these into cupcakes, but it never hurts to try, right? If you give it a go, I would start checking them around the 14-minute mark so you don’t over-bake them.
I just made this cake for a holiday/birthday dessert… it was incredible. I omitted the nuts (since the birthday person wasn’t a fan), but it still came out so well. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Michelle! Help! First, let me say that I just stumbled on your website and am SO thrilled that I did!! I’m beyond excited to start trying your recipes!… Now, for the help I need… On Thanksgiving, my brother-in-law challenged me to a “carrot cake bake off”! I, of course, excepted this challenge and then proceeded to talk all kinds of trash! I mean who does he think he is?!?…I am the baker in this family! LOL! Buuut… I’ve never made a carrot cake??! YIKES! I’m going to use your recipe of course! Any tips to ensure I will be victorious? :)
Oh man…I want some of this right now! Wow, it looks amazing!
I have 2 questions that may sound ridiculous (sorry!):
-Can this be made into a cupcake recipe? I ask because I love how carrot cake is so moist and I don’t want that to be lost if it’s in cupcake form.
-Is the coconut critical? I hate to say it but I’m not a huge coconut fan.
No questions are ridiculous! As far as cupcakes, I can’t give you a good answer because I haven’t tried it. You could give it a shot! Then report back :)
No you can leave the coconut out if you don’t like it; it’s not critical.
This is my first time on your blog and I will definitely be back to read more. I found you when I was searching for icing recipes for my Christmas cookies. I love the detail that you provided. Thanks so much.
Hi Cindy, welcome to the site! I hope you’ll enjoy the recipes!
This looks amazing.
Oh my, that looks absolutely amazing!!
There is no such thing as too much icing. ever. :)
I am a big carrot cake fan. In fact, that was the flavor we had for our wedding cake.
I need to try this, I love lots of “stuff” in my carrot cake also.
Wow looks delicious. Great idea – makes me want to dig right in
I sooooo miss cream cheese!
Ok… pass me a spoon and let me dig in! Carrot Cake (along with rice pudding and cheesecake) is one of my favorite desserts! Can never get enough.
This sounds absolutely heavenly! I love that you went for a non-conventional Thanksgiving dessert!
Delicious! It looks fabulous.
It looks super tasty, but I’m a sucker for anything with cream cheese frosting :)
This looks sooooo good!
Looks amazing! I’d love to try this carrot cake recipe.
I, too, love a chunky carrot cake!
Looks way too amazing!!
too delicious. reminds me of my swirl-together’s when lazy…
I made a carrot cake last weekend the night before a bake sale it was supposed to go to. I turned it out of my bundt pan, and a ring of cake was still stuck on the bottom! I gently pried it out and laid it on top the rest of the cake. With a smattering of frosting over top, no one ever found out!
Oooh I wonder if it’s a carrot cake thing ;-)
I think all cakes should be made this way! I love all the layers!
Carrot cake is my favorite by the way :)
Oh!!! It’s beautiful, and it seems to be delicious!!
At home, mum and me make some carrot muffins, but with the Betty Croker Mix, so it hasn’t worth.
We wanted to make something homemade (is the correct word???) and with the cheese frosting, like we eat in restaurants and cafés, so I’ll save this recipe. Perhaps we can try it when I go home this Christmas ;)
Thank you!!!
i LOVE carrot cake, but i never thought to make it for thanksgiving dessert, what a great idea!
Wow this looks amazingly delicious! I must try this recipe. What an eye pleaser on thanksgiving. LOVE IT and your Blog!