Ahhhhh, today I’m going to share with you a scratch Carrot Cake Recipe that is downright legendary! Truly, carrot cake is my favorite dessert of all time, and THIS carrot cake recipe is the only one that we make.
I love cakes with lots of “stuff”… cakes with a wonderful mix of texture and flavor combinations. For instance, good old fashioned Hummingbird Cake and Italian Cream Cake are close to the top of my list, but Carrot Cake is king! (I feel like I should put that on a t-shirt).
Let’s talk about the parade of ingredients that make this scratch Carrot Cake recipe SO amazing. Of course, carrots and spices are a given, but this favorite carrot cake recipe of ours also includes crushed pineapple, pecans, and coconut.
Not all carrot cakes call for coconut and pineapple, or even nuts, but after trying this recipe, we could never go back! The added flavor and sweetness are the perfect complement to the carrots, spices, and pecans.
Just look at this slice- so much texture and lumpity bumpity deliciousness! Without question, this is the BEST Carrot Cake recipe on the planet (if we do say so ourselves).
As a child I avoided carrot cake in favor of pretty much any other dessert option at family celebrations. I mean, carrots? In a cake? The name alone just sounded a bit too healthy and vegetable-y for me.
Oh how wrong I was! It pains me to think of all of the amazing slices of carrot cake that I missed out on in my early years. Ugh.
Though we don’t see carrots in many desserts, it actually makes perfect sense in terms of the sweetness factor. Here’s a little carrot cake history for you- Even in medieval times, carrot puddings were hugely popular due to their natural sweetness.
The carrot cakes that we know and love today are believed to have evolved from these flavorful carrot puddings.
That natural sweetness also explains the resurgence of carrot based desserts during World War II when sugar was rationed.
Fast forward to the 1960s and 1970s and carrot cakes began to enjoy widespread popularity in the US not only for their amazing flavor, but also (hee hee) because it’s healthy.
Okay, so carrot cake as a health food may be a bit of a stretch, but the idea really makes it easier for me to cut myself a giant slab of cake! Mmmmmm. Because, you never know.
Finally, let’s get down to the business of cream cheese frosting. After all, carrot cake just wouldn’t be carrot cake without a luscious cream cheese frosting.
Our heavenly Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting is just what this scratch Carrot Cake needs to take it to the next level. (We actually have two fabulous Cream Cheese Frosting recipes on our site. The second is a classic Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting that has a slightly softer consistency as it doesn’t call for quite as much cream cheese.)
Sandwich the cream cheese frosting between your carrot cake layers, and then finish it off with a generous slathering.
I just cannot tell you how amazing this carrot cake is–you just have to try it for yourself. The carrots, pineapple, coconut, nuts, and spices all balance each other perfectly.
This cake disappeared in record time after we took our photos. We’ve made countless variations of carrot cake over the years, but THIS is our favorite!
*Although this scratch Carrot Cake recipe is our favorite, we also have a fantastic doctored cake mix Carrot Cake recipe if you prefer working with a mix. You can find it at the bottom of this post!
Enjoy the recipe!
Carrot Cake {Scratch Recipe}
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (325g) All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups (400g) Sugar
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 cup (218 g) Vegetable Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups (180 g) Grated Carrots
- 3/4 cup (92 g) Chopped Pecans
- 3/4 cup (50 g) Coconut (I used Bakers Angel Flake Sweetened coconut)
- 1 8oz can Crushed Pineapple (put in strainer and let juice drain. I used a fork to press out more liquid.)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Line the bottoms of 3 (8inch) or 2 (9inch) round pans with wax or parchment paper, grease with shortening and flour the paper and pans for easy release when turning out......carrot cake has a tendency to stick so be sure to use the paper.
- Whisk together for 30 seconds the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set Aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add 2 cups sugar , 4 eggs, 1 cup oil and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed until well blended and light colored.
- With a spoon stir in the flour until moistened, then add the carrots, pecans crushed pineapple and coconut.
- Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Refrain from opening the oven door or touching the center of the cake to test for doneness until very near the end of baking time or it could cause the cake to sink slightly in the center.
- Makes 6 1/2 cups batter
- Cool cake layers in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack then turn out. Cool completely before frosting.
As I mentioned above, we have a great “almost homemade” doctored cake mix version of Carrot Cake that’s a keeper! Convenient, consistent, and with many of the same ingredients as our scratch version. You can find it here!: Carrot Cake: A Doctored Cake Mix Recipe.
Thanks for stopping by! I guarantee that if you try this carrot cake recipe, you’ll come back to it again and again. It’s just that good!
Don’t miss our full collection of tried and true favorite cake and frosting recipes in our Recipes Section! We also have a section of Free Cake Tutorials which include step by step photo tutorials and free cake video tutorials! Enjoy!
Hi Lisa, We have not baked this recipe in a bundt pan but I think it would be fine to do so. Baking time will be longer in a bundt pan, 45 t0 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
I got so many compliments on this cake. I made it for a bridal shower. . I omitted the pineapples.
Hi Judy, That is great, I am thrilled the guests enjoyed the cake! Thanks for trying the recipe and posting your review!!
I made this cake for my son-in-law’s birthday. I believe this is the best carrot cake I have ever had. It didn’t last the evening! I wish I had baked two!
Hi Donald, It makes us so happy to read your post!! Thanks for posting your thoughts on the recipe!
Does using olive oil instead of vegetable oil change it much?
Hi Emily, I have never tried olive oil so I can’t say for sure. Some olive oils have a distinct flavor.
HI
Do you use the whisk attachment or
the flat beater to mix the cake?
Hi Maria, We use the flat beater on our KitchenAid to mix this recipe. When I use the whisk, I will make note of that in the recipe.
Does this cake need to be refrigerated due to the icing?
Hi Jennifer, Yes, the cake will need refrigeration due to the cream cheese frosting. Remove from the refrigerator about 2 hours before serving so it can warm up a bit.
Made almost 24 awesome cupcakes!! Baked 20 minutes
So glad to hear it, Wendy!
I’m making this in a 9×13 pan and its been cooking for an hour
and is still not done.
Hi Karen, was the oven preheated to 350? I think it should have baked in about 40 minutes. How was the cake after it was done?
Hi! I made this cake with your lemon-cream-cheese-buttercream frosting and was it ever a hit! I actually made it twice, though – I had made my first in two 9-inch pans, but they burbled over! Second time round, I used the same two 9-inch pans but also filled 6 standard muffin tins. That worked splendidly; just thought I’d mention it.
Thank you for the best no-raisins carrot cake recipe I’ve tried! ❤️
Hello, can I use a a round hollow mold for this cake? Would this change the time and temperature in the oven? And can I also not use pineapple?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Leyda, I don’t have experience with baking this recipe in a round mold, but if you have baked other cakes in this way I suppose it could work with this recipe. I’m sorry I cannot be definite on the time or temperature. You can leave out the pineapple. I wish I could have been more helpful on this question.
Made these into cupcakes, slight changes based on personal taste. I went light on the sugar, heavy on the cinnamon and left out the pecans. TO. DIE. FOR. And this is coming from a house of anti-carrot cake people. Thank you!!!
Hi Lily, That’s great, I’m thrilled everyone enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for your nice comments.
It was dry.
Hi Vikki, Thanks for posting, I’m glad all went well the 2nd time.
Hi Karen, I see from your earlier comment that it baked for 1 hour and still not done. That is why it was dry. Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer to see if it is reaching the temperature that you are setting for your oven. I’m sorry things did not go well.