This is the best Carrot cake recipe! It’s loaded with toasted walnuts, coconut, raisins, and crushed pineapples and frosted with a tangy cream cheese frosting.
The Most Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe
Carrot cake is one of those flavors that you just can’t go wrong with. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like carrot cake. This Carrot cake always receives rave reviews from my family, customers, and friends.
It’s the combination of the spice cake that’s loaded with shredded carrots, walnuts, coconut shreds, pineapples, and raisins and then it’s all topped off with my favorite cream cheese frosting.
Now if you are a carrot cake fan but don’t necessarily love raisins or prefer one nut over the other this recipe is easily interchangeable. It’s a wonderful recipe that can be altered to your liking and to what you have on hand.
Carrot cake holds such fond memories of my childhood. We enjoyed it as a birthday cake, and every time there was something worth celebrating. Or simply because my sister was visiting and requested to have a slice of this moist carrot cake.
Why You’ll love this recipe:
- It’s an easy recipe that takes a little time to prep the add-ins but makes the perfect carrot cake.
- No stand mixer is needed in the batter. Unless you can whip the cream cheese frosting by hand, you’ll need an electric hand mixer.
- Requires as little or as much ingredients as you want in a carrot cake.
Carrot Cake Key Ingredients:
- All Purpose Flour
- Oil: A neutral oil like canola oil, vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil can be used
- Brown Sugar/ White Sugar: The use of two different types of sugar gives it a hint of molasses flavor.
- Cinnamon/nutmeg: A combination of these warm spices compliments the carrot cake.
- Finely grated carrots: no pre-grated carrots
- Walnuts/Raisins/Coconut Shreds/Pineapple: I highly recommend not skipping out on any of these add-ins. But feel free to leave any out if you don’t like them. They all play a role in the texture of the overall cake.
- Cream Cheese: no skipping out on the cream cheese frosting. Make sure to use full-fat cream cheese.
How to make the most favorite Carrot cake:
Carrot Cake Batter Prep:
- Toasted Walnuts: Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees and toast the walnuts in the oven on a sheet pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Once toasted set aside for later use.
- Grated Carrots: Peel the large carrots and use a box grater to finely grate the carrots into a large bowl.
- Raisins: Soak the raisins in hot water for 10 mins
- Pineapple: Drain
Cake Batter:
In a stand mixer using a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl add the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, both sugars, vanilla extract) and mix until all the ingredients come together.
Add in the dry ingredients (flour, spices, salt, baking powder, baking soda) making sure to keep 2 tbsp of flour aside. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet until just barely combined. There should be some streaks of flour. To the batter add the grated carrots, coconut shreds, and crushed drained pineapple. With a small bowl add in the walnuts and raisins and mix the 2 tbsp of flour making sure to coat everything. Fold in all the add-ins and mix until just combined.
Line 2-8in cake round with parchment paper and divide the batter into the pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or when a toothpick is inserted into the center of the cake and is clean. Once the cakes have cooled run a butter knife on the sides of the cake for easier release and take the layers out of the cake pan. Transfer the cake layers onto a wire rack to allow the cake to cool.
To begin making the cream cheese frosting, add room temperature butter into a stand mixer and whip for 2 minutes on high, and then add in the cream cheese and beat on medium speed for 2 more minutes scraping the sides with a rubber spatula. Add in the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and beat on low for 30 seconds, and then continue to whip on medium-high speed to create a fluffy cream cheese frosting.
Cake Assembly and Frosting
Cut and level the top of the cakes. Begin with a layer of cake on either a large cake plate or cake stand making sure the cake is cut side up.
Using an offset spatula or an icing spatula place an even layer of cream cheese frosting on the first cake layer
Repeat this step one more time and then place the last layer on top making sure the bottom side of the cake is on the top. This will ensure the cake won’t be lopsided.
Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes. This will help firm up the frosting and reduce the cake from sliding while frosting. This process is called “Crumb Coating.”
Once the cake is firm coat the outside of the cake with a thin layer of frosting and then chill the cake again until the frosting has set.
Frost the cake with the remaining frosting and then in a food processor add in the walnuts and pulse the nuts until medium fine. Press the walnuts into the sides of the cake 1/3 of the bottom.
Place the remaining frosting into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe 8 rosettes.
Chill cake to allow it to fully set and then serve and Enjoy!
Carrot Cake FAQS/Tips:
Can this recipe be made into Cupcakes?
Yes, this recipe will make 24 cupcakes. Bake the carrot cake cupcakes for 12 to 16 minutes. Baking time will vary on how much you fill in the cupcake liners and your oven.
Can I use pre-shredded carrots?
You can if you’re short on time, but it’s not the best thing for achieving a moist cake. The shredded carrots provide the cake with so much moisture.
Is there an oil substitute?
Simply replace a 1:1 ratio of the oil with apple sauce. You can also use melted coconut oil if preferred, keeping in mind that there will be notes of coconut in the overall flavor.
Can I make the cake layers in advance?
You can make them 2 days ahead of time and plastic wrap them well or freeze the layers and plastic wrap for 3 months.
Why did my raisins and nuts sink to the bottom of the cake?
A small and helpful tip is mixing the flour mixture in the add-ins coating them in flour and stopping it from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
My cake sunk in the middle what happened?
The Carrot cake needs a little bit more time in the oven to bake.
For More Cake Recipes:
The Most Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 2 8-in Cake Rounds
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Batter
- 2 1/4 cup All purpose Flour
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup oil
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
Carrot Cake Add-ins
- 3 cup freshly grated carrots
- 1 cup walnuts toasted, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup raisins soaked in hot water
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapples drained
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 8oz cream cheese softened
- 1 lb unsalted butter room temp
- 5 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Decorations:
- 1 cup crushed walnuts
Instructions
Cake Add-in Preparations
- Toasted Walnuts: Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees and toast the walnuts in the oven on a sheet pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Once toasted set aside for later use.
- Grated Carrots: Peel the large carrots and use a box grater to finely grate the carrots into a large bowl.
- Raisins: Soak the raisins in hot water for 10 mins
- Pineapple: Drain excess liquid
Carrot Cake Batter:
- In a stand mixer using a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl add the wet ingredients and mix until all the ingredients come together.
- Add in the dry ingredients making sure to keep 2 tbsp of flour to the side. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet until just barely combined. There should be some streaks of flour.
- To the batter add the grated carrots, coconut shreds, and crushed drained pineapple. With a small bowl add in the walnuts and raisins and mix the 2 tbsp of flour making sure to coat everything. Fold in all the add-ins and mix until just combined.
- Line 2-8in cake rounds with parchment paper and divide the batter into the pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or when a toothpick is inserted into the center of the cake and is clean.
- Once the cakes have cooled run a butter knife on the sides of the cake for easier release and take the layers out of the cake pan. Transfer the cake layers onto a wire rack to allow the cake to cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- To begin making the cream cheese frosting, add room temperature butter into a stand mixer and whip for 2 minutes on high, and then add cream cheese and beat on medium speed for 2 more minutes scraping the sides with a rubber spatula.
- Add in the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and beat on low for 30 seconds, and then continue to whip on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes to create a fluffy cream cheese frosting.
Cake Assembly and Frosting
- Cut and level the top of the cakes.
- Begin with a layer of cake on either a large cake plate or cake stand making sure the cake is cut side up.
- Using an offset spatula or an icing spatula place an even layer of cream cheese frosting on the first cake layer
- Repeat this step one more time and then place the last layer on top making sure the bottom side of the cake is on the top. This will ensure the cake won’t be lopsided.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes or until the frosting on the cake is firm to the touch. This will help firm up the frosting and reduce the cake from sliding while frosting.
- Once the cake is firm coat the outside of the cake with a thin layer of frosting and then chill the cake again until the frosting has set.
- Frost the cake with the remaining frosting.
- In a food processor add in the walnuts and pulse the nuts until medium fine. Press the walnuts into the sides of the cake 1/3 of the bottom.
- Place the remaining frosting into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe 8 rosettes on top of the cake.
- Refrigerate the cake to let the frosting fully set before cutting and serving.
- Enjoy!
