Carrot Cake Recipe

Name: Carrot Cake Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 ¼ cups applesauce (unsweetened); 2 cups granulated sugar; 3 large eggs ( room temperature); 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1½ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp salt; 1 tsp cinnamon; 2 cups grated carrots; 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut; 1 cup pecans (chopped ); 1 tsp vanilla; 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice (in juice not syrup); 1 cup butter (softened); 16 oz cream cheese (softened blocks -Don't use whipped cream cheese); 1 tsp vanilla; 1 lb powdered sugar; toasted pecans and coconut for topping

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For years, I stayed away from carrot cake, thinking there was no way a cake made with a vegetable would be something I’d enjoy eating. I certainly didn’t think I’d ever be writing about (or singing the praises of) anything like this carrot-infused sweet treat, which is hands-down the best carrot cake recipe.

Boy, was I wrong!

A slice of the finished carrot cake recipe on a white plate with a fork.

Table of Contents:

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It was on a bus ride home from high school one afternoon when a classmate got me to try a piece of a cake she had made in her home ec class. I really didn’t want to try it, but I also didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

After one bite, I was in love…sigh. Not with the cute girl on the bus ride home, but with the Carrot Cake she had gotten me to try.

It was love at first bite.

Later in life one of the desserts, I learned to make during my time with Mama Jeanette was this amazingly delicious carrot cake.

With its delicious, moist texture and rich cream cheese frosting, it was even better than I remembered and has become my go-to recipe for this delicious dessert.

Ingredients

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make the best carrot cake recipe. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the up cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

Chef Dennis Tip

Grate your own fresh carrots at home. Don’t buy pre-shredded carrots; they’re dry and disgusting.

Do I have to use pecans in the carrot cake?

No, you don’t. You can use walnuts or leave the nuts out altogether if you have nut allergies.

How to Make Carrot Cake

Follow along with my easy instructions below to see how to make carrot cake in your own kitchen.

Start by getting the cake pans ready and preheating the oven. Once those two steps have been completed, you can start making the carrot cake.

Collage showing first steps in make cake.

Add the applesauce, white sugar, and eggs to a mixing bowl.
Mix well with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and set the applesauce mixture aside until needed.
Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to a large bowl.
Combine all the dry ingredients thoroughly.

Collage showing the next steps in make batter.

Add the grated carrots, coconut, pecans, pineapple (with juice), and vanilla extract to a large bowl.
Mix the ingredients together until well blended.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
Using a spoon or a hand mixer (or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment), mix the flour in just enough to combine the ingredients

Collage showing the final steps in making batter and baking.

Add the carrot mixture to the mixing bowl
Combine the carrot mixture just enough to blend into the flour mixture, , scraping down the sides of the bowl with a large rubber spatula.
Get the prepared pan (greased, floured with a greased parchment circle )
Divide the cake batter into the three prepared round cake pans.

*Make sure to use parchment paper in the bottom of the cake pans!

Overhead view of carrot cake layers cooling on wire rack.

Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes on the center rack of the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

*Let cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring each to a cooling rack and allowing them to cool completely to room temperature.

How to Make Classic Cream Cheese Frosting

Collage of steps to make cream cheese frosting.

Add the butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl.
Beat until creamy and light.
Add the vanilla extract and confectioners’ sugar to the cream cheese mixture.
Whip until well blended and creamy.

How to Assemble the Carrot Cake

Collage showing how to frost the carrot cake.

If necessary trim the top of each layer, so they are flat
Using an offset spatula, add frosting to the first layer, spreading it evenly.
Repeat this process with the remaining layers.
Frost the outside of the cake with an icing spatula, doing your best to keep it even. Some cake can show through.
Frost the top of the cake

If you want to take the carrot cake to the next level add a ring of frosting along the outside edge of cake. Then garnish the top with pecans and coconut.

This is entirely optional.

If you’d rather not add more frosting to the top, you can simply add a ring of pecan halves on the outside of the cake. I added toasted coconut and pecans to the top of this cake.

Recipe FAQs

Are carrot cakes healthier?

While cake, in general, is not really considered a healthy food, all things in moderation, right? Carrot cakes do incorporate carrots, so they can have more nutrients than standard cake recipes.

Does carrot cake usually have raisins?

Carrot cake can have all sorts of add-ins. Sweet, plump raisins are definitely a good option, though they’re not necessarily a standard addition.

Can carrot cake be a wedding cake?

Carrot cake can most certainly be an option for a wedding cake. While it’s delicious for any gathering, it does work well for special occasions.

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