This classic carrot cake recipe is fully loaded with nuts, coconut, pineapple and more! It’s super moist and topped with my favorite cream cheese frosting!
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: This is a deliciously spiced cake with lots of flavor and texture since it’s fully loaded. The cream cheese frosting is hard to resist.
- Prep note: Make up to two days ahead and the flavors will blend even more.
- Yield: Carrot cake baked in a 9×13” pan allows for cutting into different serving sizes.
- Freezing: Freeze a baked and cooled cake for up to two months. Just thaw and serve.
Ingredient Tips for Carrot Cake
- Flour: This recipe uses all-purpose flour and has not been tested with other types of flour.
- Leavening: Baking powder and baking soda help this cake rise. Check the dates to ensure they’re fresh.
- Applesauce: Applesauce adds moisture and can be replaced with additional oil.
- Oil: Use a light-tasting oil such as vegetable oil or canola oil. Stronger oils (like olive oil) may change the flavor of the cake.
- Buttermilk (or sour milk): Buttermilk adds moisture, richness, and activates the leavening agents. If you don’t have buttermilk, add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice and fill it to ¾ cup with milk. Stir and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Add-ins: Naturally sweet carrots, raisins, walnuts, pineapple, and coconut give this cake its signature flavor, amazing texture, and visual appeal.
Frosting For Carrot Cake
The cream cheese frosting in the recipe below is my favorite topper! This cake is so moist and can be served without frosting and instead with whipped cream or ice cream.
Other flavors that pair well with carrot cake are Vanilla Buttercream or Coconut Frosting
Tips for Moist Carrot Cake
- Toast nuts and coconut in a dry pan until barely fragrant. This helps intensify their flavor and keeps them extra crunchy in carrot cake.
- Use room temperature eggs, cream cheese, and butter for the cake and frosting.
- Be sure to let the cake cool fully before adding frosting, or it will melt on the surface of the cake.
Did you make this Carrot Cake recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Carrot Cake Recipe
This is one of my most requested dessert recipes of all time. It’s a quick, homemade dessert that's incredibly moist and delicious.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup buttermilk or sour milk, see note
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups carrot shredded
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup coconut flakes optional
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple well drained, 1 can
- cream cheese frosting optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13 pan or glass baking dish, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt with a whisk. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, buttermilk, applesauce, oil, sugar, and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour mixture just until mixed. Fold in the carrots, walnuts, raisins, coconut, pineapple, and mix until combined.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting.
Video
Notes
*nutrition information is calculated without cream cheese frosting.
- This recipe works best when baked in a glass pan. If using a metal baking pan, check it a little bit early. A dark or non-stick pan will cook much faster, check the cake at least 15 minutes early.
- No buttermilk? No problem, simply add 1 tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Fill to ¾ cup with whole milk, stir, and let rest for 5 minutes. This can be used in place of buttermilk in most recipes.
- Shred carrots using the large side of a box grater.
- Applesauce can be replaced with additional oil. We prefer the lighter flavor with applesauce.
- To drain the pineapple, place in a mesh strainer and gently press.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 311 | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 3422IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Cake, Dessert, Party Food
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
delicious
storage suggestions?
This cake is deliciously rich and very moist, so store it covered in plastic wrap or in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It tastes best if you bring it to room temperature before serving. Enjoy, Kimberley!
Really good and really easy. I didn’t have walnuts so used pecans but still yummy.
It will replace my old carrot cake recipe. Husband and company loved it as well.
Definely worth 5 stars in my book.
good morning Holly
made this cake yesterday for Easter and it is devine!
what is your suggested storage method?
So glad you enjoyed it, Kimberly. For storing, I recommend covering it in plastic wrap or putting it in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For the best flavor bring it to room temperature before serving.
Is this sweetened or unsweetened applesauce? Thanks
Either would work but I usually use unsweetened.
The recipe looks delicious, and I am going to make it today. Do you use sweetened coconut flakes or unsweetened?
Thank you
You can use either, I generally use sweetened.
Can glutin free flour be used?
Hi Pete, I have never tried this recipe with gluten free flour but it should work well. Just make sure to use a gluten free all purpose 1:1 flour for the best results.
Can I omit the raisins as it is her birthday cake she requested and does NOT like raisins.What can I use instead.Thanks so much for your reply.Love all your recipes.
You can just leave them out or replace them with another dried fruit like dried cranberries, or blueberries!
I was wondering if you could make it using regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Thanks
I would recommend soured milk. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and top to ¾ cup with milk. Let rest 5 minutes.
Best carrot cake ever!!
My husband loves carrot cake. But he can’t have apple sauce. How much oil to I substitute for the apple sauce? Thank you in advance for your help? Sandra
You can replace it with an equal amount of oil.
excellent recipe and cream cheese frosting. I have ate a lot of of carrot cake in my life and I must say this is the best.
Oh my goodness!
This cake is perfect! I didn’t have walnuts, I used pecans. Also opted for the lemon in your cream cheese icing…
That I used on your fantastic banana cake.
It was wonderful!
I love all of your recipes!!!!!
Thank you!!!
This cake is so delicious My hubby requested it for his birthday, I’m so glad he did! I used everything but coconut. It is so moist and tender. I used a glass dish and it was done in 45 minutes, so be sure to keep an eye on it. This will definitely be my go to carrot cake recipe. Oh and your cream cheese frosting is the icing on the cake! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Thank you, Jean! That is so sweet of you. I am glad he enjoyed it. Happy Birthday!
Such a good easy carrot cake! Only used the carrots and pineapple and everyone loved it. Is there a frosting alternative you’d recommend on this? While this was the best cream cheese frosting I’ve tried, me and my daughter just aren’t big cream cheese frosting fans, so I’d love to try it with another frosting next bake!
This would be great with vanilla buttercream or even just a big dollop of whipped cream!
I made this cake for our Easter dessert and it was a big hit! It was much quicker and easier to prepare than a layer cake. Your cream cheese frosting is delicious on it. Thank you so much for giving me another “keeper”, especially for this time of year!