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!
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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!
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
- 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
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Cake, Dessert, Party Food
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Is the coconut sweetened or regular?
Either one will work fine.
This week I baked this cake 4 times and I am going to bake it tonight again!
First time for a potluck at work. 2 at the same time for my sister (one so she can take it to work, and one for her family and friends). I posted pictures on the Facebook and tagged your Facebook page. Then I baked again for our CFO – he came today with a visit and I promised long time ago to make a cake for him. (he loved it). Tomorrow we have a meeting with out Bible study group – I still have carrots (and rest of the ingredients) so I am making again tonight.
I did not change a single thing in a recipe and in all cases I had very positive feedbacks. Everyone loved it. Some asked for recipe and I gave them link to this page.
Thank you for a great recipe!
I am so glad that you have enjoyed the recipe! You have some lucky friends, family, and co workers!!
Look so good Going to make it tonight .
Can I make this cake without the pineapple! Would I need to substitute something for it to make up for the loss of moisture? Thank you!
I have only made this cake as written.
Can you sub almond flour instead of regular flour or stevia for the sugar?
This looks so delicious! I love that this is only one layer. I’ll be making it soon!
Is the cocoanut sweetened or unsweetened for your carrot cake?
I usually use sweetened but have used unsweetened when it was all I had on hand and it worked perfectly. Enjoy!
hi ‘ what the replace for apple sauce
You can replace it with oil.
I made this last night for my coworkers. I did not use raisins (the lady I was making this for does not like them) it still turned out great! I would post the picture, but it was gone before I took the picture. I used Cream cheese frosting.
I was going to use Dried Cranberries instead of raisins, but did not want to risk it. Do you think that would work?
Also – I removed the cake from the pan to cool, but served it in the pan. Could I cool it in the pan or better to remove it?
Thank you again for the great recipe! It’s for sure will be permanent part of my baking “repertoire”.
Hi Allan,
I think cranberries would be a yummy addition to this cake! You can cool the cake in the pan next time to save a step. I always consider it a good thing if the cake disappears before a photo is snapped, but maybe next time you will get a photo and share it with us on facebook? I would love that! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know you and your coworkers liked the recipe!
Thank you for your reply.
I am baking this cake tonight and will post the pictures on Facebook. One question – Coconut flakes should I use sweetened or unsweetened? (I was planning to by sweetened, but accidentally end up with unsweetened and I used that). Maybe you mentioned that in the video, but unfortunately video never worked for me.(I am sure it’s my problem)
I usually use sweetened but have used unsweetened when it was all I had on hand and it worked perfectly. Enjoy!
Can we discard apple sauce or what can we replace with it.
You can replace it with oil.
That cream cheese frosting is everything!!!
This recipe looks wonderful! Could I also use it for cupcakes?
That sounds like a great idea!
Hello Maria,
Did you try it as cup cake… If so, what was the baking time…
Ty in advance :)
Can I use coconut flour instead?
Question. Can you use gluten free flour? I have allergies to wheat.
This sounds delish! However, I am not a coconut fan. If I remove the coconut, do you think I need to replace it with something else? Thank you!
Could you make cupcakes with this recipe?
Absolutely!
Sounds great. Going to make for Easter brunch.
Sound so delicious. I have question : What kind of oil. Do you think I able use the olive oil instead ?
I use a vegetable oil. Olive oil will work although it does have a slightly different flavor.
It looks realy good my family would love it
yummy recipes that i could always want to try