Best Carrot Cake Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Best Carrot Cake Recipe

This is our favorite recipe for moist carrot cake! It’s loaded with pineapple, coconut, nuts and raisins, and of course topped with the most decadent and creamy cream cheese frosting you’ve ever tried.

Prep Time15

Cook Time50

Course: Cake recipes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrot cake, carrot cake with pineapple, carrot cake with pineapple and coconut

Servings:

Author: chefjar

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup shredded coconut sweetened or unsweetened
1/2 cup moist plump raisins ( dark or golden)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup neutral vegetable oil Canola or safflower oil
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature, softened
1 stick 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioner's icing or powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Toasted finely chopped nuts and toasted coconut for topping, optional

Instructions

For The Cake

Preheat your oven to 325°F| 160°C. Butter and flour three 9-inch round, 2-inch deep cake pans or use a cooking spray with flour like Baker's Joy spray with flour.
Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut and raisins.
In the bowl of your electrical stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or use a hand mixer, beat the sugar and oil together until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat on high speed until the batter is smooth. Stir in vanilla extract.
Reduce the speed to low, if you are working in a stand mixer, or switch to a rubber spatula if using a hand mixer. Gently stir in the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
Fold in the carrot mixture and the crushed pineapple.
Divide the batter among the baking pans. Bake the cakes for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. The cakes will start to come away from the edges. Transfer the pans to cooling racks and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. After 10 minutes invert the cakes onto a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting

Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.
Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and continue to beat until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla extract.

To Frost the Cake

Place one layer of cake on a cake plate or a cardboard. Spread a generous dollop of frosting. Place the second layer onto the frosting and continue frosting. Top with the last layer and spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Finish the top of the cake with swirls of frosting and garnish with toasted nuts.
Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes for the best results.
Storage: You can cover this cake and store in the refrigerator for about 4 days. Well wrapped, this carrot cake can be frozen for 2-3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

Notes

Storage

You can keep your frosted carrot cake in the fridge, covered, for up to four days. It will also keep on the counter at room temperature for up to 2 days.

You can freeze your cake, too. Simply allow it to chill in the fridge beforehand. Give it a few hours, allowing the icing to become firm, and wrap the cake in a double layer of plastic wrap and another layer of aluminum foil. You can store your cake in an airtight, freezer-safe container, in which it will freeze comfortably for 2-3 months.

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