An amazingly delicious carrot cake recipe made with applesauce!
I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to share this recipe with you! This is my Nana’s recipe {slightly modified} and it is sooo amazing! I get requests several times a year for this To-Die-For Carrot Cake and made it just last week for my sister’s birthday. I love this recipe because it’s a one-two-three recipe and that makes it so easy! The pineapple makes this cakes so moist and the addition of coconut adds a sweet, delicate flavor that you’re going to love!
My Nana’s recipe is super simple and tastes incredible but what’s a carrot cake without cream cheese frosting??
In the interest of full disclosure, I ALWAYS double this recipe. We love our cream cheese frosting and although I never use it all, it’s amazing on top of graham crackers. That’s how my Nana would serve it to us for snacks ;)
Invert the cake onto a cake plate or stand.
Apply a generous dollop of frosting and spread…
Gently place the second cake on top…
and continue frosting.
Sometimes if the cake is crumbly, I’ll do a crumb coat. If I’m in a hurry or don’t think it’s going to be an issue, I’ll skip this step.
You can decorate the cake however you want {of course!} and I do it differently every time. I left out the nuts in this recipe and opted to decorate with them instead. I chopped up some pecans…
…and then inverted a bowl onto the cake. I spread the pecans around the bowl…
and ended up with a nice clean circle on the center of the cake.
I could have left it like this but my family loves coconut so I filled in the center with shredded coconut. Turned out really pretty!
Now all we needed was some candles…
And a birthday girl to blow them out…
What a cake!!
I’d love for you to give this recipe a try – it really will blow your mind! I like to use light cream cheese frosting and then subbing the applesauce for the oil, well, obviously you can now have two pieces of cake ;)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce (or oil, this is what my Nana used)
- 2 c sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 c flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 c grated carrots
- 1 c coconut
- 1 c chopped nuts (optional)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup Dole crushed pineapple (not drained!) {use the pineapple in JUICE not syrup}
- 1/2 c butter (softened)
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 lb powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine #1 ingredients. Add #2 ingredients. Stir in #3 ingredients.
- Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 or two 8 or 9-inch pans.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cakes cool completely!
- Beat the butter and cream cheese until nice and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until nice and smooth. In the interest of full disclosure, I ALWAYS double this recipe. We love our cream cheese frosting and although I never use it all, it's amazing on top of graham crackers. That's how my Nana would serve it to us for snacks ;)
- Invert the cake onto a cake plate or stand.
- Apply a generous dollop of frosting and spread...
- Gently place the second cake on top and continue frosting.
- Sometimes if the cake is crumbly, I'll do a crumb coat. If I'm in a hurry or don't think it's going to be an issue, I'll skip this step.
Do you have family recipes that the whole family just LOVES?? I’m so thankful that I was able to get so many fabulous recipes from my Nana. Every time we eat this cake, I think of her and all the yummy times we had together. Here are some more of my favorites:
Overnight Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Mini Cheesecakes
Connect with me!
Linking up here, Home Stories A2Z, Savvy Southern Style, and My Repurposed Life
Oh wow! This look fantastic! I haven’t had carrot cake in ages.
I love carrot cake and yours looks heavenly! Love how you did a circle of pecans around the edge.
This cake looks fabulous!
Love your recipe. It seems to be a really rich and delicious cake.
I’m pinning this
That looks delicious …..pinned it for later : )
Looks divine! Great pics!
Looks absolutely delicious!!
Mmmm … carrot cake is my absolute favorite cake!
Yum! That looks delicious! Thanks for sharing! XO
Hello.
Visiting from Serenity Saturday.
My wife and I love carrot cake and the ingredients you use are regular staples in our pantry. I hope you won’t mind if I print it out and give to my wife to try. I’m having a couple of virtual slices with my favorite coffee right now (LOL). Nice instructions and presentation. Thanks for sharing.
Trembling With Desire
We love carrot cake in this household and your recipe sounds amazing!
Thanks for sharing!
Pinned it and can’t wait to try it! Kathy Penney @ Pinner Takes All
Tri-fold show board for a fun {and cheap!} backdrop. put out the TCBY Orange & Vanilla Bars, the Orange Creamsicle Lollipops, crazy straws and set up a Creamsicle Float tasting station with three different orange sodas and Classic Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt.
OH MY GOODNESS!!! This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! Your pictures of it are gorgeous as well. :)
This looks so Amazing – I Love carrot cake! My latest post was a recipe for carrot cake ice cream – we should put the two together for carrot cake extravaganza! Pinning! Have a wonderful week :)
it look fabulous and sounds fantastic!!!
This looks terrific!! I would love for you to link up to Tasty Thursdays at The Mandatory Mooch. http://mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/2012/08/tasty-thursdays-5.html
Thanks,
Nichi
Oh,my! That looks heavenly, Trish! I will give it a try. New follower for you! Hoping you will stop by my place for a visit~Angie
http://www.swede-dreams.com
This looks so HEAVENLY!! Thank you so much for sharing! I just pinned it and can’t wait to make it soon! I love that the cake has applesauce instead of oil and pineapple too, what a nice surprise! Thanks again for sharing your Nana’s delicious recipe!
~Jen @ YummyHealthyEasy.blogspot.com
Carrot cake is my favorite! I’m pinning this to try later! Thanks so much for sharing! :)
It definitely is to die for cake. :) A friend of mine once made a carrot cake and since then I have been dying to make one at home! Thanks for the recipe. Have a nice weekend!
Pinning it.
This looks so delicious!! I love the carrot cake but I love the frosting even more! Thanks for sharing this at The Creative Spark. I’ll be featuring it today. Enjoy your Sunday!
Jenn :)
sounds yummy!
Wow! I am a HUGE carrot cake fan, have been my entire life. This looks amazing!
I am not a sweet eater, but I do love carrot cake. This looks beyond yummy, and the frosting sounds so darn good. Thanks for sharing all your creative inspiration with Sunday’s Best – you helped make the party a success!
That does look to die for!
Visiting you from MIUM blog hop.
thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com
My husband is allergic to coconut, have you ever made this recipe without?
Yes I have and you can too :) Let me know what you think!
Mmmm, I love a good carrot cake. This looks fantastic!
This is almost identical to my carrot cake recipe, so I can vouch for the fact that it is over the top delicious!
This does seem very easy! But – lazy me – would definitely opt for the pre-made cream cheese frosting! Pinning…
Yum!! My mouth is watering looking at it. I have a ‘thing’ for carrot cake…could you drop a small piece over??
This was good but did not taste like carrot cake at all. The pineapple is the most dominant flavor. I made it for my Mom’s birthday and was a little disappointed.
I’m so sorry you were disappointed! I hardly notice the pineapple flavor myself – it just adds a lot of moistness. You could always omit the pineapple or use less if you would like to try again :)
That is a stunning cake Trish!
Thank you Dorothy! This is my Nana’s recipe which I’ve only slightly adapted. She used to make up a 9×13 sheet cake and sprinkle chopped walnuts on top – it was always such a treat!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hi Trish,
You were the spotlight feature from last week’s party. :) I can’t wait to try your recipe.
Have a nice weekend!
http://www.craftionary.net/2012/08/best-carrot-cake-family-recipe.html
Thank you for sharing your recipe! It looks wonderful, and your cake is very pretty. Looking forward to trying it. :)
Thank you for sharing your recipe. It was fantastic. I made one for my family and one for a gathering we have to go to. Not sure the second one will make it to the gathering! It’s such a wonderful cake. Great recipe and thanks again!
I want to make this for my moms birthday this friday, she LOVES carrot cake but I’ve never made it before. Will one batch of the frosting cover the whole cake and inbetween the layers? Or do I need to double it?
What kind of chopped nuts do you use inside the cake?
Gotta pin this one because carrot cake is my hubby’s favorite.. This does look to die for!!!
<3 Christina at I Gotta Create!
Wildly Original linky party is open
I’ve never been a huge fan of carrot cake, but you might have convinced me to try your recipe:) came over from thenymelrosefamily and can’t wait to get more recipes!
I bought a little piece of carrot cake at the grocery store today but I know it won’t be as good as this. I think I will make this for our Halloween party and top with little orange candy pumpkins. Do you think this would work as mini cupcakes?
Absolutely Lynn! I made this cake for my son’s Harvest-themed party last year :)
That looks very very good! I made a carrot cake for myself last year for my birthday – it’s one of my very favorite cakes!! :)
Stopping by from Chef in Training
Ohhh wow!! Carrot cake is my favorite, and the addition of pineapple AND coconut… pretty sure this will be a little slice of heaven! I’m pinning it now :) New follower via Tatertots & Jello. I’m loving your blog and {only because I bring my boys to the zoo ALL THE TIME} I recognize your picture on the extinct American Lion and I think we’re both in America’s Finest City! :))
xo,
Laurie @ Gallamore West
Really tasty looking carrot cake.I think i will try this receipe to my sons birthday:)
Looks yummy, and wonderful pictures! I’ve had fun looking around your blog. I would love to have you stop by and share ‘Your Great Idea’ in my link party! You’ll find it every Saturday, and it usually runs until Tuesday. I hope to see you there…and, I know my readers would love you! http://www.oneshetwoshe.com
I made this today…it was fabulous!!!!!!!
In your opinion is the apple sauce or oil better? Which version did your gran use? Looks so yummy, defiantly going to try yours :) Thanks so much for sharing :)
My Nana used the oil but I think the applesauce adds moisture and a little sweetness – definitely my choice!
Thanks so much. I actually like your option of using rather apple sauce, as it makes it healthier and often found carrot cake has that oil taste. I’ll let you know how it comes out :)
This looks almost too beautiful to eat! Visiting from B&N…Sarah @ Dwellonjoy.com
this looks amazing!!!
Im making this now…will let you know how it turns out tomorrow with the fam.-Carly
I’m thinking that crushed pineapple in juice would be best…that pineapple in heavy syrup might be too much. I bet that’s what happened to Siennajunie. This cake will be added to my Thanksgiving menu. I’d like to suggest toasting the nuts in the oven at 350* for about 8 minutes…it really brings out the flavor.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Definitely in 100% juice – that syrup stuff is not good at all! I just clarified that in the ingredients list so thank you for pointing that out :) Toasting the nuts is a fantastic idea! I’m so glad that you will be serving this on Thanksgiving :)
as a huge fan of carrot cake, i was so excited to try this, but true to my character i completely went my own way. I used 1 c honey + 1/4 c sugar – I went half/half on the oil/applesauce option and used whole wheat flour. i’m pretty sure i did everything else right but WOW it was so moist and delightful! and as much as i love cream cheese frosting, it wasn’t for any occasion so I opted for sifted powdered sugar with nutmeg… it was quick and easy. Thank you for sharing your Nana’s cake recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it Sherry! I love all your tweaks :) That’s how I am too! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Hi Trish,
I found this blog and yummy looking cake from pinterest. You have me as a new follower for sure :)
Great recipe. Definetly my favorit carrot cake.
I’m late in telling you, but I wanted you to know that I made an adapted version of this for the 2012 State Fair and won a blue ribbon for it! Not only that, but I also won Sweepstakes, meaning it was judged best of all the cakes submitted for judging, not just carrot cake. So you have some bragging rights about the cake for sure! I won’t be blogging my own version for a year or more as I’m offering it to those willing to make a donation for a friend who needs surgery, and I want to keep it more special for them, but I will be linking to you when I do blog it! I also have a link to this post at the bottom of my own version so everyone knows who was my inspiration. Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe!
Ja, what a cake!
My mom makes THE BEST carrot cake! :-) So I never try another recipe, but I love how you added nuts to the top. That’s a change I could get behind.
Hi! Sounds like a great recipe but I’m not a huge coconut fan. Will it turn out ok if I don’t add the coconut?
Yep :) I’ve made it before without coconut and it was still delish! Thanks for stopping by Crystal!
This recipe looks so yummy, I have never made carrot cake before but I love it and this looks easy! I am going to do it without nuts and put a thin layer of cheesecake in the middle then frost with your frosting. Planning on bringing it to Thanksgiving, can’t wait to try it!
Oh wow that sounds good! Let me know how it goes :)
I baked your carrot cake with its cream cheese frosting for Thanksgiving. It was a big hit with my husband and family. I even used your technique inverting a small bowl on top of the frosted cake and spreading crushed walnuts around it. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Oh Sandy! You just made my day! I love getting comments like this because it makes me feel like I was a part of your special day :) Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Thank you for sharing this AMAZING recipe. I made it for Thanksgiving and my family thought it was the best dessert. They are now requesting it for Christmas and for it to be our special dessert for ALL special occasions. The cake itself was SO good. I loved that it had no oil and all the ingredients felt so healthy for an indulgence. The frosting was really the only “bad” part but it was so delicious. Thanks for the tip to double the frosting recipe, I was pretty popular for the next few days as the kids had extra frosting to put on all sorts of things. I will make this recipe for many years to come. Thank you again!
You just made my day Joy! It always makes me so happy to hear that one of my recipes was enjoyed by others :) I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and thank you so much for stopping by!
I did the recipe with the cheesecake in the middle for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit! It turned out really well I did the cheesecake about half the thickness of a normal cheesecake so that it wasn’t too much! Next time I will probably reduce the amount of carrots since my husband doesn’t like carrots but likes carrot cake, so the full amount was too much for him. Thanks again for this yummy recipe :)
Holy moly that sounds heavenly! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by!
THIS is seriously the best carrot cake ever. I’ve shared it on facebook, and probably will be sharing it on my blog too (fully giving credit to you) it’s just so good!
I added just a bit more cinnamon and I also added some dried fruit (because we had it in the fridge still) and it was really lovely. I could have done without the dried fruit, but I needed to get rid of it somehow.
My husband was a lover of this cake too, thank you so much! :)
Fantastic cake Trish,
I made it with the oil, used only one recipe of the icing, followed the photos to the T,
And I am ready to make another for my next party which is on Saturday. I wanted to ask you if I could
freeze the cakes for about six days? This would allow me to be able to do other cooking that has to be done last minute. I would of course make the icing the day of the party and assemble the cake.
I like to make the cake with applesauce, but I am a worried it might be a bit heavier.
So I will do this when it is just imediate family.
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
Marsha
Hi Marsha! I’m sure you could freeze them. I would recommend flash freezing – let me know how that turns out. I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Trish, the flash freezing method worked out really well.
Again the cake was beautiful in presentation, and soooo delicious.
My guests thought I bought the cake.
Do you have any hints about baking with gas?
I recently switched to gas from electric. I am having a hard time with the transition.
I am not sure if I should lower the temperature at the start, and by how much, or bake it at a shorter time?
Thank you for all your help and kindness
Marsha
Absolutely Delicious and beautiful. Will most definitely make again and again! Thanks for sharing!
I made this carrot cake to take to a friend’s house for dinner last night and it was a hit~ My usual “go to” recipe uses oil and always falls in the center but this cake was moist, delicious, and perfectly shaped! It is healthier by replacing the oil with fruit. It is now my new “go to” recipe.
I am SO, SO glad that you and your friend enjoyed this recipe! It really is one of my very favorites and I’m happy you gave it a try. Happy New Year!
Hi I’m from Jordan I made this recipe today for my family in law, it is soo nice and yummy but it is too sweet for me actually I felt that two cups of sugar is too much but I liked to follow the steps. Next time Ill use 1 1/2 cup of sugar.
I didn’t use the pinable too bcz I don’t have it
Thank u for the recipe.
I’d like to ask if there z another dressing bcz I’m not a cheese lover?
Thank u again
You can use any frosting you’d like for the cake Ruba if you’re not into cream cheese. A vanilla frosting would be delicious as well!
Trish, this cake is just gorgeous!!! I’ll have to make this for our next special occasion. :)
Thank you Becca! I daresay it tastes even better than it looks – yum!
Oh Carrot Cake is one of my faves…I will have to try this for sure.
Hey Trish:)
I’m making this for my daughter’s birthday tomorrow cuz it looks sooooo yummy, and I have a stupid question, is it 1 CUP or 1 CAN of pineapple? I know that I’ll pick one way or the other and I’ll have messed the whole thing up:)
I sure hope you’re getting this in time Beth! It’s one cup of pineapple. Let me know how it turns out!
I have the same question. Is it 1 can or 1 cup pineapple? And applesauce is an unsweetened or sweetened one?
Thank you
It is one cup of pineapple and I use unsweetened applesauce. My brother likes to use sweetened and it’s still fabulous so totally up to you :)
Wow! This cake looks AMAZING! My day’s birthday is on the 28th and he loves carrot cake. I’m meeting him for dinner so want to bring him something to take home….I thought cupcakes would be easier. Do you happen to know about how many cupcakes this would make or how I should adjust the baking time if I make cupcakes? I’m looking forward to use this recipe!! :)
Thanks for sharing this lovely cake recipe Trish. I made the cake a while back and the middle was not baked. I removed that and we ate the rest of it which was well baked. I figured out that the cake tin I had used was small. I really liked the mixture so today I baked again using the same ingredients although I did not put in the carrots and bicarbonate of soda because I react to it. The cake came out beautifully!!!!!!! As I type this, I’m having a huge piece with a cup of green tea…..Thanks a lot.
Oh wonderful! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe!
hi
when you say 2 c of sugar is that a cup ??
thank you
I am gonna try this one out looks great.
Love carrot cakes i am going to try this one.
I tried this recipe (with applesauce and 1c pecans) for my fathers bday it was AMAZING! I never made carrot cake and my dad who is a total dessert king raved about it! Def a keeper recipe!!!
Oh Rose you’re making me want some carrot cake RIGHT NOW! I’m so glad you dad liked it!
Made this cake today. It was wonderfull! Finally I have a great carrot cake recipe! thnx
I found the icing nowhere near thick enough, causing major problems when trying to ice the cake. I had to try and thicken it up with even more icing sugar and shortening. I may suggest a different cream cheese icing in the future.
I’m wondering if your measurements might have been off? I’ve made this no less than 100 times and it really is fool-proof. If ever you have icing or frosting that isn’t thick enough – just add some more powdered sugar until it gets to your desired thickness. Hope that helps!
I would hope she did not use shortening in this frosting….yik! I bake and decorate cakes and my go-to buttercream is actually cream cheese based. It makes enough to frost a two layer cake nicely and is very similar to your recipe but it’s not as “loose” as a regular cream cheese frosting. My recipe is 1-8 ounce box of cream cheese, 2-sticks of real butter (8-ounces), and two pounds of powdered sugar. You don’t even need the vanilla. Beat softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy and well combined, then slowly add the powdered sugar. That’s it. Add liquid only if you need it. This frosting pipes well and crusts nicely and goes wonderfully well with carrot cake. It might be a good alternative for those who want a “sturdier” frosting. I can’t wait to try your recipe…it looks just like the one the bakery I used to work for used and I’ve been looking for one like it since!
I agree Jan :) So glad you stopped by and I’ll definitely give the frosting a try without vanilla sometime soon. Thanks!
Believe it or not, I’m 28 years old and has never had carrot cake in the past. I was feeling adventurist and wanted to try something different, so i Pinterest carrot cake. Your recipe caught my eyes, so I pinned it. Today, I had time to bake so I gave this cake a go and omg…….this carrot cake is soo yummy, moist, and flavorful. I didn’t have applesauce, so i used oil….still, sooooooooo out of this world delicious!
Ahhh! I am SO glad that you enjoyed the recipe! My Nana used to make it with oil so I know how good it is like that :) This is definitely my favorite carrot cake recipe and I’m happy you gave it a try. Thank you for your sweet comment!
This carrot cake was delicious! I followed the recipe but added some ginger, subbed some honey for some of the sugar and used cool whip frosting in the tub instead of making my own, it turned out so good and my mom loved it for her 60th birthday! I blogged it and linked back to you for the recipe, thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
this looks delicious, but I don’t like pineapple in my carrot cake – can you substitute? (if so, any recommendations on what to subs?)
Have you ever done this recipe in cupcakes instead of cake? Your recipe was delicious but I would like to try cupcakes next time. This cake was super moist so I’m a little worried how it will turn out. Do you need to cut any ingredients or change bake times? Do you know how many it makes?
It is VERY moist. Hmm, I’ve never tried it a cupcakes but you could check the back of a cake box and see roughly what the difference in bake times are and also how many cupcakes it would yield approximately. Let me know if you give it a go and how it turns out!
I made the big cake today for dessert tomorrow. I did scoop out one cupcake worth to bake and test. It baked ok, but it stuck to the sides of the paper so it was pretty messy.
Yeah it is just such a moist recipe that cupcakes would be hard – unless you did them without liners…
This is beautiful and looks so tasty.
Thank you so much Charlotte!
This sounds so very good! I’m going to make it as soon as I get all the ingredients. Thank you! I’ve been craving carrot cake! I found your recipe on Li’l Luna.
Awesome Jeannette! Thanks for stopping by!
Found this on Pinterest and will be making it for Easter. Is the coconut unsweetened or sweetened? Thank you.
Awesome! I used sweetened but you could use either. It’s not as if this isn’t sweet enough already :) Happy Easter!
Made this for Easter and everybody LOVED it! It was so simple to make and so very moist- love the idea of using applesauce instead of all that oil! I ended up having enough batter to make 3 layers and just 1 batch of the frosting was enough to cover it all.
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the sweet comment!
Your carrot cake looks amazing! I nearly licked the screen. I can’t wait to make it. Thank you
That’s so sweet Jessie – thank you! Hope your weekend is off to a great start :)
I made this today and it’s so delicious and very moist! I’ve been craving carrot cake and this recipe popped up on my Pinterest feed, so I decided to try it out! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Meggan – it’s one of my very favorites :) Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
So my mom is begging me to make this for Mother’s Day, since I shared it on my FB. The guys are in charge of putting the food together for the holiday, but no one bakes and quite frankly, we’re a little nervous lol. So I may come in and save the day with your cake. YUM!
LOL! That’s awesome Holly! You will LOVE it if you make it – it’s sooo good!
With the exception of the applesauce instead of oil, I cooked this cake last Christmas and it is out of this
world great!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will try the applesauce next time. Thanks for your recipe. I could not wait for another
occasion to cook this cake. I craved it after Christmas and when an occasion arose I thought of this first.
Definitely give the applesauce a try – I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised :) My Dad who has been eating this cake his entire life thinks it’s better with the applesauce! Thank you so much for the sweet comment Hannah!
This looks amazing must get some ice person to make it for me
Hehe! I hope you find someone :)