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To Die For Carrot Cake

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This To Die For Carrot Cake recipe receives rave reviews for it’s unbelievable moistness and delicious flavor! Truly the BEST Carrot Cake you’ll ever try! So easy to make and as an added bonus, there’s no oil or butter. I know this cake will quickly become a family favorite! Looking for a layered cake alternative? Check out these Carrot Cake Bars!

carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting

 Carrot Cake

There is nothing like a cake to transform an ordinary party into a celebration. There’s something so festive about cakes that scream it’s time to PARTY! Today I’m sharing a cake recipe with you all that’s a family heirloom. 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! It also is a one-bowl wonder which I love.

I have made this recipe hundreds of times and all my friends and family love this cake so much so that I get asked to bring it to parties, holidays, potlucks, and BBQs all year long. I just love that it’s SO easy to make and completely foolproof!

Best Carrot Cake Recipe

This carrot cake with pineapple makes it so moist and the addition of coconut adds a sweet, delicate flavor that you’re going to love!

I have many carrot cake recipes on my site – like these Carrot Cake Bars – but they are all variations of this one. There isn’t another recipe that I’ve ever tried that even comes close to this carrot cake recipe for flavor, moistness, and texture. It’s hands down the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. Period.

carrot cake with pineapple whole

What’s In Carrot Cake

This easy carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting stands out from the rest for two important reasons: I use both applesauce (instead of oil) and pineapple for extra moistness. The rest of the ingredients are typical cake ingredients that you most likely already have on hand,.

  • unsweetened applesauce or oil (my Nana used oil, I use applesauce)
  • granulated sugar
  • eggs
  • all-purpose flour
  • baking soda
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • cinnamon
  • carrots
  • shredded sweetened coconut
  • chopped nuts optional
  • vanilla
  • crushed pineapple

Does Carrot Cake Have Raisins?

This is totally up to you. I don’t include it in my recipe because so many in my family don’t like raisins. If you’d like to add raisins to this recipe, add half a cup of raisins in with the shredded carrot in Step 3. Golden raisins are especially delicious in this recipe!

Carrot Cake Frosting

My Nana’s recipe is super simple (as easy as 1-2-3) and tastes incredible but what’s a carrot cake without cream cheese frosting??

Cream cheese frosting is the standard when it comes to carrot cake and with good reason. Soft and gooey with a hint of tang from the cream cheese – it’s the perfect complement!

best carrot cake recipe

How To Decorate!

You can decorate the cake however you want and I do it differently every time. You really can’t do this wrong!

  • After the cakes have finished cooling, invert one of the cakes onto a cake plate or stand. Apply a generous dollop of frosting and spread to cover. An offset spatula will make quick work of this. Gently place the second cake on top and continue frosting.
  • For this carrot cake recipe, I chose to decorate with the nuts. I chopped up some toasted pecans and then inverted a bowl onto the cake.
  • Gently spread the pecans around the bowl and you’ll end up with a nice clean circle on the center of the cake. Watch the video below to see how I did it!
  • 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!

carrot cake on cake stand

What a cake!! I’d love for you to give this from scratch carrot cake 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!

Do you have family recipes that the whole family just LOVES like this cake recipe?? 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.

Tips for the Best Carrot Cake

  • Toasting the pecans (if you’re using them) adds even more amazing flavor to this recipe.
  • DO NOT use pre-shredded carrots. Buy standard carrots, peel and grate by hand for the best results. You want the fresh flavor in this cake – it’s what makes it so outstanding!
  • I used three 8-inch cake pans in the video. I really like the size of the cake with three layers. These are the pans I used – they’re amazing!
  • These cakes are SUPER moist – amazingly so. Make sure to adequately grease your pans before adding the cake batter. My little brother likes to grease his pans, and line them with a piece of parchment before baking. I’m far too lazy for that. Using the pans above, and some baking spray that has the flour added in (like Baker’s Joy or Pam with flour), I have never, ever had any sticking issues.
  • I’ve had several requests from people wanting to know where I got my cake serving set from… Amazon, of course!

How To Make Carrot Cupcakes

This recipe can easily be converted into a cupcake recipe. I do recommend that you use parchment liners because this cake is very moist and could stick to regular paper liners.

To make carrot cupcakes:

  1. Follow instructions 1 and 2 below.
  2. Place liners in muffin pan and fill two-thirds full.
  3. Bake at 350F for 18 to 22 minutes.
  4. Let carrot cupcakes cool before frosting.

Try these cake recipes!

  1. Orange Creamsicle Cake
  2. Lemon Zucchini Cake
  3. Best Ever Texas Sheet Cake
  4. Strawberry Shortcake Roulade
  5. Zucchini Spice Cake

How To Make Carrot Cake

Print Pin
5 from 128 votes

To Die For Carrot Cake

This To Die For Carrot Cake receives rave reviews for it's unbelievable moistness and flavor! Truly the BEST CARROT CAKE you'll ever try! So easy to make and as an added bonus, there's no oil or butter! I know this cake will quickly become a family favorite!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword carrot cake, carrot cake recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 16 slices
Calories 499kcal
Author Trish - Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

Cake:

    One

    • 1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce or oil, this is what my Nana used
    • 2 cups granulated sugar
    • 3 eggs room temperature

    Two

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp cinnamon

    Three

    • 2 cups grated carrots
    • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
    • 1 cup chopped nuts optional
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 1 cup Dole crushed pineapple not drained! {use the pineapple in JUICE not syrup}

    Cream Cheese Frosting:

    • 1/2 cup butter softened
    • 8 oz cream cheese softened
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 1 lb powdered sugar
    • top with toasted pecans or coconut if desired

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Combine #1 ingredients. Add #2 ingredients. Stir in #3 ingredients.
    • Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 , two 9-inch pans or three 8-inch pans. (The cake is very moist so cutting parchment for the bottom of your pans will ensure they don't stick. I prefer to use the non-stick baking spray that has the flour in it for easy cake removal.)
    • Bake for 35-40 minutes for the 9x13 and 9-inch pans and 25-30 minutes for the 8-inch pans. You're looking for an inserted toothpick to come out clean.
    • Let cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

    For the frosting:

    • Beat the butter and cream cheese until nice and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until nice and smooth.
    • 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. Repeat with the third cake if you made three.
    • Refrigerate for an hour before serving for best results.

    Video

    Notes

    The frosting recipe can be doubled if you are planning on piping a border and adding a lot of frosting decorations to the top of the cake.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 499kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 274mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 3110IU | Vitamin C: 4.6mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1.6mg

    Original post published August 18, 2012. Updated February 27, 2018.

     

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    Comments

    1. Heather Caleb says

      Wow! This cake was incredible! Easy to put together and tasted fabulous. I made the following changes to cake recipe: 1/3 cup sugar instead of the 1/2 cup sugar (with goal of not having overwhelmingy sweet cake) and crushed pineapple instead of applesauce. Cake was moist, flavorful and also presented beautifully as a layered cake. I only have one cake pan, so I was up late baking that third layer, but it was worth it! Also, that icing is so simple, light and perfect with this cake! Recipe makes more than enough icing. I made it for family and friends at a labor day cook out and received rave reviews.

      Tip: I cooked the cake layers the night before and let them cool at room temperature, wrapped individually in plastic wrap to make sure they stayed fresh. Placed the layers in the freezer a few hours before icing so that they were easier to work with (not fully frozen). Thought it might be helpful for others as making layered cakes was a pretty new experience for me and I read this somewhere else!

      Reply

    3. Alison McAffrey says

      Whoa, just made this tonight. It was a bit of a pain to grate fresh carrots but oh. so. worth. it. Overall, not too hard of a recipe – it was a huge hit. Definitely a keeper!!

      Reply

    4. Martha says

      I made this cake – after not baking since my kids were little – and it was just outstanding!! The recipe was so easy to follow. I will be back for more of your recipes, Trish. You (and I) made Father’s Day a real success this year!!

      Reply

    6. Deb says

      Would dried cranberries work instead of raisins? It’s the only ingredient I’m missing and I have the cranberries. Please let me know soon. Want to make for my fiancee, he loves carrot cake and I would love to surprise him.

      Reply

    7. Adele says

      I baked this beautiful carrot cake for a birthday and it was amazing! I made slight changes to the recipe; reducing the among of sugar in the cake as well as in the cream cheese frosting but nothing else. I used apple sauce as well and it turned out great. The taste is simply beautiful and it is moist. Thank you for sharing this great recipe! It’s definitely a keeper!

      Reply

    8. Gabrielle says

      I have made so many of your recipes while we are in quarantine and think they are great. Tonight was my son’s 20th birthday. I made his favorite foods for dinner-grilled lamb chops, green bean almondine and your “To Die For Carrot Cake”. I had to make some variations because of shortages at the store. Additionally, I didn’t have 8″ pans-only 8.5″ pans. Anyhow-it was awesome! I had to make it without shredded coconut in the cake. I used light cheese instead of regular cream cheese in the icing and only 3 cups of powdered sugar. Honestly it was great-my family loved it. I hope to make it according to the directions next time, but even with these variations it was great! Thank you Trish!

      Reply

    9. Amanda Clarke says

      Stupid easy and ridiculously delicious! This is the carrot cake recipe that will make you a star! Couple of tweaks – unsweetened coconut in the cake works, I also used coconut oil, no applesauce. Toasted pecans on the top = genius. Already thinking about next time. Might add a half a block more of cream cheese for extra twang. If you’re trying to watch your calorie intake, do not make this cake! You are no match for it’s allure! I think I hear it calling me now…..

      Reply

    10. Karin says

      This is the same recipe that my mother got in the early 70’s that was passed out at our local library. It’s delicious. I have been making it for years!! May I recommend a teaspoon of orange juice in the cream cheese frosting, it gives it that extra layer of flavor. Happy cooking!! 🙂

      Reply

    11. Cecelia says

      My mother-in-law made a really good carrot cake. She always used jarred carrots. (baby food). It still has good favor and is very moist.

      Reply

    12. Kacee says

      My favorite cake is carrot cake. I make it once a year on my birthday. I love to cook and bake so it’s my fun relaxing birthday tradition. Unfortunately when I moved a few years back I lost my grandmother’s carrot cake recipe. I’ve been using this one ever sence and love it. I add a cup of craisins. Then top with nuts, craisins, and coconut. I always make an extra cake for my residents at work. This year I’m wanting to make cupcakes instead of a cake. I was wondering what would the baking temp and time be for making cupcakes?

      Reply

      • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

        The baking time will be between 25 and 35 minutes. I know that’s a big range but believe it or not, cupcake pans vary wildly in size lol. Use parchment liners though because they will stick to paper liners. Thanks for being a loyal reader Kacee!

        Reply

    13. Mike says

      Hi! So I’ve made this cake 3 times with oil and it is by far the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. I used applesauce yesterday and it turned out wet rather than moist. Very dense and feels a bit raw, but is definitely not underdone. Is there something different I should do when baking with applesauce instead of oil to avoid it turning out wet and dense? It was my first time swapping oil for applesauce.

      Reply

      • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

        Hi Mike! I’ve never had that problem with applesauce before but I’m sure different brands might work differently in the recipe. If you have a better experience with the oil, just stick with that. Hope that helps!

        Reply

    14. Delaney says

      Looooved this recipe!! My family enjoyed it over the course of six days (it’s pretty rich, so small slices will do!) and it never dried out! So moist and textured and yummy!

      Reply

    15. tammy ulgen says

      To hydrate or not?…

      I’m going to make this recipe this week – looks delicious. I have a question about raisins; I usually use golden raisins when baking as they tend to be more soft or tender (as least in my opinion). However I have a large box of regular raisins – would you hydrate them with some warm water before baking with this recipe? I usually do this but sometimes the cake it so moist that that it can make itsoggy?

      Thank you so much!

      Tam

      Reply

    17. Dean says

      This recipe was amazing. I used the oil not Apple sauce , was so moist , full of flavor and my fat a$$ cant stop eating it. Lol.

      Reply

    18. Myndi McClain says

      This was the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. I only did a couple things differently, more cinnamon and I used chunky applesauce. It was scrumptious and for my first ever carrot cake it was awesome.

      Reply

    21. sharon meyer says

      This is the first time i have ever felt compelled to write a review – but this cake is the easiest and best carrot cake recipe ever! Moist and so full of flavor, i have made it with and without the oil, both ways are great.
      Because i wanted the cake to be the “star” i changed the cream cheese frosting to a whipped cream frosting that had some cream cheese mixed in…..2 1/2 whipping cream, heaping 1/2 cup powdered sugar, (more if you like) 1 tsp. vanilla whipped to stiff peaks then fold in or beat in on low 8 0z cream cheese that had been separately beaten till smooth. This has now become my most requested “please bring” dessert with family and friends. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!

      Reply

    22. Julie D says

      Happy New Years Trish!

      I’m a baker like you, but I’ve never made a carrot cake. I followed your recipe and was blown away! It was the best ever!!! It was so amazing that our server wanted a piece of it! Of course we shared it! Thank you for sharing your fabulous carrot cake recipe!!!!

      Reply

    23. David G says

      So I don’t actually like carrot cake very much, but have lots of friends who do, so I tried this recipe. Amazing results. Best Carrot Cake I have every had by a wide margin. Served with Christmas dinner to rave reviews.

      Minor tweaks I made: I replaced half of the apple sauce with veggie oil, and I made it in two 9″ pans rather than three 8″ pans. And if you add nuts make sure you toast them; the toasted pecans I added were great.

      Minor tweaks I will make the next time: It was a little too sweet. I am going to try cutting the sugar in the cake part by 1/4-1/3 (might try replacing some with brown sugar as well), and will probably cut the sugar in the frosting by a bit.

      Reply

    24. Nicol says

      Hi Trish! I failed baking a carrot cake once. After a few years, found your recipe and decided to give it a try again. I used oil and raisins instead of applesauce and coconut. The results were perfect! Very moist! Maybe a bit too moist but I hope to try using applesauce next time. My cake had a slight oily aftertaste in it since I used oil. But the cake succeeded still! Thanks Trish!

      Reply

    25. Danielle says

      I make this for our Girls beach weekend each year and for other celebrations . I add 3/4 cup golden raisins and cut sugar by 1/4 cup . This cake is amazing !! And it’s beautiful as well. Does well with coffee in the morning too !

      Reply

    26. Angelica says

      I’ve made this before, and everyone LOVES it. Thank you for the recipe. I would like to make it in a bundt pan. Do you know how that will affect the oven temp and cooking time?

      Reply

    27. Wanda Morales says

      Hi Trish,

      I’m getting ready to make your recipe for Thanksgiving and I was wondering if you have ever added raisins to the mix and if so how much?

      Thanks

      Wanda

      Reply

        • sherri says

          LOVE that oil etc., is not an ingredient! Looks absolutely devine and based on all the people who made it, would agree with that sentiment.

          If raisins work (1/2 cup) then I’ll be adding 1/2 cup of dates or figs instead.

          Can hardly wait. Recipe is pinned and ready to go.

          Thanks for posting – great pics

          Reply

    28. Vonnie says

      This cake is absolutely delicious. I made it to celebrate my birthday and it was perfect! I was surprised how moist it was even without the oil. I added a little more cinnamon and a bit of milk to the frosting.

      Reply

    30. Sandra says

      My sister makes this carrot cake and it’s by far the best, but I tried making it and there was to much moisture. I’m not sure what I did but I was disappointed. The toothpicks came out clean. Maybe the cake wasn’t completely cool before I frosted it. Any thoughts?

      Reply

    31. Karin says

      Yesterday I tried this recipe to celebrate somebody’s really special birthday. It was so delicious! I’ve gotta try with the cranberries! Thank you!

      Reply

    32. Bonnie L Wallace says

      Hello…..I’m relatively new to baking and I have a question please. I’m thinking about making this for my office christmas party, but I need some tips on how to make sure that the batter is evenly spread among the pans. I have done this in the past and I never end up with the cakes being even. so please, if you know of something that I can do to ensure that the batter is evenly spread among three pans, please let me know. Thank you….

      Reply

    33. Kathy says

      I haven’t made this recipe, yet, but it sounds wonderful. I have a 3 tier carrot cake wedding cake to make. IS this cake stable enough to stack 3 tiers?

      Reply

    34. Hilda says

      This is a remarkable recipe. I have been using your Carrot Cake recipe for a few years now. Every person that has tried it, absolutely loved it. I do split the coconut with 1/2 cup coconut and 1/2 cup cranberries. Carrot cakes lovers will not be disappointed with this delicious recipe. Thank your Nana for me please.

      Reply

    35. Janice says

      This recipe looks great I was wondering if I can make carrot cake muffins from this recipe if so how long would I need to bake them if you know?

      Reply

    36. Trisha Bowman says

      I made this recipe for work and it was a hit!!! I was concerned about just using cinnamon as the spice and using applesauce..well everyone loved it! Thank you very much!

      Reply

    37. Donna says

      BY FAR the BEST carrot cake I’ve ever eaten. I do not normally go back and comment on recipes I try, but I feel like I need to give credit where credit is due on this cake recipe. IT WAS WONDERFUL. My husband has been begging me for a carrot cake forever and since it was his birthday, I figured it was the least I could do, lol. I don’t do scratch cakes often, but stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and thought I’d give it a try. I didn’t have all the same ingredients on hand however, so I had to improvise a bit. I didn’t have the coconut (which my family would have enjoyed) so I opted for a cup of raisins. They fit in beautifully. I would have also normally went with oil instead of the applesauce, but I just happened to have a ton of applesauce in the cabinet, so I went that route. I would definitely use the applesauce instead of oil every time if it’s an option. I also didn’t have cream cheese for the icing. I did however have a ton of butter on hand so instead of cream cheese icing (which is my favorite) I made a vanilla buttercream and it went very well with your cake. It was a HUGE success with my family, ESPECIALLY the birthday boy;) This will be my go to recipe for years to come and will for sure pass it down to my very unpicky boys who don’t mind cooking. Wonderful cake that was very simple to make. Thanks to your nana for the original recipe and to you for your modifications. It was a big success at my house!

      Reply

    38. Mike F. says

      I made it twice, once as a cake and another time as cupcakes. I made some changes when i made the cupcakes subbing out a half cup of white sugar for light brown sugar and adding a little lemon zest to the frosting to add a surprising bit of brightness to it. I also toasted some pecans in sea salt, butter and brown sugar to sprinkle over the top of the cupcakes. The flavor profile was amazing.

      Reply

    39. Mike F. says

      I love this cake recipe. I made it twice, once as a cake and another time as cupcakes. I made some changes when i made the cupcakes substituting a half cup of white sugar for light brown sugar and adding a little lemon zest to the frosting to add a surprising bit of brightness to it. I also toasted some pecans in sea salt, butter and brown sugar to sprinkle over the top of the cupcakes. The flavor profile was amazing.

      Reply

    40. Josie says

      I have made this cake several times for my coworkers and they absolutely love it! The literally said it was “TO DIE FOR” without even knowing the name of your recipe! Thank you and your nana for sharing it! 🙂

      Reply

    42. Annabelle says

      I imagine this carrot cake is one really to die for just reading your cake recipe However, I’m wondering what the difference is between using applesauce instead of canola oil (that is aside from healthy reasons) and which do you prefer? I plan to try this recipe for my daughter’s birthday on Oct.13, appreciate your prompt reply.

      Thank you.

      Reply

    43. Evva H. says

      The best carrot cake hands down!!!!!! All of my family members and co-workers get very excited when I make this cake. Best ever! What do you think about putting the dough in the cupcake form? Any thoughts?

      Reply

    44. Jenn says

      This is just wonderful, and I haven’t even made the icing yet! The recipe made four dozen mini cupcakes which I am serving at a graduation party tomorrow. I am super excited to serve these to the family, because I think they are going to lose their minds with the deliciousness.

      Reply

    45. DJ says

      This is my go-to carrot cake recipe now, it’s always a HUGE hit when I make it! What are your baking recommendations when preparing this recipe as cupcakes?

      Reply

    46. Anna Mamo says

      Hi Trish , I have a carrot cake recipe that I thought I will never change , tried your recipe and made the cake twice in a week , Beautiful ???thx

      Reply

    47. Cherish says

      Hi:-) Do you think this recipe would work for cupcakes? I’ve made this cake and your recipe is AMAZING!! The very best I’ve ever made and get rave reviews when I make it! Thank you!!

      Reply

    48. Melysa Brown says

      I’ve made this cake 4 times or so and every time it has turned out great!!! Is there any way I could turn this cake into cupcakes?

      Reply

    49. Roxy Allen says

      Lovely cake!
      (Didn’t make frosting because it was sweet enough.)
      Just wanted to say that I added half a tsp. of cardamom, and used 1 cup of organic, white, whole wheat flour, for 1 cup of AP flour, and it was great!

      Do you think I could use ripe bananas to substitute for something (the pineapple, maybe)?

      Reply

    50. Alicia says

      Honestly this is the best carrot cake I have ever had! It was also the first one I ever made and I am so happy for how it turned out. I change the frosting a little because I am not huge on cream cheese. I just do a half butter/half cream cheese ratio. It comes out sooo yummy and moist. I can’t rave enough about this cake really. Thanks. Oh and I use the oil, comes out perfect.

      Reply

    51. Teresa says

      Hello
      If you don’t use the shredded coconut do you replace by more shredded carrots or it will still turn out if we omit it?

      Many thanks
      Terrsa

      Reply

      • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

        I have had several readers make the cake without the coconut and the cake turned out great. I haven’t personally tried the recipe without the coconut since my family loves it. Do not add more carrot though since that will just add moisture.

        Reply

    55. Jessica Villasenor says

      I made this cake last night for my extremely picky bf’s birthday (who has been craving a really good carrot cake after many failed attempts to find a good one in local bakeries). I have scoured the internet over the last few weeks looking for just the right recipe. I found your recipe, read probably every single review posted, & decided this was the one. I followed your directions word for word. I opted for your version using unsweetened applesauce & didn’t make any variations whatsoever. Let me tell you this was the absolute BEST carrot cake we have ever had!! Wonderfully moist, not too sweet, utterly PERFECT. I hit the jackpot finding your recipe. Picky boyfriend LOVED it! Thank you so much for sharing it with us 🙂

      Reply

    58. Linda says

      I made this recipe from your old recipe last year and the new one this year. My husband likes the old one better, but I didn’t print it. Can you you tell me what you changed?

      Reply

    59. Gladys says

      The best Cake recipe
      Ever my family love it is very easy to make very moist I had make this cake so many times .! The last one I made was for some of my coworkers birthday they were literally in shock one said this taste like Christmas another one said my mom needs to tray this to see what a real carrot cake taste and look like .!!!! I’m very very happy whit this recipe I’ll never make a different one .! Thanks for sharing

      Reply

    60. Cardyn Brooks says

      This recipe was a hit! Everyone raved about hos tender and delicious the cake and icing were. I used one cup of applesauce and 1/4 cup of oil. The batter is naturally sweetened with the pineapple, applesauce, and carrots so 1 & 1/2 cups (instead of 2 cups) of granulated sugar worked great.

      Thanks for sharing this easy recipe that really delivers!

      Reply

    61. Carolyn says

      This cake is wonderful! I made it for my husband today for Father’s Day. It was a huge hit. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!!!

      Reply

    62. Inocensia says

      I made this cake for my husband for Father’s Day! It’s his favorite and he loved it! It was so easy! I work full time and being busy with sports and kids, this recipe was really easy to follow and quick to make. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

      Reply

    63. Margaret Lownsberry says

      Amazing recipe. Super easy and the cake is wonderfully moist. A friend requested one for a Birthday and I decided to practice with this one, I have made tons of cakes in my time, but never a carrot cake for some reason. The entire cake was gone in no time. Everyone loved it. Wonderful texture and moist crumb. I made a double batch of icing to pipe a little and I made 3 layers. This is the cake you want to try. I grew up helping grandmother bake and I knew if this was a grandmother’s recipe, then it would be the one and it is THE ONE you want to try. Very versatile. You can add raisins if you want and I suspect you could add a pinch of ginger and nutmeg for a perfect Fall cake as well.

      Reply

    64. Denise Boycik says

      I have made this scrumptious carrot cake 3 times already! The only thing I did different is added 3/4 cups of yellow raisins. My husband said he has never had a carrot cake this good before. I love the instructions too! I didn’t have 3 8″ pans so I bought aluminum ones. I put the parchment paper in the bottom. I finally made a successful 3 layer cake! I am now anxious to try more of your recipes! Thank you so much!

      Reply

    65. DD says

      I’ve made this 4 times already, I get requests!! In fact my mother in law requested one for her luncheon for the board she’s on! I wish it let you post pictures, for Easter I turned the recipe into two 3-D bunnies! It was super cute! Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe!

      Reply

    66. Lisa says

      This is one of the best cakes! Everyone raved about it and I just made the second one. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

      Reply

    67. Brenda says

      My husband loves carrot cake so I was searching around for some recipes to decide what one to make. I decided on this one because I liked all the ingredients and it seemed to be very easy to make. This is the best carrot cake ever! After his first bite when he said “mmmm this is so good”, I deleted all the other recipes I was saving. I was telling a friend I made this for Easter. She said she wanted to make one but couldn’t find the mix. I grabbed this recipe I had hanging on my fridge and told her that she won’t ever need the box mix again. Thank you for sharing this recipe it is greatly appreciated!!

      Reply

    69. Angelina says

      I gotta say it again, it’s the VERY BEST Carrot Cake EVER (and I’ve made many!) This time, I added in a generous handful of golden raisins (in Step #2) which I soaked in warm water to soften, since we like raisins in our carrot cakes. I baked this cake in a 13″ x 9″ Pyrex cake pan, since I was bringing it to a birthday party. Everyone loved it! 🙂

      Reply

    70. Linda Hughes says

      Trish….this is, hands down, the best carrot cake I’ve ever made. I made it exactly to your recipe and used oil. It is a joy to make and eat. I’ll be making it again this weekend for my best friend as it’s now her favorite dessert in the world. Thank you so much for sharing it. It’s a treasure.

      Reply

    71. L says

      I’ve made this many times and every time it’s a hit!
      Thank you
      Quick question.. could we make the frosting ahead and keep it refrigerated?
      Want to make it for the weekend and may not have time for all the steps.

      I want to frost the cake when I get to my family’s, could I possibly make the cake layers the night before, and then layer everything when I get to my destination?

      Thanks again for a wonderful recipe.
      It’s amazingly delicious!!

      Reply

    72. Elsa Eastman says

      By far the BEST cake ever! I love that there’s
      no oil or butter…the applesauce is brilliant…
      makes it moist and delicious…thanks for
      sharing your grandma’s recipe…this has become my cousin’s favorite and is always requesting it…

      Reply

    73. Katherine says

      I made this cake in 2 9” rounds, then shaped into bunny face for Easter (get it? Carrot cake…). I used walnuts and the applesauce, and the only change I made was to use unsweetened coconut instead of sweetened. Still plenty sweet enough. BEST CAKE I’VE EVER MADE. Yum, yum, yum. Fabulous frosting, too. Thanks for sharing your Grandma’s fabulous recipe!

      Reply

    74. Lorraine says

      Well, I thought my old go-to recipe for carrot cake was the best but this is absolutely golden. I made it in the 9” pans and the quantity was just right. Also, I always had to double the frosting recipe for the ratio to be correct, but not this time. The proportions were perfect. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you.

      Reply

    75. Megan says

      Simply, unbelievably, on-friggin-point Carrot Cake. Its 10:30 PM, night before Easter, and I’m cooling the cakes now so I can frost them. I don’t even care that I’m utterly wiped out from cleaning/setting up for 13 straight hours since we are hosting Easter, because my house smells delicious and nothing can go wrong tomorrow if this cake is being served. This recipe is a God-send. It’s the second time I have made this cake, and if it were up to me, I’d eat a slice every day for the rest of my life. No joke. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing!!!

      Reply

    76. Ashley Leach says

      Made this with Gluten free flour for Easter brunch and it was moist and delicious. I make it every year for my husband’s birthday and it’s always delicious. 1st time trying not gluten free and it didn’t disappoint. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!

      Reply

    77. Kyla says

      Best carrot cake ever! I made this recipe 2 years ago for Easter and they’ve been requesting it for everything since then!

      Reply

    79. Jen says

      I’ve made this cake a dozen times so far, followed recipe to a T and it’s the best Carrot Cake ever, hands down.
      I did have to add a little bit of heavy cream to the icing to make it more workable for my personal preference.
      Five stars.

      Reply

    80. Claudia L Edwards says

      Awesome…. This is my third attempt at this carrot cake and it gets better at each attempt. Moist, crunchy with a great presentation of colors. It’s a hit for all of my family and guests. It took awhile to get the frosting right. The first attempt it was too thin. I learned that to thicken it, just add more powered sugar.

      This recipe is definitely a keeper.

      Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

    82. Tia Nguyen says

      I just made your carrot cake recipe and it’s just the recipe I have been looking for. My family likes bare cakes so no icing for us. Love love this! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

    83. Martha says

      I am going to make this for Easter (gave it 5 stars because I am sure it is going to be delicious. I am wondering about how many carrots I need to make the 2 cups of grated? Thanks so much.

      Reply

    85. Shery Sullivan says

      Trish, I did make this for my 2 layer 11 x 15 cake. I doubled the recipe for each layer. Tripled the frosting recipe. It was perfect. I have never received as many compliments in my cake making career. Since 1976. My husband said it’s the best cake I’ve ever made. My friend, who was very surprised at his 90th surprise party loved it. Even my friend whos’s gluten free, had a small piece. She said if it makes her sick, it’s well worth it. I wish I could send you the picture.
      I can’t wait to tri it again.

      Reply

    87. Sally Lame says

      I’ve never made carrot cake before but decided to make this recipe as I had an overabundance of carrots and homemade applesauce. I skipped the nuts and it turned out awesome! I made it into cupcakes instead of a 3 layer cake, baked for 25 min. The cake came out super moist and the really tasty. The pineapple gave it a nice tart note, and the coconut added flavor and texture. Will for sure make it again! Thanks!

      Reply

    88. Jackie says

      My husbands favorite is carrot cake. I’d never made one from scratch. I tried this recipe and am definitely going to keep this recipe for life. It came out perfect on the first try. I even screwed up and did 3 of the 9inch cake pans on accident. Cooked for 28 minutes and it was so moist and delicious. I added raisins cuz my husband loves them but other than that I stuck to the recipe. Even the apple sauce instead of oil and it was awesome. I never have luck with cream cheese icing and this was no different. I just never find it to be thick enough. I use one cream cheese and maybe two cups of powdered sugar. And I add starch to thicken but just one tablespoon. I don’t like too much powdered sugar cuz it kills the cream cheese flavor. Other than thickness of the icing (which I know is cuz I don’t use enough powdered sugar) it all came out great.

      Reply

    89. Shery Sullivan says

      Trish, this is the 3rd time I’m commenting but still didn’t see it posted or your response. Now I’m up to 40 people that I need to make this cake for. I have an 11 x 15 pan. I plan on making 2 layers. Do you think if I double the recipe, I’ll be ok?

      Reply

      • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

        Hi Shery! Super backed up over here, obviously. It’s just a one-woman show so please keep that in mind 🙂 My Nana used to make this recipe in a 9×13 and it was nice and thick. You should be absolutely fine! Enjoy!

        Reply

        • Shery Sullivan says

          Thanks. Now I’m up to 48 people. Think I’ll still go with doubling the recipe for 2, 11×15 pans. Debating on cutting thru them and having 4 layers. I don’t want it crumbling when I do it.

          Reply

          • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

            Oh my goodness! That’s a lot! Okay, so this cake is VERY moist, not a whole lot of crumbling so you should be okay. And if you have time to chill the cake layers before assembling and cutting and all that, it will help even more. Best of luck Shery!

            Reply

    90. Velvet says

      I made this last night, followed the recipe to the T and I must say that this is the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. I used walnuts, instead of pecans. That cream cheese frosting is absolutely amazing. Omg. I highly recommendventyou haven’t tried this to do it IMMEDIATELY!!!

      Reply

    91. Theresa says

      Second time I am making this. It is my eldest son’s favorite sooooo. Happy Birthday to him! My kitchen smells absolutely delicious when I bake this cake! The frosting is to die for. My daughter-in-law hated carrot cake until she tasted this recipe. Now she is a fan!! I truly love this easy 1-2-3 recipe . Thank you for sharing your nana’s Recipe!!

      Reply

    92. Carrie McClinton says

      I never leave reviews…figure I’m one in a million. But have to say, this WAS to die for. Wow. I used some candied nuts someone gave me for christmas and it created these little toffee like crispy bites in the cake. It was BOMB!! Thank you for posting and sharing. Couldnt believe the applesauce worked so well. My timing took a bit longer in 2 9″ rounds, but I just kept checking with toothpick and took out when ready to rock and roll. I had to give 1/4 of the cake to my neighbor because I couldnt stop eating it myself. 🙂

      Reply

    93. The Machine says

      I have made this cake several times now (I add raisins, too). It is AMAZING!!! Everybody just loves it. It’s also a great recipe to turn into cupcakes. Thanks ever so much for publishing this one. It is my all time FAVORITE carrot cake recipe.

      Reply

    94. Danelle Aviles says

      I’m scared! This is not husband’s birthday cake for tomorrow…I did a 9×13 pan and it’s taking way over 40 minutes to bake. Still jiggly in the middle but brown everywhere else. Why do I suck at baking??

      Reply

      • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

        You do not suck. It sounds like the oven temp may be a tad high which could cause it too brown too quickly. Any time that is happening, just put foil over the parts that are browning – similar to what you would do with a pie crust to keep the edges from browning. You might also want to get an oven thermometer and check to see if it runs hot. That happens all the time. Oven temp calibration really can help with baking!

        Reply

    98. Valerie says

      Just made this cake and OMG. It is by far the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. If you are looking for a carrot cake recipe look no further. I’m so glad that out of all the choices to pick from I chose this one.

      Reply

    99. Linda says

      Best carrot cake I’ve ever made – not a piece left in sight! I will be making it again this weekend for the holidays.

      Reply

    100. Sandi says

      I made this for my husband for his 60th birthday. Carrot cake has always been his favorite. This was by far the best he ever had. I brought leftover pieces to work and now people are offering to pay me to make it for them! So happy to have come across this recipe,

      Reply

    101. Margaret Cromwell says

      11/5/18. I have been using this to-die-for-carrot cake recipe for 3 years and always get favorite reviews and requests for the recipe. I am so glad to see it still on your web as I served it this weekend at a RV camping rally and received a request for the recipe. My original copy of this recipe is from 2015 with comments noted so therefore I am happy to find that I was able to print a fresh copy. As a result, I see so many new recipes I will be trying.

      Reply

    104. Mary says

      ABSOLUTELY!! THE BEST CARROT CAKE ON THE PLANET!! THANKS FOR THIS FABULOUS RECIPE! the only addition was of ground ginger and nutmeg. I made it today EVERYONE COULD NOT STOP RAVING ABOUT IT! ❤️

      Reply

    106. Connie says

      I am making the carrot cake tomorrow but I am wanting to make cupcakes instead of layered cake. Will that work? What would the baking time be? I’ll use muffin papers. Will the papers peel off without sticking after baked?

      Reply

    109. Lisa says

      Thank you for the great recipe! I made this yesterday for my husband’s welcome home gift. It came out perfectly! He loved it! Made sure to let the layers cool completely before icing it. Refrigerated it for about an hour before we ate it. It held together very well and was not dry. This was a very easy recipe with minimal cleanup. Can’t wait to make it again for the holidays!

      Reply

    113. Crystal says

      I absolutely love this cake, and when I have so super ripe bananas I substitute for the carrots and it taste like a heavenly piece of tropical paradise!

      Reply

    114. Gail says

      OMG!!! I have had this recipe saved for the longest time and just made it last night! We are doing a Bar B Que for Labor Day and I just sampled it! It is OUT OF THIS WORLD! I can’t wait for my husband to try it.

      Reply

    116. Debbie says

      This is the best carrot cake I have ever tasted and it was so easy to make! Carrot cake is one of my husband’s favorite cakes. He found your recipe and asked me to make it. He actually sat there and watched me make it…he was very interested in the process. I love the fact that it doesn’t require raisins! Cake was moist, delicious and the frosting fantastic. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is now our “go to”.

      Reply

    117. Bev says

      Love this recipe…it has become our go to carrot cake as well! Thank you ❤️ I have round 9 inch pans and would like to make a triple decker. How would I modify this recipe??? Please

      Reply

    118. Kim says

      This cake was deslish! I made it for my son’s 10th birthday and he LOVED it. He isn’t a big fan of nuts so I substituted the nuts with raisins. I also decreased the coconut to 2/3 cup! This is now my go to carrot cake recipe! Thank you!!!!

      Reply

    120. Henriette says

      I made this with a friend and we used only about half the powdered sugar it asked for in the buttercream, because we were worried it would be too sweet. It was absolutely delicious. 10 out of 10. The cake did slide a little bit (since we changed the buttercream ingredient ratio), but I think if we’re just quicker with getting it frosted and into the fridge, it won’t have that problem. I will definitely be making this cake again!

      Reply

    122. Alyssa Taylor says

      I’ve made this cake a few times now, it started with Easter and was highly requested at Christmas. I used oil instead of applesauce and it did not disappoint!

      Has anyone made this recipe as cupcakes? We’re going to a birthday party that’s a bit of a drive so I thought cupcakes would be a bit easier to transport. If so, what was the bake time? Thanks!

      Reply

    123. Kristi says

      The only difference between this recipe and mine is that I use 3 cups of grated carrots and no coconut. The best carrot cake in the world handed down from my mom!

      Reply

    124. Val says

      This is the BEST cake ever!! Can this recipe be made into cupcakes? If so would I need to modify the recipe or baking times etc?? Thanks!!

      Reply

    126. Carol says

      I have been searching for a moist carrot cake recipe for ages without success until I came across this one…….this recipe is fabulous and, I think, restaurant quality!!!
      This recipe is definitely a keeper & a family favourite, thank you ?

      Reply

    127. Verna says

      Hi there,

      I would love to try this carrot cake recipe cos it looks so delicious. But I’m confused how to convert the cup measurements of the Apple sauce, crushed pineapples and coconut into grams or Oz. Can you help please 🙂

      Verna

      Reply

    129. DeeDee says

      I was wondering if i could just use a spice cake mix with this instead of making the cake mix? Only cuz we love spice cake and all the rest sounds great with it?
      Thanks

      Reply

    132. Clau says

      Hello Trish! I found this recipe because it looks very good and people had wrote great comments about it. I really want to make it, but i cant find applesauce in supermarkets, it is not common in my country, how can i make it at home? What option do you use? Thank u!!!!

      Reply

      • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

        Hi Clau! There are lots of great applesauce recipes out there, just try to find one that doesn’t add sugar because the cake is plenty sweet on it’s own. You can also make it with oil which is what my Nana used to do. Best of luck!

        Reply

    133. Kim says

      Hi! I made this lovely cake tonight and plan to serve it tomorrow. Can I refrigerate it overnight? Does it need to be covered? I should have thought of this before frosting the top. Any advice welcomed!

      I really excited to taste the cake!

      Thanks,
      Kim (I haven’t baked a thing in years!!)

      Reply

      • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

        Hi Kim! Yes, I think refrigerating it is best. If it’s frosted, I would lightly cover it but it’s not 100% necessary. My sister does this thing where she puts toothpicks in the cake so they are sticking out of the frosting and then places the plastic wrap over it. It makes a little tent and doesn’t disturb the frosting. Hope that helps and I hope you enjoy the cake!

        Reply

    134. Joanne Calve says

      Hi Trish and all the readers/bakers
      I just made this carrot cake and fed a crew working on the patio/driveway — it is literraly to die for. I opted for the apple sauce in lieu of the oil. I alternated the icing recipe because I do not like butter/margarine. I wipped nutriwip and 8oz of light philadelphia cream cheese and blended both and had more than enough to ice the whole cake ?. It is delicious and very easy to make. I will make it again. Thank you for sharing yiur recipe.

      Reply

    135. jordana mccarthy says

      Thank you for the recipe I was trying to find an old recipe for 24 karat carrot cake I made years ago for a wedding cake your recipe came the closest are use the applesauce and he did change the texture but overall it was absolutely delicious the one thing I noticed I have in the other recipe on my ad next time is I added golden raisins soaked in warm water (then drained ) They plump and they gave it a little bit of a tangy taste to off set sweetness. Another thing I did was I made one pan of cupcakes and then use the remaining batter in my cake pan rectangle can get me the small cake which are then divided into thirds it was a 9 x 12 and stack it with the frosting to bring to a friends house thank you again

      Reply

    136. Andrea Braden says

      What kind of nuts are traditionally used in carrot cake? I always thought walnuts was the better choice rather then pecans. What do others use in their carrot cake walnuts or pecans? Any help is appreciated. Thank you Andrea

      Reply

    137. Mandi Whitewing says

      Just tasted this yummy cake! I used the applesauce receipt in the 9×13 baking pan. I pieced the cake with a scewer before applying the frosting. The cake was so tasty and moist! I will use this receipt again. Hopefully it will become a family favorite! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply

    139. Dorothy says

      1lb powdered sugar is WAY too much- I doubled the frosting recipe and used less than 1 lb
      ALSo- I too misread the pineapple amount and used the whole 20oz can
      Hopefully it’s still good- smells delicious baking in oven!

      Reply

    140. Lisa says

      I made this cake for my husband’s 65th birthday and It was AMAZING!! I am not much of a baker but this cake was easy and so wonderful! I used the applesauce and baked it in a bundt pan. My bake timing was a little unsure so I started with 35 minutes and just kept adding 8 minute extensions when I would test it for “clean toothpick”. I think I ended up cooking it a total of 55 minutes but was checking it regularly after 35, which of course let heat escape every time I opened the oven. I’m not sure it would need 55 minutes straight through. I did use the icing recipe also with one small change. I realized once I started the icing that I didn’t have any vanilla so I substituted pure Maple Syrup, since there obviously wasn’t already enough “sweet” with just the 1 lb of Confectioners sugar (?). I am planning to make this cake again for our next family get-together! Trish, thank you so much for this recipe!

      Reply

    141. Glenna Jarvis says

      I made this fabulous recipe as written with only an extra teaspoon of cinnamon because I love cinnamon. My guests raved that it was better than any carrot cake they had ever eaten. I used the applesauce for the first time too. The frosting looked so amazing that I doubled the recipe so I could be generous with my three layers. There was some left that I used for another project. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!

      Reply

    143. KC says

      Made this a week ago and it was a huge hit. Definitely will make again. It was absolutely delicious and stayed in the fridge and didn’t dry out!

      Reply

    144. Buggy says

      I made this cake this weekend for a party at my daughters house. It was so delicious! Everyone loved it. I baked it just like the recipe with no changes and it was fabulous!

      Reply

    145. Barbara says

      Hi! Cake is in the oven and just realized the recipe said “ I cup crushed pineapple “ and I thought it said “ 1 CAN” !!! Crossing fingers it doesn’t come out soggy And not cake like . What do you think?

      Reply

    146. Ginger says

      Wow! Just wow! I’ve never made a cake from scratch ever and decided to give this a try. It was amazing! I did it with 2 layers ( 9 inch pans) and did half applesauce/half oil and it was so moist and delicious. My whole family inhaled this cake. And with using applesauce we even felt like it was healthy enough for breakfast. Probably will try doing a muffin version of this. Really great, easy recipe for a first timer. Thank you!!

      Reply

    149. Wayne says

      This is the Best Carrot Cake Recipe Ever. My family has raved about it all four times I’ve baked it.
      Thank you so much for sharing it.
      By the way, I see no reason to change or alter it. If you don’t want sugar, or gluten, or coconut or pineapple, don’t eat cake! Just eat carrots!

      Reply

    150. Shirley Read says

      Made this cake today and it was delicious, Loved the cream cheese icing recipe.
      Only thing I did find is that it took a lot longer to cook than the time in the recipe.
      I made the 9 x 13 and it took about an hour to cook.
      I would recommend this recipe.

      Reply

    151. Melissa says

      This looks amazing and so far in my kitchen the smell is heavenly! I’m making it for a family dinner tomorrow, do you have recommendations on storing it? If I ice the cake tonight should I store it in the fridge until it’s time to eat? Or…. ???
      Thanks!

      Reply

    152. Penny says

      Hi! Loved this recipe. It was a step above the old carrot cake recipe that has been floating around the family since the 1970s.

      Can I suggest, though, a slight tweak to the print function? The lighter text doesn’t come off well when printed even on best quality and, as I am older (I do remember even the 1950s!), it is very hard to read. I would like to keep the recipe. Maybe others have this problem?

      Reply

    153. Lisa D says

      Hi Trish! I just made this cake last night and haven’t even frosted it yet but OMG, the crumbs were amazing!! Ha! Can’t wait to taste the final product!! I used a bundt pan and it worked perfectly!! One question, maybe silly and I should know, but better to ask and be sure. Should this be refrigerated after I ice it? And also leftovers, although I doubt there will be any, do I need to refrigerate the leftovers?

      Reply

      • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

        Lol! I bet it’s so pretty in a bundt. I realize that I am SUPER late responding to you, I apologize. But for future reference, yes, I do refrigerate leftovers and I refrigerate after icing the cake as well. I think this cake is better chilled both in flavor and texture. Thank you SO much for stopping by Lisa! Have a great weekend!

        Reply

    154. Heather says

      I made this cake last year for Easter and everyone loved it! I am making it again this year and can’t remember if I used salted or unsalted butter for the cream cheese frosting. Do you use salted or unsalted butter?

      Thanks!

      Reply

    159. Shannon says

      I made this cake last year and it was so good!! Everyone loved it.
      This year I want to try it as cupcakes. Hoping it doesn’t stick to the paper liners. Any idea of how long to bake them for?

      Reply

    162. Sharon says

      Can this be made in a long cake pan rather than the round stackable ones? Does it change the taste? Texture? Is there different settings or a change in ingredient strengths if I do?

      Reply

    163. Sharon says

      Can this cake be made in a long sheet cake pan as opposed to the small 3-tier round ones? Would it change the taste, texture or longevity of the cake? I make cakes and breads for my husband’s breakfasts and he likes the Duncan Hines decadence cakes but I’d like to try this one instead.

      Reply

    165. Nicki says

      Have you ever made it as a sheet cake? Wanting to give the cake a try tonight without some of the fuss of layering and decorating.

      Reply

    166. Karen says

      I made this recipe last night with some tweaks to reduce the sugar content and gluten, and it came out very well and very moist. First, I subbed a combination of sweeteners for the 2c. sugar. It was still too sweet, so next time, I will try cutting back the amount used. To match the 2 cups, I used 1/2 c. date sugar, 1/2 c. Xylitol, 1/2 c. Splenda and 1/2 c. Stevia 1-to-1 granulated. I also used unsweetened coconut from Trader Joe’s in place of the sweetened coconut listed above. (I bought the ingredients for the frosting, but won’t be frosting the cupcakes/muffins that I made because that would be mad-crazy-sweet. Mind you, this is coming from a sugar hound who needs notes taped to the computer that say, “Share treats” and “No sugar,” because of inflammation and general health. I still manage to shovel sugar down the hatch every single day.)

      I wanted to try some Cassava one-to-one flour that I just bought, but I don’t have to be gluten free. I went to 1 c. unbleached flour and 1 c. Cassava flour. I made the batter into muffins instead of a sheet cake, and had 15 very full cupcakes using a 1/3 c. measuring cup for spooning the batter into the pan. Next time I will use 1/4 c. measuring cup to spread out the batter and make more cupcakes/muffins.

      Reply

    170. Sarah Mader says

      Thank You so much it was amazing to be so proud of my very first carrot cake! its like you have already gone through trying every recipe out there and combined the best parts, simplified the directions and BAM restaurant quality even for us novice bakers 😉

      Reply

    171. Stephanie Codling says

      Just wow! It was definitely worth the effort, soooo good and my husband says it is the best cake he has ever eaten. I have to agree and have a feeling I will be making it many times yet! 🙂

      Reply

    173. Gabby says

      Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe. The best carrot cake I have ever had. Using applesauce instead of oil, best idea ever.

      Reply

    174. Andrea Catalano says

      How long will this keep in the fridge? Or rather, how many days in advance can I make this cake where it’s still fresh? Any recommendations on how I should store this before serving if I’m making it in advance?

      Reply

      • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

        You can make it several days in advance. Many readers actually prefer the flavor on the 2nd and 3rd days as do I. If you have a cake storage caddy like this one – http://amzn.to/2p3bfKE – that would be perfect. Otherwise, my sister does this little trick where she inserts toothpicks all over the cake and then puts the plastic wrap over the toothpicks. Does a good job protecting the cake while not messing up the frosting. Hope that helps!

        Reply

    176. Diane says

      You say to not drain the pineapple in the recipe ingredient list, but in your video, it looks drained when you add it. Drained or not?

      Reply

    179. Mummy says

      Going to try it with GF Flour, Flax Seed “eggs” and raw brown sugar…going to start with 1 cup sugar and taste the batter and see if it is sweet enough 🙂

      Reply

    180. Trish Roberts says

      2 pounds of powdered sugar? 1 pound is 4 1/2 cups, according to Google? So, 9 cups of powdered sugar? Are you sure it’s not 2 cups and not 2 pounds?

      Reply

    181. Daniel Bortnick says

      This is the best recipe I’ve ever tried and nothing else is close. Made it for a Super Bowl Party and everyone said it was “To Die For.” I’ve made one a week since then as my wife and I eat a piece every night before bedtime. Haven’t gained an ounce of fat. Very healthy recipe. I’ve been using Macadamia nuts in place of the Pecans but your original recipe is fabulous.

      Reply

    182. Lisa says

      Not sure where you are located but here in SC we call this a close cousin to a hummingbird cake! I add banana and walnuts as well!!

      Reply

    183. Grace says

      Im gonna try to make this cake for my husbands birthday on Sunday, can I make this cake the day before? Is it gonna be as good?

      Reply

    184. Jennifer N says

      Do you think this could be made with all purpose gluten free flour? I have a sensitivity to gluten. I believe my gluten free flour has xanthum gum in it as well.

      Reply

      • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

        If it’s a flour that you have baked successfully with in the past, I would definitely give it a shot. I haven’t tried it personally but would love to know how it turns out if you do give it a go.

        Reply

    188. Candis says

      There is no oil or butter in the cake. If you want frosting…that’s another story! Mmmm, looks really moist so maybe you won’t need much frosting,…if any! ;D

      Reply

      • Julie Brooker says

        Leave it out? I searched for a sub for coconut, and most results stated carrots, which we already have. I am still pondering over the 1 1/4 c of applesauce or oil, and how to divide using both. This recipe seems a bit vague in regards to the equal amounts of coconut, nuts, AND pineapple, keeping in mind the 1 1/4 c of applesauce OR oil will make the cake too moist in the first place. My search continues =)

        Reply

        • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

          Hi Julie! I’m not sure how the recipe amounts are “vague” when they are “exact” measurements… But, as far as a substitute ingredient for coconut, I have had readers just leave it out and the cake was still successful. Hope that helps!

          Reply

    190. Therese says

      I absolutely love your recipe. I have made it several times and it is always a big HIT! Thank you for sharing it from Sunderland Ontario Canada.

      Reply

      • Holly says

        I made I a bunt. Was GREAT!
        U don’t have to 1/2 the ingredients of the cake.

        But you only need 1/2 of the frosting. !!!!!

        And it’s moist, and plenty sweet with frosting on the outside.
        (But spray and dust the pan with flour) because it wants to stick.
        All the best!

        Reply

    192. Beverly Bachmayer says

      What if you have fresh pineapple and not canned. Can you use it and how much water should I add to make up the ‘juice’ from the can??

      Reply

    193. Nathalie says

      I have a similar recipe I’ve been making for over 10 years. To make it even healthier, I use wheat flour. It’s delicious.

      Reply

    196. Davie says

      As always, I have to be creative with the ingredients (and keeping away from white flours)

      I subbed 1/2 C whole ground sorghum, 3/4 C whole oat, and 3/4C white whole wheat flours. I dropped sugar to 1 cup, (plenty of sugar in the coconut and pineyapples) and increased applesauce to 1-1/2 C. And added 1/2 C Currents for good measure! Changed out baking powder for 2t cream of tarter for a cornless person’s benefit.

      Raised really well, almost double. This surprised me, usually heavy cakes like this tend to not rise well.

      For frosting I’ll use 1/4 C butter & 1/4 C avocado oil (doesn’t have the strong taste of olive) or orange infused olive and halve the other ingrediants. I’ll try to find the Greek-Cream-Cheese, which is much lower fat than regular. This should be enough frostin for a flat cake

      Reply

    199. Aman says

      Really nice carrot cake recipe. You have really done a nice job. As you have shared the best things for me. Even this recipes can be made in busy time also. It’s really special for me. thanks for sharing it here on this site.

      Reply

    200. Tracy H says

      Made this carrot cake for Christmas and it was a hit! The best cake ever, and pretty too. Everyone thought I bought it!

      Reply

    201. Andrea L Walker says

      I made this cake for a family birthday and it was a big hit. So dense, moist, and flavorful! I used half oil, half applesauce and added raisins. I also may have used too large a can of pineapples (it was 11.5 oz instead of 8), but it all worked out well. Since the raisins also add sweetness, I opted for using unsweetened shredded coconut.

      If you like a tangier icing, I used more cream cheese, less sugar, and added a splash of lemon juice – came out great!

      Thanks for sharing!!

      Reply

    203. Lori says

      If I don’t want to use the pineapple, do I need to sub something in for the moisture or can I just omit the pineapple?

      Reply

      • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

        Hmmm – the pineapple adds a lot of moisture to the cake so if you took it out you would definitely need to substitute something back in. Or maybe look for a carrot cake recipe that doesn’t call for pineapple?

        Reply

    204. Kelly says

      omg, what a fantastic carrot cake! I halved the recipe and left out the sugar but added 1/4 cup rice malt syrup. I didn’t ice it and it is still sweet moist and yummy 🙂 Thank you!

      Reply

    209. Caroline says

      Has anyone tried to substitute the all purpose flour for coconut flour? Trying to decide if I should do a 1:1 ratio or put less due to its absorbency.

      Reply

    210. Naomi Hill says

      I’m making this cake right now and just added the dry ingredient. I’m not sure why, but the batter is coming out VERY dry so far… it’s looking more like a paste than a smooth cake batter. Do you know why this might be?

      Also, I used 1 1/4 cups of vegetable oil rather than the applesauce.

      Reply

    211. Ommie says

      The cake looks great but even in the picture you can see that the cake is dense. It turned out dense and did not have nearly enough carrot flavor. Not the best carrot cake I’ve had. I gave it away to the leasing office staff in my apartment complex. They haven’t mentioned it.

      Reply

    212. Beatrice says

      Hi Trish..with the number of recipes posted online these days where quite a number of them don’t give the desired result..i felt i should pen in to comment on your recipe as a testimonial for others to pin this as a ‘must try’ one anf also to thank you for sharing it. I tried this out yesterday and followed it word to word. The result was amazing! There was hadly anything left! Thanks again and hats off tyu!

      Reply

    213. Patricia Holley says

      Do you happen to know the calories in this cake, the whole cake and per slice according to the cake servings, looks devine

      Reply

    216. Tamiz Kadodia says

      Hi good day.
      Recipe looks delicious
      Wanted to know if you get a pineapple taste?
      Could I leave out the pineapple altogether?

      Reply

    217. Shannon says

      What a wonderful recipe! Made it into cupcakes for my grandson’s birthday, it was a hit! Super moist and very flavorful. I did add a cup of golden raisins, just a personal preference. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply

    218. Kasia says

      I used the applesauce instead of oil and reduced the granulated sugar to 1 and 1/3 cup and reduced the powdered sugar to 1 cup instead of 2 lbs (I actually thought that was a typo, that’s A LOT of sugar) and reduced the butter from 1 cup to 1 stick (seemed excessive) and it was still moist and delicious.

      Reply

    219. Renee says

      First carrot cake ever made and will never use another recipe! Followed exactly! Absolutely delicious! If I make them into cupcakes how long should the bake time be?

      Reply

    220. Heather says

      I’m newly diabetic, but love carrot cake. I’ve seen some sugar substitutions in the comments, so I’m good there. Do you know what the difference would be if I substituted whole wheat flour for all purpose? I know it works in breads and doughs, but haven’t tried in dessert baking. Thank you very much.

      Reply

    221. Becky Scoggin says

      Made this for my daughters birthday and oh my! This cake is amazing! The best carrot cake by far!!! ?

      Reply

    222. Alexandra says

      To die of diabetes, this is way too much sugar. I used 2 cups in the cake and only 1/2 cup in the frosting. Next time I’ll try with even less, it was too sweet for everyone.

      Reply

    223. Audrey says

      This is really the best carrot cake ever. I searched for a long time for a carrot cake without oil, and this fit the bill. I used 1 cup less sugar in the cake itself, and half the frosting amount and everyone thought it was excellent. Also for those asking for a pineapple replacement, I used 3/4 cup raisins soaked in carrot juice to equal 1 cup. Worked like a charm. Thank you!

      Reply

    225. Justine says

      I love this recipe and my sister has tried it before and says it turns out great! I’m just wondering if you or anyone has ever tried making it vegan? Maybe using flax eggs or another substitute for the eggs. Obviously the frosting would be completely different but at least for a vegan version of the cake part?
      Thanks!

      Reply

    226. Fayeabell says

      Hi!! Your Carrot Cake looks so delicious and I’m going to give this a try on my next day off :).. I just have a question is sweetened coconut the same as dessicated coconut or did you use fresh grated coconut? I hope to hear from you soon 🙂 Thanks for sharing your recipe 🙂

      Reply

    228. Becky says

      I just baked this (at my husband’s request). It smells delicious and I had no trouble removing the layers from the pans. My one question, tho, is that I’m wondering why my layers barely rose? They are not much higher than when I put them in the oven ( baking powder is fresh, FYI)
      Anyone else have this issue?

      Reply

    229. Kat says

      Really good healthy carrot cake, I love subbing apple sauce for the oil! I made it sugar-free for a special needs diet – splenda (only 1 1/2 cup), unsweetened coconut and pineapple, and for frosting I mix low fat cream cheese and canned sugar-free vanilla frosting. I used white whole wheat flour, but next time will probably use 1/2 and 1/2 all purpose, also more carrots and less coconut. It freezes well, I don’t frost what I freeze.

      Reply

    230. millicent Dew says

      This looks so delish and I plan to make it soon, but I’m confused about how many layers there are. Is the recipe calling for two or three layers – and what size cake pans? Thankyou!

      Reply

    233. Rebekah says

      This looks yummy!! I’m wondering, though, what is in the center of the cake in the video? Near the end, it shows the cake frosted all around with the center having a caramel glaze color, then frosting is spread over it. Is that my imagination?? I don’t see any reference to it anywhere. Thanks!!

      Reply

    234. Gail says

      Has anyone done a breakdown of sugars etc…. I love love love carrot cake but have to watch the sugars…. thanks

      Reply

    235. Laura says

      I am so sad. I misread the pineapple amount and put the whole can. Now I have ruined this lovely cake in the oven. Was making for my hubby’s birthday. ?

      Reply

    236. Kelly says

      This cake was SO delicious! Everyone raved. Had tons of frosting leftover so I froze it. Thanks so much for sharing.

      Reply

    238. carousel says

      I followed ur recipe and it was so delicious that even my collegues love and want to order on their incoming birthday.really to die for carrot cake love it.thanks for sharing ur Nana’s recipe.Godbless!

      Reply

    239. Sophia Hussain says

      Could I freeze extra frosting? How long do you think the frosting alone could be kept in the fridge?

      Reply

    240. Cathy says

      Has anyone tried cupcakes? Carrot cake is our son’s
      favorite and wanted to make for graduation party.
      How many does it make? What temp and time?
      Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you

      Reply

    241. Laurie says

      I’m not sure why people feel the need to tell everyone that they didn’t like this or that. It’s a recipe, you chose to make it, if you don’t like something, don’t make it & don’t make the person who put the recipe out there for everyone feel bad. Thank you for putting your recipes out there & giving people a chance to try it for themselves.

      Reply

    244. MARYJO says

      THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE RECIPES! I AM 70-YEARS OF AGE, AND DON’T GET OUT MUCH BECAUSE OF MY HEALTH… SO FAMILY AND FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK, AND RECIPES ARE MY OUT-LET! I DO A LOT OF SHARING OF OTHERS RECIPES, BUT I ALWAYS SHOW (WHO POSTED THEY, AND A LITTLE OF THEIR COMMENTS ABOUT THEIR RECIPE!. SO THANK YOU AGAIN AND GOD BLESS, KEEP THEM COMING, SO I CAH SHARE… <3 . MARYJO… 🙂

      Reply

    245. Michelle toledo says

      I have no pineapple, is there anyway I can make it without or substitute and will it come out different?

      Reply

    246. Andria says

      Hello, just want to know, if i replace the applesauce with oil it should be the same quantity? 1 1/4 cup oil?

      Reply

    247. Marti says

      How about coming up with a lower-fat version of the frosting?? If we’re going to make a low-fat cake, it seems only fitting that it should be coated in a healthier version of frosting!! ?

      Reply

    248. Willene Moolman says

      I can’t seem to find the pineapple in JUICE, only the ones in syrup. Can I still use it or what can I substitute it with?

      Reply

    251. Karen says

      Hi Trish.
      This recipe looks amazing. I will be making it for ny handball team for our beach tournament this saturday. However…. in Denmark we can’t get crushed pineapple , only cans with pineapple rings and juice. Could i maybe blend it together, maybe taking some of the juice away first and try to hit the same consistency as what you are using?

      And can i make this in a big oven pan and do two layers that way?
      Karen

      Reply

    252. Karen says

      Hi Trish.
      This recipe looks amazing. I will be making it for ny handball team for our beach tournament this saturday. However…. in Denmark we can’t get crushed pineapple , only cans with pineapple rings and juice. Could i maybe blend it together, maybe taking some of the juice away first and try to hit the same consistency as what you are using?
      Karen

      Reply

    254. Elena says

      I made this last night for my husband’s birthday today – daydreamed about it all day at work. We decided to try it BEFORE dinner. “To die for” is accurate! Sooo delicious!! I followed the recipe, using pecans. I used half the frosting recipe, and found it a little to sweet – my husband loved it! Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply

    258. Falon says

      Does anyone know how much icing sugar for the icing you actually need to use?!?! As in cups? It says 2lbs but I need to know cups. I googled but can’t find a consistent answer. Thanks.

      Reply

        • Mariss says

          For as many many incredulous responses to the amount of power sugar in frosting over the time span of comments — you might want to consider editing recipe to stating – YES it is really 2 lbs of powder sugar measure in s cup at a time to desired consistency. Lol

          Reply

    260. Kathy says

      If you use raisins, soak them in warm water then blot dry. So yummy. Also, if you make a 9×12 or cupcakes, take a pastry bag and tip and put a bit frosting IN the cupcakes or cake before frosting the top. A fun surprise!

      Reply

    261. Marion Quint says

      I have a question about the icing. Did I misread the receipt, but I thought it says 2 lbs of powdered sugar?
      I used 2 cups and thought the icing tasted great.

      Reply

    262. Carmela Talento says

      This is the best carrot cake I ever made! It’s so moist
      and taste really good. Got lots of compliments from
      friends and relatives . Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

    263. Jean Lloyd says

      This is the most incredible cake I’ve ever had! I made it exactly as written for Easter and it turned out fabulous. I gave my friend a piece, and she said even her aunt’s carrot cake isn’t this good, and her aunt is a professional baker. I’m making another one for a potluck at work later this week, and I know it’ll turn out perfect again. Thanks so much for a recipe that will be in my favorites cookbook forever!

      Reply

    264. Vinniecat says

      I made this cake following the cake recipe exactly, added 3-4T milk to the frosting to make it more manageable. I took it to my in-laws for Easter dinner and it was a huge hit. I love how moist it was. I greased and floured the pans really well and had no issue with sticking.

      Reply

    265. Natalya says

      Made this cake and it was fabulous! I did cut the sugar back by 25% in batter and by 50% on frosting and used unsweetened coconut, next time will cut back even more as even that was a little sweeter than I like! I think you can taste more complexity with less sweetener l!