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
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.
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!
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!
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:
- Follow instructions 1 and 2 below.
- Place liners in muffin pan and fill two-thirds full.
- Bake at 350F for 18 to 22 minutes.
- Let carrot cupcakes cool before frosting.
Try these cake recipes!
- Orange Creamsicle Cake
- Lemon Zucchini Cake
- Best Ever Texas Sheet Cake
- Strawberry Shortcake Roulade
- Zucchini Spice Cake
How To Make Carrot Cake
To Die For Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
One
- 1 ¼ 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 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon 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:
- ½ cup butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 pound 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
Nutrition
Original post published August 18, 2012. Updated February 27, 2018.
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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?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
It will actually be better. I like this cake best the following day. Refrigerated, it’s seriously amazing!
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.
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.
Laura says
The frosting recipe asks for 2lb of powder sugar. That is a lot. Is it a mistake?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
It is correct and can be halved as the recipe states.
Julie Brooker says
Your recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups applesauce or oil. 1 1/4 c of oil? Really? How would I divide when using both?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
To clarify, you want to use BOTH applesauce and oil? That would be 5/8 cup of each then. Or to make it simpler, use 1/2 cup of one and 3/4 cup of the other. Super easy!
Jackie says
Will this recipe work well in a bundt pan?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
It will Jackie but you need to generously grease and flour your pan or it will stick. The cake is super moist 🙂
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
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
This cake is definitely sweet enough without frosting Candis but what can I say, I would seriously miss it if it wasn’t there 🙂 Thank you!
Jim Langstaff says
Sounds wonderful! What clean we substitute for the coconut, as we despise it? Any ideas?
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 =)
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!
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.
Roz says
If you halved the ingredients would it be ok as a bundt cake?
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!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thanks so much Holly! Yes, half the frosting only for a bundt cake for sure. And it will stick unless it’s generously dusted with flour.
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??
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.
Jessica says
Can this cake be made into cupcakes? If so what would the cooking time and temputure be?
Thank you
Sharon says
I cannot print this recipee
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
What happens when you click print? A new page should open with the recipe. If a print dialog box doesn’t open, right-click and select print. That should do it!
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
V says
Add raisins? How much? Bake time change?