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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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.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I think you’re looking for something like this Sharon: https://www.momontimeout.com/carrot-cake-bars-with-cream-cheese-frosting/ . It’s the same recipe but made in a jelly roll pan.
Cathy says
Can this be baked in a bundt pan?? Thank you for sharing this recipe !
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
It can but please generously grease and flour the pan so it doesn’t stick. Enjoy!
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.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I think you’re looking for something like this Sharon: https://www.momontimeout.com/carrot-cake-bars-with-cream-cheese-frosting/ . It’s the same recipe but made in a jelly roll pan.
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.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I’m glad you made changes that worked for you!
Jay says
Can I make without pineapple?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I haven’t tried to be honest since I love the pineapple so much. It adds a lot of moisture to the cake. You may be able to add a bit more applesauce but the texture and flavor would definitely change. If you do happen to give it a try, please report back because I get this question a lot 🙂
Nadine says
I used the canned mandarin oranges and it was delicious!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Love it! Can’t wait to try it this way!
Natalie says
Can you freeze this cake and then thaw when ready to frost it?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I don’t see why not Natalie!
Charlie says
Can I leave out the coconut?
We have a coconut allergy in the family.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Other readers have done so without any problem but I cannot personally attest to it since I haven’t personally tried. I think it’s worth a shot though 🙂
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 😉
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I honestly can’t take credit at all for this recipe Sarah. It’s my Nana’s recipe and the only change I made was to sub in the applesauce. The rest is all her 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
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! 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Love reading this Stephanie! So glad this cake has made it into your home – we just love it SO much!
Yvette says
DELICIOUS!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing it!!!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Wonderful! You are so welcome!
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.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thanks so much Gabby! So glad you love it as much as we do!
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?
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!
Gretha says
Cam I make it without the coconut?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You can! I haven’t done it myself but many readers have successfully and said the cake was still amazing. Would love to know what you think if you give it a try 🙂
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?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Not drained Diane 🙂 I used a spoon to scoop out the pineapple to get the correct measurement. Hope that helps!
Melsc says
Hi, if i leave out the coconut would that affect the outcome of the cake?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Yes 🙂 But it will still be delicious! I’ve had many readers leave out the coconut and still love the cake.