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You are here: Home / Recipes / Dessert / To Die For Carrot Cake

To Die For Carrot Cake

April 4, 2019

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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.

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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

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4.95 from 550 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 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes minutes
Total Time 35 minutes minutes
Servings 16 slices
Calories 499kcal
Author Trish - Mom On Timeout

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

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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Have a great day!

  • 233904

By Trish - Mom On Timeout April 4, 2019 Cake, Dessert, Easter, Easter Recipes, Favorites, Holiday Recipes, Popular Post, Recipes, Sidebar

Previous article:
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Next article:
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Comments

  1. Carol says

    December 25, 2023 at 1:36 PM

    This was delicious! Made for Christmas and everyone loved it!

    Reply
  2. Jan Jones says

    December 14, 2023 at 7:55 AM

    My family loves it when I make this cake, it is always delicious! Thank you for this recipe! A real winner!

    Reply
  3. Cathie Hawa says

    November 28, 2023 at 11:02 AM

    I have been making this recipe for the last 7 years or so. I have given out your recipe to my husband’s co-workers because they love it so much. Today I made 3 batches for a Christmas party for work…this will always be the carrot cake recipe I make.

    Reply
  4. Christina Marie Newman says

    October 30, 2023 at 4:55 PM

    I have made this about 10 times so far. Now my family is requesting this for Birthdays, Thanskgiving and everything in between!

    Reply
  5. Stacie Chaildin says

    October 26, 2023 at 11:09 PM

    There are good cakes and then there are great cakes! Ones that exceed expectations and can claim to be the best, this is it!
    This has become a family favorite, requested for my Son in Laws Birthday every year! One Son who does not like cake said he wanted to hate it but could not. Thank you for sharing this. Truly an excellent cake!

    Reply
  6. Kristina says

    September 14, 2023 at 9:15 AM

    This is my favorite carrot cake recipe! I sometimes don’t add the pineapple and/or opt for unsweetened coconut only because I find there’s enough sweetness in the cake and frosting. But I love the addition of the coconut, it just takes it to a completely different level compared to other carrot cake recipes!

    Reply
  7. Cj says

    May 13, 2023 at 5:27 AM

    Hands down this is the BEST carrot cake I and my family have ever had. My husband loves carrot cake so he has a really strong thought process on what is good and what is ok. This one is on a scale of 1-5, 10! Thank you for sharing this amazing treat. You and your Nana have given us something good! Also, I am not a baker by any means, so for me to follow the instruction and have it turn out each time we have made it, says a great deal as well! Truly thank you!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      May 13, 2023 at 7:27 AM

      I appreciate your sweet comment so much! Thank you!

      Reply
  8. Joyce says

    March 6, 2023 at 8:36 PM

    Looks so good I will have to try it

    Reply
  9. Adrienne says

    November 22, 2022 at 7:39 AM

    My recipe is very similar, but no coconut. I always add the juice and actually use more than a cup of crushed pineapple, sometimes the whole can! Also I use oil. Like you, everyone goes bananas for this cake! It’s so moist and delicious. I have even made it in large sheet form for anniversary’s and large birthday party’s. Always a hit!

    Reply
  10. Kim says

    July 9, 2022 at 9:13 PM

    I use this same recipe but also add raisins. They are always a hit and I also make large cupcakes with this recipe.

    Reply
  11. Kathleen Johnson says

    May 3, 2022 at 4:12 PM

    This is an excellent recipe. I reduced the sugar in the batter to 1 1/2 cups. It was perfect sweetness for us.

    Reply
  12. Crystal says

    April 24, 2022 at 12:14 PM

    Everyone loved this cake! Absolutely phenomenal!

    Reply
  13. Christine says

    April 19, 2022 at 8:12 PM

    I finally got the chance to make this Carrot Cake yesterday. Refrigerated it. We had it today. You are so right! It IS to die for! Thanks so much for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Trish - Mom On Timeout says

      April 22, 2022 at 4:34 PM

      Thank you so much Christine!

      Reply
  14. Robin says

    April 18, 2022 at 2:45 PM

    I made this for Easter and hands down it was the best thing ever! Everyone loved it and raved about how it was the bes carrot cake they ever had.

    Reply
  15. Tonya Steele says

    April 17, 2022 at 7:29 PM

    OMGosh! I am craving a piece of your carrot cake. I can’t wait to make this. I love to cook and you have some fab recipes. I am going to stalk this website and grow fat everyday just looking!

    Reply
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Hi, I’m Trish!

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