To Die For Carrot Cake

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

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.

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

• 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

My Nana’s recipe is a super simple carrot cake recipe (as easy as 1-2-3) and tastes incredible but what’s a carrot cake without cream cheese frosting?? After the cakes have finished cooling, invert the cake 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.

You can decorate the cake however you want {of course!} and I do it differently every time.  For this carrot cake recipe, I left the nuts out of the cake and opted to decorate with them instead.  I chopped up some 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 To Die For Carrot Cake??  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

Notes:

• 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!

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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4.99 from 87 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 best carrot cake, carrot cake, carrot cake recipe, dessert

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.

 Here are some more favorites:

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

Overnight Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Mini Cheesecakes

For all Easter recipes, go HERE.
For all dessert recipes, go HERE.
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