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.
Yummy dessert recipes!
Tasty dinner recipes!
Sign up to get emails when I post new recipes!
For even more great ideas follow me on Facebook – Pinterest – Instagram – Twitter – Bloglovin’.
Bridgett says
I’ve made this carrot cake for several years now at Thanksgiving. It is always a hit! The grandchildren even love it, and they are picky. It is so good. Sometimes I make it at Christmas, too. I will be making it for this years Thanksgiving as well. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I love hearing that! Makes me think of my Nana every time this cake gets such glowing reviews ❤️ She would be so proud!
Stacey says
I want to make this cake recipe for our Christmas gathering but can’t use the pecans, can I substitute walnuts instead?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
For sure! Any nut you like but walnuts would be the perfect substitution.
Alexander says
I’ve easily made this cake AMAZING Carrot Cake 10+ times since I pinned it five years ago. My husband also asks me to make it for his birthday every year. The flavors are outstanding, and the cake stays moist for quite some time. Highly recommended for Carrot Cake lovers!
STEPHANIE BOYLES says
Hi Trish, I thought the cake was delicious! Yes, I did only use 1 cup of sugar but only because sugar buzzes me too much! 🙂 Anyway, it was so moist and it is always a hit with the family. Now I want to make cupcakes with this recipe and am thinking I only need to bake them about 20 minutes based on your other cupcake recipe. I think it will make a great small birthday cupcake for someone who is watching their calories.
Thanks!
Stephanie
Charmayne says
I’ve been making this cake gluten free for my friends. It’s a great recipe except it has way too much sugar. With the apple sauce, carrots, pineapple and frosting, I cut the sugar down by half and you don’t even know the difference. Next time, I’m going to try it w/o sugar, since it has so many other forms of sugar. I’ll let you know how it turns out
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I appreciate your feedback Charmayne and I am so glad you were able to customize to suit your dietary needs and preferences. Have a great week!
Tracey Blake says
Everyone loves this carrot cake so I like to make it as often as possible. Do the unfrosted layers freeze well? After they cool completely, can I just wrap the layers in plastic wrap and freeze?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you so much! Yes, when I freeze, I wrap in plastic, then foil and pop in a freezer bag. That being said my brother just got married and made this carrot cake for the wedding (at the request of all the guests lol) and ended up with too make sheet cakes so froze the cakes FROSTED. We just pulled one out and ate it and I was shocked at how well the frosting froze. So, if you’re even in a pinch, it freezes well frosting and all. Thanks Tracey!
Laura says
I have made this Carrot Cake several times, for several years. It truly is to die for. I’ll never need any other recipe.
Tab says
Thank you! I have a recipe given to me by a very special person as well. Unfortunately I always misplace it trying to keep it where I’ll remember. This recipe has all the yummiest ingredients and reminds me what to do. My family loved it!
Nancy says
I have made this cake three times and love it. My adult children think it’s the best carrot cake they’ve ever had. I’ll definitely make it again.
You have some really great recipes!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you so much for the sweet comment Nancy! Hope you’re having a great week!
ECarreon says
I made them into cupcakes and they were done baking in 12 minutes. I added some cardamom to the recipe and it gave it a little extra depth. Topped them with the frosting, dried pineapple, nuts, and toasted coconut.
Kelsey Patton says
This is it. After years of being on the hunt for my favorite carrot cake, I’m finished! LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it with and without raisins and it’s amazing both ways. I’d work hard to get a perfect carrot cake if I had to, but this is such an easy recipe I’ll never have to! Sincerely appreciate you sharing this recipe!
Cakegal says
Excellent recipe! I didnt add the pineapple and nuts and it still turned out great! Thank you.
Adeola says
Hi I have dessicated coconut can I use it? Or can I omit the coconut completely? Thanks from Nigeria
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You can do either!
AJ says
Best carrot cake ever! Thank you so very much for sharing your family recipe.