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’.
Meghan says
I almost never comment on recipes that I try online, because there are so many good ones with good feedback. But I wanted to comment on this carrot cake by saying that it is by far one of the best cakes I’ve ever made! I made it for a family dinner with my parents and my sister’s family, and all 13 of us loved it! Even the pickiest eaters!
I left the nuts out of the cake, since my youngest is allergic to them. I made his own tiny cake anyway, and when I frosted, I put pecans on the large cake and left his without. The frosting was amazing also!
This is definitely a keeper. I’ll probably make it again next week! 🙂
Samia says
I just tried To Die for Carrot Cake and I can confirm that it is really good. The cake came out moist and with just the right balance of flavours. However I am not too sure about my Frosting. I only get Philadelphia and President Cream cheese around and I don’t really like the taste. If anyone could suggest an alternative frosting, am all ears.
Thank you very much Trish for this recipe, I’ve been looking online for a carrot cake recipe for ages!
Susan Bryan says
I don’t know if anyone ever answered Samia from March 28, 2015 – BUT – You could make a chocolate glaze and drizzle that over the cake….I made the [happy] ‘mistake’ as a teenager – making chocolate frosting to put over a carrot cake – AND – the cake was still hot….so, guess what thinned and ran….BUT…was so very good just that way! I’ve done it since then when I had everything to make carrot cake but the cream cheese – works well every time! [use some cocoa powder, powdered sugar, a touch of vanilla and perhaps a drizzle of melted butter or coconut oil to make the glaze…mmmmmmm!]
I hope this helps
Ruth says
I don’t have applesauce… can I use apple puree we buy in bottles for kids? I don’t have time to go out to buy but I soooo wish to do this cake NOW!! 🙂 Thanks. Looks divine! Can’t wait to try it out 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I think that will work Ruth! Let me know how it turns out if you do give it a go 🙂
Dani says
Yay for Team No Raisins. Pineapple sounds like a MUCH better addition! I need to try this out.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
LOL! You’re going to love this cake Dani!
Geselle says
Hi, does the butter for the frosting have to be salted or unsalted
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I use unsalted but the frosting is so sweet, a little salt won’t hurt Geselle 🙂
Stephanie says
This was a winner! I used 1 c. applesauce and 1/4 c. oil. Since the applesauce was naturally sweetened with apple juice concentrate, I reduced the sugar to 1 3/4 cup. I included the nuts, but probably only 2/3 c. I baked in 2 9″ pans… I think 8″ would be too small. I greased the bottom of the pans, lined with parchment, then greased and floured the entire pan. Do not be tempted to use spray. Mine needed closer to 40 minutes to bake through. This will be my new go-to carrot cake recipe. Thanks!
Stephanie says
Also, I used 2 of the pineapple snack packs instead of a can. Each pack is 4 oz. so worked perfectly.
Deanna says
8″ cake pans worked fine because the cake does not rise very much. I used parchments paper and sprayed Bakers Joy on the sides. I also had to bake for 40 minutes.
DREA says
I LOVED IT! I TRIED 2 DIFFERENT CARROT CAKES AND THEY WERE BOTH A MESS. THIS CAKE HERE WAS GREAT THE PINEAPPLES SET IT OFF. I WILL BE USING THIS RECIPE FOR NOW ON. THANKS
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Sonu says
Hi Trish i made this recipe and the taste was fab..!
My only question is i baked in a heart shape pan..
And the centre portion was sunk..
I used a 8″ pan..
Any idea what could go wrong..?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Ooh! I don’t know?!? I’ve never baked in a heart shaped pan so I don’t know if it bakes different or what. It might be that it just needed a little more time to bake?
Kristy says
This cake is AMAZING! I made it a couple months and everyone loved it so much that it was requested for thanksgiving so I’m making it again. No changes needed to this great cake.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thanks so much for the great feedback Kristy! I hope you enjoyed it this Thanksgiving 🙂
Ilona says
Wonder how this will come out when the baker (who shall remain nameless) gets in too big a hurry and dumps 1 CAN of pineapple into the batter instead of 1 cup. Carrot cake soup? I am notorious for rushing and trying to do too many things at once so I goof up a lot of recipes. Thought someone might get a chuckle out of this so I decided to share. One of these days I’ll learn to slow down… Maybe
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I hope it still turned out for you Ilona!
christine says
hi, i have a question though, if i don’t drain the juice does it make the cake heavy are super moist or soggy? but yours looks amazing and delicious! looking forward on your response thanks for the recipe too.(:
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
The cake is definitely not soggy, just very moist. If you’d like to eliminate a couple tablespoons of the juice it will still turn out beautifully. Enjoy Christine!
CGM says
This recipe did not work for us. We tried to make cupcakes for Halloween and as someone else said, without the oil, it stuck horribly to the cupcake liners. It was also WAY too sweet. With applesauce, coconut and pineapple, you do NOT need sugar. I have a sweet tooth and this was too much. I even cut it down to 1 1/2 cups of sugar, but should have made it zero. Sadly, it they ended up in the garbage 🙁 At least my 3 year old enjoyed helping.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Sorry you had a bad experience 🙁 This recipe is for a cake not cupcakes and is very moist so it I can see how it would stick the liners. If I was going to make cupcakes from this recipe I would just spray the cupcake pan and maybe even reduce some of the liquids.
lele says
I tried this. Ingredience are simple followed it step by step. How ever the cake came out more of a bread pudding consistancy and tough. I didnt over mix it at all and stirred in the carrots and all at the end.. Baked cakes they toothpick came out clean cooled it, put the frosting and all cut it and it was tough like.. Taste was awesome though.. Can u give me some tips please on what may have gone wrong?
Lanti says
Your recipe is Great!!! Thank you so much! Its delicious n moist, i use 1/2 cup oil and 3/4cup applesauce. I reduced the amount of sugar to 1 1/2 cup , but it was still too sweet for my taste, especially because this cake also has frosting, n gets additional sugar from pinapple. Next time ill try to reduce the sugar to 1 1/4 or probably 1 cup sugar is enough. walnuts in cake make the cake taste even better, n i think to make the cake taste more like carrot, i suggest to reduce the amount of coconut and add more carrot. Thanks again for the recipe.. I definitely will make this cake again! 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
So glad to hear you enjoyed the cake Lanti! I love all your modifications – it’s an easy recipe to tweak to your liking. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Loretta Ornella says
I’m just about to make this cake. Is it really 2 lbs of icing sugar ?? Approximately how many cups would that be ? Thanks
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Approximately 7 cups. You can halve the recipe if you’re not going to put a border and a bunch of frosting decorations on top of the cake.
rebecca says
Going to make this for my bunco ladies. Looks absolutely delicious. I am also going to add some raisins as well. maybe 1/2 cup?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Sounds perfect Rebecca!