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 –Â 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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Falon says
Does anyone know how much icing sugar for the icing you actually need to use?!?! As in cups? It says 2lbs but I need to know cups. I googled but can’t find a consistent answer. Thanks.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
It’s really a consistency issue Falon. Start with a couple of cups and keep adding until you get the right consistency. I use between 6 and 7 cups.
Mariss says
For as many many incredulous responses to the amount of power sugar in frosting over the time span of comments — you might want to consider editing recipe to stating – YES it is really 2 lbs of powder sugar measure in s cup at a time to desired consistency. Lol
Brent Futrell says
Could banana be added to the recipe? Just a thought.
Kathy says
If you use raisins, soak them in warm water then blot dry. So yummy. Also, if you make a 9×12 or cupcakes, take a pastry bag and tip and put a bit frosting IN the cupcakes or cake before frosting the top. A fun surprise!
Marion Quint says
I have a question about the icing. Did I misread the receipt, but I thought it says 2 lbs of powdered sugar?
I used 2 cups and thought the icing tasted great.
Carmela Talento says
This is the best carrot cake I ever made! It’s so moist
and taste really good. Got lots of compliments from
friends and relatives . Thanks for sharing!
Jean Lloyd says
This is the most incredible cake I’ve ever had! I made it exactly as written for Easter and it turned out fabulous. I gave my friend a piece, and she said even her aunt’s carrot cake isn’t this good, and her aunt is a professional baker. I’m making another one for a potluck at work later this week, and I know it’ll turn out perfect again. Thanks so much for a recipe that will be in my favorites cookbook forever!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Made my day Jean! It’s our favorite too! So glad you enjoyed it as much as we do.
Vinniecat says
I made this cake following the cake recipe exactly, added 3-4T milk to the frosting to make it more manageable. I took it to my in-laws for Easter dinner and it was a huge hit. I love how moist it was. I greased and floured the pans really well and had no issue with sticking.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Wonderful! I’m glad you made the frosting work for you and yes, SO moist 🙂 So glad you loved the recipe!
Natalya says
Made this cake and it was fabulous! I did cut the sugar back by 25% in batter and by 50% on frosting and used unsweetened coconut, next time will cut back even more as even that was a little sweeter than I like! I think you can taste more complexity with less sweetener l!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I’m going to try that next time Natalya. I was planning on making up some cupcakes this next week for my niece’s birthday and really wanted to cut back on the sugar myself. Thanks for the feedback!
Simona says
I have tried this cake for Easter and unfortunately was disappointing; total failure.
Yours looks lovely in the pictures but mine didn’t look like that at all, it was too wet and not fluffy at all. I am wondering if is the measuring of the ingredients, maybe put too much and weighed down the cake.
I used a UK cup measurement which i suppose is different than an american cup size. Had a google and it came up that there are a few american cups like U.S. customary cup, U.S. legal cup. Was wondering if you could tell me which one did you use or if you could post the ingredients in grams next time you make the cake would be much appreciated as it looks amazing and would love if it would come out like yours next time i try.
Thanks a lot
Simona
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I’m not sure about the legal and customary cup sizes. I just a measuring cup that you can find in any store. This cake is very moist and denser than an average cake. Sounds like this isn’t the cake recipe for you Simona 🙂
Hayley says
The cake was fantastic. My neighbour and I have made and definitely one of the best we have had. Really divine!!! Everyone who ate raved about the cake!!!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Love hearing that! Thank you so much Hayley!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
Hey there! Just wanted to let you know that I made this lovely cake for Easter this year. It was a huge hit!! Turned out so, so, so good! I made it without the coconut, only because I simply forgot to add it until it was too late! Wonderful recipe!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Do you know I get asked so often about eliminating the coconut and I never know what to say because I’ve never made it that way? Now I know! Thanks Patricia! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Krysta says
Made this cake tonight minus the coconut and it was absolutely delicious! Perfectly moist…no issue taking out of the pans. Thank you for posting this recipe it’s going to be my go to carrot cake from here on out. Yum. Yum. Yum!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Wonderful Krysta! So many have asked about eliminating the coconut and I’m so glad to know that it doesn’t adversely affect the cake in any way. So glad you enjoyed it!
Jacy says
Cake is great! Buuuut, my icing is very “liquidy”. What can I do to fix that?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
More powdered sugar!
jean says
How about making this as cupcakes?
Renee says
I’m going to make this in 9×13 because I’m traveling and it’s much easier to transport- do I need to adjust the cooking time more or less? Thanks!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Nope – you should be good! That’s how my Nana always made hers. All ovens bake a little differently so just keep an eye on it as you normally would 🙂