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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Brenda Chan says
I have’t made it yet I don’t try recipe that has no weight measurement on it Thanks!
Beth Gladfelter says
This was the BEST carrot cake I have ever made! The recipie was simple and everyone just absolutely loved it! Thank you so much!!!
Elaine Sayles says
I tried this for the first time. It was loved by everyone even my niece who is picky eater . Thanks for sharing
Kathy says
I forgot the cinnamon! I am wondering if I can put some in the frosting?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Absolutely! You won’t need a lot though, and the flavor of the cake will still be good without it.
Sylvia says
Absolutely delish with or without frosting. Had to do a bit of tweaking with measurements to suit metric.(Australia)
GG says
looks delish! moist, but one tip, use the parchement paper, I tried the cooking spray with flour and a couple pieces of cake were stuck to the pan, so it came out in pieces, I placed them togehter and just frosted it, hopefully it wont show when we cut the cake .
Melissa says
I have made this cake many time. I always use baker’s joy and apply very liberally. Works like a charm every time!
Richard Hope says
Almost exactly the recipe my family has used for decades, sister used to win awards for her carrot cake. One change we add a little lemon juice to the frosting, adds a bit more tang.
Lynn says
Excellent carrot cake. You will not be disappointed!
Twerp says
Thank you soo much for sharing, this cake is definitely to die for, lol…. Each time I make it I make it my family cant get enough. I did tweek just a tad, I only used 1 cup of sugar, I still cant get the frosting the way you do it, it always ends running all over rge place, I think my climate is too warm for it so I use heavy whipping cream instead of butter
Kelsie says
I’ve been making this cake since Easter 2016 – it is a huge family favourite! I’m actually using the recipe today because my brother-in-law requested a cake, even offered to pay me to make it because he wanted it so bad! – if you’re on the fence about using this receipt because of needing so many ingredients, don’t worry it turns out delicious! – I also always make round cakes, cupcakes and a loaf when I make this recipe, doubling every time! You can’t eat just one piece!
M. Christine says
I made it today.
Thank you for the beautiful fruity recipe.
Though i do’nt have applesauce here where i live, (i could make it.. time didnt allow me!) I cut the sugar too and added some buttermilk (homemade not available here). Opt out the nuts also and while making the dough and all through baking the smell of the cake was just heaven.
First time I made it and I think the layers look too thin, made 2 layers of 8 inches. I will cit the buttermilk next time to see what it gives.
Tomorrow i’ll fill and frost it with cream cheese then i’ll make the ”dégustation en famille!”
Rebecca says
Love this cake recipe! I’ve made these as cupcakes and layer cakes. I like to chop up the crushed pineapple and coconut to get smaller pieces. Delicious and moist! I’d make this twice a month, but, I fear I would get sick of it. (Probably not!) My family loves this cake also. But I’m wondering if this can be made into a cake roll?
Marlena says
So easy and so good. I get asked to make this cake for birthdays all the time. It makes great cupcakes as well. Sometimes I add a tsp. of cinnamon in the creamy cheese frosting. Really, really good.
Trish Roberts says
Best Carrot Cake EVER!
Linda S Reed says
I made this for my brothers birthday. He loved it. I reduced the sugar from 2 cups to 1 1/2 cups of light brown sugar. I also used part applesauce and part oil. It came out great. Moist and not too sweet.