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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susan says
hi
when you say 2 c of sugar is that a cup ??
thank you
Zuena Odhiambo says
Thanks for sharing this lovely cake recipe Trish. I made the cake a while back and the middle was not baked. I removed that and we ate the rest of it which was well baked. I figured out that the cake tin I had used was small. I really liked the mixture so today I baked again using the same ingredients although I did not put in the carrots and bicarbonate of soda because I react to it. The cake came out beautifully!!!!!!! As I type this, I’m having a huge piece with a cup of green tea…..Thanks a lot.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Oh wonderful! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe!
Char McVay says
I was so excited , I couldn’t wait to make this cake ! I made it exactly by the recipe , I was so upset when I open the oven door ! I looked at all three pans , they look just like they did when I put them in the oven except they were done !! I don’t know what happened that they didn’t rise because I put the baking soda and baking powder in the batter ! I know I put everything in there because I had everything set up and measured out and in the order it should be used while I was waiting on my butter to soften and my coconut to defrost !! I would love to try to again but it’s kind of expensive just to throw away ! Can you use self rising flour instead of all purpose flour ??
Alexa says
Wow! This cake looks AMAZING! My day’s birthday is on the 28th and he loves carrot cake. I’m meeting him for dinner so want to bring him something to take home….I thought cupcakes would be easier. Do you happen to know about how many cupcakes this would make or how I should adjust the baking time if I make cupcakes? I’m looking forward to use this recipe!! 🙂
Ase says
I have the same question. Is it 1 can or 1 cup pineapple? And applesauce is an unsweetened or sweetened one?
Thank you
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
It is one cup of pineapple and I use unsweetened applesauce. My brother likes to use sweetened and it’s still fabulous so totally up to you 🙂
Beth says
Hey Trish:)
I’m making this for my daughter’s birthday tomorrow cuz it looks sooooo yummy, and I have a stupid question, is it 1 CUP or 1 CAN of pineapple? I know that I’ll pick one way or the other and I’ll have messed the whole thing up:)
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I sure hope you’re getting this in time Beth! It’s one cup of pineapple. Let me know how it turns out!
linda simmons says
Hi, can’t wait to bake this cake, I have a recipe for corgette and pineapple cake which is almost the same and it’s is so delish, (it has no coconut) so maybe if anyone has an allergy or dislikes carrots, courgettes would be a good substitute .
Meg @ Sweet Twist says
Oh Carrot Cake is one of my faves…I will have to try this for sure.
Becca {Crumbs and Chaos} says
Trish, this cake is just gorgeous!!! I’ll have to make this for our next special occasion. 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you Becca! I daresay it tastes even better than it looks – yum!
Ruba says
Hi I’m from Jordan I made this recipe today for my family in law, it is soo nice and yummy but it is too sweet for me actually I felt that two cups of sugar is too much but I liked to follow the steps. Next time Ill use 1 1/2 cup of sugar.
I didn’t use the pinable too bcz I don’t have it
Thank u for the recipe.
I’d like to ask if there z another dressing bcz I’m not a cheese lover?
Thank u again
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You can use any frosting you’d like for the cake Ruba if you’re not into cream cheese. A vanilla frosting would be delicious as well!
Eileen says
Prpllotus1@gmail.com
I think there’s too much sugar in that type of frosting. I whip a pint of whipping cream with an 8 ounce pkg of cream cheese that has been whipped with 1/2 cup powdered sugar . Then I add 1 tsp of vanilla. You can add more sugar if you want. This is my go to recipe for cream cheese frosting.
Shelley says
I made this carrot cake to take to a friend’s house for dinner last night and it was a hit~ My usual “go to” recipe uses oil and always falls in the center but this cake was moist, delicious, and perfectly shaped! It is healthier by replacing the oil with fruit. It is now my new “go to” recipe.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I am SO, SO glad that you and your friend enjoyed this recipe! It really is one of my very favorites and I’m happy you gave it a try. Happy New Year!
Niki says
Absolutely Delicious and beautiful. Will most definitely make again and again! Thanks for sharing!
Marsha says
Trish, the flash freezing method worked out really well.
Again the cake was beautiful in presentation, and soooo delicious.
My guests thought I bought the cake.
Do you have any hints about baking with gas?
I recently switched to gas from electric. I am having a hard time with the transition.
I am not sure if I should lower the temperature at the start, and by how much, or bake it at a shorter time?
Thank you for all your help and kindness
Marsha
Marsha says
Fantastic cake Trish,
I made it with the oil, used only one recipe of the icing, followed the photos to the T,
And I am ready to make another for my next party which is on Saturday. I wanted to ask you if I could
freeze the cakes for about six days? This would allow me to be able to do other cooking that has to be done last minute. I would of course make the icing the day of the party and assemble the cake.
I like to make the cake with applesauce, but I am a worried it might be a bit heavier.
So I will do this when it is just imediate family.
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
Marsha
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Hi Marsha! I’m sure you could freeze them. I would recommend flash freezing – let me know how that turns out. I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Tammy says
THIS is seriously the best carrot cake ever. I’ve shared it on facebook, and probably will be sharing it on my blog too (fully giving credit to you) it’s just so good!
I added just a bit more cinnamon and I also added some dried fruit (because we had it in the fridge still) and it was really lovely. I could have done without the dried fruit, but I needed to get rid of it somehow.
My husband was a lover of this cake too, thank you so much! 🙂
Lindsey says
I did the recipe with the cheesecake in the middle for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit! It turned out really well I did the cheesecake about half the thickness of a normal cheesecake so that it wasn’t too much! Next time I will probably reduce the amount of carrots since my husband doesn’t like carrots but likes carrot cake, so the full amount was too much for him. Thanks again for this yummy recipe 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Holy moly that sounds heavenly! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Joy says
Thank you for sharing this AMAZING recipe. I made it for Thanksgiving and my family thought it was the best dessert. They are now requesting it for Christmas and for it to be our special dessert for ALL special occasions. The cake itself was SO good. I loved that it had no oil and all the ingredients felt so healthy for an indulgence. The frosting was really the only “bad” part but it was so delicious. Thanks for the tip to double the frosting recipe, I was pretty popular for the next few days as the kids had extra frosting to put on all sorts of things. I will make this recipe for many years to come. Thank you again!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You just made my day Joy! It always makes me so happy to hear that one of my recipes was enjoyed by others 🙂 I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and thank you so much for stopping by!