To Die For Carrot Cake

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This To Die For Carrot Cakerecipe 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.

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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??

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 linersbecause 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.

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How To Make Carrot Cake

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4.95 from 538 votes

This To Die For Carrot Cake receives rave reviews for it's unbelievable moistness and 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!

Course Dessert

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

The frosting recipe can be doubled if you are planning on piping a border and adding a lot of frosting decorations to the top of the cake.

Nutrition

Original post published August 18, 2012. Updated February 27, 2018.

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To Die For Carrot Cake - My Nana's Foolproof Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Why not use butter in carrot cake? ›

Why do you use oil instead of butter in carrot cake? Oil helps keep carrot cake extra moist and also helps extend its shelf life.

Keep Reading ›

How do you thicken cream cheese frosting for carrot cake? ›

Don't panic if your cream cheese frosting is too runny, use an electric whisk to whip it up for a few more minutes until it starts to thicken.

Read On ›

Why did my carrot cake flop? ›

The pan is too small. There's too much liquid. Opening the oven or moving pans during baking. Oven temperature is too low, or cake isn't baked long enough.

Learn More Now ›

What causes a carrot cake not to rise? ›

Using old or stale baking powder, or baking powder that has been improperly stored, can result in not enough rise, and flat dense cakes.

Know More ›

Is it better to make carrot cake with butter or oil? ›

Vegetable oil produces a more moist, tender cake than butter. Yes, butter generally tastes better, but it makes the cake come out a little firmer than I like. Don't worry—there's plenty of butter in the frosting to make up for it. Should carrot cake have raisins?

Get More Info ›

What is a substitute for butter in carrots? ›

There are plenty of ways to vary glazed carrots. If you want them to be low in saturated fat, substitute vegetable oil for the butter and add only a small amount. Instead of white sugar, use brown sugar or honey.

Learn More ›

Can I use Philadelphia instead of cream cheese? ›

Yes, it is the same. Philadelphia is just a brand of cream cheese. A company that makes cheese with fresh milk and real cream since 1872.

Is it possible to over whip cream cheese frosting? ›

Too thick: If you over-whip the frosting, it will appear chunky and curdled. While my fix isn't perfect, it will certainly help—by hand, stir in more liquid heavy cream 1 Tablespoon at a time until the frosting smooths out again.

View Details ›

Why is my carrot cake so heavy? ›

Adding too many mix-ins

The promise of a cake bursting with nuts, raisins, and a hint of coconut seems like a flavor jackpot. However, too many mix-ins can lead your carrot cake down a dense and heavy path, and that's a baking detour you might want to avoid.

Why does carrot cake taste weird? ›

There are a few reasons why your carrot cake might taste bitter. Too much baking soda: Baking soda is a leavening agent that helps to make cakes rise. However, too much baking soda can give a cake a bitter taste. If you are using a recipe that calls for baking soda, be sure to measure it carefully.

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How can you tell if a carrot cake is done? ›

Usually a cake has finished cooking when the edges of the cake pull away from the side of the tin. You should be able to see a gap between the cake and the tin. If your cake is bouncy/springy when you gently press down on it with your finger, it is likely that your cake is ready to be taken out of the oven.

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How fine should carrots be grated for carrot cake? ›

Think thin

It's true that carrots are the star of the show, but aim for finely grated pieces rather than chunky. The finer you grate the carrots, the more evenly they will be distributed throughout the cake (for the perfect texture), and the more evenly the cake and the carrots will bake.

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Why is my carrot cake raw in the middle? ›

Decrease the amount of oil in the batter by 2 tbsp. for every 1 cup indicated in the recipe to keep the mixture from becoming too wet. When the batter is too wet, it causes the center of the cake to inflate quickly and fall halfway through baking.

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Can I use butter instead of oil in carrot cake? ›

Oil adds moisture (canola or vegetable oil will work) and unsalted butter adds a rich flavor. Don't substitute one for the other–we really need both here!

Why is butter not used in cake baking? ›

The water that's present in butter strengthens the gluten in a cake's flour, resulting in a crumb that's more dense and not quite as tender as a cake made with oil.

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Why does my carrot cake not taste like carrot? ›

The key to getting an intense carrot flavor in my cake is using two types of carrots: a caramelized carrot puree and finely shredded carrots. Roasted and pureed carrots make this cake intensely carrot flavored. Carrots are a natural source of sugar, and roasting them at a high temperature caramelizes the sugars within.

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What is the effect of butter in cake? ›

The job of butter in baking (besides being delicious) is to give richness, tenderness and structure to cookies, cakes, pies and pastries. We alter the way butter works in a recipe by changing its temperature and choosing when to combine it with the other ingredients.