BEST CARROT CAKE RECIPE (2024)

Published by Nellie on October 21, 2021

Best Carrot Cake recipe that is moist, delicious and made with crushed pineapple and shredded carrots. The homemade cream cheese frosting pairs perfectly with this carrot cake recipe.

This carrot cake recipe is simple, but somehow contains exactly the perfect combination of flavors and always turns out with the perfect consistency too. The cinnamon and the crushed pineapple add just the right amount of sweetness and spice to this amazing cake.

Does carrot cake contain nuts?

This carrot cake recipe doesn’t call for any nuts, but you are welcome to add chopped walnuts or pecans if you’d like! Carrot cake also frequently includes raisins, so you can add some raisins into the batter as well if you prefer.

Ingredients in Best Carrot Cake recipe

Sugar – Yep, there is a lot of sugar in the recipe, but that’s what makes it a cake! You will need 2 cups of regular granulated sugar.

Eggs – You will need 4 large eggs to give this cake the perfect consistency.

Oil – The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of oil. You can use vegetable or canola oil. I actually use coconut oil quite often in baking and it works wonderfully. You can swap up to half of the oil out with applesauce without changing the consistency of the cake too much. The more applesauce you add, the denser the cake will be.

Flour – Regular all-purpose flour or cake flour works best.

Baking soda and salt – Make sure your baking powder isn’t expired or your cake may not be as light as you’d like it to be.

Cinnamon – Two teaspoons of ground cinnamon give this cake just the right amount of spice.

Vanilla extract – The higher the quality of vanilla, the better!

Crushed pineapple – You will need an 8 oz can of crushed pineapple. Make sure to drain it well before adding to the batter. I use a fine mesh strainer and then lightly press the pineapple with the back of a spoon to get as much moisture as I can.

Carrots – Can’t have carrot cake without the carrots! Actually you can, it’s delicious, but just not really carrot cake at that point! You can peel and grate carrots or you can cheat like I do and buy the shredded ones from the store – they are all ready to go!

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

How to make carrot cake

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix oil, eggs and sugar. Beat well.

Mix all dry ingredients together and then add two mixtures together, stirring just until combined. Pour into a greased 9X13 pan and bake for 40 minutes.

Cool completely and then frost.

To make frosting: Blend cream cheese and butter until smooth and then add vanilla and powdered sugar, mixing well. You can add 1-2 Tbsp milk if the frosting is too thick to spread. Spread over cooled cake.

HOW DO YOU SOFTEN CREAM CHEESE?

Cream cheese is easy to soften – you can set it out at room temperature or soften it more quickly in the microwave.

To soften at room temperature more quickly, just set the cream cheese on a plate and cut into smaller pieces. The cream cheese should reach room temperature in about 15-20 minutes with this method.

To soften the cream cheese in the microwave, remove the foil packaging and set the cream cheese in a small bowl or on a plate. Microwave for about 10-15 seconds. If the cream cheese is still cold and hard, continue to microwave for about 5 seconds at a time until the cream cheese is soft throughout. Just make sure not to microwave it too long or it will start to melt!

WHAT KIND OF CREAM CHEESE IS USED IN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING?

All types of cream cheese work well in cream cheese frosting. I have tried regular cream cheese, the reduced fat cream cheese and even fat free cream cheese and they all turn out wonderfully! The consistency will be slightly different, depending on what type of cream cheese you use.

MORE TASTY CAKE RECIPES TO TRY SOON!

• Honey Gingerbread Cake
• Pumpkin Pudding Cake
• Spiced Cranberry Coffee Cake
• Pumpkin Dump Cake
• Easy Vanilla Cake Bites
• Christmas Cranberry Cake
• The BEST Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
• Peanut Butter Blossom Cupcakes
• Oreo Owl Cupcakes
• Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
• Caramel Apple Poke Cake
• Frosted Applesauce Cake
• Apple Dump Cake
• Buttery Blueberry Cake
• Oatmeal Cake Recipe

Best Carrot Cake recipe that is moist, delicious and made with crushed pineapple and shredded carrots. The homemade cream cheese frosting pairs perfectly with this carrot cake recipe.