This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
This soft and delicious classic carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is an Easter staple! Made with pineapples, coconut, carrots, and other simple ingredients.
Carrot cake is a cake that contains shredded carrots and topped off with a cream cheese frosting. Traditionally it also includes chopped walnuts and raisins. Although I don’t add walnuts to the batter I do like to decorate the cake with walnuts.
A slice of carrot cake is a surely satisfying way to start your weekend. This rich carrot cake will be a hit at your next get together. Carrot cake is my little brother’s favorite cake and I bake it for him every single year.
What I love most about this cake is that you don’t really taste a carrot flavor so even those picky eaters who dislike carrots may still enjoy this. The carrots are pretty much incorporated for moisture and texture.
This carrot cake is made entirely from scratch and you may have most of the ingredients on hand. Like carrots, crushed pineapples and sweetened shredded coconut also add tons of moisture to the cake. Also, oil and buttermilk guarantee a soft cake.
Ingredient’s You’ll Need:
- All-purpose Flour
- Sugar
- Shredded Carrots – you can either purchase store-bought shredded carrots or grate them yourself using a grater.
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Ground Cinnamon
- Eggs – room temperature
- Buttermilk – Do not substitute this for regular milk. Buttermilk is a must for this recipe.
- Vegetable Oil
- Vanilla Extract
- Crushed Pineapples – Make sure to drain the can of all it’s liquid.
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut
- Cold Cream Cheese
- Softened Unsalted Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Walnuts, to decorate (optional)
- Sprinkles, to decorate (optional)
How to Make
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F, measuring the ingredients, and line two 8 inch baking pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the vegetable oil, sugar, buttermilk, crushed pineapples, cinnamon, sweetened shredded coconut, shredded carrots, eggs, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until well combines.
Distribute the carrot cake batter equally into the lined baking pans and bake for 28-30 minutes. Do not overbake. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cakes, if they come out clean, then the cake is fully cooked through. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
While the cake cools, you’ll want to prepare the cream cheese frosting. All you have to do is combine the cold cream cheese and softened unsalted butter in a large bowl until it’s smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix for 3-4 minutes or until smooth and fluffy. You will need an electric mixer to make the cream cheese frosting.
Tips for the best cream cheese frosting:
- Make sure you use a full-fat cream cheese block. Avoid using spreadable or low-fat cream cheese.
- Use good quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste if your budget allows it.
- A splash of lemon juice will reduce the sweetness if you’re not a fan of overly sweet frosting.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl while you mix the frosting and make sure to mix until completely lump-free.
How to frost a 2 layer carrot cake
Once the cake layers are completely cooled, place the first layer on a serving platter or turntable. Add a good amount of cream cheese on the center and spread evenly all over the top with an offset spatula.
Place the second layer on top of the first layer and place the remaining cream cheese frosting on the center of the second cake layer. Using the offset spatula, spread the cream cheese frosting all over the top and sides of the cake.
Decorate with chopped walnuts and orange and red sprinkles, if desired.
Tip:
This carrot cake is super soft and moist therefore you want to make sure you clean the knife after cutting each slice. That will ensure nice and clean cuts.
How long will this carrot cake last?
Baked carrot cake with cream cheese frosting will last for about 1 week if refrigerated. Make sure to place the cake in an airtight container to prevent the cake from drying out.Carrot cake at room temperature should last from 3-4 days if covered properly.
If you enjoyed this carrot cake recipe then you will also enjoy this strawberry cake and Nutella stuffed banana muffins! You can also find other delicious recipes and cooking tutorial videos on Youtube and Facebook.
Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 ounces crushed pineapples, drained
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk 3 eggs, sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, shredded carrots, cinnamon, pineapples, and shredded coconut.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix for about 15 seconds.
- Pour the batter into the 2 cake pans and bake for about 28-30 minutes.
- Once the cakes come out of the oven, let it cool completely.
- For the frosting, mix the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar and mix for about 4 minutes.
- Frost the cake and Enjoy!
Notes
- This carrot cake is super soft and moist therefore you want to make sure you clean the knife after cutting each slice. That will ensure nice and clean cuts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This cake is beautifully moist and so flavouful. Thanks for another awesome recipe