A delicious homemade carrot cake that is a moist flavorful cake! Filled with carrots, pecans, pineapple and coconut.
This easy to make carrot cake is topped with a classic cream cheese frosting.
Easy homemade cake
This carrot cake is incredibly easy and deliciously moist! It's filled with all my favorite carrot cake ingredients and is topped with a cream cheese frosting.
You could use almost any type of frosting. I've also topped this cake with a buttercream frosting.
The best part of this cake, besides the taste, is how easy it is to make. No special equipment needed. Just a bowl and a large spoon or spatula.
Many carrot cake recipes use shredded raw carrots in the cake. But I cook the carrots first, then mash them and then once they are cool, I add them to the batter.
The cooked carrots add a lot of moisture to the cake. I make home canned carrots and I will often use those in this cake. They are already cooked, making one less step I have to do.
Wedding cake
I've made this cake several times, but most recently it was the bottom tier of my niece's wedding cake. I made the cake layers ahead of time and froze each layer wrapped in plastic wrap.
The cake was a delicious. I did use a buttercream frosting for decorating the cake instead of the cream cheese frosting. I needed something that would be easy to pipe and would hold its shape.
For the bottom tier, I used three layers of carrot cake. I made two separate batches. Baked up four layers, but just used three layers.
The top tier was a spice cake.
This carrot cake makes a perfect everyday cake, but it's also great for holidays and special occasions.
Key ingredients
- Carrots - cooked, mashed and cooled
- Pecans - chopped
- Pineapple - use a can of crushed pineapple. Pour into a sieve and let juice drain off.
- Coconut - sweetened, shredded coconut
Step by step directions
- Mix the dry ingredients - Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Mix the wet ingredients - In a small bowl, mix eggs, oil and vanilla.
- Mix the batter - Add the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix just until combined. It will be thick and slightly dry. Mix in the carrots, pineapple, coconut and pecans.
- Bake - Place batter in a greased cake pan and bake in a preheated oven until the cake is cooked through.
Recipe tips
- Make certain carrots are fully cooked, mashed and cool
- Drain pineapple before adding
- Stir batter together with a large spoon or spatula. Don't overmix batter. Just stir until everything is well distributed.
- If baking in round pans for a layer cake, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray the sides of the pan. This will help ensure a clean release.
- If baking in a rectangular cake pan, you can leave cake in pan after it's baked and frost once the cake is cool.
- Add extra chopped pecans on frosted cake, if desired
More delicious cakes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be certain to check out all my delicious dessert recipes!
Carrot Cake
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- 8 inch cake pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 2½ cups flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 ½ cup carrots (cooked, cooled and mashed)
- 1 cup sweetened coconut
- 1 cup crushed pineapple (drained)
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 8 ounces butter, salted (at room temperature)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Prepare two 8 inch cake pans by lining bottom with parchment paper and lightly greasing. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.2½ cups flour, 1 ½ cups sugar, 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- In another bowl combine eggs, oil and vanilla.3 eggs, 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Add egg mixture to dry mixture. Stir together.
- Add pecans, carrots, coconut and pineapple. Mix until incorporated.1 cup chopped pecans, 1 ½ cup carrots, 1 cup sweetened coconut, 1 cup crushed pineapple
- Divide mixture into prepared cake pans.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.
- Cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes. Remove from cake pans and continue cooling until completely cooled.
Frosting
- In a mixing bowl add cream cheese and butter. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.8 ounces cream cheese, 8 ounces butter, salted
- Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until combined.1 ½ teaspoons vanilla, 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- Mix in lemon juice.2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Assemble Cake
- Place one cake layer on a dish. Place frosting on top. Place second cake on top. Frost top and sides.
- Sprinkle with additional chopped pecans (optional)
Notes
- Make certain carrots are fully cooked, mashed and cool
- Drain pineapple before adding
- Stir batter together with a large spoon or spatula. Don't overmix batter. Just stir until everything is well distributed.
- If baking in round pans for a layer cake, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray the sides of the pan. This will help ensure a clean release.
- If baking in a rectangular cake pan, you can leave cake in pan after it's baked and frost once the cake is cool.
- Add extra chopped pecans on frosted cake, if desired
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Melinda says
I made this cake and went by the recipe exactly.
Do you think I can make these in cupcakes, and
how long would I bake them for???
Love your website:) 🙂
Kathy says
Thank you!!! I have not made these as cupcakes, but I think it should work! They will be dense, but that's a characteristic of carrot cake. Bake at the same temperature and bake between 20-25 minutes. Test with a toothpick to make certain they are baked all the way through.
Enjoy! 🙂
Fran @ G'day Souffle' says
I also love carrot cake- we served this at our wedding 40 years ago when carrot cake wasn't even in fashion. We even put the remaining cake in the freezer and had a piece one year later- that's what I call being a fanatic! And served with your famous butter cream icing, what else can I say ...... (except I wish I hadn't looked at the 500 calorie count details).
Kathy says
It would be a lovely cake to serve at a wedding and I think it would freeze beautifully and would still be moist!
Christina says
YUM!! I haven't eaten carrot cake in what feels like in forever. I know, I know. What IS wrong with me? The next time I made carrot cake THIS is the recipe I'm going to try, it looks AMAZING!
Kathy says
It sounds like it has been way too long! You'd better get baking! 🙂
Ashika | Gardening Foodie says
Oh I definitely loooove carrot cake. I am really loving how easy it is to put this recipe together and it looks so perfect and delicious. I have never tried adding pineapple before, and it sounds great...this recipe I have got to try 🙂 Absolutely love it 🙂
Nicoletta Sugarlovespices says
I love carrot cake! Of all the cakes with icing/frosting on top, it is my favorite. The pineapple adds such a great flavor component and I believe the cooked carrots makes it even more moist. Looks amazing!
Kathy says
Thanks, Nicoletta! It's a favorite in our house!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Carrot cake is a total favorite at our house Kathy! Your recipe sounds delicious! Love the diced pineapple and the cream cheese frosting! You're making me very hungry!!
Kathy says
That's the plan! 🙂
David @ Spiced says
I love carrot cake, too! I didn't when I was a kid as I thought it was some sort of trick to make me eat more veggies...but I've seen the folly of my ways. I've never tried adding diced pineapple, though. I'll have to try that next time for sure! This looks delicious, Kathy!
Kathy says
Oh those ploys parents think up to make kids eat more veggies! 🙂 Glad you found it really is delicious!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
I'm a HUGE fan of carrot cake too! This one looks so moist and fluffy! Cream cheese frosting is definitely a must 🙂 Happy Monday to ya Kathy!
Kathy says
I think cream cheese frosting is a perfect match with carrot cake!