Classic Carrot Cake

4.85 from 26 votes
26 Comments

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This Classic Carrot Cake recipe uses crushed pineapple to give the cake a rich, moist texture. Smooth cream cheese frosting gives it just the right balance of sweetness. A true classic recipe passed down in our family for years.

A slice of classic carrot cake on a white plate with another piece in the background.
Classic Carrot Cake
Featured with this recipe
  1. Ingredients in Classic Carrot Cake
  2. Tips for Perfect Cake Batter
  3. Perfecting the Baking
  4. Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
  5. Frequently Asked Questions about this Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
  6. More Classic Cake Recipes
  7. How to Make Classic Carrot Cake
  8. Classic Carrot Cake Recipe

This Classic Carrot Cake recipe comes directly from our Mom’s cookbook. This recipe is part of my childhood, part of our family’s history. The hearty, moist cake is chock full of delicious coconut, pineapple, shredded carrots, nuts and cinnamon. The cream cheese frosting is light, fluffy, perfection. Our annual Easter meal wouldn’t be complete without a slice of this dreamy cake, and it’s actually much easier to make that it seems. You can turn it into a luscious layered cake, cupcakes or bake in a bundt pan. Any way you bake it, you will love it! This is the classic carrot cake recipe you’ve been searching for!

Ingredients in Classic Carrot Cake

Moist, decadent, luscious cake batter begins with just a few pantry staples. Turn it into carrot cake cupcakes, a bundt cake or a gorgeous multi-layer cake. Here’s all you need to make this classic carrot cake for your family:

  • eggs – three large eggs or four medium whole eggs work great in this recipe.
  • Flour – all purpose flour, sifted.
  • Sugar – regular, white sugar, NOT brown sugar
  • Vegetable oil – I like to use Canola oil for this recipe but coconut oil works great too
  • Baking soda – to increase the shelf life of baking soda, you can keep it in the fridge!
  • Cinnamon – about two teaspoons, or more if you like it with an extra zing
  • Salt – kosher salt works great!
  • Vanilla extract – two teaspoons vanilla extract gives this cake a rich flavor
  • Shredded coconut – one cup sweetened, shredded coconut
  • Nuts – walnuts or pecans chopped
  • Crushed pineapple – drained
  • Carrot -two cups, shredded
  • Raisins – optional
Classic Carrot Cake ingredients including shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, walnuts, coconut, spices, oil, vanilla, eggs, flour, sugar, cream cheese and butter.


Tips for Perfect Cake Batter

  • Always mix your wet ingredients first into the bowl of a stand mixer.
  • Add eggs one at a time, mixing with a paddle attachment at low speed until just mixed together.
  • Combine the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, sifting if necessary. Then, slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
  • Stir in the coconut, nuts, pineapple and carrots by hand with a mixing spoon.
Mixing bowl with Classic Carrot Cake batter with wooden spoon on the side.

Perfecting the Baking

How do you know when your cake is done, but not too done? Here are some tips to remember:

  1. First, prep your baking pan. Use parchment paper or spray with baking spray. You can use round cake pans, a 9×13 pan, cupcake tins, a bundt pan, etc.
  2. Make sure the oven is completely preheated before you put the cake in the oven.
  3. Check your baking time, and then use a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. If it does, the cake is done!
  4. Cool on a wire rack before frosting.

Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting

Perhaps my very favorite part of this cake is the fluffy, rich cream cheese frosting on top. Follow this frosting or read on for some tips to making the very best frosting:

  1. Make sure your cream cheese and butter is at room temperature.
  2. Whip the cream cheese and butter together for a few minutes to make it light and fluffy before adding any other ingredients.
  3. Slowly add powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing constantly.
  4. If it’s too thick, add about a teaspoon of milk at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
  5. I like to add the vanilla at the end, then beat on high for about three to five minutes or until it’s nice and fluffy.
  6. Spread on top of the cooled 9×13 cake, and add a little bit of the crumble mixture on top if you like.
Spatula holding a slice of Classic Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting.

Frequently Asked Questions about this Easy Carrot Cake Recipe

How does this cake get its moisture with no liquid?

When you use fruits and vegetables, like the carrots and pineapple in this recipe, they bring a lot of moisture to the batter.

How long should I bake this if I’m using a bundt pan?

The baking time will be similar to this carrot bundt cake recipe, but start at about 45-50 minutes.

How long will this carrot cake stay fresh?

The cake will keep for a week in the refrigerator. Make sure it is kept airtight so it doesn’t dry out. Cover with plastic wrap or foil.

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More Classic Cake Recipes

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How to Make Classic Carrot Cake

Slice of Classic Carrot Cake on a plate. Cake in the background on a stand.

Classic Carrot Cake

4.85 from 26 votes
This Classic Carrot Cake is perfectly moist and delicious, with fluffy cream cheese frosting, a true classic recipe passed down in our family for years. If you're looking for the perfect carrot cake, look no further! 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 18

Video

Equipment

  • 2 9 inch round cake pans
  • Hand Mixer
  • Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Beat eggs well; then add the next seven ingredients and beat well until smooth.
    Glass mixing bowl with mixed carrot cake batter.
  • Stir in the coconut, nuts, pineapple, and carrots with a mixing spoon.
    Glass mixing bowl with wooden spoon stirring in the carrots, coconut, pineapple and walnuts.
  • Line the bottom of the 9 inch pans with parchment paper. Spray non stick cooking spray on the parchment and sides of the pans.
    Two baking pans lined with parchment paper and sprayed with non stick cooking spray.
  • Divide batter into two equals amounts and pour into prepared baking pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Insert a toothpick and see if it comes out clean to tell if the cakes are done.
    Two round baking pans with carrot cake batter.
  • Allow the cakes to rest for 5 minutes in the pan, then using a butter knife go around the edge of the cake before removing from the pans. Allow cakes to cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.
    Two baked round carrot cakes on a cooling rack.
  • Trim off any dome shape from the top of the cake then spread with about 1 cup of the cream cheese frosting for the middle layer.
    Spreading cream cheese frosting on a carrot cake with a spatula.
  • Place second cake on top of the frosting layer to make a double layer cake.
    Two stacked carrot cakes with cream cheese frosting in the middle.
  • Frost sides and top of the cake making any kind of fun swirl or designs.
    Spreading cream cheese frosting on stacked carrot cakes.
  • Sprinkle with chopped nuts (optional).
    Sprinkling chopped walnuts on top of a frosted carrot cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • In a stand mixer (a hand mixer works fine) using the whisk attachment, combine cream cheese and butter and whip on medium speed until well combined.
    Glass mixing bowl with whipped butter and cream cheese.
  • Slowly add powdered sugar a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Add vanilla.
    Pouring powdered sugar into a glass mixing bowl of cream cheese and butter frosting.
  • If it seems too thick and not creamy enough to spread, add a little bit of milk (about ½ tsp at a time) until desired consistency is reached.
    Hand holding up a whisk with cream cheese frosting.

Notes

    • Use parchment paper or spray with baking spray. You can use round cake pans, a 9×13 pan, cupcake tins, a bundt pan, etc.
    • Increase the baking time to 50 minutes when baking this cake in a 9×13 dish and only make half the frosting. 
    • Make sure the oven is completely preheated before you put the cake in the oven.
    • Check your baking time, and then use a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. If it does, the cake is done!
    • Cool on a wire rack before frosting.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 348mgPotassium: 183mgFiber: 2gSugar: 55gVitamin A: 2600IUVitamin C: 3.8mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1.4mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. Hi Erica! I want to make sure I get the right coconut… the recipe calls for sweetened coconut, but the list of ingredients near the top of your post links to a bag of Food to Live unsweetened coconut. Which one should I use?
    Thanks!

  2. First time I tried this carrot cake and was the best ever. Ingredients were spot on except for the cream cheese icing bad we use grams and cups and not pounds so I got the icing sugar wrong however 5 star rating for this recipe

  3. 5 stars
    Fabulous! I used fresh pineapple, walnuts and cut back the sugar to 1 3/4 cups. Incredible recipe!

  4. 5 stars
    We had an Easter celebration this weekend and I was in charge of the cake! This turned out perfect!!

  5. 5 stars
    This cake was amazing; moist and perfect, the coconut and pineapple added delicious flavor, this was the perfect addition to brunch!!

    1. When you use fruits and vegetables, like the carrots and pineapple in this recipe, they bring a lot of moisture to the dough. Hope this helps!

  6. 5 stars
    Added extra cinnamon, cardamon and raisins. In addition to the pecans, coconut and carrots 🙂 I cut back the sugar to 1.5C as the coconut was sweetened. Made 2 9″ rounds. Very dense, rich and keeps beautifully!

  7. 5 stars
    I love passed down family recipes. They are always my go-to because they are spot on. Thanks for sharing.

    1. We use the packaged coconut in this recipe. The will keep for a week in the refrigerator. Make sure it is kept airtight so it doesn’t dry out. Cover with plastic wrap or foil. Thanks for asking!

    1. A “cup” in the U.S. is 8 fl. oz. we typically don’t do measurements by weight here. Hope this helps!

  8. 5 stars
    Searching for carrot cake with crushed pineapple plus cream cheese topping & yours sounds super delish. Plan on baking it next weekend.
    Your site will go on “Favs”
    Thank you,
    Carmen aka keenpetite

    1. Yes, the crushed pineapple gives so much flavor and moisture to the cake and you can’t go wrong with cream cheese frosting. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

  9. 5 stars
    Looks like your recipe is the same as my mom’s. LOVE carrot cake. It is often requested. I am one of the only ones that prefers it with walnuts. Most of the family likes it without nuts. Their nuts!

  10. 5 stars
    Hi Erica, this is exactly what i was looking for. However, was wondering if the coconut flavor stands out. Im not a fan of it. And, have you every made this into cupcakes?

    1. I haven’t made it into cupcakes before, sorry– I am sure they would still be great! For the coconut– the coconut flavor is very very subtle (unless you use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil)– I don’t think you will have an issue with it. Hope this helps! -Erica