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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.
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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:
- 3 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
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.
Perfecting the Baking
How do you know when your cake is done, but not too done? Here are some tips to remember:
- 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.
- 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.
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:
- Make sure your cream cheese and butter is at room temperature.
- Whip the cream cheese and butter together for a few minutes to make it light and fluffy before adding any other ingredients.
- Slowly add powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing constantly.
- If it’s too thick, add about a teaspoon of milk at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
- 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.
- Spread on top of the cooled 9×13 cake, and add a little bit of the crumble mixture on top if you like.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
When you use fruits and vegetables, like the carrots and pineapple in this recipe, they bring a lot of moisture to the batter.
The baking time will be similar to this carrot bundt cake recipe, but start at about 45-50 minutes.
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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How to Make Classic Carrot Cake
Classic Carrot Cake
Video
Equipment
- 9×13 inch pan
- Hand Mixer
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil coconut oil works great too
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup nuts walnuts or pecans chopped
- 1 cup crushed pineapple drained
- 2 cups carrot shredded
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese -softened
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine-softened
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- splash of milk optional, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs well; then add the next seven ingredients and beat well until smooth.
- Stir in the coconut, nuts, pineapple, and carrots with a mixing spoon.
- Pour into a greased 9" x 13" cake pan and bake for 50 minutes.
- When cake is slightly warm, spread with cream cheese frosting.
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.
- Slowly add powdered sugar a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Add vanilla.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
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
Fabulous! I used fresh pineapple, walnuts and cut back the sugar to 1 3/4 cups. Incredible recipe!
We had an Easter celebration this weekend and I was in charge of the cake! This turned out perfect!!
The cake turned out great for me. I used a Bundt pan and it looked so pretty. Thanks!
This cake was amazing; moist and perfect, the coconut and pineapple added delicious flavor, this was the perfect addition to brunch!!
Where is the liquid? It’s drier than bread dough!
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!
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!
This carrot cake is AMAZING!! Everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing!
I’m definitely making this again! It was so good and my kids loved it!
Carrot Cake is my favorite, and this is a delicious recipe 🙂
I love passed down family recipes. They are always my go-to because they are spot on. Thanks for sharing.
You can never go wrong with this classic recipe!
How will I adjust the cooking time if I bake it in a bundt pan ?
It will be similar timing as this recipe: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/nothing-bundt-cakes-carrot-cake-copycat/
Hey, how long will this cake keep? Also should I use fresh coconut or the packaged ones off the shelves? Thanks!
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!
Can the cups be any size as long as the same one is used?
A “cup” in the U.S. is 8 fl. oz. we typically don’t do measurements by weight here. Hope this helps!
One of my favorite cakes, as well as my mother’s favorites. Can’t wait to make it and surprise mom!
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
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!
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!
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?
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