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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 Carrot Cake recipe comes directly from our Mom’s recipe box. This recipe is a cherished part of my childhood memories. I remember eating this melt-in-your-mouth, moist cake on special occasions and at family gatherings. It is chock full of delicious coconut, pineapple, shredded carrots, nuts and cinnamon. The rich cream cheese frosting complements the cake beautifully. Now I make this cake at least once a year. Our Easter dinner wouldn’t be complete without it.
Ingredients in Carrot Cake
This decadent cake begins with just a few pantry staples like flour, sugar, eggs, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla. Additional ingredients in our carrot cake include shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, coconut, walnuts and raisins.
How to Make Carrot Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For perfect baking, don’t add the cake to the oven until it is fully heated.
- Prepare your baking pan or pans. If using round pans for a layered cake, cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pans, then use a baking spray on the paper. If using a 9×13 pan, spray the bottom and sides of the pan with baking spray.
- For the cake batter, start with beating the eggs in a stand mixer or in a bowl with an electric hand mixer. You can also use a whisk and mix them by hand.
- Add the flour, sugar, oil, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Mix all the ingredients together until the batter is well blended and smooth.
- Stir in the coconut, nuts, pineapple and carrots by hand with a mixing spoon until they are well distributed through the batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan or pans and start baking. How do you know when your cake is done, but not too done? Check the baking time for the pans you are using. Oven temperatures can vary, so I always check it a few minutes early. The first test is to check it visually to see if it looks uncooked in the middle, if it does, continue baking. The next think I do is give the pan a little jiggle. If I can see there is movement in the middle of the cake, it needs more time. If the cake passes both of these tests, then I insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done! If not, recheck every few minutes until the cake is fully baked.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack before frosting. If the cake is frosted while it’s still warm, the frosting can melt.
Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
Perhaps my very favorite part of this cake is the fluffy, rich cream cheese frosting on top. Follow these tips for the perfect 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 the frosting on top of the cooled cake, and add a little bit of the crumble mixture on top if you like. If you are frosting a layered cake, follow the step-by-step instructions with photos in the recipe below.
How do you Store Carrot Cake?
You can store carrot cake by covering with a lid or plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator to keep it from drying out. With a cream cheese frosting, DO NOT store at room temperature.
It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week or I like to individually slice any leftovers and store in the freezer for up to a month. Take out one slice at a time and let it come to room temperate whenever you want dessert.
Frequently Asked Questions
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. You will know it’s baked all the way by poking a toothpick into the cake and if it comes out clean, it’s done.
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Classic Carrot Cake
Video
Equipment
- 2 9 inch round cake pans
- 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:
- 8 ounces cream cheese -softened
- 8 tablespoons butter or margarine-softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla
- splash of milk optional for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. 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.
- Line the bottom of the 9 inch pans with parchment paper. Spray non stick cooking spray on the parchment and sides of the pans.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Place second cake on top of the frosting layer to make a double layer cake.
- Frost sides and top of the cake making any kind of fun swirl or designs.
- Sprinkle with chopped nuts (optional).
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
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- 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.
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- Make sure the oven is completely preheated before you put the cake in the oven.
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- Check your baking time, and then use a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. If it does, the cake is done!
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- Cool on a wire rack before frosting.
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!
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