OUR FAVORITE SCRATCH CARROT CAKE RECIPE!

Let’s talk about the parade of ingredients that make this Carrot Cake recipe SO amazing. Of course, carrots and spices are a given, but this favorite carrot cake recipe of ours also includes crushed pineapple, pecans, and coconut.

Not all carrot cakes call for coconut and pineapple, or even nuts, but after trying this recipe, we could never go back! The added flavor and sweetness are the perfect complement to the carrots, spices, and pecans.

Just look at this slice- so much texture and lumpity bumpity deliciousness!

As a child I avoided carrot cake in favor of pretty much any other dessert option at family celebrations. I mean, carrots? In a cake? The name alone just sounded a bit too healthy and vegetable-y for me.

Oh how wrong I was! Just think of all of those slices of carrot cake I missed out on.

Though we don’t see carrots in many desserts, it actually makes perfect sense in terms of the sweetness factor. Even in medieval times, carrot puddings were hugely popular due to their natural sweetness.

The carrot cakes that we know and love today are believed to have evolved from these flavorful carrot puddings.

That natural sweetness also explains the resurgence of carrot based desserts during World War II when sugar was rationed.

Fast forward to the 1960s and 1970s and carrot cakes began to enjoy widespread popularity in the US not only for their amazing flavor, but also (hee hee) because it’s healthy.

Okay, so carrot cake as a health food may be a bit of a stretch, but it really makes it easier for me to cut myself a giant slab of cake! Mmmmmm.

Finally, let’s get down to the business of cream cheese frosting.

Our luscious Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting is just what this scratch Carrot Cake needs to take it to the next level. (We actually have two fabulous Cream Cheese Frosting recipes on our site. The second is a classic Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting that has a slightly softer consistency as it doesn’t call for quite as much cream cheese.)

Sandwich the cream cheese frosting between your cake layers, and then finish it off with a generous slathering.

This cake disappeared in record time after we took our photos.  We’ve made countless variations of carrot cake over the years, but THIS is our favorite!

*Although this scratch Carrot Cake recipe is our favorite, we also have a fantastic doctored cake mix Carrot Cake recipe if you prefer working with a mix. You can find it at the bottom of this post!

Enjoy the recipe!

Print Recipe

CARROT CAKE {SCRATCH RECIPE}

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups (325g) All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 cups (400g) Sugar
• 4 Large Eggs
• 1 cup (218 g) Vegetable Oil
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups (180 g) Grated Carrots
• 3/4 cup (92 g) Chopped Pecans
• 3/4 cup (50 g) Coconut (I used Bakers Angel Flake Sweetened coconut)
• 1 8oz can Crushed Pineapple (put in strainer and let juice drain. I used a fork to press out more liquid.)

DIRECTIONS

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• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Line the bottoms of 3 (8inch) or 2 (9inch) round pans with wax or parchment paper, grease with shortening and flour the paper and pans for easy release when turning out……carrot cake has a tendency to stick so be sure to use the paper.
• Whisk together for 30 seconds the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set Aside.
• In a mixing bowl, add 2 cups sugar , 4 eggs, 1 cup oil and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed until well blended and light colored.
• With a spoon stir in the flour until moistened, then add the carrots, pecans crushed pineapple and coconut.
• Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Refrain from opening the oven door or touching the center of the cake to test for doneness until very near the end of baking time or it could cause the cake to sink slightly in the center.
• Makes 6 1/2 cups batter
• Cool cake layers in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack then turn out. Cool completely before frosting.

As I mentioned above, we have a great “almost homemade” doctored cake mix version of Carrot Cake that’s a keeper! Convenient, consistent, and with many of the same ingredients as our scratch version. You can find it here!: Carrot Cake: A Doctored Cake Mix Recipe.

Thanks for stopping by! I guarantee that if you try this carrot cake recipe, you’ll come back to it again and again. It’s just that good!

Don’t miss our full collection of tried and true favorite cake and frosting recipes in our Recipes Section! We also have a section of Free Cake Tutorials which include step by step photo tutorials and free cake video tutorials! Enjoy!