My All-Time Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
28 mins
Rating
4.43 out of 5 stars
(98)
Ingredients
16 servings
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1½ cups vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups peeled grated carrots
- 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup raisins
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 16 ounces cream cheese, chilled and cut into 16 pieces
- Chopped pecans
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Preparation
Chef’s notes
Do not use store-bought shredded/grated carrots. They will not impart the necessary moisture into the cake and will result in a less-than-desirable texture.
You can omit the coconut, pecans, and/or the raisins in the cake without making any other adjustments to the batter, but the cake may bake more quickly so start checking for doneness sooner.
Leftover cake should be stored in an airtight container (or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and wrapped in plastic wrap up to 2 days before frosting and assembling. The entire cake can be assembled and refrigerated for up to 1 day before serving.
The cake layers can be baked, cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and placed into a freezer zip-top resealable bag and frozen for up to 3 months before thawing in the refrigerator overnight and proceeding with the recipe. The entire cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and frozen for up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight.