Skip to Content

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

Best Carrot Cake Recipe Ever

Sharing is caring!

In honor of Easter this weekend, I made the yummiest carrot cake that I know of. Carrot cake is Easter-y, right? It’s made with carrots. Bunnies like carrots. The Easter bunny is…well…a bunny. He must love carrot cake. It all makes sense to me. If you want to check out our Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cake after this, I wouldn’t be mad at you.

Carrot Cake piece on a yellow plate

For the holiday – I’m out of town visiting family again. And you know the pressure that I have of making the world’s yummiest desserts during my visit and my family doesn’t hold back any punches. If it sucks…they pretty much say it sucks plus more. Good thing this carrot cake from scratch was a huge hit. Did you catch that? Carrot cake from SCRATCH!  That’s right, this cake-box-loving gal made another cake from scratch. My last Strawberry Cake (from scratch!) was such a hit with the family, I knew that only a cake from scratch would keep my reputation.

Good thing this carrot cake was a homerun!  It is phenomenal! You can’t go wrong with this one. It is seriously deeee-licious plus has all the goodies that a true carrot cake should have – carrots, pineapple, walnuts and coconut.

Carrot Cake Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups grated carrot
  • 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 (3 1/2-ounce) can flaked coconut
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

Step by Step Directions

1.  Line 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

2. Stir together flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

4. Beat eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot, coconut, pineapple and walnuts.

carrot cake ingredients

5. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.

6. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze (recipe below) evenly over layers (I only used about 2/3 of the prepared glaze which I thought was perfect!); cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

7. Once the cake is cooled, slice each layer in half to give you a total of 4 layers.  More layers = more frosting = me happy! Note: I put the 2 cake layers in the freezer for 45 minutes to make slicing them in half easier.

8. Make the cream cheese frosting according the recipe below. You can use a canned frosting but it won’t hold a candle to this delicious homemade icing!

9. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. I’m a BIG frosting person so I made 1 1/2 batches of the cream cheese frosting to make sure the cake was completely covered. I also sprinkled chopped walnuts in between each frosted layer to take it over the top.

Carrot Cake Assembly

10. Slice and enjoy!

Carrot Cake
Carrot Cake Slice

Buttermilk Glaze Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Step by Step Glaze Directions

  1. Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Step by Step Frosting Directions

  1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.
carrot cake

The Best Carrot Cake Recipe

Hollie Schultz
This made from scratch Carrot Cake is easy to make and will be a perfect addition to any spring party of get together.
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 18 servings
Calories 580 kcal

Ingredients
  

Cake Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon ground
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups carrots grated
  • 8 oz crushed pineapple drained
  • 3 1/2 oz flaked coconut
  • 1 cup walnuts chopped

Buttermilk Glaze

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 TBSP light corn syrup
  • 1/2 TBSP vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 3/4 cup butter softened
  • 11 oz cream cheese softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Make the Cake

  • Line 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.
  • Stir together flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
  • Beat eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot, coconut, pineapple and walnuts.
  • Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
  • Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Make the Buttermilk Glaze

  • While cake is baking, make the buttermilk glaze. Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
  • Immediately after removing cake from the oven, drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over cooked cake layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
  • Once the cake is cooled, slice each layer in half to give you a total of 4 layers.  More layers = more frosting = me happy! Note: I put the 2 cake layers in the freezer for 45 minutes to make slicing them in half easier.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.
  • Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. I’m a BIG frosting person so I made 1 1/2 batches of the cream cheese frosting to make sure the cake was completely covered. I also sprinkled chopped walnuts in between each frosted layer to take it over the top.

Notes

I recommend storing the cake in the refrigerator when not being enjoyed.

Nutrition

Calories: 580kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 5gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 327mgPotassium: 193mgFiber: 2gSugar: 52gVitamin A: 2994IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BabyGizmo or tag #BabyGizmo!
Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Ginney

Wednesday 29th of June 2022

This really is the best carrot cake ever. I made this before the updates. I didn’t do the glaze and I used honey instead of sugar. Highly recommended - and glaze not needed - in my opinion. 😊

Denise

Thursday 14th of April 2022

I made this cake several years ago and it was sooo good! I’m going to make it for Easter. My question is will it be ok to have it in the fridge for 2days without it getting hard?

Victoria

Wednesday 6th of April 2022

Can you substitute vegetable oil for another oil? Would coconut oil be ok?

Renee

Sunday 26th of December 2021

Best carrot cake ever! I baked in three layers & added raisins to the frosting. Didn’t use buttermilk glaze but otherwise followed the recipe. PERFECTION! Thank you for sharing!

Kris

Sunday 31st of October 2021

Excellent: takes every bit of 1 1/2 X the frosting

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.