Moist Carrot Cake Recipe

overhead photo of sliced carrot cake on a dessert plate and whole cake on the cake stand

5 from 2 votes

Two layers of ultra moist, perfectly spiced cake topped with a velvety cream cheese frosting is the only carrot cake recipe you’ll ever need!

Prep Time45

Cook Time45

Cooling Time2 30

Total Time4

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Author: Grace Vallo

Equipment

2 (9-inch) cake pans
Stand mixer
Parchment paper

Ingredients

Carrot Cake:

3 ½ cups shredded carrots
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (and more for greasing pans)
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
1 ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:

12 ounces full-fat cream cheese at room temperature for 30 minutes
1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup toppings of choice optional (finely chopped walnuts, coconut, etc.)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Well-grease the sides and bottoms of 2 (9-inch) cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a parchment paper round. Grease the top of the parchment. Then sprinkle a small amount of flour into each pan. Tilt and tap the pan so the flour covers the greased sides and bottoms. Shake out any excess flour. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt for the cake. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla for the cake. Mix together on medium speed for 1 minute.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
In a large bowl, toss together the carrots, coconut, walnuts, and pineapple. Then add 2 tablespoons of flour and toss again.
Add the carrot mixture to the cake batter, and mix until just combined.
Evenly divide the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean or with loose crumbs (not batter!). My oven takes 45 minutes.
Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, run a knife gently around the outside of the pans, and carefully invert the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely (about 2 ½ hours before frosting).
While cooling, make the frosting. Add room temp cream cheese, softened butter, vanilla, and salt to the bowl of a mixer. Whip together over medium-high speed until creamy and uniform, about 90 seconds.
Add the powdered sugar. Starting on low speed and increasing to medium-high speed, whip together the frosting for about 90 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Let frosting chill in the fridge (at least an hour) until cakes have cooled completely.
Place the first cake, flat-side up, on a cake stand or plate. Frost the top of the cake with about ⅓ of the frosting.
Place the second cake on top of the first, round side up. Frost the top of the cake, and then the sides, with desired amount of frosting.
Decorate with coconut, walnuts, sprinkles or leave as-is! I recommend chilling cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing, for easier slicing, and make sure to store in the fridge when not enjoying!

Video

Notes

Store-bought shredded carrots work great!
Don’t like coconut, pineapple, or walnuts? You can eliminate one, or replace one with another mix-in of choice! Don’t eliminate more than one mix-in, so the quantity of mix-ins doesn’t change dramatically.
I buy pre-cut fresh pineapple chunks and then dice them into small pieces.

Nutrition