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a slice of carrot cake

Carrot Cake

Kelly
This is my favorite Carrot Cake recipe – a super moist and tender Carrot Cake bursting with flavor from pineapple and coconut, topped with the most heavenly cream cheese frosting.
5 from 7 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 15 servings
Calories 596 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Carrot Cake:

  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil 150g
  • ½ cup applesauce 255g
  • 2 cups granulated sugar 397g
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 283g
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups lightly packed finely, freshly grated carrots 227g
  • 1 cup Dole crushed pineapple (lightly drained) 227g
  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut 75g
  • 1 cup pecans optional
  • ½ cup raisins optional

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 8 oz cream cheese 227g, softened
  • ½ cup unsalted butter 113g, softened
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream* optional
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 cups powdered sugar ( 360g or more if needed to thicken)
  • Pinch of salt

Optional decoration:

  • fondant carrots

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F

Make the batter:

  • Whisk together the eggs, oil, applesauce, and sugar.
  • Gently stir in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon).
  • Gently fold in the carrots, coconut, and pineapple (and nuts and raisins if using)

Bake the cake:

  • Pour the batter into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick baking spray.
  • Bake in a preheated 350° F oven until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

Make the cream cheese frosting:

  • Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese together with the softened butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and pinch of salt. Mix on low for 30 seconds, then turn to medium- high and beat for 3 minutes until super smooth and creamy. Add a little more sugar if it’s too loose or a little milk if it’s too thick.
  • Be sure the cream cheese and butter are at room temperature before mixing so the frosting doesn’t have any lumps. I also like to sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps.

Frost the cake:

  • When the cake is completely cooled, frost the cake using a spoon or a spatula.
  • Store the cake, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • If you have sour cream on hand, add in a tablespoon. It adds sheen and flavor to the frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 596kcalCarbohydrates: 76gProtein: 5gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 285mgPotassium: 236mgFiber: 3gSugar: 55gVitamin A: 3310IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 2mg
Keyword carrot cake, coconut, cream cheese frosting
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