The best Carrot Cake recipe is extra moist from buttermilk and crushed pineapple and has a hefty coating of dreamy cream cheese frosting. This is my birthday cake of choice every single year!
This Carrot Cake is my birthday cake every year.
This Carrot Cake is my birthday cake every year.But I'm pretty spoiled because along with this amazing carrot cake, I also got some German Chocolate Cake on my birthday because it's my twin sister's favorite and our amazing mom would make mini versions of both!
You know I am picky about my cake recipes and not all Carrot Cake recipes are created equal! This recipe has a light and fluffy texture with tons of flavor. You can add nuts and raisins, or NOT, if that's not your thing. But don't skip the buttermilk and crushed pineapple, which make it extra moist.
This recipe makes a three layer cake, but see the recipe notes for making a 9×13 inch carrot cake, or a two layer cake.
How to make Carrot Cake:
Make Cake Batter: Combine eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and pineapple in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and nutmeg. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Fold carrots, pecans, and raisins until evenly distributed.
Bake: Pour batter into parchment lined cake pans and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 25-40 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes before inverting on a wire rack.
Assemble and Frost: Position a cake round on a serving plate and spoons layer of cream cheese frosting on top. Repeat with other cake layers, spreading frosting on the top and sides, until it's covered. Add some chopped pecans, using the palm of your hand to press them on, if desired. Let this homemade carrot cake chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The whole cake tastes great made a day in advance. The frosting will keep in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.
To Freeze: Wrap cooled cake rounds in plastic wrap then place in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. The frosting can be frozen for up to 3 months as well. Remove frosting from fridge 1-2 hours in advance, to come to room temp. I like to frost the cake rounds while they're frozen.
More Cake Recipes:
- Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling
- Yellow Cake
- Hershey's Chocolate Cake
- Biscoff Cake
- Cannoli Cake
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- Dark Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Raspberry Filling
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Recipe
Carrot Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300g)
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar (147g), firmly packed
- 1 cup oil (198g), vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (114g)
- 4 large eggs , room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple * (128g)
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (281g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 1/2 cups carrots , finely grated, about 3-4 large carrots (248g)
- 1 cup chopped pecans , optional (114g)
- 1 cup golden raisins , optional (149g)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 16 ounces cream cheese (454g), softened
- 3/4 cup butter (170g), softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar (480-600g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180°C). Prepare three 8 inch cake pans* by lightly coating with cooking spray then lining with parchment paper.
- Wet ingredients: Beat the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and pineapple together in a large bowl.
- Dry ingredients: In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and nutmeg.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients then mix until incorporated. Fold in the carrots, pecans and raisins just until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake on center rack until a toothpick inserted into comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until the frosting reaches the consistency you want. Beat for serval minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Assemble: Place the bottom layer on a cardboard round or serving plate. Spoon about ½ cup cream cheese frosting onto bottom cake layer, spreading evenly over the surface and out to the edge of the cake. Repeat with remaining cake layers. Spread frosting around the sides of the cake, adding more as needed, until it's covered. Use the palm of your hand to cup chopped pecans around the edge of the cake, if desired.
- Chill cake for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Base cake recipe originally adapted from The Essential Baker.
I first shared this recipe May 2013. Updated March 2021 and March 2025.
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Best recipe! Yummy! Moist and very rich! Served it for Easter dinner. Was a hit!
I had made the German chocolate cake from this site and it was so good that I couldn’t wait to try the carrot cake. Man o man! I’ve not been disappointed. That is a stupendous cake as well.
I did make 1/3 of the recipe into a dozen “muffin tops” and used the cream cheese to make whoopie pies. Fantastic for eating out of hand 👌 The other 2/3 was baked into traditional cake layers and are in the freezer.
Then last night, I dreamed that I made both cakes into whoopie pies and my guests could mix & match the chocolate, the coconut & the cream cheese fillings with the chocolate and/or carrot muffin tops to their preference. Can’t wait!!!
Thank you.
Hi Lauren, and Happy Birthday to you & Liz! Can’t wait to try this recipe! Do you know how long I should bake it using a Bundt pan? Thanks!
If you’re baking the carrot cake in a bundt pan, the cook time is typically around 40–50 minutes. Just keep an eye on it toward the end and test with a toothpick! Let us know what you think!
If replacing All purpose flour with wheat flour what changes should be made?pls advice
We don’t recommend substituting all of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat because whole wheat is a lot denser, so your cake texture will be more dense. You could try doing 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose flour, but you may still need to adjust the liquid and add a little more if the batter is too thick. White whole wheat flour is still whole wheat but is less dense, so substituting part of the all purpose flour with that would probably work the best.