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!
Made this for Easter with fams and it was gone by the next day. Now they are demanding more and offering items to trade like addicts. Never had that kind of reaction before.
This carrot cake is incredible and the best I’ve had. It was loaded with flavor and so moist. I made it for Easter and followed the recipe exactly, but with only two layers. I don’t bake much and can be easily intimidated but this was pretty easy. I’ll definitely be making it again!
I have made this carrot cake several times and it always pleases. This is the most requested cake from my family and friends. Thank you for sharing the recipe. There’s never a piece left!
I have made this many times & it is soooo moist & delicious! I say to keep it in the refrigerator for better preservation. Everyone says it’s the best they ever had. This tastes like High end hotel cheff stuff. It is not a light cake though. Because of all the ingredients, it a heavy cake. More like a bread pudding cake texture.
I made this cake and it was delicious. My only problem was how come my carrot orange color wasn’t there. I used the bage of shredded carrots. The taste was delicious.
Too dense, lacking flavor.
Love it. Added 1C. of toasted coconut also!
This is by far the best tasting & moistest carrot cake that we have ever had. I made it for my husband’s birthday & he loved it. I made it exactly as the recipe instructed, but I did add 2 tablespoons of orange zest to the batter. It gave it just a hint of orange which we really enjoyed.
Love Lauren’s carrot cake recipe 😋! Moist & full of flavor.Tastes like a Michelin Chef served it at a high end restaurant.
I had a huge bag of carrots from Costco & figured id give her recipe a try.
I made it 3×’s now. I reduced the sugar & added a extra cup of grated carrots. I tried chunky pineapple vs. Crushed- I prefer the chunky (there is no acidic, tangy taste) Iam not a good baker, sometimes my cakes go flat. But this did me right. I filled the pans 1/2 way up & there was no overage.
So very greatful that she did not keep this a secret & that she shared this. This doesn’t last very long in my house.
Everyone wants some to take home. All hail to the Queen of Carrots 🥕 🙌 (Lauren Allen)
MAHALO ( Thank you) FROM HAWAII, Mary Ann Akana 💖 😊
I have made this cake several times now, my husbands favourite cakes are fruit and carrot so this was a big hit for his birthday last year and also at Christmas. He’s birthday is in a few days and I’m back here to look over the recipe and make it a again! It’s perfect thank you.
This cake went over so well, I’ve made it 4x in the last week for 2 separate kinds of people. First, I made it sugar free, gluten free, and low fat by using 3/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce and Swerve instead of regular sugar or vegetable oil Then I used Bob’s Redmill 1-to-1 flour substitute instead of regular wheat flour. It was not at all dry, but it was a little heavier because of the extra applesauce. I also doubled all the spices and added 1/4 tsp of crushed cloves to the dry ingredients. I got so many compliments, I had to make the recipe 3 more times this last week!! The last two cakes were low fat/low sugar because I substituted unsweetened applesauce for all of the oil and part of the sugar. Despite being high altitude, I did not have to add any extra flour or make any other adjustments to the recipe and it was better than perfect (according to my critics) every time!