Carrot Cake

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!

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

Recipe

4.94 from 247 votes

Carrot Cake

The best Carrot Cake recipe is extra moist from buttermilk and crushed pineapple and is slathered in the most amazing cream cheese frosting. This is my birthday cake every year!

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Author Lauren Allen

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 15

Calories 747

Cost 15

Prep 20 minutes mins

Cook 30 minutes mins

Total 50 minutes mins

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Equipment

• Cake Pans
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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

Omit Pineapple: crushed pineapple adds a sweetness and keeps it moist, but you could use unsweetened applesauce as a substitute.

Nuts & Raisins are optional. You could also add walnuts or coconut. I prefer raisins inside my cake and the nuts only on the outside.

9×13 Carrot Cake: Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan then pour in some of the batter, but don't overfill. Use the rest of the batter to make a few cupcakes. Bake the cake for 35-45 at 350°F (180°C). Test with a toothpick, it should come out clean.

Two Layer Carrot Cake: Divide batter in half and pour into two parchment lined and greased 9″ round cake pans. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30-40 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes: Place cupcake liners in muffin pan and fill 3/4. of the way with batter. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 18-25 minutes.

Make Ahead Instructions: The whole cake tastes great made a day in advance. The frosting will keep in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.

Freezing Instructions: 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 747kcalCarbohydrates: 90gProtein: 7gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 408mgPotassium: 289mgFiber: 2gSugar: 71gVitamin A: 4348IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 104mgIron: 2mg

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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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