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’m making this cake for work. My Lt. loves carrot cake. Can I use a 9×13 pan? I assume baking time will be longer?
Baking time will probably be around 30 minutes. I also have this really simple and delicious carrot cake recipe baked in a 9×13” pan if you’re interested! Enjoy–I hope he loves it!
I am about to cook this carrot cake but don’t have 9 inch tins can I use 8inch and if so what would the cooking times be please
Yes, you can use 8in, and the cooking time may just be a few minutes longer.
It was AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much!
I made it for my cousin’s birthday, everyone loved it!! This recipe is a keeper!
(I omitted the raisins, don’t like them, and doubled the nuts)
Lauren,
I have a request to make a carrot cake for a work event and this looks delicious. The person that we’re celebrating loves carrot cake but doesn’t like any nuts, raisins or pineapple in the cake. Can you suggest a replacement item for the pineapple?
Thanks!
Applesauce would work well 🙂
Because your German Chocolate Cake was such a hit for my son’s birthday in January I headed back to your site for my mom’s birthday. This is fabulous and foolproof! It came out perfect and was so moist. Thanks to you, box mixes are a thing of the past in my house. It’s really inspired me to keep trying my hand at new things. 🙂
That’s what I love to hear! Thanks so much for sharing <3
My son loveeees carrot cake and I wanna try this recipe but he’s a picky eater I was wondering is the pineapple taste was very prominent? He’s not to big a fan of them.
The pineapple is not prominent at all, it mostly helps with the moist texture. Hope you get a chance to try it!
Just made this cake for my daughter’s birthday. Everyone loved it. Since we all love lemon, I added the zest from one lemon to the frosting, which made it taste delightful. Also, I did drain the pineapple and fear it would have been too moist if I hadn’t. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. Can’t wait to make it again!
Made this for the first time for a friend’s birthday. Carrot is her favorite cake. I followed the recipe almost as written but omitted the pineapple, and included the optional golden raisins and pecans. I also had an idea to decorate as shown, but use cinnamon candied pecans. It was a huge hit! Perfectly spiced and so moist. Everyone at the party would not stop talking about the cake (even folks that were not fans of carrot cake LOVED it – I find it’s the pineapple that usually turns folks off). My friend just texted me today saying that she’s been nibbling on the left overs and this cake is now on her “last meal” list. Great recipe, thanks for sharing. This is a keeper.
I am so glad it turned out well, Laurie! Thanks so much for sharing!
Do you drain the pineapple?
No 🙂
I made this cake for a co-worker’s birthday last week, and she said it was the BEST carrot cake she and her husband had ever tasted! She raved about it so much, that she invited other co-workers in the building to have a slice, and I am now getting requests from multiple people to make this cake! The first time I made it, I used applesauce instead of the oil and even though it still tasted great, the texture was off, in my opinion; it was more like a moist carrot bread. So the next time I stuck with the original recipe, and it’s fabulous! Lesson learned, don’t deviate from the recipe! The only thing I did differently was double the cinnamon, which brought the flavors over the top. This cake and frosting will have your friends and family placing orders and getting in line for a piece!