World’s Best Carrot Cake
I felt like I needed to add more veggies to my diet so I made my favorite carrot cake! Ummm…Heck yeah! I’m happy to report that about three more slices of this baby and my eye sight should be back to normal!
I’m obsessed with this carrot cake recipe! It truly is the “World’s Best”! That is no exaggeration. This recipe ALWAYS receives rave reviews! (It makes me look good!) It’s the perfect balance of everything I love! Crushed pineapple, carrots, coconut, walnuts, and all the right spices, brought together with a delicious cream cheese frosting! This cake is bursting with flavor and ultra moist, but not overly sweet like some carrot cakes.
I didn’t do a lot of step-by-step photo’s this time because it’s such simple recipe and y’all are so smart and can do this! First you are going to place your wet ingredients into the mixer and blend. Next add your dry ingredients and mix. Then add your carrots, pineapple, coconuts and lastly the nuts and mix again. (Nuts are optional)
When you have blended all the ingredients together this is what your batter should look like. You’ll want to grease and flour three 8 inch cake pans, or you can do two 8-9 inch cake pans too. I wanted a three layer cake with thinner layers because I love how this cake looks with three layers. It’s a personal choice and totally up to you!
Tip: I only had two cake pans so I baked two, and then did the third after the first one had slightly cooled and I could invert it onto my cake plate.
Once you have baked your cakes in a 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes, place on a cooling rack and allow them to completely cool in the pans! The reason for this… remember how I said this cake is “moist”…it’s really moist! I placed mine face down on a cooling rack the first time, and had to carefully lift mine with two spatula’s. (It’s a nightmare you don’t wanna live through! Trust me!) Place your cake pan up against your cake plate and invert. Using your favorite cream cheese recipe (I’ll include mine…I promise) Frost the tops of each cake layer.
I love that this cake is only frosted between the layers. You could go around the outside if you really want to, but Mars and I are not huge frosting fans so this method of just frosting in between the layers and on top is perfect for us. I don’t do a ton of frosting either, just a nice medium layer. Again this is a personal choice. You can do whatever floats your boat! (Don’t take all your baking advice from me! lol I’m the lady eating cake to get her vegetable count in!) (wink, wink)
Here is the final result. I didn’t go all fancy with piping frosting around the edges or adding any garnish. I really believe sometimes more is just that…more! Not necessarily better. This cake so beautiful on it’s own! It doesn’t need all that “Froufrou”! (I hate my kitchen table and am re-doing it soon!!! Just in case you were wondering.)
I do think it deserves a moment of silence…. tick- tock…tick-tock….
Okay… enough of that! Let’s get to the good part…the eatin’! Ooooh…so super moist and so yummy! Makes eatin’ your veggies a divine pleasure! One bite and you can feel yourself start to elevate to new heights! (I said “heights” not “weight”! This cake has fruit and veggies it cancels out all calories!… Your Welcome! lol)
I made this for dessert the other night and my kids… who both told me they don’t usually like carrot cake…loved it! Mars who has always “Passed” on my carrot cake asked for a slice and then proceeded to “ewww and ahhhh” and ask me why he’s never tried it before? (Mmmmm…That’s a question only the other martians can answer! Us Venusians eat any carb covered in frosting!)
Now who wants the printable recipe for this World’s Best Carrot Cake? You do want it right? Alright… it’s right below for you to print out. I’d REALLY love to hear your feedback on this recipe! I want to know if you become as obsessed as I am with this version of the traditional carrot cake. Have a GREAT day! Happy Veggie Eatin’!
I’m sharing this delicious recipe on Weekend Potluck. Click right HERE to join the party!
This is the perfect dessert recipe for Easter so I’m going to share it on Meal Plan Monday this week! You can find it and other amazing recipes by clicking right HERE!
This recipe makes a fabulous and moist carrot cake. Five stars all the way! I always get rave reviews whenever I serve this cake! It makes amazing cupcakes too!
*Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com
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Orpha Solis | 9th Nov 16
Thank you for this recipe, over twenty years ago my sister gave me this recipe. I would bake this cake for all special occasions, and always got raves. The years went by and I moved a couple of times, rventually I misplaced the recipe. I have looked for this very recipe on the net for years, never finding the exact recipe, until now, thanks to you! Now I will treasure this recipe and safeguard it. I extend my graditude to you, once again, thank you.
Sincerely, Orpha Solis
norine@norinesnest.com | 9th Nov 16
Orpha, You are so very welcome! Thank YOU for sharing your story with me! I absolutely LOVE to hear that I have been able to help someone in some small way. I am SO happy you found this recipe! It is my very favorite carrot cake recipe. For those who have not tried it they just don’t understand the depth of flavors in this recipe. It truly is the BEST Carrot cake recipe on the planet! I hope you and your enjoy it for years to come! Please visit me again soon! ~ Norine
Noreen | 26th Nov 16
This recipe sounds so delicious!! I cannot wait to try it. I have an office Christmas party coming up and I plan on taking this cake. BTW… I LOVE your name 😉
norine@norinesnest.com | 26th Nov 16
Hi Noreen! I love your name too! 😉 lol I know everyone will love this cake at your office party! Thanks for sharing and stopping by! You brought a smile to my face! 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
jean wallace | 5th Dec 16
Norine-how many cups is one pound of icing sugar
norine@norinesnest.com | 5th Dec 16
Hi Jean! There is about 3.63 cups of powder sugar in a 16 oz. bag. Sorry for any confusion! Hope this helps! Thanks for stopping by!
Sheri | 21st Dec 16
Hi! Do use unsweetened coconut flakes? Thanks!
norine@norinesnest.com | 21st Dec 16
Hi Sheri! I use sweetened coconut flakes. I’m sure either would work well. I just usually have sweetened on hand. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the cake! It’s truly my very favorite carrot cake ever!!! 😉
Sarah | 25th Dec 16
OMG my husband’s favorite and I have a competitive dessert contest in February. Hope this wins, thanks!
norine@norinesnest.com | 27th Dec 16
Hi Sarah! I hope it WINS too! Please keep me posted! I think your husband will absolutely LOVE this recipe! I can’t even tell you all the rave reviews this recipes receives every single time I make it! Good Luck! I’ll be rooting for ya! 😉
Sheri | 25th Dec 16
I made this for Christmas. It really was a moist and delicious carrot cake. Rave reviews from everyone who has a piece. Loved it! Thanks for sharing!
norine@norinesnest.com | 27th Dec 16
Sheri you are SO welcome! Thank you for sharing! I love hearing from friends who have made this recipe and have loved it! It’s one of those recipes that is so hard to put into words just how delicious it is! By far my all time favorite Carrot Cake! Have a Wonderful New Years! Thanks for stopping by!
Nan | 12th Feb 17
This carrot cake is amazing! Moist, delicious, makes you want to eat a slice…or two! The frosting is also spot on!
norine@norinesnest.com | 13th Feb 17
Thanks! I love a slice…or two too! 😉 lol I’m so glad you enjoyed this cake. It is one of my all time favorite cake recipes. I just love every delicious morsel every time I make it! Thanks for your awesome feedback! I love hearing from friends that enjoyed a recipe. Have a FANTASTIC day!
Lizzir | 13th Feb 17
This cake is amazing. Everyone I gave it to (in York, UK) loved it. I added orange zest to the icing and sultanas to the cake, and substituted buttermilk for regular milk. I’ve been asked for the recipe by three people; that’s good going!! Thank you 🙂
norine@norinesnest.com | 13th Feb 17
WOW! Thank You Lizzie! (Love your name!) You are so welcome! I absolutely LOVE the idea of adding orange zest to the frosting. What a fabulous idea!!! I’m going to try that next time I make this cake…which may be sooner than I had planned! lol Sure appreciate your input and suggestions. So glad you like the cake and that your friends in York did too! Have a Wonderful Day! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Renee | 21st Feb 17
I think I am going to make this and reduce sugar. Do you think I could reduce it by half??
norine@norinesnest.com | 21st Feb 17
Hi Renee! I’m going to be totally honest and tell you that I have never reduced the sugar by that much. I’m not sure how it will taste or turn out? My first instinct is to say I THINK it will be okay?! You have the sweetness of the pineapple, carrots, etc. However, never having prepared it the way you are suggesting…just not 100% sure. I think I would substitute maybe 1/4 cup of applesauce in addition to the 1/2 amount of sugar. I’ve never found the cake overly sweet by itself but I understand the desire to want to reduce the amount of sugar. I hope this helps in some small way and I’m really anxious to hear how it turns out so PLEASE let me know what you decide to do and how it works! Thanks for your question and stopping by my Nest! 🙂
Renee | 24th Feb 17
Hi Norine,
Okay, so I made a few changes but the cake came out phenomenal!! I just used 1 cup of sugar…..plenty of sweetness, slightly toasted my coconut…..it has a stronger flavor. Lastly, I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. Thanks so much for recipe:). My mom loved it!!!!!
norine@norinesnest.com | 24th Feb 17
Renee that is AWESOME! I hadn’t even thought to toast the coconut. Great idea! I’m doing that the next time I make the cake and I am going to cut the sugar back and see if I even notice a difference. I’m so glad your Mom loved the cake and that it turned out so good! You are so welcome. Thank you SO much for sharing your changes with us. Excited to try them. Have a Fantastic weekend! 🙂
Renee | 24th Feb 17
Hi Norine,
Okay, so I made a few changes but the cake came out phenomenal!! I just used 1 cup of sugar…..plenty of sweetness, slightly toasted my coconut…..it has a stronger flavor. Lastly, I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. Thanks so much for recipe:). My mom loved it!!!!!
norine@norinesnest.com | 24th Feb 17
Renee that is AWESOME! I hadn’t even thought to toast the coconut. Great idea! I’m doing that the next time I make the cake and I am going to cut the sugar back and see if I even notice a difference. I’m so glad your Mom loved the cake and that it turned out so good! You are so welcome. Thank you SO much for sharing your changes with us. Excited to try them. Have a Fantastic weekend! ?
Lori Hunter | 27th Feb 17
This recipe was wonderful-and I was always afraid since I’d never made a carrot cake before! Great instructions, perfect ingredient listing, it came out beautifully and was almost entirely devoured after our weekly family dinner. Will be my go-to carrot cake recipe.
Btw, I used a vanilla bean paste in the cream cheese frosting and….I daresay I’ve never actally had a vanilla bean cream cheese buttercream before today! Kudos!
norine@norinesnest.com | 27th Feb 17
Hi Lori! Thank you SO much for all your sweet compliments and kind words! I’m so happy your carrot cake was a hit. Hooray for conquering your fears!!! I know exactly how you feel though. I have certain recipes I’d love to try, but just the thought makes me break out into anxiety! 😉 Look at you go! I love Vanilla bean paste. It’s so overlooked and sooooo good! Thanks for stopping by my “Nest”. I’m so happy I was able to help you find a carrot cake recipe the whole family loved! Have a GREAT week!
Nothile | 28th Mar 17
Wooow loved it , i made it for my hubby and we couldn’t stay away from it,made it for my colleagues and the ladies in church they too loved it, thank you thank you ??
norine@norinesnest.com | 28th Mar 17
Hi Nothile! You are SO welcome! I just love hearing from friends who have made a recipe and absolutely love it! THANK YOU!!! You made my day 🙂 I’ve been itching to make this…but, I’m really afraid I will eat it ALL! It truly is so moist and yummy. You have really lucky church ladies and colleagues if you made this cake for them. I’m jealous! 😉 Thanks so much for sharing with me. Have a GREAT day!
Linda | 28th Mar 17
My family really doesn’t like coconut. Do you think I could just leave it out or is there something I could substitute for it?
norine@norinesnest.com | 28th Mar 17
Hi Linda! I understand about the coconut. I keep saying that “coconut” is a love/hate thing. You either love it or ya hate it. No middle ground where it is concerned. 😉 I have never made it without the coconut. I think you could leave it out and it would be just fine. My concern is that the semi-dried coconut probably soaks in some of the liquids from the pineapple and carrots. One article I read on-line suggested adding more “nuts” as a substitution for the coconut. 🙂 If it were me I think I’d add a 1/4 cup more nuts and maybe 1/4 cup more flour. Otherwise you should be fine. This is a pretty forgiving recipe. Thanks for stopping by! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Bobbie | 7th Apr 17
Your “print” version is ridiculous! An entire page for a picture of your cake? The amount of ink I used for that was absurd! Be considerate!
norine@norinesnest.com | 7th Apr 17
Hi Bobbie! I had no idea it was taking an entire page to print the photo. I was in no way trying to be inconsiderate. I sincerely apologize. I do appreciate your kindness in pointing out the issue. I will certainly work on fixing the issue. Have a FANTASTIC day! Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
Karen | 13th Apr 17
Good morning, I will be making this for Easter this coming Sunday, and will be using two 8″ pans. Approximately 40 minutes baking? I know oven temps vary. Also, will be adding raisins too, to the batter!
norine@norinesnest.com | 13th Apr 17
Hi Karen! Yes approximately 40-50 minutes. It could lean more towards 50 with two 8 inch rather than 3 layers. I’ve done double layers many times. I will caution to watch how full you fill the pans. Nothing worse than cleaning up burnt cake droppings! (I’ve done it once..or twice…ugh!) I honestly think the golden raisins will be AMAZING in this recipe. I just have non-raisin loving birds at this nest! 😉 Have a WONDERFUL Easter! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Michele | 13th Apr 17
Hi..this looks and sounds really good.. but I have a question that I need an answer to as soon as possible please. Anyone can answer it.
Do I have to use nuts? Will it change anything at all in the cake? Rising,baking,anything.
Thanks
norine@norinesnest.com | 13th Apr 17
Hi Michele. No it will not change one thing! You can make it without Nuts and it will turn out fantastic! 😉 Thanks for stopping by and this is our number one recipe here at Norine’s Nest so I’m sure you’ll love it! Have a Happy Easter and a Great day! ~ Norine
Thalia | 14th Apr 17
Probably a dumb question but I’m not a baker lol! How much do I fill each pan with the batter? Thank you and this looks delicious!! Can’t wait to make it tomorrow for Easter Sunday dinner.
norine@norinesnest.com | 14th Apr 17
Hi Thalia! Not a dumb question at all! First time I made a carrot cake…not this recipe…I didn’t ask that question and I was cleaning the WORST mess EVER out of the bottom of my oven! So if you ask me..SMART question! lol 😉 You want to fill the cake pans 2/3 full! You may have more batter than will fit into two pans. If so make a few cupcakes! 😉 I know everyone is going to rave about your “carrot cake”! Have a wonderful EASTER! Thanks so much for stopping by and for sharing My Nest with me! ~ Norine
Karen | 14th Apr 17
Hi Norine, one last question! Cake flour. Doable with this recipe? If so, any alteration to the recipe if using it?
norine@norinesnest.com | 14th Apr 17
Hi Karen! Ask as many questions as you want! I LOVE visiting with my Nest Friends! 😉 Cake flour is going to require a little adjustment. The difference between “flours” is the protein vs. carbohydrate content. Cake flour has less protein in it than All-purpose flour so they do not weigh the same. Example…One cup of AP flour weighs 4.5 oz and a cup of Cake flour weighs 4.0 oz. So a good rule of thumb, that I have read, is to add 2 Tablespoons of Cake Flour to every cup of all-purpose flour. To be really accurate you should weigh it out…but I’ll be honest…I wouldn’t go to all that trouble. lol I’ve never made this cake using “cake flour” so I can not vouch for how it will turn out. Also if you do use cake flour be sure to “sift” all your other dry ingredients so they don’t “clump” when making your batter. Hope this helps you out! Have a GREAT Easter! Can’t wait to hear how you love the cake! Thanks for stopping by my Nest! ~ Norine
Lorraine | 15th Apr 17
Norine,
I’m going to make this recipe today-it looks awesome. I’m thinking of making cupcakes so that my Easter quests could easily take leftovers home. How long should I bake the cupcakes?
norine@norinesnest.com | 15th Apr 17
Hi Lorraine! Love the idea of guests being able to take their dessert with them! This makes amazing cupcakes. Bake time is around 20-25 minutes at 350°. I’d check them at 18-20 minutes because of the variable in oven temps. Have a FANTASTIC Easter and Thanks for stopping by my Nest! ~ Norine
Karen | 15th Apr 17
Hi Norine, I am back! Had to let you know the cakes are cooling on the counter. Look beautiful! Just want to let you know I use parchment paper on the bottoms of the pans; sprayed Pam on the bottom, added the paper, then spray the entire pan again with the Pam. The cakes came right out!!!
FYI, I had mentioned earlier that I was going to add raisins…I forgot!!! I didn’t have them laid out with the rest of my ingredients. 🙁 Next time, though! Happy Easter!
norine@norinesnest.com | 15th Apr 17
Hi Karen!
I am so excited how great your cakes are turning out. I love lining the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. In the “good ol’days” I used newspaper. (The ink can’t kill ya right? lol) Great tip and I need to remember to pass it on to our other Nesting friends for the future. I’m so sad you forgot the raisins. I was kind of waiting to hear how they would taste in the cake…next time! 😉 There’s always a good excuse to bake another cake! 😉 Have a VERY Happy Easter with all those you love! ~ Norine 😉
Carol | 15th Apr 17
Hi Norene,
Just love your carrot cake but wanted to put in a 9X13. Is that possible and how long would I bake it.
Thank you!
norine@norinesnest.com | 15th Apr 17
Hi Carol!
Yes it is totally possible to bake the cake in a 9 x 13 pan. I’m thinking around 40-45 minutes for a 9 x 13. Check it at 40 minutes. 😉 If you gently press in the center and it springs back you are good to go! If not give it a few more minutes and check again. Thanks for stopping by! Have a Wonderful Easter with those you love! ~Norine
Viviana Esquivel Ruiz | 15th Apr 17
Buenos días sra. Norine soy de Aguascalientes, Ags., México, tengo una duda sobre la receta: ¿cuál es el suero o dónde lo consigo? Ya que la receta dice que necesito 3/4 de taza. Muchas gracias por su atención.
norine@norinesnest.com | 15th Apr 17
Hola Viviana!
¡Bien, vamos a rezar para que Google Translator funcione para nosotros! Hay dos cosas enumeradas en los ingredientes que son para 3/4 de taza. Uno es aceite vegetal … aceite de cocina. Como usas para freír cosas. La otra es para el suero de leche. ¿Crees que estás preguntando por el “suero de leche”? El suero de mantequilla es un tipo más grueso de productos lácteos como la leche de vaca. Si no tiene suero de leche, puede sustituir 3/4 de taza de leche normal y agregar 1 cucharada de jugo de limón o vinagre y dejarlo reposar durante 5 minutos. Espero que esto ayude. ¡Tenga una Pascua muy feliz! Norine
Bernice Whiteman | 17th Apr 17
I made this cake for Easter and it was perfection plus, thanks for sharing. I made two, 9 inch pans and the amount of batter was just right and then decorated it – very delicious.
norine@norinesnest.com | 17th Apr 17
Hi Bernice!
I’m SO happy to hear that the cake turned out perfectly and that you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing! You made my day 🙂 Thanks for visiting my Nest ~ Norine
Susan | 28th Apr 17
I love trying different recipes and I’m definitely trying this one. As I was reading the comments someone mentioned wanting to add raisins to this recipe. It just so happens that years ago I tried a cake recipe that included raisins and also crushed pineapple. I used a small amount of the pineapple juice to soak the raisins in before adding to the batter. The juice made the raisins plump right up and added to their flavor. Thank you for sharing all your wonderful recipes.
norine@norinesnest.com | 28th Apr 17
Hi Susan!
Oh my goodness I’m sitting here marveling in your genius of soaking the raisins in pineapple juice! I can imagine how delicious that was. Truly inspiring. THANK YOU for sharing that tip! I love it! 🙂 I have got to try that…and soon. 😉 Thank you so much for sharing and for stopping by my Nest and visiting with me. I just love making new friends who love to cook as much as I do. I hope you have a fantastic weekend! ~ Norine
Annie | 4th May 17
I can’t wait to try this recipe! My friend makes a fabulously delicious carrot cake but her recipe is top secret and she won’t share it with anyone. Hers is scrumptiously moist and looks very similar to your pictures ~ your recipe is the first I’ve seen to use buttermilk so maybe this is her secret?! Thank you for sharing, maybe, with your help, I will have finally cracked the code!! Seriously, for YEARS I have been searching carrot cake recipes in a vain attempt to copy her cake (my Pinterest desserts board is littered with numerous different carrot cake recipes, none quite right). This one finally seems to have all the components I’m looking for, moist-ness, pineapple, coconut, walnuts… and of course carrots!?
norine@norinesnest.com | 5th May 17
Hi Annie!
If your friend has a better carrot cake recipe than this one…I want it too! I’m secretly cheering you on that this is the recipe that breaks the “code”! Let me know…I’ll be dying to hear if I’ve come close! Buttermilk is always a plus in cake making…takes the moistness factor up by a good 10 points! 😉 Thanks for sharing with me. I love visiting with “foodie” friends. Have a Great weekend and remember to keep me posted!
~ Norine
Annie | 5th May 17
THIS IS IT!!!! THIS IS IT!!!! THIS IS THE RECIPE!!!! I have been so giddy all day to have finally found the one!!! I’ve been wanting my friend’s recipe for 20+ years! This definitely IS the world’s best carrot cake. Moist, delicious, and all of the extra ingredients that make carrot cake so yummy! So ridiculously excited about this!!! THANK YOU!!!???
norine@norinesnest.com | 6th May 17
Oh Annie!
You MADE my day! I’m SO excited and happy for you. I can’t even express how wonderful it is for me to know that I helped someone find something they were looking for. 🙂 Now you just need to invite your friend over for a piece of “YOUR” World’s Best Carrot cake! (giggle) 😉 Have an absolutely wonderful weekend sweet lady! I think we should call ourselves the carrot cake code breakers! 😉
~Norine
Melanie | 9th May 17
Just wondering about baking time if i make cupcakes. Also about how many cupcakes does one batch make?
norine@norinesnest.com | 9th May 17
Hi Melanie!
I’m going to be honest…I usually make these as cupcakes. I figure I’ll “eat less”… Until I’m on my 5th, then I realize I should have just gone with the cake. 😉 It will make about 36 cupcakes. Only fill your liners 2/3 full. Bake time is about 20-25 minutes. I always tell followers to check at about 18 minutes because everyone’s oven cooks at a different temp. My oven runs about 25 degrees hotter than the gauge…I’m living for the day “Wolf” calls me up and wants to give me a free one. 😉 You’ll love this recipe for cupcakes. So moist and delicious! Thanks for stopping by my Nest! Have a GREAT day!
~Norine
Mary Allen | 9th May 17
I make carrot cake quite often but haven’t tried this recipe. Just a tip for layer cakes of all kinds
Use same size pans
Weigh them
Add the batter to each one so they have the same weight it turns out perfect
norine@norinesnest.com | 10th May 17
Hi Mary!
Thank you for sharing that GREAT tip! Thank you for visiting my Nest too! Have a Great Week!
~Norine
Valerie Dore | 20th May 17
LOVE this recipe!!! Would it work baking it in a bundt pan? Thanks, God Bless!!
norine@norinesnest.com | 21st May 17
Hi Valerie!
I think it would work great in a bundt pan. You will probably have to increase your baking time a bit…but not too much. Just keep an eye on it. This is truly my very favorite Carrot Cake recipe. I won’t even use another one. This one is so moist and flavorful. You just can’t go wrong with it. Thanks so much for stopping by my Nest and God Bless you too! Have a Wonderful Day!
~Norine
Robin purdy | 28th May 17
How about using g a Bundt pan? If yes. How long.
norine@norinesnest.com | 30th May 17
Hi Robin!
Sorry for the delay in response. I’ve been out sick! Yes, you can make this recipe in a bundt pan. Just watch your cook time. Enjoy!
Thank you for visiting my nest. Have a GREAT day! ~ Norine
Rebecca | 2nd Jun 17
I’m excited to try this recipe. I love carrot cake but had never made one till the other day. I found a recipe on pinterest that boasted about being a great southern carrot cake. It came out dry and severely lacking flavor… sorely disappointed. Your recipe sounds like it has all the great ingredients for a fantastic cake and with all these awesome reviews, it must be pretty amazing!
norine@norinesnest.com | 4th Jun 17
Hi Rebecca!
This recipe will not disappoint! It’s packed with flavor and super moist! If you follow the recipe you will fall in love! Thanks so much for sharing and for stopping by my Nest! Have a Fantastic day and I’d love to hear a review when you try this. ~Norine
Bernie | 8th Jun 17
Hi Norine!
This cake looks so delish and I must try the recipe, however, I am not fond of coconut, can I substitute another item for the coconut or leave it out completely without ruining the recipe?
norine@norinesnest.com | 8th Jun 17
Hi Bernie!
You can leave the coconut out. I wouldn’t replace it with something else. It won’t ruin the recipe, but I might add a little more flour to absorb some of the liquids because the coconut does that. So maybe add like 1/8 of a cup more flour to be safe. Yes to crushed pineapple and I do not roast the walnuts. Let me know how it turns out. It truly is a wonderful carrot cake. Thanks for stopping by my Nest. Have a Great day and have fun making this yummy cake.
~Norine
Bernie | 8th Jun 17
Norine,
I forgot to ask… did you use crushed pineapple for this recipe? Also, did you roast the walnuts before adding to the mixture? Thanks.
norine@norinesnest.com | 8th Jun 17
I hope you saw the answer to these questions in my other response. Thanks again for stopping by. 😉
Norine
LADY A | 19th Jun 17
hi Norine!! the reviews were so good, this is my husbands favorite dessert , and could you pls advice how many minutes to bake if i cut the recipe in half and make it a roll cake, im afraid to do eyeball coz ive made a mistake making some upsidedown before. thank you , Norine .
norine@norinesnest.com | 20th Jun 17
Hi!
I’m going to be honest…I’ve never made this recipe into a cake roll so I can’t really give you specific baking instructions. I’m a little concerned how this would work in a cake roll…it’s a very moist cake. I know when making cupcakes the bake time is about 20-25 minutes. Most cake roll recipes call for the cake to bake for 10-15 minutes because of the depth of the cake. All I can suggest if you do decide to make a cake roll with this recipe is to watch it carefully as it bakes and check after the first 10 minutes of bake time. If when you touch the center and it springs back then it’s done. If not continue baking a little longer and retest.
Thanks for stopping by my Nest. It’s a great cake. One of my very favorites! Have a great day and I hope I helped a little.
~Norine
BeaBae | 26th Jul 17
Newbie baker here, so please forgive me if this is question has an obvious answer– does butter mean unsalted or salted butter in this recipe? I’m really excited to make it for my mother’s birthday but I want to get it right!
norine@norinesnest.com | 3rd Aug 17
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you! I was traveling and my system didn’t forward comments to me like it was supposed to! YIKES!!! That is a GREAT question. Generally in baking you use unsalted butter. I’ll be totally honest and tell you that oft times I use regular salted butter and cut the amount of salt required in a recipe just because that is what I have on hand. Hope I’m not too late in answering. So sorry. Keep up the baking and Happy Nesting!
~Norine
ym | 4th Aug 17
Hello I made this cake as it says the recipe but duplicate the amounts and I did it in single mold I do not know if I made it out taaannn mal.la carrot nuts, pineapple and coconut were up on the cake and down I was so humid q looked Budin, I was very wrong with this cake. What could have happened ?? this cake can be baked in single mold ?? I was very enlightened by the comments
norine@norinesnest.com | 4th Aug 17
Hi! I’m having a hard time understanding your comments. I’m sorry. If you doubled the amounts and did it in a single molded pan, like a bundt cake pan, that would be too much batter for a single pan. I’m not understanding what you are trying to say about the carrot, nuts, pineapple, and coconut being up and down? In order for this cake to turn out exactly as it should you need to have all the ingredients exactly as stated in the original recipe. I have had others ask if they could omit certain items like the coconut. I can never 100% vouch for how the recipe will turn out when ingredients are omitted. I have had others make this cake in a single mold. I’ve made this recipe into cupcakes and never had an issue. If you are at a higher altitude that could have affected the outcome. I’m so sorry this didn’t turn out for you. It truly is a wonderful and delicious recipe. With a single mold cake pan you may need to increase your bake time as it is a thicker cake. Hope some of this helped. Thank you for sharing.
~Norine
Donna C | 15th Aug 17
Omg this is the best carrot cake I have ever eaten! I made it the other night and I swear my hubby’s eyes rolled back in his head! I will never buy another boxed carrot cake mix again. This will definitely be my go to recipe. Thank you so much.
norine@norinesnest.com | 16th Aug 17
Hi Donna!
Thank you so much! It is the best I’ve ever had and I’ve been craving it like crazy!!! I think I need to make it this weekend. I love your comment about your husband! I laughed right out loud! 😉 Thanks for sharing with me. You made my day!!! Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Elaine Taylor | 2nd Sep 17
Hi Norine, I’ve never made carrot cake before, in fact, I cook a lot but don’t bake at all haha. I am spurred on by all the comments of success and how delicious it is so I am making it on Monday. I had to research a few things like a pound and powdered sugar because I’m in Australia but I’ve now got it sorted and am really keen to try it. Will let you know how it fares. ET 🙂
norine@norinesnest.com | 2nd Sep 17
Hi Elaine!
I’m so sorry for the confusion on measurements. I’m glad you got it all worked out. You are going to LOVE this Carrot Cake and I have complete faith that you will be an amazing baker! I can’t wait to hear how it turns out and how everyone at your “Nest” likes it! Thanks so much for sharing and don’t forget to let me know how it goes!
Happy Baking!
Norine
Nanthi | 4th Sep 17
Hi Norine, I just searched for a best carrot cake and found yours. I’ve never made carrot cake till now and going to try your receipe. The reviews are so great and I felt it must be really good.?
Small clarification- I don’t have pineapple in hand right now. Can I omit this? And can I use desiccated coconut instead of fresh coconut?
Will come back with an update after baking. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
norine@norinesnest.com | 5th Sep 17
Hi Nanthi!
I’m so happy you found this recipe! It truly is the BEST carrot cake I have EVER had in my life. (I’ve tried a lot.) I’m going to be honest with you and tell you that you can omit the pineapple…BUT…it is what makes this carrot cake SO good and so moist! Yikes. I know that isn’t what you want to hear when you don’t have something on hand. 🙁 I’m not 100% sure what you mean by desiccated coconut? Do you mean the shredded coconut in a bag? If so you can use that. 🙂 That is what I use. 😉 Happy Baking! Eat a piece for me!
Please let me know how this turns out! You’ll love it.
Happy Nesting~
Norine
Nanthi | 6th Sep 17
Hi Norine, I made it yesterday and it came out so well. I didn’t use pineapple and coconut. Cos I don’t like the coconut in the cake. The end result was super fantastic. It tastes so well the next day. As per your request an additional piece for me on your behalf. ?.
How can I upload the photo. Please give me your mail Id.
Thanks a million. Happy baking !!!!
Holly | 11th Sep 17
I am making this again, this year, for myself for my birthday! I add a bit of orange zest and juice to flavor my frosting and batter, it adds a bit of brightness to the cake! I love that you also omit the raisins! Yuck!! LOL!
norine@norinesnest.com | 11th Sep 17
Hi Holly!
First things first! Happy Birthday to YOU! Hooray for you making your favorite for yourself. I love that! Second, I Love, Love, Love the addition of orange zest and juice to the frosting and batter! Third…Raisin in cake haters unite!!! lol Thank you so much for sharing with me! Hope you have a great Birthday!
Happy Baking!
~Norine
Robin Jordan | 11th Sep 17
Making this today for my daughter’s thirtith Birthday, as carrot cake is her favorite. I have never baked a carrot cake before. This recipe sounds delicious. Tha k you for sharing it.
norine@norinesnest.com | 11th Sep 17
Hi Robin! Happy Birthday to you daughter! This is a wonderful carrot cake and if it is her favorite she will L.O.V.E. this recipe! It is truly my very favorite! 😉 Thanks for sharing with me Robin. Have fun baking!
~Norine
Stacie P | 25th Sep 17
I was looking for a really great carrot cake recipe to make as it is my favorite of all cakes and found this one. The thing that first drew me to this cake over the others was the picture of it it looked like it had so much more color and looked really moist. That and the fact I loved your comment about getting my veggies while eating my cake. It speaks to who I am. In all honesty I have not yet made this as I just came upon it but really wanted to mention as I was reading the rave reviews it really ruffled my feathers when someone had the nerve to post the comment of you being inconsiderate because you posted a photo. That is the very thing that I appreciated because your cake is so beautiful. Sorry but that person is out of line and should really just have kept her rude comment to herself. Thank you for the wonderful recipe I will update when I make this I’m sure it’s going to be my favorite. Oh and I love your sense of humor.
norine@norinesnest.com | 25th Sep 17
Hi Stacie!
You just MADE my entire YEAR!!! I think we are “kindred spirits” in more than one way! 😉 I’m still smiling after reading your sweet comments. I’ll admit my feathers were a little ruffled when I read her comment. I may be sarcastic, but I try really hard to be considerate of everyone. I know you’ll love this carrot cake. It is one of my very favorite recipes. I love making new friends and I hope you’ll come back again and visit with me! Have a GREAT week!
Happy Nesting!
Norine
Olga | 3rd Oct 17
Hi!
My dad made the best carrot cake but never shared his recipe with us. Why do people do that? Recipes shouldn’t die with people they should live on. Anyhow, this one looks like it’s probably what I remember his tasting like. So I was wondering about the cupcakes. Mini or regular sized – do you use liners or just prepare a pan? I’m worried about the liners pulling away clean. Thanks so much!
norine@norinesnest.com | 4th Oct 17
Hi Olga!
I couldn’t agree with more! Recipes shouldn’t die with us, especially when such warm tender memories are tied to them. To answer your questions..I do them regular size cupcakes and I do use liners. I’ve never had an issue with them pulling away from the wrappers…that I’ve noticed. 😉 This recipe makes wonderful cupcakes. Please let me know if this recipe you remember from your Dad. I’d love that! Thanks for visiting with me.
Have a GREAT week!
~Norine
Mai Esmaeil Zain | 10th Oct 17
Hi Norine, your recepi sounds so good and i’m looking forward to try it but i have a question
I don’t have crushed pinaples in my country can i have a eegular sliced pinaple compot and crushed it with a hand plender ? And why don’t you roast the walnuts ?
I’m also thinking about adding some orange zest to the batter
norine@norinesnest.com | 10th Oct 17
Hi Mai!
Let’s see if I can answer your questions. Yes you can use a regular sliced pineapple and crush it with a hand blender. Be sure to save the juice. Maybe cut the amount back just a tad, like a 1/4 a cup. Fresh pineapple will have more liquids in it. You could roast the walnuts if you wanted. It would ad a depth of flavor. I’ve just never done it as it’s being added to a wet batter and baked into the cake. I have had other followers add the orange zest to the cream cheese frosting and tell me it is wonderful. I’m sure it would be good in the cake batter as well. 🙂 Thank you for visiting. Stop back by and let me know how you like the cake! Love making new friends…especially from other countries! Have a wonderful week!
~Norine
Mai Esmaeil Zain | 10th Oct 17
I’m sorry i didn’t mean fresh pineapple i was asking about the sliced canned one
Is there any changes i should do in that case ?
norine@norinesnest.com | 11th Oct 17
Hi Mia,
Sorry I misunderstood. Yes you can use sliced canned pineapple. I would only use 1/2 the juice in the can. Don’t use all of it. There is more juice in a can of sliced pineapple than the crushed.
Happy Nesting ~
Norine
Elizabeth | 12th Oct 17
Hi Noreen,
This recipe looks delicious! If I make cupcakes, how long do you recommend they cool on the racks? I see you want each CAKE to cool completely before removing from the pan. But is this the same as for cupcakes, or can I remove them from the pan when they come out of the oven – since they are in liners?
norine@norinesnest.com | 13th Oct 17
Hi Elizabeth!
Sorry it has taken me a little bit to get back to you. I was out sick yesterday. For the cupcakes allow them to cool about 10 minutes then remove them. This makes a really moist cake so if you take them out before they cool a little bit then they will squish in the cups. You don’t want squishy cupcakes! 😉 This recipe makes really GOOD cupcakes! You’ll love them.
Happy Nesting~
Norine
Doreen | 18th Oct 17
Hi can I substitute sour cream instead of butter milk because I haven’t gone to the store yet to buy milk so I was just wondering and if so how much sour cream should I use
norine@norinesnest.com | 18th Oct 17
Hi Doreen,
When I do not have buttermilk I substitute it by using 1 Tablespoon vinegar for each of cup of milk. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes and then use just like buttermilk. I know you can use sour cream but I don’t know the measurements. I’ve never put applesauce in this cake so I’m not sure how that would work. Again sorry it took me a bit to get back to you. I’m so sick with a cold right now.
Happy Baking!
~Norine
Doreen | 18th Oct 17
Hi I was wondering if I could substitute sour cream and appple sauce for the milk! I want to make this and I already grated the carrots… so please help me I just haven’t gone to the store yet to pick up milk…. thank you so much
norine@norinesnest.com | 18th Oct 17
Hi Doreen!
Sorry I’ve been down with the flu. You can substitute Milk and Vinegar for the buttermilk. Hang on and I’ll find the ratio for you.
~Norine
Minnie | 24th Oct 17
Thank you for sharing recipe. I was searching for a carrot cake recipe, picked yours based on your cake picture, so glad I did. This is my absolute favorite cake. I had a recipe but lost it. Thank you again, I hope I can continue to see your recipes.
norine@norinesnest.com | 24th Oct 17
Hi Minnie!
I’m so glad you liked this carrot cake recipe. I’m flattered you liked the photo. Thank you. It’s my favorite cake too and I’ve been craving it like mad lately! I need to make it again. 😉 I hope you come back and visit with me again real soon. I love making new friends here at my Nest.
Have a GREAT week ~ Norine
Suzanne | 3rd Nov 17
Have you ever tried, or would you advise against, using brown sugar instead of white sugar? I see a lot of carrot cake recipes that use brown sugar, and I’m wondering what that would do.
norine@norinesnest.com | 4th Nov 17
Hi Suzanne,
I have never tried brown sugar instead of white sugar with this cake. I wouldn’t recommend it because the processing on these two sugars is different and the brown sugar contains more “molasses” than the refined white sugar. I think the brown sugar would be too heavy and moist for this cake that is already really moist. If you do try it let me know. I’d be curious to see how it turns out. Sorry I couldn’t be more help.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Steph | 4th Nov 17
I made this cake and followed the recipe to the T . It was DELISH !!!! My husband loved it,too !!! 🙂
norine@norinesnest.com | 4th Nov 17
Hi Steph!
I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed this cake. It truly is my very favorite! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to share with me. I love making new friends and hearing from those who make my recipes! Have a GREAT weekend!
Happy Nesting~
Norine
Tasha | 10th Nov 17
The comment regarding the picture on the print page? Perhaps she should take her own advice to be considerate and simply thank someone for a wonderful recipe given to her? Just my thoughts. Sorry – that comment just left me bewildered and sad that someone would write that to the person kind enough to share this recipe with her! Thank you, Norine, for an awesome recipe and your absolutely beautiful cake picture! I love photos with recipes! 🙂
norine@norinesnest.com | 10th Nov 17
Hi Tasha!
Thank you for your sweet support! It truly means the world to me. I love sharing my passion for cooking yummy food with my friends. It brings me a lot of joy and happiness. What I love even more is making awesome friends like yourself you send me such wonderful supportive messages. Thank You! I hope you have a fantastic weekend and visit me often! 🙂
Happy Nesting!
Norine
Debbie | 13th Nov 17
How long would I bake if I made it in a rectangle glass pan. Making for thanksgiving and thought it would be easier to transport.
norine@norinesnest.com | 13th Nov 17
Hi Debbie!
Your bake time will be just a little bit longer. Check the cake at 40 minutes. It might need 5 more minutes, but shouldn’t need more than a total of 45 minutes. Hope this helps. This is going to make a GREAT Thanksgiving dessert. You’ll be the hit of the day! 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting with me. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.
Happy Nesting ~
Norine
Debbie | 13th Nov 17
Thanks Norine!!
norine@norinesnest.com | 15th Nov 17
You are so welcome!
Silvia | 15th Nov 17
Thinking of baking this for thanksgiving this year! (Think cake would be better to take than another side dish??♀️). I LOVE carrot cake! I will probably bake them in glass rectangle pans too, like someone mentioned above. I’ll take one to my moms and the other to my in laws. Question… how would you suggest I store the cake? I have a little 7mo old baby girl and as much as I’d love to bake these the day of thanksgiving–I highly doubt that will happen… so I’m thinking of baking them the day before —maybe even two days before ? Truly feel like I can’t get much done with having to attend to her ? Also, would you recommend I make the icing ahead of time too? Think I may have to do the icing the day of ? Thanks for taking the time to share and respond to everyone’s questions!
norine@norinesnest.com | 15th Nov 17
Hi Silvia!
Oh those little babes are so wonderful! I think you are being very practical in your thinking. Here’s the good news! If this were me I’d make the cakes up the day before and frost them…or bake the cakes two days before, cover them really well so they don’t dry out. Frost them the day before, cover them with plastic wrap, and put them in the refrigerator. I stack two rectangular pans on top of each other by placing a cookie sheet or baking sheet, in-between the two. Does that make sense? The morning of Thanksgiving just take them out so they can warm up to room temperature and the frosting will be soft and not firm from the cold of the refrigerator. Truthfully you can even make these up and cover them and leave them out for a day or two. They will be fine. I’ve done it numerous times. Yep, even with cream cheese frosting, but if you’re worried about it…refrigerate them. The sooner you can get the frosting on the cakes the better because it will help keep them from drying out. This is a really moist cake. It truly is the BEST I’ve ever had. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and thanks for visiting with me. I’m always happy to help.
Happy Nesting
~Norine
Ellen | 16th Nov 17
This recipe looks amazing f!! I am allergic to pineapple. What do you suggest as a substitute so it stays moist?
norine@norinesnest.com | 16th Nov 17
Hi Ellen!
That’s a really great question! The two substitutes I think would work best are either applesauce or a can of peaches, chopped up fine like the crushed pineapple and include the juice. Hope that helps.
Thanks for visiting me! Have a GREAT Holiday!
Happy Nesting ~
Norine
Jenny | 17th Nov 17
Hello! I can’t wait to make this cake!!!!
I’m not a baker lol! So, the butter…is un-salted or salted butter?
norine@norinesnest.com | 19th Nov 17
Hi Jenny!
I used salted butter in this cake. Sorry for overlooking that detail. Hope you have a wonderful week. Thanks for visiting.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Holiday Desserts | Norine's Nest | 17th Nov 17
[…] or Christmas. However…from the looks of all its page views… y’all do! My World’s Best Carrot Cake is #1 over and over again…day after day…week after week! Thank […]
Joan | 19th Nov 17
I’m making this cake for Thanksgiving and need to know whether you used dry buttermilk or liquid. I’m so looking to to making this .
norine@norinesnest.com | 19th Nov 17
Hi Joan!
I use liquid buttermilk for this carrot cake. I am so excited you are making this for Thanksgiving. I know your family will love it as much as mine does.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Let me know how you like the cake. Thanks for visiting.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Rekha Raghavan | 20th Nov 17
Namaste Mrs. Norine,
Out of love for baking, have tried out plenty of recipes, but this carrot cake is truly the best my family loved. Inspired by your title, tried out the very next day. Came out so delicious that I got only one piece of it. I had replaced the all purpose flour for wheat flour and used 1 3/4 cup of brown sugar instead of the white sugar.
Thanks so very much for an infallible recipe.
Love and prayers,
Rekha
norine@norinesnest.com | 21st Nov 17
Hi Rekha!
Thank you so much for sharing with me. I loved hearing from you about my carrot cake recipe and the fantastic changes you made to it. They all sound wonderful. It sounds like the entire family loved it. (Next time hide a few slices for yourself. lol) 😉
Thanks for visiting my nest! I love making new friends. Especially Carrot Cake baking friends.
Happy Nesting!
Norine
Constanza | 23rd Nov 17
I made it exactly to your instructions, absolutely wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
norine@norinesnest.com | 23rd Nov 17
Hi Constanza!
I’m so glad! I love this cake and I love it when friends share with me their experience with this recipe. Thank you so much for visiting with me today. I hope you’ve had a wonderful day.
Happy Nesting~
Norine
Mai Esmaeil Zain | 28th Nov 17
Hi norie ,
I was wondering if this recepi can be done in one pan and been sliced in layars ?
Mai Esmaeil Zain | 28th Nov 17
Hi norie ,
I was wondering if this recepi can be done in one pan anfd been sliced in layars ?
Klara Cutkova | 28th Nov 17
So far the best recipe for carrot cake ever. For those who are not fans od coconut I used almond flour instead and it works well too, otherwise absolutely no need to change anything, the ratio of ingredience is just perfect and i big success is certain. Thank you for this luxury recipe ?Your fan from the Czech Republic.
norine@norinesnest.com | 29th Nov 17
Hi Klara!
Thank you SO much for visiting my nest! I appreciate the suggested substitution. I know my readers will to. It’s perfect! I’m so honored that I have a fan in Czech Republic! That is AWESOME! I hope you have a wonderful week. Thanks again so much for sharing. I hope you’ll come back and visit again.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Neha | 29th Nov 17
My cakes came out perfect and moist but unfortunately the cream cheese frosting split 🙁 dont know what i did wrong.. ???
norine@norinesnest.com | 29th Nov 17
Hi Neha!
I’m happy to hear that the cake turned out perfect. Let’s see if I can help with the frosting separating?
The main cause of frosting “splitting” or “separating” is because the ingredients were either too cold or too hot. You always want your frosting ingredients at “room temperature” This way they will blend together. If you used the cream cheese right out of the refrigerator or the butter it would have caused this to happen. It can also happen if the ingredients are too hot.
Next time make sure everything is at room temperature and that should take care of the issue.
Hope I was able to help. Thank you SO much for visiting with me. I’m so sorry you had issues with the frosting. It’s such a great frosting recipe. Don’t give up on it. Try it again. 😉 It goes perfectly with the carrot cake. Have a wonderful week and please feel free to visit with me again soon. Happy Holidays.
Norine
Swati | 4th Dec 17
Hi Norine,
Recipe itself looks so fabulous. I was wondering if i can make it without eggs or not? What can i substitute eggs with?
norine@norinesnest.com | 4th Dec 17
Hi Swati!
You can, but I can’t vouch for how it will turn out. I know you can substitute mashed banana’s or applesauce for the eggs. However, I’ve never done it with this cake so again…I’m not sure how it will turn out.
Hope that helps in some small degree.
Happy Nesting~
Norine
Eunice Sangaletti | 12th Dec 17
Hi N
Hi, Norine!
Perfect your recipe and very well presented. I knew this cake in your country and I was in love.
I’ve never seen this kind of cake before. Delicious!
Thank you
norine@norinesnest.com | 12th Dec 17
Hi Eunice!
I’m so glad you like this cake. It is truly my very favorite. So much flavor and such a wonderful texture. It is a great presentation for guest or family. Thank you for sharing and for stopping by my Nest. Have a Wonderful Day.
Happy Nesting~
Norine
Christy | 15th Dec 17
Hi Norine,
After all the great reviews by your nesters, I am sure the cake is fabulous and I will try it soon. I just want to tell you that based on the way you answered the tons of questions, you are a sweet and kind lady and I am glad that you are also generous enough to share your wonderful recipes with us all. Keep it up girl :).
norine@norinesnest.com | 15th Dec 17
Hi Christy!
Thank you so much for your kind words. Ya made my day! I love sharing with my “nester” friends and this really is my favorite cake. Please let me know when you try it. Thanks for your encouragement and for stopping by my Nest! I hope you have a wonderful Holiday at your Nest.
Happy Nesting~
Norine
Em | 15th Dec 17
Hi Norine im giving a try to bake this carrot cake today. But my oven is only upto 250degrees 🙁 should i increase the time of baking?
norine@norinesnest.com | 17th Dec 17
Hi Em!
I’m going to be honest and tell you I’m not sure what to tell you do with a lower baking time. You would obviously have to bake it longer because it won’t cook at the lower temperature. However, I’m not sure how will the cake will rise and maintain it’s original density with the lower cooking times. All you can do is try and you’ll probably have to increase your bake time by 30-40 minutes? Sorry I can’t be of more help. Thank you for stopping by and visiting with me. I hope this works for you. It’s a wonderful cake.
Have a great holiday season.
Norine
CindyH | 18th Dec 17
Hi Norine,
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday a couple days ago. The only change I made was to only use 1 cup of sugar. I’ve made him a carrot cake every year for MANY years now. I have used a different recipe each year because I hadn’t found the keeper recipe…until now. This is definitely THE ONE! I will be using your recipe every year from now on. My husband loved it and my Mom even said it was the best carrot cake she has ever had. I’ve never been a fan of carrot cake, but I always take a bite or 2. I actually would like this one if I had omitted the walnuts, but my husband likes them and it’s his birthday cake. Thanks for a great recipe that I will definitely make many times!
norine@norinesnest.com | 18th Dec 17
Hi Cindy!
I am SO flattered that your tribe loved this recipe and you made it for your husbands birthday! Can we be friends on my birthday? lol I love this cake too. It’s hard for me to explain to people just how great this cake is until they try it for themselves. I love the reduction of sugar. Going to try that. It makes great cupcakes too. I made them for my daughter’s graduation party.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share with me. It really means so much when friends take the time to leave me a comment and reach out to me. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year. (with lots of carrot cake in your future!)
Happy Nesting!
Norine
Ravi@cake-delivery | 19th Dec 17
Thanks for sharing about such a best carrot cake here. I must try it.
norine@norinesnest.com | 19th Dec 17
Hi Ravi!
You are so welcome! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. Enjoy the carrot cake and have a happy day!
~Norine
ANNIE L ALBERTI | 19th Dec 17
I was looking for a carrot cake recipe that resembled the one I had so many years ago. I had since retrieved it, but it just wasn’t quite the moisture and texture I was looking for. I just found Norine’s Nest recipe yesterday. I made a couple adjustments to my recipe and confirmed some measurements. It is almost the same as NN. I use 2 1/8C flour, 2 1/2C shredded carrots, 1/3t ea of mace, cardamom, nutmeg, 2T melted butter, And I must have 1 1/4C mixed raisins. I am so thankful to find this recipe. The buttermilk is a must too! And it helped me increase the crushed pineapple to 3/4C. I use 1 1/4C walnuts because I like the nut bites. Thank you so much! It helped me so much. I am finally done looking!
norine@norinesnest.com | 20th Dec 17
Hi Annie!
I’m so tickled to hear from you! I bet with the adjustments and the spices you use this is going to be the BEST carrot cake ever!! Thanks so much for sharing with me. I absolutely love making new friends and hearing from fellow carrot cake lovers! I hope you have a wonderful Holiday season. Come back and visit soon!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Meliza Mendoza | 21st Dec 17
Made the recipe and it turned out great! I made it 3 layers it was so beautiful ? will be making it again this weekend!
norine@norinesnest.com | 21st Dec 17
Hi Meliza (love your name)
I am so happy to hear someone made this into the three layers. It’s so pretty when it is layered with all that luscious cream cheese frosting. Thank you for stopping by and sharing with me. I love making new friends and appreciate the time it takes out of your day to chat with me. Have a Wonderful Christmas!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Hanna Fecsho | 23rd Dec 17
The carrot cake recipe was the best I have ever made. I made a 5 layer carrot cake and it was 8” high when I got done frosting it. The next day less than 10 hours later, IT WAS TOTALLY GONE!!!!!! I NEVER EVEN GOT A TASTE OF IT☹️
I ended up making another one and inside of 2 days, it was gone again. I added walnuts, coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, and a bit of clove dust to it to give it some zest. It was awesome! I have made 12 of them this month alone and am making 2 more for Christmas and New Years.
Thanks so much for this recipe, I will never lose it.
norine@norinesnest.com | 23rd Dec 17
Hi Hanna!
THANK YOU! 12 Cakes?!!! You’re a ROCK STAR! I need to get on YOUR mailing list! 😉 I’m smiling from ear to ear after reading this. Thanks so much for sharing with me and making my entire day, week, and month! Have a Wonderful Christmas…make sure you get some of that cake! 😉
Happy Nesting and A Happy New Year!
~Norine
C-rock | 23rd Dec 17
OMG Norine, Baaaaam!
I love this, I made a variant with extra protein because I’m benching PB’s weekly and I gotta stay pumped! I substituted the sugar for coconut flower nectar and the coconut flakes for dried edible grasshoppers (just as crunchy but heaps of protein) my cousin imports these, they’re amazing!
/C-Rock
Lisa Berry | 23rd Dec 17
Hi Norine,
It’s the first time I made a carrot cake. I chose your recipe because it looked moist and light. I’m not a fan of dense cake but its my boyfriend’s favorite so I decided to try it. Your recipe makes the most delicious cake ever. My guests & boyfriend loved it. The cake is airy and not too sweet. The cream cheese frosting was a perfect complement. Thank you!
norine@norinesnest.com | 24th Dec 17
Hi Lisa!
Thank you so much for your kind comments. I love hearing from friends who have made this cake and love it. I’m so glad everyone loved it…especially your boyfriend. 😉 I hope he appreciates your thoughtfulness.
Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thanks again for sharing with me.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Bea D. | 25th Dec 17
Merry Christmas Norine! Hope you are doing well.
Your recipe looks so amazing that I want to make it! I’m just learning to cook though, and since it’s hard to know so many recipes when you’re just starting out, I’d like to make this vegan & gluten free so that I can make it over and over for any kind of company. I used to know this girl whose digestive system didn’t agree with a lot, and seeing her struggle with food made me want to make sure I can feed most anyone!
I wanted to ask about my substitutions, to see if they are reasonable and have a good chance of working out, so I have a good place to start from in learning this recipe.
For the 3 eggs, I was thinking of using 1 cup of unsweetened cinnamon applesauce. I’ve read that a good substitution for 1 egg is 1/4 cup applesauce, however, since the cake is also going to be gluten-free and the flour won’t have as much “sticking power”, I thought I’d add in an extra 1/4 cup.
For the 3/4 cup buttermilk, I was thinking of using almond milk and cream of tartar. I’d heat up 1 cup almond milk for 30 seconds in the microwave and place it into a cup already containing 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, mix, and then let it sit to curdle. I’d have some excess, but that’s okay with me to throw out a little bit of it.
And then finally for the 2 cups flour, I was thinking of using 1 cup almond meal and 1 cup oat flour. The almond meal, I was thinking, might tie in well with the “buttermilk” and the oat flour would add some sweetness and fluffiness to the cake.
Do these substitutions sound reasonable? Do you think they’ll mix well with the coconut flakes, pineapple juice, and especially the walnuts? I’ve never really liked the texture of nut chunks in carrot cake, so I was thinking even if I kept them in I’d make sure the chunks were pretty small. I wouldn’t mind taking them out though if you think that would be better!
norine@norinesnest.com | 26th Dec 17
Hi Bea!
I’m going to be honest and tell you that I don’t do any vegan or gluten free baking or cooking. Your substitutions sound reasonable to me. However, having never made this cake with these substitutions I have no idea how the cake will turn out, or if it will even taste the same as my original recipe. Any time eggs are removed from a recipe, especially a cake recipe, I get nervous. It’s a leavening agent…and with cake that can be tricky. All I can say is try it and see if it turns out okay. I could also suggest looking to blogs that are dedicated to solely to vegan and gluten free baking. They may have a recipe already in place that would work well with what you are trying to accomplish. With regards to the nuts…you can certainly leave them out.
I think it is wonderful that you are thoughtful of those with food allergies and I wish I could be of more help. You seem very well informed in this area and like I said, they all sound reasonable to me BUT again…I have not tried it myself.
Thank you for stopping by and if you do make the cake with these substitutions I’d LOVE to hear back from you on how it turned out. I’m sure it would be very helpful to other readers in similar circumstances. Good Luck!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Rose | 26th Dec 17
Hi Norine
I just find your recipe and I will like to know if I can double it up (thinking using a 25cm x 45 cm pan. I need to make a cake for my husband 60th birthday. The person that was going to make the cake is not available and I only have 2 days. So, he would like me to do it. I am thinking to make a rectangular cake and maybe put some fruits on the top. Do you think is good idea. I dont have much time and I am not a professional.
norine@norinesnest.com | 26th Dec 17
Hi Rose!
First…Happy 60th Birthday to your Husband. Second…you have plenty of time to make this cake. Let’s get to your questions.
Okay I’m not sure if I’m converting metric correctly, but I think that would be a 9 x 17 inch baking dish? If so…NO! This recipe normally fits into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish so adding only 4 inches and doubling the recipe will result in a huge mess in your oven! You could double it and bake it twice in that size pan and make a two layer cake.
I think you could add fruit on top, truthfully though…I don’t think it needs it. It would be pretty. You could sprinkle the edges with some chopped nuts and it would look beautiful.
This is a FANTASTIC carrot cake and everyone will love it. To me it’s more important that the cake tastes great than look pretty. Make two sheet cakes (rectangular) instead of one. Keep it simple and let the cake do all the “talking”. Trust me…you’ll have raves over this cake! 😉 You’ll do great and you don’t need to be a professional.
Thanks for stopping by…if I can be of more help don’t hesitate to ask. You can email me too at norine@norinesnest.com
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Diane | 30th Dec 17
I was ready to make a chocolate cake for my husbands 70th birthday tomorrow. He said can’t I have a carrot cake? So found what I’ve made before, then searched pinterest and found this one, so it is in the oven and ready for party time tomorrow. From all the comments, I’m sure it will be a winner. We lived in SLC for many years before moving to Ohio. Our neighbor was Norene!! Lovely name.
norine@norinesnest.com | 30th Dec 17
Hi Diane!
Happy 70th Birthday to your husband! I hope he enjoys this cake as much as I do. It truly is my very favorite cake recipe.
My brother’s all live in the Salt Lake Area. We’re down South in Cedar, but I love to visit Salt Lake. I have good friends in Ohio! Watched those Buckeye’s win their bowl game last night!
I can’t believe you had a neighbor with the name Norene! (Hers was spelled correctly…my parents wanted to torture me. LOL) Thank you for that sweet compliment. It’s not a very common name and when I was younger I wished my parents had given me a different name. As we grow older we appreciate things a whole lot more…like our names!
I hope you and your family have a WONDERFUL and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting with me. I love making new friends! Enjoy the cake!
~Norine
Rose | 30th Dec 17
Thanks Norine! I made the cake 2 days before my husband 60th birthday; wrapped it and frozen. Put it on the fridge the night before the party, then still wrapped let on my kitchen bench for couple of hours before preparing some other things then put the frosting and decorated it. Everybody said it was delicious and moist.
norine@norinesnest.com | 1st Jan 18
Hi Rose!
I’m so happy it turned out so great! I hope your husband had a wonderful 60th birthday. Thanks for letting me know what you did and how it turned out. I love hearing from my blog friends. It truly makes my day.
Have a Wonderful New Year.
~Norine
Jeanelle | 1st Jan 18
Hello Norine,
This recipe produced a wonderful (delicious and moist) cake. I had to use a substitute for the buttermilk and walnuts (peanuts). But the result was just as good.
You now have a new fan/follower from the beautiful island of JAMAICA! 🙂
norine@norinesnest.com | 3rd Jan 18
Hi Jeanelle!
Thank you so much for sharing with me. I love your nut substitution. It’s always good to hear from a friend who has tried a substitution and liked it. I hope someday I get to come to your beautiful island of Jamaica! That would be a dream come true.
I’m truly touched you took the time to share with me and I’m even more touched to know I have a new follower/friend from such a beautiful part of our world. Please come back and share with me again!
Have a wonderful day!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Ravi | 6th Jan 18
It’s really looking awesome and so beautiful cake. I have remembered it’s recipes and also bookmarked this site for my party for my next birthday. You have really make a very beautiful and innovative cake. Thank you so much for such a nice work.
norine@norinesnest.com | 6th Jan 18
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed the cake. I love hearing from my foodie friends and appreciate you stopping by. Have a wonderful day!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Cherie Cave | 6th Jan 18
Hi, Norine! I’ve been looking for a good Carrot Cake recipe. Something with lots of chunky goodness in it and yours sounds like it! The comments have been very enlightening and interesting. I absolutely love coconut but my husband hates it and we both love Carrot Cake. How much can you taste the coconut in your recipe? He doesn’t like mayonnaise either but I manage to sneak it into a lot of recipes and he doesn’t have a clue.
norine@norinesnest.com | 6th Jan 18
Hi Cherie!
Okay this is a really hard question for me to answer because I LOVE coconut but the flavors in this cake all blend together so beautifully that I can’t say I pick out the flavor of coconut over the other flavors. However, you can tell it’s in the cake! Just from texture. You could leave it out and sneak in a tsp. of coconut flavoring. lol (Look at me trying to be sneaky with you…lol) It’s such a GREAT Carrot Cake and I know he’d love it. One of my favorite ingredients in this cake is the coconut, but again I love it. So I’m no help to you am I? Sorry.
I appreciate ya chatting with me and I highly recommend making this cake…with or without coconut. It’s just SO good!
Have a GREAT weekend!
~Norine
Morgana | 8th Jan 18
please, is baking soda same as baking powder? I have only found bicarbonate soda or baking powder I don’t find baking soda. please would you let me know if I can use baking powder?
norine@norinesnest.com | 8th Jan 18
Hi Morgana!
Baking soda and baking powder are different. However, the good news is that Bicarbonate Soda is the SAME thing as baking soda. Hope that helps you out. This is a great cake just be sure not to substitute baking powder for baking soda in any recipe. 😉
Have a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by and visiting.
~Norine
Morgana | 9th Jan 18
thank you so much for the quick replay. big thanks for sharing the recipe.
norine@norinesnest.com | 9th Jan 18
Hi Morgana!
You are so welcome! Thanks so much for visiting with me! I love making new friends. Have a wonderful day.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Samantha Retzlaff | 11th Jan 18
Hi there Norine. I am so excited to try this cake. My son is in 3rd grade and entering a cake for his FFA project and this is the cake he chose. 🙂 We’re going to do a couple of test runs and let some family and friends try the cake so we can be ready when contest day comes around, but judging from the comments, it looks like he picked a winner! We plan to do the 3 layers, but we do have 1 question. If we decide to frost the entire cake, how would you adjust your frosting ingredients? Thanks so much for your help. We can’t wait!
norine@norinesnest.com | 12th Jan 18
Hi Samantha!
Wow! I’m SO honored he chose this cake for his FFA project! I’m sure the judges will LOVE it. This makes a LOT of frosting, but just to be safe…I would make 1 and 1/2 of the frosting to cover an entire cake. Just to be safe. If you have extra you can store it in a container in the refrigerator up to a month. It’s great on cinnamon rolls or you could use it again on one of your test runs!
I’m SUPER excited to hear how he does. Please let me know! I see a winner in the making! I’d love a picture too!
Have a GREAT weekend!
~Norine
Teresa E Wright | 12th Jan 18
Good Morning
I have a question for you. I was wondering if I can use a 10- inch bundt pan instead of 3 cake pans?
norine@norinesnest.com | 12th Jan 18
Hi Teressa!
Yes you can use a bundt pan for the cake. However be careful you don’t over fill the pan and have cake batter every where in your oven. I have a feeling that the batter of this recipe is more than a 10 inch can handle. However, you could make a few cupcakes on the side.
Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you love this cake as much as I do. I say it all the time…but it really is my favorite. Have a Great Weekend.
~Norine
Ezra | 12th Jan 18
Thanks for the recipe. It was a pretty moist cake and it was delicious except for the bitter taste from the baking soda. Am I able to reduce this or will it affect the cake? How much can I reduce it to if so?
norine@norinesnest.com | 15th Jan 18
Hi Ezra!
I’m not sure why you had a bitter taste from the baking soda? I’ve never had that happen? How much baking soda did you add? If you reduce it, it may not rise as well, that’s my only concern. I’ve never had a bitter taste in this cake because of the baking soda. You did only use two teaspoons right? Not Tablespoons. You could possibly substitute Self-Rising Flour for the regular flour and baking soda. I’ve never done it…but I think it would work. If you want to reduce it…I would reduce it to 1 1/2 teaspoons and no more.
Sorry for the issues with the baking soda.
Hope you have a GREAT week. Thanks for stopping by.
~Norine
Grace | 29th Jan 18
I know I shouldn’t have been surprised but really, the cake really was the best I’ve had! Thanks for the recipe, Norine 🙂
norine@norinesnest.com | 29th Jan 18
Hi!
It’s okay…I’m happy I was able to surprise you! That makes it even better! I really appreciate you stopping by and sharing with me. Hopefully I can surprise ya again real soon!
Happy Monday!
Norine
Melinda Whitaker | 29th Jan 18
Hi Norine!
I just made this cake for my husband’s birthday, and….I had a feeling it would be amazing…but he just said something along the lines of…..”This is the cake I want for my birthday for the rest of my life’
Not bad, not bad!
There was also a small family birthday party and everyone’s compliments were on repeat! They couldn’t stop swooning!
Thanks!
Melinda
norine@norinesnest.com | 30th Jan 18
Hi Melinda!
Wowza! That’s quite the compliment. I’m so happy he loved his birthday cake. Nothing worse than bad cake on your special day! lol It truly makes me day when I hear that others love this recipe as much as I do. I made it a week ago. My son-in-law had it for the first time and he was swooning! And he’s hard to impress. lol
Thanks so much for taking the time to share with me. I hope you have a wonderful week!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Kate Tan Nacua | 29th Jan 18
Hello! I made these babies the other day and i am a first time baker. all i can say is that i have never been so proud of myself for making these delicious things. I made then into cupcakes so they are more toddler friendly and it was a hit. Hubby took some at their workplace and it was all praises. I was just wondering if instead of carrots, i can use banana since i have heaps of overipe bananas. would it change the consistency?!? i can never make good banana cupcakes. Thanks Nori. Hope to hear from you.
norine@norinesnest.com | 30th Jan 18
Hi Kate!
I’m so proud of you too! Look at you go mastering this carrot cake! I’m honestly not too sure how the cake would turn out substituting banana’s for the carrots? You could try it. I recently posted a recipe for Banana Crumb Muffins and they are amazing too. I think you’d love them. They’d be a perfect fit for those mountains of ripe banana’s. I’m going to have to work on a banana cake.
Thanks so much for sharing with me. I always love hearing from readers who have tried a recipe and loved it.
Have a GREAT day!
~Norine
Keith Mac | 31st Jan 18
Norine,
This cake looks wonderful and I will be making over the weekend… however, I have 3 9″ pans. Reading online, this is a 25% increase over the 8″ you call for in the recipe.
Can I adjust the ingredients by 25% to make this work with my pans or just use 2 9″?
Much appreciate your assistance
norine@norinesnest.com | 31st Jan 18
Hi Keith!
Great Question. I just purchased 9″ pans and made this cake without adjusting a thing. It worked out great! The layers are a tad thinner, but in my opinion with a 3 layer cake it works perfectly. I went a little lighter on the frosting between the layers because of the cake layers being a bit thinner, and did the top frosting a little thicker, and my family said it was their favorite so far! Go figure?
I wouldn’t try to put all the cake batter into two pans. This is a very wet cake batter and I’m concerned if you try to place it all in two pans it will run over and make a huge mess in the bottom of your oven. (Nobody wants to deal with that! lol)
Hope this was helpful? Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you love this cake as much as we do! I say it all the time…but it is seriously my most favorite cake of all time!
Happy Baking!
~Norine
Yvonne | 31st Jan 18
Amazing recipe. Thanks so much! Everyone loved it. How long would you recommend for baking cupcakes?
norine@norinesnest.com | 31st Jan 18
Hi Yvonne!
I’m so glad everyone loved this cake! I always love to hear that! I would recommend about 20-25 minutes, but oven temps can vary so be sure to check them. They make wonderful cupcakes. I make this recipe into cupcakes frequently and they are always a huge hit.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing with me. I sincerely appreciate it. Hope you have a GREAT day!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Ozro Lindsay | 2nd Feb 18
I have been making this recipe for years. And this is the best carrot cake ever. People always ask me to make this cake mainly for holidays. This is a keeper .
norine@norinesnest.com | 3rd Feb 18
Hi!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing with me. This is just one of those recipes you can’t go wrong with. It’s ALWAYS good. ALWAYS! I’ve been making it for years too and I wouldn’t use any other carrot cake recipe.
Have a wonderful week. Thanks again for sharing.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Jacinto | 22nd Feb 18
Wow! I had always love carrot cake. I never made one myself, and since I live in the city I was paying $5 for a carrot cupcake. I had to do something or I will end up broke. I found this recipe and I bake for the first time my carrot cupcakes. I did the cupcakes because they are size portioned, but I did the jumbo size. Wake up in the morning, a nice cup of coffee and a nice carrot cupcake is delicious. I didn’t add the pineapple because I didn’t want it to be to moist. But I added raisins and it came out super delicious. Thanks for sharing! Now I am a bakeholic!
norine@norinesnest.com | 23rd Feb 18
Hooray! A new bakeholic and we saved your budget too! I’m so excited that you love this recipe and start your day off with it! That just makes my day! I love the portion control and how you tailored it to fit your needs. Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend.
~Norine
Rosa | 25th Feb 18
Looks like the carrot cake i used to make ready for it again thank to you Norine it looks beautifully decadent. And healthy takes away the guilt of eating cake another guilty pleasure resolved. I couldnt remember my recipe so thanks cant wait to bake it.
norine@norinesnest.com | 26th Feb 18
Hi Rosa!
I’m so glad I was able to help in some small way. This is the BEST carrot cake recipe. I always love hearing that others have this recipe and love it as much as I do. Thank you for stopping by and visiting with me and sharing. I hope you have a GREAT week!
Happy Nesting~
Norine
Serena | 2nd Mar 18
I’ve only ever tried to make a carrot cake once before and it was such a total disaster (it wasn’t this one!) it was as if I soaked the whole cake in water. Wouldn’t even come out of the pan without falling apart and liquid going everywhere. I’m so afraid to try it again. Here’s my question-when you say crushed pineapple with liquid do you pour the liquid and all in there or drain and dry the pineapple first? Maybe that was my mistake last time I didn’t drain it and maybe should have?
norine@norinesnest.com | 2nd Mar 18
Hi Serena!
I understand your hesitation. Do not drain the pineapple. I know it is going against everything in you after your first experience, but trust me it will be okay. This is a VERY wet batter. Don’t let that scare you ever. It will be okay. I’ve never had anyone tell me that they’ve had an issue. This is a moist carrot cake and that is what we want. It will come out of the pan and it will be perfect. Enjoy and feel free to contact me. Thanks for stopping by my Nest!
~Norine
Lynn | 19th Mar 18
Hi Norine
Would I be able to use golden raisins in place of the pineapple? I could soak the raisins in the pineapple juice and maybe use 1/2 of the juice in the recipe. My family doesn’t like the texture of the pineapple when they eat it. Weird I know, but they love raisins! Your cake looks delicious and I would certainly eat it with pineapple.
Thanks in advance
norine@norinesnest.com | 19th Mar 18
Hi Lynn!
Yes you could certainly do that and it would be wonderful with this cake. Honestly I tell people all the time that even my own family didn’t know I used Pineapple in this recipe until I told them. It’s very well disguised. I do understand though when it’s not everyone’s favorite. So just make sure to add a little juice and the raisin and you should be good to go. This is a very wet batter. I warn people of that all the time. So don’t let that scare you when making this recipe.
Let me know how it turns out! I know it will be fantastic and everyone will love it. Have a Great week and thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Susana | 20th Mar 18
Hello, I’m Susana. I love your recipe, I can do it today, Tuesday for a birthday on Thursday? or should I make it the day of the birthday?
norine@norinesnest.com | 20th Mar 18
Hi Susana!
I hope you got my email? You can make it today and save it for Thursday. This is one of those cakes that gets better when it sits for a day or so. This is a very wet batter so just know that in advance. It bakes beautifully though so no worries. Have a wonderful birthday party. I know everyone will love this cake. Be sure to keep it covered so it doesn’t dry out.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Mary | 21st Mar 18
I don’t have buttermilk can I use something instead????
norine@norinesnest.com | 22nd Mar 18
Hi Mary!
Yes you can substitute with milk with vinegar or lemon juice added. For one cup of milk add 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice or Vinegar.
Thanks so much for stopping by. You’ll love this cake!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Lily | 26th Mar 18
Hi Norine, I’m going to try baking this for Easter this weekend… is the temperature listed for conventional or fan-forced oven? Thanks!
norine@norinesnest.com | 27th Mar 18
Hi Lily!
The temperature listed is for a conventional oven not a convection oven. I hope that helps you out. This is a GREAT Easter Dessert. I’m making it too! 😉 Happy Easter and thanks so much for stopping by my Nest!
~Norine
Christine Paolino Bailey | 29th Mar 18
i found this recipe and I’m going to make the traditional bunny cake with it. you know the one with the two rounds one is the ears and bow tie. Have been making it since my son was little he 14 now and so we have left the chocolate cake and are upgrading it to carrot. I’ll let you know how it goes. a bit nervous because it has been stated its very moist. fingers crossed.
norine@norinesnest.com | 30th Mar 18
Hi Christine!
It is very moist but I think you can make it work. I LOVE the idea! Please send me a picture. I’d love to see it. 😉 Have a wonderful Easter with your family! Thank you so much for stopping by!
~Norine
Moira Smith | 30th Mar 18
Not really a comment, but I was noticing in your recipe that there was no baking powder. Is this a mistake? I just wanted to know before I proceeded to make the cake. Thanks.
norine@norinesnest.com | 30th Mar 18
Hi Moria!
It is not a mistake! You are not the first to ask so it’s a perfectly normal question. There is baking soda in the cake but no baking powder. I will give you one warning that everyone always asks about…it is a very “wet” cake mix. Don’t let that scare you. This will truly be the best and most moist carrot cake you have ever made! Have a Wonderful Easter! Thanks so much for visiting my Nest!
~Norine
Silvia | 30th Mar 18
Hi! Will be making this cake for my daughters first birthday this Sunday! I do not have a fancy stand mixer, would a hand held electric mixer work fine to make the batter? Or maybe just hand mix with a spatula?
I’d appreciate your help! Thank you!!
norine@norinesnest.com | 30th Mar 18
Hi Silvia!
You can mix this batter by hand if you want. I have done that many times and it turns out just as good. I always like to warn everyone that this is a very “wet” batter so don’t let that scare you. It turns out beautifully! Happy First Birthday to your sweet daughter! First birthdays are a big deal and I’m so flattered you want to make this cake for her special day!
Thanks for visiting!
Happy Easter!
~Norine
Silvia | 30th Mar 18
Thank you so much for the help! I tend to over think e-very-thang always! With having said that— do you think one cake layer would come out ‘dryer’ or a little over baked if I place all three cakes in the oven to bake at the same time? Like two on top and one on the bottom rack? Also, I read that you prefer not to ice the sides of the cake —so does your cream cheese frosting make enough icing just for between the layers and the top of the cake. Or do you think I’ll have enough to ice the entire cake with the recipe you listed? Like, did you have left over icing when you iced your cake how you show in the pictures above? Sorry too many questions. I was going to make this cake for Thanksgiving, and that didn’t happen because MIL bought a cake since it was her husbands birthday. I’ve been wanting to bake this cake for so long! It’s finally gonna happen. My boyfriend loves moist cakes and I really do hope he falls in love with this if all turns out well, which I am praying it will! Especially for such a big occasion, as Esmeraldas first birthday! Thank you! I’ll be back if I stumble upon other questions or concerns. And I’ve read your caution about the wet batter in previous comments and I am ready for it! Thank you✨✨
norine@norinesnest.com | 31st Mar 18
Hi Silvia,
No worries. I don’t mind answering questions at all. I always recommend baking on the same rack. If you can get all three on your center rack in your oven that is the best way to bake this cake. Otherwise I recommend doing two and then cooking the last one after. This way they will all be the same consistency. With regards to the frosting, it would be a little tight to try to get enough to do the entire cake so I would do one and a half of the cream cheese frosting. This will give you plenty. Doubled would be WAY to much but halving it again would give you enough “room to play”. I do have a little left over, but I’m not sure if it would be enough to cover the entire cake. Best of Luck…if you have any other questions email me at norine@norinesnest.com. I tend to reply quicker and I don’t want to leave ya hanging if you have questions. I know your boyfriend will love this cake! It’s really good. I’m making today too on my Instagram stories later on. 😉
Have fun!
~Norine
Christine Paolino Bailey | 31st Mar 18
if you have nonstick pans should you still grease and flour and can i use butter and flour and not crisco?
norine@norinesnest.com | 31st Mar 18
Hi Christine!
I’m sorry I didn’t see this earlier. We’ve been busy having Easter fun at this Nest. I always spray my pans, even my non-stick, with Baker’s Joy baking spray. Just to be sure that the cake will release from the pans. Cooking time for two pans would probably be around 30 minutes. My three layers each took 25 minutes.
I hope you have a wonderful Easter and that you love the cake! Again…sorry I missed these messages.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Sondra | 2nd Apr 18
I served this cake for Easter. It was a huge hit! Soooo delicious! This yummy cake is definitely a make again and again kinda cake!
norine@norinesnest.com | 2nd Apr 18
Hi Sondra!
Hooray!!! I’m so happy you loved this cake! We had it yesterday too and as always…we all loved it! I love that you said this is a make it again, and again…kinda cake! It really is! Hope you had a nice Easter!
Happy Nesting and Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
~Norine
Marianne | 2nd Apr 18
Hi norine,greetings from the Philippines. I would really like to try this recipe for my wedding anniversary but the thing is, we dont have ready made cocout flakes here in in our province. I was just wondering if i can use fresh coconut instead? Or can dessicated coconut be use instead?
norine@norinesnest.com | 2nd Apr 18
Hi Marianne!
I get so excited when I hear from friends in other countries! Coconut Flakes and Dessicated Coconut is basically the same thing. I would recommend using that rather than fresh. I am a little concerned that if you use fresh it may make the cake too “wet”. If you can find dessicated that would be perfect! I hope you love this cake as much as we do. I made it yesterday for Easter. Happy Wedding Anniversary to you and your husband.
Happy Baking!
~Norine
Paula Holloway | 2nd Apr 18
This cake really was phenomenal! And easy to make! My 4-yr-old granddaughter and I made it together for Easter dinner?. Wonderful memory!
norine@norinesnest.com | 4th Apr 18
Hi Paula!
Thanks so much for sharing with me. I love that you made memories with your 4 year old granddaughter making this cake. That just warms my heart. Have a wonderful week and keep making memories! She’ll cherish them forever.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Stacy Harim | 2nd Apr 18
Hey there, Your cake was a huge hit at my house for Easter. My dad took a few slices home and I gave the rest to neighbors. One that came for dinner came to see if there was any left and he was so bummed when I told him no. He then offered to pay for the stuff to make another. I made it in 2 layers and added a half tsp of allspice for a little kick. Thanks for posting this. It was amazing.
norine@norinesnest.com | 4th Apr 18
Hi Stacy!
Oh my goodness! That is awesome. Why has no one ever offered to have me make another one? lol I’m so glad that everyone enjoyed this cake. Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing with me. I truly love hearing from friends who have made my recipes! It brightens my day!
Have a great week!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Pam | 5th Apr 18
Hi Norine,
I was searching for a carrot cake to make for Easter and made your recipe. This is absolutely the most delicious carrot cake ever! My family loved it and can hardly wait for me to make it again. There are some raisin lovers in the group and asked if I would add them in the next time too. If I did that, what quantity do you think I should use? Thanks so much for posting this fantastic recipe.
norine@norinesnest.com | 5th Apr 18
Hi Pam!
I’m so glad that everyone loved this cake! For your “raisin lovers” I suggest golden raisins and I would use 1/2 cup. Maybe a little more. Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing with me. I love hearing from friend who actually make my recipes. It makes my day! Have a GREAT week!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Strawberry Pineapple Fluff Jello Salad | Norine's Nest | 11th Apr 18
[…] of things lying around that needed to be used up! I had a half a can of crushed pineapple from the Carrot Cake. A couple handfuls of strawberries left over from the Strawberry spinach salad and there were the […]
Erlene | 15th Apr 18
This is so good my husband cant stop talking about it to everyone!!! I have always loved Carrot cake and had several pinned, I had to go into my saved pins and delete all but this one so I didn’t accidentally make the wrong one. Seriously the best, thank you!!!
norine@norinesnest.com | 17th Apr 18
Hi Erlene!
Thanks so much for stopping back by and sharing with me. I love hearing that people have enjoyed this carrot cake. It’s one of my favorite desserts! I hope you have a wonderful week and I hope you’ll visit with me again.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Gail Stewart | 19th Apr 18
This was hands down the best carrot cake that I have ever made. Thank you Norine for such a lovely contribution. I made it for Easter for my family and it was devoured quickly. I have made many carrot cakes, but this was the best by far.
norine@norinesnest.com | 20th Apr 18
Hi Gail!
Thanks so much. You are so sweet. I’m so glad your family enjoyed this cake for Easter. I made it for Easter too and we gobbled it all up! Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting me. Ya made my day.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Michelle | 22nd Apr 18
Hello Norine? Is there any way to substitute the oil with apple ? sauce?
I have seen that in some other recipes.
Just wondering if that might work just as well?
It sounds like such an amazing recipe and I really want to impress my family.
Thanks for sharing☺️
norine@norinesnest.com | 23rd Apr 18
Hi Michelle!
To answer your question, I have not done that with this recipe. However, I have done it with others and I think it would work okay with this recipe. That said…I think I would do half and half. Most cakes call for some type of oil or “fat”. Just to be safe, I would do half applesauce and half oil. You could try doing all applesauce, but I little concerned about totally omitting the fat content out of this cake.
I promise if you make this cake you will MORE than impress your family! I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone tell me that this cake disappointed. It’s just one of those classic no-fail recipes.
Thank you so much for stopping by. Let me know how it goes! I’ll be cheering ya on from the side lines!
Have a GREAT week.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Anne Mathew | 3rd May 18
Hi Norine,
This carrot cake looks exactly like the carrot cake I want to make- it’s dark, moist and looks super delicious. Thank you so much for sharing it. One question though, can I reduce the sugar in the frosting?
norine@norinesnest.com | 4th May 18
Hi Anne!
Thanks so much for stopping by my Nest! You can reduce the sugar in this recipe and it should be just fine. You may want to reduce the vanilla a tad. I would taste test as you are mixing and see. You may also want to reduce the amount of butter. I’m a little concerned you will end up with a frosting that isn’t as sustainable as this normally is. If that makes sense? It really is a great cake and a delicious frosting! I know you’ll love it.
Thanks again for visiting.
~Norine
anna c | 5th May 18
AMAZZZZZZZINGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
norine@norinesnest.com | 7th May 18
Hi Anna!
This made my day! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a GREAT week!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Jean Choinard | 8th May 18
I have made this cake for our monthly birthday cake at our quilting group. Needless to say, it was a big hit. This past Sunday was Missions Sunday at our church, and a week or so ago I got a call from the Missions committee to see if I would make this cake for a silent auction I was honoured to make it, took it in on Sunday and after a roast beef dinner all the bids went in and I was so pleased someone paid $30.00 for it. Of course I put cream cheese icing on it and pecans around the top and some in the middle. It truly is the best Carrot Cake in the world!
norine@norinesnest.com | 9th May 18
Hi Jean!
That’s AWESOME! I loved reading this story and hearing that your carrot cake received such a high bid. All for a good cause. Thank you so much for sharing with me. It truly made my day!
Happy Nesting,
Norine