World’s Best Carrot Cake
Hundreds of have spoken…this is The World’s Best Carrot Cake! Layers of moist flavor filled cake with coconut, crushed pineapple, carrots, spices, and nuts come together with a delectable cream cheese frosting.
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 eyesight should be back to normal!
I’m obsessed with this carrot cake recipe! It truly is the “World’s Best Carrot Cake”! That is no exaggeration. This recipe ALWAYS receives rave reviews! (It makes me look good!)
It’s the perfect balance of everything I love! This cake is bursting with flavor and ultra moist, but not overly sweet like some traditional carrot cakes.
How To Make The World’s BEST Carrot Cake
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 you’ll have a very thin batter like pictured below.
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 spatulas. (It’s a nightmare you don’t wanna live through! Trust me!) Place your cake pan up against your cake plate and invert.
Use 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 finished cake. 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 is so beautiful on its 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…. ticktock…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!… You’re 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!)
Here are some other great Cake Recipes
- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- The Best Dark Chocolate Cake with Creamy Chocolate Buttercream
- Cake Mix Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Best Vanilla Cake with Special Buttercream frosting
- Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese frosting
- Best Pound Cake Recipe from Julia’s Simply Southern
The printable recipe is located below.
If you try this recipe… I’d REALLY love to hear from you! I want to know if you love this splendid carrot cake as much as I do.
Have a GREAT day! Happy Veggie Eatin’!
World’s Best Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- 1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two or three 8 inch pans, depending on if you are doing a two layer or three layer cake. You can make either two thicker 8 inch cakes or three thinner layers. It’s up to you and the desired look you’re trying to achieve.
- In your mixer bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla. mix well.
- Add in your flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix till well blended.
- Next add your carrots, coconut, crushed pineapple with juice and chopped walnuts. Mix till just blended.
- Pour into prepared 8 inch cake rounds, bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Check to see if done. If finger lightly pressed in center bounces back it is done.
- Allow to cool in cake pans. Invert onto cake plate and frost each layer.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lb. powdered sugar
- Beat the butter and cream cheese until nice and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and sifted powdered sugar and beat until nice and smooth. Test the consistency of the frosting. Too thin? Add powdered sugar 2 Tablespoons at a time. Too thick? Add a teaspoon of milk at a time.
Nutrition
Meet The Author
Hi! I'm Norine, the cook, baker, and recipe creator behind Norine's Nest. I love sharing and creating recipes that invite family, friends, and neighbors to gather around the dinner table. Sharing good food and creating memories with those we love brings me happiness. Thanks for stopping by my Nest!
Getting ready to make this for the first time. Any chance I can leave out the pinapple? Should I substitute with more buttermilk?? Thank you! It will be a quiet Easter for my husband and me in quaritine, but looking forward to making this cake Thank you!
Hi Pam!
I’m so sorry! I had a rough weekend over here with a few health issues kicking my fanny and I didn’t get on here to check for messages. You can leave out the pineapple and add just a tad more buttermilk. I hope that is what you did. This is such a great recipe! So yummy! I hope you and your husband had a wonderful Easter. So many changes this year. Have a great week. Thanks for stopping by!
~Norine
This is one of the easiest and most delicious carrot cakes I have ever made. It is amazing! Thank you very much for the recipe.
Hi! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing with me. Sorry it’s taken me so long to respond. I’ve been sick this past week and wasn’t able to get back into my office. I love this cake and can’t wait to make it again this spring.
Hope you have a GREAT week!
Happy Nesting!
Norine
Dear Norine, I have baked this cake so many times, thank you for the recipe, you are a culinary genius!
Will make your recipe! But what is #7 under instructions in recipe? Please confirm you can use 3 8″ as well as 3 9″ the larger pan produces thinner layers? Thanks so much
Hi Rita!
Yes you can use either a 8 or 9 inch pans. The 9 inch pans will create thinner layers. Hope you love this cake as much as everyone else seems too…including all the birds at this nest. Makes great cupcakes too!
Thanks for stopping by!
Norine
I make this every year, sometimes twice, since I found this recipe. My husband and I will have a piece with every meal until it is gone. It is the only cake that every piece is eaten. It is truly the best.Thank you so much
Hi Erlene!
I love when friends stop by and share how much they enjoy this cake. It’s one of my very favorite desserts! It never goes wrong and it is always a hit. Thanks so much for taking the time share with me…have a slice for me!
Happy Nesting!
Norine
Hi Norine,
True buying the recipe opened the doors for the contracts of building his cafe’s. The pineapple is slow baked at 125 for 3 hours. It almost turne into candy. Also make sure you use buttermilk for rich flavor. Thank you for answering my comment and Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.
Hi Steve!
Thank you for letting me know how you bake that pineapple! You must have been catching my brain waves because I really wanted to know how you did that! I hope you and your family have a VERY Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
~Norine
I often traveled for work and I would always stop at this place that sold great carrot cake and coffee. I asked the owner many times for the recipe but he kept saying no so on one of my stops I said ok I will pay you for the recipe and he still said no. After a few more stops he ageeded to sell me the recipe for $100 and so I brought it and being in the building trades I ended up building him 2 cafes in the bay area of California. ( I made back way more than my investment for the recipe) I have entered my cake in many fairs and have always won blue ribbons. Well it turns out that your recipe fits too a T of the one I paid $100 for. lol The only things I have changed is I bake in 10″X2″ pans and I make 3 layers also I put in 2 cups of walnuts along with adding orange extract and zest to the frosting. But I think the biggest change is that I slow bake a whole pineapple in the oven and scoop it out and then add it to the mix.. I am now 71 years old and still enjoy baking
Hi Steve!
Thank you SO much for taking the time to share this story with me. I LOVED this story! I honestly do not claim this recipe as my own, I adapted it from a recipe I found on another website, but it is my “go to” favorite cake recipe! I am so in awe that you slow bake your own pineapple. Now I need to try it! The orange zest…another great addition! I can certainly see why you have won many ribbons for this cake. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share this story with me. I personally think you got a bargain price for this recipe! 😉
Happy Holidays!
~Norine
This is by far the best carrot cake recipe ever. I entered an Icing on the Cake competition and won 2nd place using this recipe. The 1st place winner had her cake garnished with cute pumpkins and ribbons and won by one point. My delicious carrot cake was the first to recipe the cake plate and was definitely the People’s Choice. Thanks, again for sharing this delicious recipe.
Hi Laura!
How exciting! I’m so happy for you…garnish is highly overrated…I’d go for taste every time! I want to thank you for taking the time to share this with me. It means so much to me when my busy followers take the time out of their lives to share. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have a fantastic Christmas!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Hi! Would the cake be any different if I do not put coconut flakes? What can I use as replecement for it? Thank you.
Hi Madge!
You can omit the coconut flakes if you don’t like them. Several have left it out without any issues. Hope that helps you out.
Enjoy this cake! It’s really good!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Made this for a 58th anniversary party and it was a huge hit! First time ever making carrot cake from scratch and it was a WIN!
Hi Rachel!
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing with me. A 58th Anniversary!!! Congratulations to the wonderful couple and I hope they loved this cake you made for them. Such a wonderful gift to give. You’re a pro now and will get asked to make it all the time.
Have a GREAT week!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine