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!
Hi do you think i can make this recipe in a bundt cake pan if so how long do you think I should leave it in the oven?
Hi Sofia!
Sorry for my late response. I’ve been out of my office recovering from some health issues. You can make this into a bundt cake. Bake time might be a little longer as the cake is thicker. I’d add about 10 minutes to the cook time.
Hope this helps for the future. Have a Merry Christmas.
Norine
There is a little coffee shop in San Bernardino that does everything on their menu just plain good. From time to time they have carrot cake and we were lucky enough to get some once. It was absolutely the best carrot cake we’d had ever had, hands down. I say we, my girlfriend and I. Suffice to say the woman who made those cakes doesn’t do it all the time and I haven’t been able to get some for at least a couple of years now.
I was sent this recipe by her mother who thought it looked good and had NO raisins. I made this cake this evening, along with the frosting. I have not even cut into it yet but the taste of the batter alone was just, :chef’s kiss:. You’re right, I can eat the frosting with a spoon as is and not feel like I need to go to the dentist and repent.
All of this to say, mine looks exactly like your picture and I’ll leave you in suspense for the final tasting. Because food is subjective, that’s why. If you like carrot cake, give this one a try and I hope it gives you the same feeling it gave me making just making it. Just writing a comment on a website recipe should tell you enough. Try it!
Cheers,
JT
Hi JT!
Don’t keep me in suspense!!! Did it meet all your expectations? I’m dying to know! I’m fairly confident it did, as this is truly the BEST carrot cake recipe…in my ever so humble opinion!
I can’t wait to hear back from you! Thank you for taking the time to share with us. You made my day!
Norine
@[email protected],
1000 pardons for not getting back to this until NOW! This cake has exceeded not only my expectations but also, everyone who shared it with me! Spectacular receipe, thank you so much.
-JT
I have made this for my husband’s birthday for the past 4 years and it’s always a favourite! By far the best carrot cake recipe out there. We aren’t fans of coconut and took the suggestion to use 1/4 cup extra flour and walnuts and it turns out perfect every time!
I make this frequently ppl at work thought I bought it from a cake place no I made it and it’s amazing today I’m going to try and make cupcakes I think they get eaten quicker thank you for sharing this amazing recipe
Hi Jaimie!
I want to be a co-worker of yours! How lucky are they?!!! I love making cupcakes with this recipe! I’ve made hundreds of them. They work really well for parties and…co-workers! 😉 Thank YOU for stopping by and sharing. I hope you’ll come back and visit again. Tell your friends how lucky I think they are to have you as their associate!
Happy Nesting!
Norine
Made this a few times now, always super delicious, everyone loves it!!
I have made this before! It is delicious.
If I cut this in half, should I use 2 6 inch round pans?
Hi Sharon!
That sounds about right to me! I’ve never cut it in half before. I usually make the entire recipe and make some into cupcakes and freeze them if I want a smaller cake. I think two 6 inch pans should work though. Happy Baking. I love this cake!
Have a great week!
Norine
@[email protected], Great! We are cutting back on sweets, but tomorrow is birthday (special 65!) and I wanted to make this. I have really been into finding 2 serving cake recipes to put in ramekins.
I also found a great measuring site that gives easy measuring ways to cut in half for hard know measurements. For example, your recipe calls for 3/4 cup of oil and buttermilk. I found out 1/2 of of 3/4 in receipes is 6 Tablespoons. I just love to know things like that.
So Happy Birthday to me with “World’s Best Carrot Cake” recipe!!! Sharon
This by far the best Carrot Cake I have ever tasted and made! I would have never have thought to put pineapple and coconut in it. Sometimes I will substitute one cup of carrot for one cup of shredded sweet potatoes. This still turns out amazing!!! Thanks for this recipe!!!
Hi Elyssa!
Okay I’m loving the addition of shredded sweet potatoes. I have to try that! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and share with us. Have a great weekend. Stop by again soon.
Norine
Dear Norine:
I bookmarked this recipe because I AM going to make it as soon as I don’t mind heating up the kitchen.
However, I am a grammar Nazi. I can’t help myself. An error on a page anywhere reaches out and grabs me. I found perhaps eight in your comments about the carrot cake. I’d be happy to edit this for you, but I’d need a way to send a file.
Hi Delores:
Thank you for sharing. If you’d like to email the corrections, you can email the file to [email protected] and I’ll be happy to take a look at the corrections you’ve spotted.
Can pineapple be substituted with apples?
Hi Victor!
I’m sure they could be. I have not tried it myself, but if they are finely chopped and maybe cooked before hand I don’t see where it would be an issue.
Hope this helps you out. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the cake. It’s one of my favorites.
Norine
Hello,
What are the dimensions of the cake? I’m taking them with me and I’m not sure what size box to buy
Thank,
Rachael
Hi Rachel,
I’m not sure what you’re asking? You can make this cake in almost any size pan. A flat 9 x 13, cupcakes, a bundt pan, I use 9 inch rounds, but you can use 8 inch rounds too. The dimensions are determined by what type of pan you use and if you do two layers or three? Sorry, I know not much help.
Norine