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!
LOVE this recipe!!! Would it work baking it in a bundt pan? Thanks, God Bless!!
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
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
Hi Mary!
Thank you for sharing that GREAT tip! Thank you for visiting my Nest too! Have a Great Week!
~Norine
Just wondering about baking time if i make cupcakes. Also about how many cupcakes does one batch make?
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
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!!!???
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
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!?
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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!
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
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!
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 😉