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 NORINE,
A FRIEND OF MINE TURNED EIGHTY AND I ASKED HER WHAT HER FAVORITE DESERT WAS AND WITHOUT HESITATION SHE SAID CARROT CAKE SO I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND YOUR RECIPE. WHAT A HIT! WE HAD A SMALL GATHERING AND EVERYONE LOVED IT INCLUDING OUR BELOVED BIRHDAY GIRL. LOVED! LOVED! LOVED!IT. I WAS ASKED FOR THE RECIPE WHICH I COPIED AND HANDED OUT. THIS REMAINS THE 0NLY RECIPE OF YOURS I HAVE TRIED SO FAR ~LOOKING FORWARD TO TRYING MOER. THANKS SO MUCH. YOU’RE THE BEST! I COVERED THE WHOLE CAKE WITH YOUR CREAM CHEESE FROSING AMD THEN WITH COCONUT. IT LOOKED LIKE A GIANT SOWBALL~ WELL RECEIVED.THANKS AGAIN,
GINNY
{ALL CAPS TO COMPENSATE FOR VISION LOSS}
Hi Ginny!
Happy 80th Birthday to your Birthday Girlfriend! What a wonderful way to celebrate her with her favorite dessert. I’m SO glad she liked it. I love that you covered it with coconut! How delicious! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing with me. I love hearing from friends who have tried a recipe and enjoyed it. It makes my day! Happy Easter. Please come back to visit soon.
Norine
Dear Norine, It truly is the best carrot cake in the world. I have made this recipe several times and it has always been a hit. I have a close friend who requested this for his birthday.. he told me he has tasted carrot cake in many parts of the world, and by far this was his favorite.
I am going to a party tonight and of course I am bringing your amazing cake… Thank you so much!
I plan on making your dinner rolls next week.
Hi Theresa!
What a lovely message to start the New Year off with! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with me. It really truly brings me such Joy when I find out that a recipe is a hit. I hope you have a wonderful New Year and have a fantastic time at your party tonight…I know the dessert will be Amazing! 😉
Norine
Norine: I made this a year ago and it was a hit. So delicious and the cream cheese icing put it over the top. I decided I would make mini loaves this year and give them away as Christmas gifts. I always give away baked goods for Christmas and this year, I believe, the carrot cake will be the hit of the baked goods.
Hi John!
I LOVE your idea to make them into mini loaves for friends and neighbors! What a fantastic idea and…a wonderful gift! I know I’d like one…right now in fact! Lol I appreciate you stopping by and sharing this fun idea with us. I believe you are right! These will be the hit of the baked goods! Have a wonderful and Merry Christmas!
Norine
I’ve been looking for this recipe for 25 years, ever since I was moving and lost the old recipe book that had my beloved Carrot Cake recipe. I’ve never stopped looking for a similar. Thank you so much. 😊
Hi Candy!
I’m SO glad you found it! Isn’t it the BEST carrot cake recipe! Enjoy.
Happy Holidays!
Norine
I looked at many many recipes for Carrot cake . Yours is first I seen use buttermilk. I was also surprised by the amount. So why the buttermilk 🤷♂️ .Reason behind it and how did you determine the amount needed in this recipe. How did you come up with that idea.
Hi Mark!
I use buttermilk in a lot of my cake and muffin recipes! It makes them more moist. I’ve always used buttermilk in my cakes so I can’t rightly say where the idea first came from, other than I figured if it makes muffins more moist, it would do the same for cakes.
Norine
Once again I baked this cake for my daughter’s birthday. It turned out amazing and now my daughters declare that I make the best carrot cake in the world 😀😀. But I say it is Noreen’s recipe. Thank you and I hope my daughters use this recipe to bake for their families in future. Best wishes
Hi Sandy!
Oh my goodness this post means so much to me! I’m so glad you and your nest enjoy this recipe and I hope your daughters use this recipe for their families too. That would mean the world to me! It’s why I do what I do…hoping to share and create traditions to last for generations. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and Thank you SO much for sharing with me.
Norine
5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hi Norine.
I notice your recipe asked for 2 cups all purpose flour and 2 tsp baking soda only; is there no baking powder used?
Thanks!
Hi Chrissie!
I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to respond. There is not any baking powder in this cake recipe. I know it feels like there should be, but it works out great with the baking soda. This is hands down my favorite cake recipe of all time!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Norine
I noticed your recipe compared to a few others on Pinterest doesn’t include baking powder or raisins. I know raisins are an option but I was worried about no baking powder.😕 I also mixed this all by whisk not realizing it was done in a stand mixer. Hope that doesn’t affect the results. I made this yesterday but haven’t tasted it yet.
Hi Robin!
I promise this cake will stand up to any Carrot Cake Recipe out there! Hopefully by now you know that! Thanks for sharing your concern. Thanks for stopping by.
Come back soon!
Norine
Does any of these recipes have imperial measurements please
Hi Christine!
I’m sorry they do not, but there are sites on Google that offer a conversion chart. I’m one of those “state side” bakers that uses cups and teaspoons. So sorry for the inconvience.
Norine