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, 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.
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
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 🙂
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
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.
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
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
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
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!
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
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 .
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
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.
I hope you saw the answer to these questions in my other response. Thanks again for stopping by. 😉
Norine
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?
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
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!
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
How about using g a Bundt pan? If yes. How long.
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