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,
After all the great reviews by your nesters, I am sure the cake is fabulous and I will try it soon. I just want to tell you that based on the way you answered the tons of questions, you are a sweet and kind lady and I am glad that you are also generous enough to share your wonderful recipes with us all. Keep it up girl :).
Hi Christy!
Thank you so much for your kind words. Ya made my day! I love sharing with my “nester” friends and this really is my favorite cake. Please let me know when you try it. Thanks for your encouragement and for stopping by my Nest! I hope you have a wonderful Holiday at your Nest.
Happy Nesting~
Norine
Hi N
Hi, Norine!
Perfect your recipe and very well presented. I knew this cake in your country and I was in love.
I’ve never seen this kind of cake before. Delicious!
Thank you
Hi Eunice!
I’m so glad you like this cake. It is truly my very favorite. So much flavor and such a wonderful texture. It is a great presentation for guest or family. Thank you for sharing and for stopping by my Nest. Have a Wonderful Day.
Happy Nesting~
Norine
Hi Norine,
Recipe itself looks so fabulous. I was wondering if i can make it without eggs or not? What can i substitute eggs with?
Hi Swati!
You can, but I can’t vouch for how it will turn out. I know you can substitute mashed banana’s or applesauce for the eggs. However, I’ve never done it with this cake so again…I’m not sure how it will turn out.
Hope that helps in some small degree.
Happy Nesting~
Norine
My cakes came out perfect and moist but unfortunately the cream cheese frosting split 🙁 dont know what i did wrong.. ???
Hi Neha!
I’m happy to hear that the cake turned out perfect. Let’s see if I can help with the frosting separating?
The main cause of frosting “splitting” or “separating” is because the ingredients were either too cold or too hot. You always want your frosting ingredients at “room temperature” This way they will blend together. If you used the cream cheese right out of the refrigerator or the butter it would have caused this to happen. It can also happen if the ingredients are too hot.
Next time make sure everything is at room temperature and that should take care of the issue.
Hope I was able to help. Thank you SO much for visiting with me. I’m so sorry you had issues with the frosting. It’s such a great frosting recipe. Don’t give up on it. Try it again. 😉 It goes perfectly with the carrot cake. Have a wonderful week and please feel free to visit with me again soon. Happy Holidays.
Norine
So far the best recipe for carrot cake ever. For those who are not fans od coconut I used almond flour instead and it works well too, otherwise absolutely no need to change anything, the ratio of ingredience is just perfect and i big success is certain. Thank you for this luxury recipe ?Your fan from the Czech Republic.
Hi Klara!
Thank you SO much for visiting my nest! I appreciate the suggested substitution. I know my readers will to. It’s perfect! I’m so honored that I have a fan in Czech Republic! That is AWESOME! I hope you have a wonderful week. Thanks again so much for sharing. I hope you’ll come back and visit again.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Hi norie ,
I was wondering if this recepi can be done in one pan anfd been sliced in layars ?
Hi norie ,
I was wondering if this recepi can be done in one pan and been sliced in layars ?
I made it exactly to your instructions, absolutely wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Constanza!
I’m so glad! I love this cake and I love it when friends share with me their experience with this recipe. Thank you so much for visiting with me today. I hope you’ve had a wonderful day.
Happy Nesting~
Norine
Namaste Mrs. Norine,
Out of love for baking, have tried out plenty of recipes, but this carrot cake is truly the best my family loved. Inspired by your title, tried out the very next day. Came out so delicious that I got only one piece of it. I had replaced the all purpose flour for wheat flour and used 1 3/4 cup of brown sugar instead of the white sugar.
Thanks so very much for an infallible recipe.
Love and prayers,
Rekha
Hi Rekha!
Thank you so much for sharing with me. I loved hearing from you about my carrot cake recipe and the fantastic changes you made to it. They all sound wonderful. It sounds like the entire family loved it. (Next time hide a few slices for yourself. lol) 😉
Thanks for visiting my nest! I love making new friends. Especially Carrot Cake baking friends.
Happy Nesting!
Norine
I’m making this cake for Thanksgiving and need to know whether you used dry buttermilk or liquid. I’m so looking to to making this .
Hi Joan!
I use liquid buttermilk for this carrot cake. I am so excited you are making this for Thanksgiving. I know your family will love it as much as mine does.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Let me know how you like the cake. Thanks for visiting.
Happy Nesting!
~Norine