This Carrot Cake recipe comes directly from our Mom’s recipe box. This recipe is a cherished part of my childhood memories. I remember eating this melt-in-your-mouth, moist cake on special occasions and at family gatherings. It is chock full of delicious coconut, pineapple, shredded carrots, nuts and cinnamon. The rich cream cheese frosting complements the cake beautifully. Now I make this cake at least once a year. Our Easter dinner wouldn’t be complete without it.
Ingredients in Carrot Cake
This decadent cake begins with just a few pantry staples like flour, sugar, eggs, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla. Additional ingredients in our carrot cake include shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, coconut, walnuts and raisins.
How to Make Carrot Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For perfect baking, don’t add the cake to the oven until it is fully heated. Prepare your baking pan or pans. If using round pans for a layered cake, cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pans, then use a baking spray on the paper. If using a 9×13 pan, spray the bottom and sides of the pan with baking spray. For the cake batter, start with beating the eggs in a stand mixer or in a bowl with an electric hand mixer. You can also use a whisk and mix them by hand. Add the flour, sugar, oil, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Mix all the ingredients together until the batter is well blended and smooth. Stir in the coconut, nuts, pineapple and carrots by hand with a mixing spoon until they are well distributed through the batter.
Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan or pans and start baking. How do you know when your cake is done, but not too done? Check the baking time for the pans you are using. Oven temperatures can vary, so I always check it a few minutes early. The first test is to check it visually to see if it looks uncooked in the middle, if it does, continue baking. The next think I do is give the pan a little jiggle. If I can see there is movement in the middle of the cake, it needs more time. If the cake passes both of these tests, then I insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done! If not, recheck every few minutes until the cake is fully baked. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack before frosting. If the cake is frosted while it’s still warm, the frosting can melt.
Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
Perhaps my very favorite part of this cake is the fluffy, rich cream cheese frosting on top. Follow these tips for the perfect frosting:
How do you Store Carrot Cake?
You can store carrot cake by covering with a lid or plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator to keep it from drying out. With a cream cheese frosting, DO NOT store at room temperature. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week or I like to individually slice any leftovers and store in the freezer for up to a month. Take out one slice at a time and let it come to room temperate whenever you want dessert. READ NEXT: 25+ Best Easter Desserts and Treats
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