Looking for the best homemade Carrot Cake Recipe? Look no further! This is one of the BEST carrot cake recipes I have ever tried.
I consider myself a carrot cake connoisseur. How’s that for alliteration?! It is, after all, my favorite classic dessert recipe. If it’s on the dessert menu, there is no question. It’s what I’m ordering.
Over the years, I’ve sampled many-a-carrot-cake. I’ve had good carrot cake. I’ve had bad carrot cake. I’ve had dry carrot cake and I’ve had bland carrot cake.
But this recipe…this recipe is the best carrot cake you will ever have. Some (like me) might even go so far as to call it extraordinary.
It is three layers of delectable cake, chocked full of carrots, and soaked in a warm buttermilk glaze. If that’s not enough to send you over the edge, the entire cake is enveloped in a layer of luscious cream cheese frosting. Oooh, that just gave me chills! It is rich and decadent and indulgent and moist and…now I need to stop drooling.
A word of caution though. This recipe is not for the calorie conscious. All of this divine goodness comes with a price. My advice to you is don’t think about it. Take a forkful and close your eyes and be transported right to your happy place. Your happy place with carrot cake. Does it get any better than that?
Go now. Make this cake. You can thank me later. And, make sure you check my Carrot Cake Poke Cake recipe, too! It’s so easy and so good!
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Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups grated carrot
- 1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple drained
- 1 3.5 ounce can flaked coconut
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts chopped
Buttermilk Glaze
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese softened
- 1 16 oz package powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.
- Stir together first 4 ingredients.
- Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
- Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
- Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
- During the last 5 minutes of baking, begin making glaze.
- Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes.
- Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
- Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes.
- Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
- To make the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended; stir in vanilla.
- Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.
- This cake is best if you refrigerate it for at least 4-6 hours before serving.
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
Jennifer says
I made this before and it was absolutely divine but way too sweet for us. I’m going to plan on making it again this weekend and use Splenda instead of sugar. I believe the pineapple will have more than enough sugar to sweeten it. Only 1/2 the coconut.
We try to limit our sugar now and subbing Splenda in desserts has been easy.
Cathy Roeser says
My husband’s favorite! It’s moist and just perfect! The glaze 😘
Traci says
I really love carrot cake but I am allergic to nuts so the pecans and coconut are out. My sister is allergic to pineapple since having her thyroid removed but we both love carrot cake. If I leave out those three things do I need to adjust anything else in the recipe?
Christina Hitchcock says
Leaving out the pineapple may make it a little drier.
ZENAIDA BURLESON says
It’s my husband’s birthday tomorrow Thursday, the 28th. He’s got a sweet tooth and I know he will love this one. I hope it will turn out great!
Christina Hitchcock says
I hope he enjoyed it! Happy birthday to the hubs!
Susen says
My family LOVED this cake!! Then I made it for work ! Huge hit again! I made a big mistake on first cake. I did the glaze after cake cooled but it was still great. I will make this recipe again and again and again!
Christina Hitchcock says
So glad you liked it!