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.
MY LATEST VIDEOSBut 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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The Best Carrot Cake Ever!
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.
- Want to scale a recipe up or down? Simply type in a new serving amount and the recipe will automatically adjust!
- When a recipe call for House Seasoning Blend, you can use this recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- I always use unsalted butter in my recipes.
- I always use a meat thermometor to test for doneness when cooking meat. This one is my favorite.
- When a recipe is made in the oven, it should be pre-heated to the temperature in the recipe, unless otherwise noted.
- The nutritional information provided in this recipe is an estimate. Learn more on how I calculate nutritional information for my recipes.
Anna says
Hi quick question on the glaze. Are you supposed to bring the glaze to a boil and then boil it for four minutes? If not can you please be a little more specific with the glaze directions. Also, should the glaze be a chocolate brown color? Thank you so much!
Christina Hitchcock says
The directions in the recipe are correct. The glaze should NOT be a chocolate brown color. It may darken slightly from the sugar caramelizing but not become too dark like chocolate.
bunny says
I’ve been making this exact recipe for 40 years. I found it in a garnishing book and it was called Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake. This is one of my signature cakes, for wedding cakes, and even for a St. Barbara’s Day Ball at Fort Drum Army Base for 600 people.
The only thing I do differently is using a 16 oz. can of crushed pineapple. People rave about this cake.
I often bake it as a quarter sheet cake, 9″ X 13″, and even as cupcakes. When I leave the cake in a quarter sheet pan, I often add crushed pineapple, well drained, and cinnamon, to the Cream Cheese Frosting.
When it’s a wedding cake tier I make my Mock Whip Frosting in either an Orange Rum or Pina Colada flavor. The Cream Cheese Frosting would be too hard to decorate with as a wedding cake tier.
Christina Hitchcock says
It truly is an incredible cake! Thank you for sharing your tips on changing it up! I’ll have to give them a try! 🙂
Theo Stubbs says
This carrot cake is a hit at all my family functions. I made it once, now every time we get together they want me to bring it. I have only ever used the 9 inch pans, how much servings would i need to change the recipe to to accommodate 2 12 inch pans?
Christina Hitchcock says
I’m not sure. I’ve only made it as the recipe describes 🙁
bunny says
According to the Wilton charts – an 8″ cake pan holds 3. cake batter, a 9″ holds 5 1/3 c., and a 12″ holds 7 1/2 c. Use this guide to calculate how many batches you’ll need for different pan sizes.
https://www.wilton.com/wedding-cake-guide/cms-wedding-cake-data.html
Cathy Roeser says
I’m planning on adding raisins. What amount do you think would be best?
Christina Hitchcock says
Maybe start with 1 cup?
Tina says
Love this recipe! Silly me… I forgot the coconut so I tossed some in a pan and put it around the edges. ❤️
Christina Hitchcock says
What a great idea! I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
Marlene says
Have you tried baking in a 9×13 inch cake pan? If so, will the timing be less?
Thanks,
Marlene
Christina Hitchcock says
I have not tried it. I would think it would take a little longer to bake but I’m not sure the exact time.
Wanda Turner says
I’ve made this cake and it’s truly the best carrot cake I’ve ever tasted. Amazingly moist.
Christina Hitchcock says
YAY! I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for reporting back!
Carol says
My husband made this and thought it was an “either or” between the glaze and the frosting so he left out the glaze on his version. It was great even without the glaze, moist and delicious! I’m thinking that glaze would make it ultra moist and probably result in it falling apart from the extra weight. For those who want to save some calories too, skipping the glaze still results in a terrific carrot cake!
Christina Hitchcock says
Thanks for reporting back! That’s a great way to save a few calories!
Candy says
If I use the homemade carrot cake if the poke cake… would I leave out the buttermilk glaze?
Christina Hitchcock says
Yes, you would. Enjoy! 🙂
bunny says
The glaze does not make it fall apart. If anything, it becomes denser.
bunny says
The glaze does not make the cake fall apart. I’ve made this recipe for over 40 years, and the glaze is what has made this one of my signature cakes for wedding cakes, family celebrations, and even the St. Barbara’s Day Ball at Fort Drum Army Base for 600 guests.
SHY says
Hi, should I use sweet or unsweetened flaked coconut? Btw, your recipe looks delicious!
Thanks,
Christina Hitchcock says
You can use either. I’ve used both and the cake turns out perfect every time 🙂 ENJOY!
Kendra says
I wanted to love this cake BUT it fell apart too easily ???????????? followed recipe to a “T”, but it’s very crumbly (if that’s a word lol)…any suggestions that will not have it fall apart next time?
Christina Hitchcock says
I’m sorry you had difficulty with it. I’ve never had the cake crumble on me. I would definitely make sure you refrigerate it for at least 4 hours before serving. This will allow it enough time to firm up before serving it.
Kendra says
I wanted to love this cake BUT it’s extremely messy…falls apart easily…????????????
Jeanne Zamutt says
I did not think it was safe to use wax paper in the oven so I looked it up. ” DO NOT USE wax paper as parchment paper. The coating will melt and … Wax paper is not oven safe and will smoke and burn in your oven. ” I always use parchment paper. Thanks for the recipe!
Christina Hitchcock says
Thanks for the tip!
Sue says
THE. BEST. EVER!!!!!! Thank you!
Christina Hitchcock says
It really is 🙂 THanks for the feedback!
Faysal Khan says
Hello – Thanks SO much for sharing….like you I also trawl the net for recipes and have amassed a little collection… not all desserts, main courses and starters as well. It’s reached a point where I can now read a recipe and have an idea how good (or not) it will be… this is no hard and fast rule and I have made absolute disasters as well!!
Your recipe looks divine and I will make it today however if I may be so impertinent to suggest that I will make a few changes. 1. Baking soda tends to leave the dish tasting bleachy in my opinion so I usually overcompensate with baking powder and find that it generally works. 2. I would use dessicated coconut as otherwise one tends to get slivers of the stuff whilst in chewing heaven.. OH and I love the addition of buttermilk to the recipe…
Christina Hitchcock says
All great suggestions! Thanks for sharing 🙂
bunny says
I’ve made this exact recipe for 40 years and there is no bleachy taste.
bunny says
I can guarantee that there is no bleachy taste in this cake. I’ve been making it for over 40 years.
Efan says
Hi Christina!
Looks amazing, I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Two short questions: 1) Can I omit the flacked coconut? I never like coconut…..
2) As for the buttermilk glaze, do I have to use store bought buttermilk, or can i use homemade buttermilk?
Thank you so much!
Christina Hitchcock says
Yes, you can omit the coconut – the cake will still be incredible. And, yes, you can make your own buttermilk. That should be just fine. Enjoy! 🙂
Tami says
I had the most fantastic carrot cake from a bakery at Easter dinner this year. This recipe sounds similar to the things I was tasting I can’t wait to try it. What do you think about crushed walnuts stuck to the outside sides of the cake?
Christina Hitchcock says
That would be great! In fact I just remade this recipe so I could get an updated photo and I added chopped nuts to the outside.
SHAWN SHIELDS says
i would like to make this as mini bundt cakes (one or two bite size) for coworkers for easy transport and serving, wonder if such a moist cake would stand up, any suggestions on baking time or eliminating any ingrediants.
Christina Hitchcock says
The smaller size should make it easier to transport. I recently made this cake over the Easter holiday and I made the cake the morning before I needed it and frosted it the night before. Then I let it set up in the fridge for about 20 hours. I wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap and held it on my lap while we traveled and it held up great. I think the extra time in the fridge really helped.
Vaness says
Hi Christina:
Does the recipe call for Self Rising or All Purpose flour?
Christina Hitchcock says
All purpose…that was a great question 🙂
Stephanie S says
Best carrot cake ever!!!! Only bad remark is that it doesn’t travel well and breaks into little pieces
Christina Hitchcock says
I’m so glad you liked it! My family LOVES it too. I imagine that it would be difficult to travel with it. It’s so heavy.
Rebecca N Kay says
At the end of a few ingredients there’s another number, such as 8 and 3 1/2. What do those number mean? Are they cup measurements?
Christina Hitchcock says
My apologies, I just changed the format I use for my recipes and everything didn’t transfer correctly. Those were size (8 oz, etc..) I’ve updated the recipe so it should be good now.