Carrot Cake

4.72 from 78 votes

This Super Moist Carrot Cake With Pineapple And Cream Cheese Frosting is soft, perfectly spiced, and incredibly moist thanks to oil and crushed pineapple. Topped with a rich cream cheese frosting, this classic carrot cake works beautifully as a layer cake, sheet cake, or cupcakes and is perfect for Easter, birthdays, or any special occasion.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Total Time1 15

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake recipes, carrort cake, carrot cake recipe

Servings:

Calories: 579kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

8-inch Round Cake Pans (Set of 3) only 2 needed
Box Grater
6-Inch Stainless Steel Whisk

Ingredients

Cake Batter

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon ground
1½ cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups carrots grated
¾ cup walnuts chopped
¾ cup raisins
8 ounces pineapple crushed, drained

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces cream cheese softened at room temperature
½ cup butter unsalted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners sugar same as icing sugar or powdered sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare 2 8 inch cake pans. Cut out 2 parchment paper circles that will fit inside each pan and spray them with some cooking spray. Make sure to spray some cooking spray up the sides of the pans too.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
In another bowl add the sugar, eggs and vegetable oil. Whisk until it all comes together. Alternatively you could use your mixer.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold everything until well combined.
Add the carrots, walnuts, raisins and pineapple. Using a spatula mix everything together until all the fruits are well incorporated into the batter.
Pour the batter into the 2 prepared pans, equally. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans for about 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack or a cutting board and cool completely.
While the cake is cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of your mixer, beat the cream cheese together with the butter, then add the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Start by placing 1 cake layer onto your serving cake platter, then spread some of the cream cheese frosting, about 1½ cups, evenly over the cake layer. Add the other cake layer. Using a spatula, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake and up the sides.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

Grate your own carrots: Freshly grated carrots add much more moisture and texture than preshredded carrots from the store.
Drain the pineapple well: You want the moisture from the pineapple, but not excess liquid, or the cake may sink slightly in the middle.
Do not overmix the batter: Mix just until the flour is incorporated. Overmixing can make the cake dense instead of soft and tender.
Let the cake cool completely before frosting: If the cake is warm, the cream cheese frosting will melt and become runny.
This cake can be made as a layer cake, slab cake, or cupcakes: Bake in two round pans, a 9×13 inch pan, or as cupcakes depending on what you need.
Carrot cake is even better the next day: The flavors develop and the cake becomes even more moist after sitting overnight in the fridge.
You can freeze the cake layers: Wrap cooled cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting.

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