The Best Ever Carrot Cake
The Best Ever Carrot Cake--freshly grated carrots, pineapple, cinnamon, and nuts make for one delicious cake! This cake is topped with a cream cheese and butter frosting that is out of this world.
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups Cooking Oil vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 Eggs
- 2 cups carrots grated, fresh
- 1 can crushed pineapple small can, add juice
- 3/4 cup pecans chopped
Frosting Ingredients:
- 2 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
- 2 sticks butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 boxes confectioners sugar sifted
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
Carrot Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour 3 8" round cake pans. I like to line my pans with parchment paper. (optional)
- Sift all dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together oil, sugar, eggs-beaten after each addition until smooth and combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture a little at a time, beating on medium speed, until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined well.
- Add carrots, pineapple, and nuts. Beat on medium until just combined. You can also fold this in by hand if you like. Mix well.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Start checking after 30 minutes.
- Remove the pans from the oven and cool on a wire rack until they have cooled completely. Level the tops of the cakes if you like. Frost.
Frosting
- Using a stand mixer, on medium speed, cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Slowly add in the confectioners sugar until all has been added. Lower the speed on the mixer while pouring in the confectioners sugar.
- Mix in the vanilla and pecans.
- Frost the cake. I like a lot of frosting in between my layers and on top. It's completely up to you. Refrigerate any left over frosting and enjoy as a late night snack.
Notes
Room temperature ingredients - Start with room temperature ingredients for the best outcome. This promotes better mixing and smoother texture.
Store leftover cake in the refrigerator wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for 5-7 days.
To Make In Advance- Bake and frost the cake as instructed. Store covered in the refrigerator up to a day in advance. OR Bake the cake layers, cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for 2-3 months. Frost after you remove the cake from the freezer.