The Best Ever Carrot Cake

5 from 24 votes

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.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 969kcal

Author: Gina Abernathy

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 ½ cups Cooking Oil vegetable oil or canola oil
2 cups sugar
4 Eggs
2 cups carrots grated, fresh
8 oz. can crushed pineapple small can, add juice
¾ cup pecans chopped

Frosting Ingredients:

2 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter room temperature
1 ½ 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.

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