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The Best-Ever Carrot Cake

Photo Credit
Ivanna Pavliuk/Shutterstock
Written By: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors The Almanac Editors and Staff
Yield
20 to 24 servings
Category
Cakes and Frostings
Course
Desserts
Sources
The OFA Recipes for Every Season

The Best-Ever Carrot Cake is moist, rich, and topped with a tasty cream cheese frosting. We’ve tested this reader recipe, and trust us—it’s aptly named!

Imagine a moist and tender crumb studded with vibrant shreds of carrot, perfectly balanced by warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. A luscious cream cheese frosting, rich and tangy, complements the sweetness of the cake without being overpowering.

This cake celebrates fresh, seasonal ingredients, baked to perfection and enjoyed with loved ones!

Do you love the thought of hiding vegetables in your desserts? Check out our famous chocolate zucchini cake!

Cake

Ingredients
1-3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups lightly packed shredded carrots
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple tidbits, drained
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13x9-inch baking dish.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, oil, and vanilla until just combined. Beat in eggs one at a time on medium speed.
  3. Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg. Add carrots, pineapple, and nuts. Stir until just combined.
  4. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
  5. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, softened
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2-1/4 to 2-1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
chopped walnuts, for topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and orange zest until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, and beat until smooth. Adjust the amount of confectioners’ sugar depending on how sweet you like the icing to be.
  2. Frost cake and top with walnuts, if using.

About The Author
The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Almanac Editors and Staff

Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington’s first term as president.Today, the Almanac...
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Comments

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 02/25/2022 - 14:23

Hi, Stacy. The pineapple adds sweetness and ensures a moist cake. But if you want to omit it, we would recommend adding applesauce in its place.

 <span>Denise T</span> Sun, 03/29/2020 - 14:37
When making the substitution you can sub any amount up to the whole shebang. It just depends on how much fat and calories you want to cut out. Just experiment and see what works for you. Happy baking!
<span>Diana</span> Sun, 04/07/2019 - 08:07
Has anyone tried this cake with gluten free flour? I would appreciate any help as carrot cake is my beloved daughter's favorite and I would love to surprise her this Easter with a "moist" cake. Thanks for any help
<span>Mz Abby</span> Sat, 04/07/2018 - 21:46
Yes "ever" should be in all caps; as this is the best carrot cake EVER! My husband is a "die for carrot cake" kind of guy and will travel miles to a well-made moist carrot cake. So I decided to give the recipe a try and the cake is very, very, very good. The twist in this recipe are the pineapple tidbits (I used crushed) which give the cake a tropical taste. Also, the way the recipe is put together gives it that moisture and fluffy texture. Ya know, I should have added few more "verys", and some "wows" and maybe "Oh----my----goodness" to describe this cake. Thanks for the recipe, I know I will be asked to make this cake over and over again.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 04/09/2018 - 19:57

We are loving your happiness! Thanks so much for letting us know how much you—and your husband—enjoy this!

 <span>Linda Mozer</span> Wed, 04/04/2018 - 11:58
I received a similar recipe in the early 70's. I started substituting homemade apple sauce for the oil. It's the best! I've never eaten another carrot cake that is so moist!
<span>Debbie Sell</span> Thu, 04/05/2018 - 21:31
Hi, using applesauce sounds perfect to me. Can you please tell me how much you used, Linda Mixer.
<span>Christine</span> Sat, 12/24/2022 - 11:43
I've always read that it is a 1:1 substitute of applesauce for oil. So for instance, if the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of oil, substitute 1/4 cup of applesauce for the oil.
<span>Alice Clark</span> Mon, 04/10/2017 - 18:23
Just love the old time recipes. Nothing better to bring back old memories. Thanks so much for posting.
<span>Laurie</span> Fri, 04/07/2017 - 19:34
This is by far the best carrot cake recipe. I have been making this one for the last 20 years and it never disappoints.