This is the best carrot cake you will ever make! Packed with freshly grated carrots, crushed pineapple, coconut and nuts it is moist and fluffy and pairs perfectly with homemade cream cheese frosting.
This carrot cake recipe (aka Uncle Hefe's Carrot Cake) is my brother's favorite cake in the world. And once you make it, it just might become yours too.
This is not your average, one-note carrot cake. It's loaded with freshly grated carrots, sweetened shredded coconut, crushed pineapple, and crunchy nuts, which means every bite is incredibly moist without being heavy. Finished with a generous layer of homemade cream cheese frosting, this is a true celebration cake. It's perfect for Easter, Thanksgiving, birthdays, or anytime you need a reliable, make-ahead dessert that everyone at the table will love.
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Equipment:
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment OR electric hand mixer: I absolutely love my KitchenAid Stand Mixer and the KitchenAid Hand Mixer works great too.
- Mixing bowls: I use these Pyrex Glass Mixing bowls for most of my baking and they work wonderfully.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Two 9 inch round baking pans: To prevent sticking I recommend lining the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. If you don't feel like cutting your own circles I always have a pack of these pre-cut parchment paper circles in the kitchen.
Ingredients:
For the Carrot Cake
- Fresh carrots
- Sweetened shredded coconut
- Crushed pineapple: No need to drain. The juice helps make the cake so moist and delicious!
- Chopped nuts: You can use walnuts or pecans interchangeably.
- Eggs: Room temperature eggs work best.
- Vegetable oil
- White granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese: I recommend using full fat cream cheese at room temperature.
- Unsalted butter
- Pure vanilla extract
- Powdered Sugar
Toppings (optional)
- Sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
- Chopped nuts, toasted
Recipe FAQs
To tell if the cake is baked through simply insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it pulls out clean then the cake is done. If it is coated with wet better then the cake will need a few more minutes of baking.
You definitely want to stick with freshly shredded carrots for this recipe. Although they require a little extra time to prepare, they add wonderful flavor and moisture to the cake.
Pre-packaged shredded or matchstick carrots simply will not give you the same result.
Yes, if you don't like nuts, don't have any or are catering to someone with a nut allergy simply omit them from the recipe and bake as directed.
Yes, if you like raisins in your carrot cake feel free to add ½ cup.
Before adding simply soak the raisins in a little warm water for about 10-15 minutes to rehydrate. Then drain, pat dry and add to the mixture with the fruit.
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Made this Carrot Cake recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
The Best Carrot Cake with Coconut, Pineapple and Nuts
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- whisk
- 2 9 inch round cake pans bottoms lined with parchment paper and prepared with butter and flour or baking spray
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or mixing bowl with electric hand mixer
- Baking Sheet optional, to toast toppings
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2.5 cups freshly shredded carrots
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup canned crushed pineapple do not drain
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese I recommend full fat
- 1 stick of butter, 8 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4-6 cups powdered sugar adjust based on your preferred level of sweetness
Toppings (optional)
- sweetened shredded coconut, toasted and cooled
- chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted and cooled
Instructions
Bake the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 9 inch round baking pans with parchment (if desired) and butter and flour.
- Shred the carrots then add to a medium size mixing bowl along with coconut and pineapple. Stir to combine and set aside. In another medium size mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously until very well combined. Add half of the flour mixture to the egg and oil mixture and stir to combine. Then add the remaing half and stir until no white streaks of flour remain. Add the carrots and fruit to the mixture and fold into the batter until well distributed.Then stir the chopped nuts into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cooled before frosting.
Make the frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl with electric hand mixer) add in room temperature cream cheese and unsalted butter. Beat on medium high heat for a couple minutes until completely combined with no remaining lumps. On medium speed, beat in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract then 5-6 cups of powdered sugar, adding ½ cup at a time. Once the frosting is thickened and sweetened to your taste it is ready.
Add toppings
- While the cake is cooling prepare the toppings. Add a handful of sweetened shredded coconut to one side of a baking sheet. On the other side add a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans. Place in the oven.Toast the coconut and nuts at 350 degrees for around 5 minutes, checking and shaking frequently to ensure it doesn't burn. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before decorating the cake.
- Frost the cake with cream cheese frosting and decorate the top in a pattern of your choice with toasted nuts and coconuts.Serve and enjoy!
Sara
I love carrot cake and this is by far the best recipe I’ve tried! It comes out perfect every time and everyone raves about it.
Lina
Delicious and so moist. Best recipe I've tried that I made it twice in 2 weeks. Everyone loved it. I only used one cup of sugar and it was still perfect.
Gigi
Good to know! I wasn't planning on using both cups of sugar but was worried about the texture.
Sunrita
So moist and delicious. Love the twist to a regular carrot cake . Added coconut made such a flavour difference.
Robb
Hi. Any recommendations on how fine to grate the carrot? The larger or smaller holes on the grater?
jamjarkitchen
I recommend the larger holes on the grater. I really like that texture. Hope you enjoy!
Sara
Hi Robb. Every time I make this cake I use the smaller holes on the grater for both the carrots and the coconut.
Darcel Collinson
I put mine in the food processor and they were perfect.
Kevin Anderson
Can this recipe be cooked in a loaf pan? If so, how many and do the amounts of the ingredients need to be adjusted?
jamjarkitchen
Yes, you can bake this in a loaf pan! I’m not sure of the exact size you’re using, so I can’t say how (or if) you’d need to adjust the ingredient amounts. I would start with the recipe as written and just know it will need a longer bake time. I’d add about 10 minutes to start, then check for doneness and continue checking every 5 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let me know how it turns out!
Jessia
Wowza, this cake is outta this world!!!! For realzzzz. It's perfectly moist and so incredibly flavorful. I'm bookmarking the recipe so I can share it with my family for Easter next year.
Jere Cassidy
Once I saw this post I had to pin it. This is the kind of carrot cake I have been looking for with pineapple and coconut.
Beth
Hi! Could I substitute 1 cup brown sugar? Would I Maybe need to reduce the pineapple content if so?
Leah Thompson
Could this be made into muffins?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Leah- Yes this recipe can be made into muffins or cupcakes. I haven't tested the timing on it yet so you'd need to check for doneness much earlier than if you baked it in cake pans. As soon as I test that I will update it to the post. 🙂
Brianna May
Carrot cake is my absolute favorite. I made this recipe last weekend and it was incredible!!
debra
Amazing. So moist, flavorful and everyone loved it. Will definitely become our new birthday cake tradition.
Joyce
I use 3/4 cup shredded and drained zucchini and 3/4 cup shredded carrots. It is a nice addition to the carrot cake..like a combo of carrot cake/ zucchini loaf. Yum! Love this recipe as is, too, tho!
jamjarkitchen
That sound delicious. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Mary Garland Jackson
This recipe is fabulous! I made it for my son’s birthday, and everyone loved it.
jamjarkitchen
Wonderful! So glad y’all enjoyed!
Sandra Dutka
Just a question. So when I make the cake I don't use a Mixer (only for the cream cheese ice) I just stir ingredients together once they're all added in the steps you show.
And it still comes out nice and moist?!
Just want to clarify that when you put the parchment in the pans, you butter and flour it and the sides of the pan?
This recipe looks amazing. Hope you get back
Thanks,
Sandra
jamjarkitchen
Hi Sandra- Yep, there’s no need to use a mixer for this recipe, just old fashioned elbow grease. However, if you would prefer you can use a mixture on low. Just be sure not to overdo it or it can make the cake gummy.
I do recommend buttering and flouring the pans after the parchment paper has been put in just to ensure nothing sticks. You can also use a baking spray if preferred.
Hope you enjoy!
Tracy
What size can of crushed pineapple, please?
jamjarkitchen
It’s 1 cup of crushed pineapple so you’ll need to measure it out. You can get a 12 oz can and then you’ll just leave some unused. Hope you enjoy!
Janet epling
Best cake ever
Eva
Yes the recipe says one can of pineapple so it is not clear you are looking for a cup.
jamjarkitchen
In the ingredient list in the recipe card it does say “1 cup canned crushed pineapple”. You can press the skip to recipe button at the top and it will take you straight to the ingredient list with measurements.
Jennifer
Can you make this recipe in a 13x9 baking pan? If so, how long should I bake it for? Thanks!
jamjarkitchen
Hi Jennifer - I would recommend 40-50 minutes. But start checking for doneness at the 40 minute mark and then test every 3-5 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Hope you enjoy!
christine
Can you make cup cakes with this recipe?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Christine- I haven’t tested cupcakes using this recipe but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I’ll try to get a cupcake version up on the blog in the next couple months. If you end up making them please let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Kristi
I would like to make cupcakes but don't know how long to cook them. Have you any ideas?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Kristi, I haven’t made cupcakes with this recipe but I’m planning to do so for the blog before Easter. My guess is they’ll need to cook at 350 for around 25 minutes, starting to check for doneness at around 22 minutes. I hope this helps and let me know how they come out 🙂
Pat
Loved to make this recipe, but in one pan. What size pan should I use and how long should it cook? Thank you
Kristi
Recipe says to use 9" pans
Siobhan
I’d like to three layer this recipe, any suggestions on how to modify?
Caitlin
This looks delicious! I’m wondering if you have thoughts for making this nut free. Do you think it can just be omitted without affecting the recipe much? Would you change anything?
I assume I could sub with sunflower seeds or pepitas but I’m not sure I’d love the different flavor that would add.
jamjarkitchen
Yes, you can totally just omit the nuts if you prefer or substitute a different kind of nut and it shouldn’t affect the recipe.
SP
I had some many positive comments for this cake. Made it for my hubby and it was great per the consumers comments . I used marscapone cheese to top with a drizzle of dark chocolate syrup. Not over powerful but just enhances the flavor. Thanks !
jamjarkitchen
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Mamie Darden
Gr8 recipe my cake out perfect. Will continue to use and discard my other
carrot cake recipe. I used a round tube pan, thin icing on top with some chopped nuts. Wish I could post a pic, proud of appearance.
CAROLYN
Wonderful carrot cake! Instead of a layer cake, can this be made in 9 x 13 pan? What would the baking time be for the 9 x 13?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Carolyn, thank you! I think you could do it that way but I haven’t tried it yet so I’m not sure about the exact timing. Maybe start at 350 and check for doneness around 45/50 minutes, knowing it might take over an hour. If you make it please let me know how it turns out!
karen greenwald
no eggs?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Karen- Yes, there are 4 eggs as listed in the recipe ingredients. Step 3 in the instructions tells you when to add them. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Lauren
We absolutely LOVE this recipe!
Fantastic with all 3 of the add ins- pineapple, coconut, and this time used pecans! Shared it with 4 others besides my hubby and I, and everyone loved it, and said it was DELICIOUS!
BTW, I also made your Minestrone with tomato pesto, and everything's LOVED IT TOO... one person texted me that it was Spectacular! So HAPPY I found your site! ????
Mary Karnes
Can you freeze these cakes without icing and then pull them later?
jamjarkitchen
Yes, you will need to let them cool completely then wrap them tight with plastic wrap and then tin foil. Allow to thaw before icing. Hope you enjoy!
Cherilyne
Hi, want to make this delicious recipe for my boyfriends birthday. We are in Colorado in the altitude is 6000 do I have to change anything in the recipe for this to work? Is it also better to make it the day before or the day we’re going to eat it and is it refrigerated or not?
Thank you 🙂
Cherilyne
jamjarkitchen
Hi there- usually in higher altitudes the main issue is cooking time. The cake may take a bit longer to bake so I’d add 5-10 minutes and then keep checking for doneness from there. This cake is great made ahead. I usually bake and ice it a day before and then allow it to sit out for at least 30-45 minutes before serving. Hope you enjoy!
Marie-Louise
I made this cake for my husband's birthday, and he said it was the best cake he's ever had!!! I made a few changes, as I am counting calories: instead of 1 cup vegetable oil, I did 1/2 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce. I reduced the white sugar from 2 cups to 1.5 cups, and added 3/4 cup golden raisins, and an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract to both the cake and the icing. I also added the juice of one lemon to the icing. Don't skip the toasted coconut flakes on top; it gives it a delightful, tasty touch and a professional look. With this recipe, I made 12 cupcakes and two 6" round mini cakes (2 cups of batter each, which I froze after baking). The result was moist and delicious, and "very repeatable," as my father would have said! 🙂 MLM
Portia
Made this yesterday and it was fabulous! Moist crumb and very delicious. Thanks! It took an extra 15 minutes (55 min total) in the oven before the toothpick came out clean.
Made some changes/substitutions,
-reduced sugar in cake to 1.5 cups, -the cake was still plenty sweet.
-Used unsweetened coconut because that's what I had which was fine but I think sweetened would have been better.
-Used 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour, because I ran out of white...no noticeable difference.
-Used 2 cups of powered sugar and it was cream cheesy and not too sweet.
The birthday girl loved it
Belinda
Hello!
Has anyone tried making 1.5 x’s of this recipe?
I was hoping to make it a wee bit bigger but not quite double.
jamjarkitchen
Hi Belinda- If you calculate all the ingredients at exactly 1.5 it should still work. Might just need 10+ minutes more in the oven. You can use a toothpick to check for doneness from there. Hope this helps!
TAMMIE Gabbard
I actually just won the state fair foe this recipe. I tweeked it just a bit and got won a blue ribbon!!!
jamjarkitchen
Wow! Congrats Tammie! Which state fair did you enter it in? And out of curiosity what tweaks did you make? Very exciting!
H R Espinosa
Hi..looks really delicious ..can I use nutmeg instead of cinnamon?
jamjarkitchen
Hi there- You can definitely add nutmeg! However, I wouldn't use the same amount of nutmeg as the cinnamon listed, as it has a much stronger flavor. I would maybe start with 1 tsp of nutmeg and then adjust from there according to personal preference. Hope this helps!
Eyna
Marvellous in taste, texture…will keep this recipe for family gathering. I added nutmeg, 1/2 tsp, and cut down ginger powder a bit?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Enya - So glad you liked it!
Nanajee Travels
This carrot cake sounds like the ultimate treat! Packed with freshly grated carrots, crushed pineapple, coconut, and nuts, it promises to be incredibly moist and fluffy. And pairing it with homemade cream cheese frosting? Absolutely perfect! I’m excited to try this recipe and experience the delicious combination of flavors and textures. It’s definitely going to be a hit!
Emily
Instead of vegetable oil could I sub out butter or coconut oil. We are seed oil free. If so how much?
jamjarkitchen
Yes, you can sub either in an equal amount. Enjoy!
reagan mills
Could I omit the coconut? Must I replace it with any ingredients
jamjarkitchen
Hi Reagan- Yes you can omit the coconut if you'd like. You could also substitute with a little more grated carrots or well drained pineapple. Keep in mind that the coconut in this recipe is sweetened so if you leave it out the cake will come out a little less sweet. Hope you enjoy!
G. Oliveira
Hi. This is my first time baking carrot cake and this recipe is AMAZING! Love it! And it is the best one I ever eaten so far.
jamjarkitchen
I'm so glad you like the recipe!
Alicia
Truly the best carrot cake recipe I've tried. The recipe is very forgiving. I added all ingredients to a bowl in random order and mixed. Turned out perfectly. Will make again and again. Thankyou!
jamjarkitchen
So glad you enjoyed it!
reedita
This carrot cake reminds me of my Mama's, but something was lost in the translation when she was 82. Now I have the right proportions. The only thing I did differently was to put the left over strained pineapple in the icing like she did, and I made this a sheet cake instead of layers. It was so delicious. I think the bet hint I got was to mix together by hand instead of the stand mixer. Light and fluffy. Thank you so much.
jamjarkitchen
So glad you enjoyed it!
lorraine cicchino
Can I make the carrot cake in a bundt pan?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Lorraine - I have not made it that way yet but I don't see why it wouldn't work. You'll just need to check for doneness. A bundt pan is deeper than a cake pan so I imagine you'll need to add a good 10-15+ minutes to the cook time. Hope you enjoy!
Sharon Korpi
Made this cake last weekend and it was AMAZING! Only thing different I did was add about 1/4 tsp of cloves and nutmeg to the cake mixture. Frosting was great too - best carrot cake I've ever had!!
Ashley SJ
I was hungry for carrot cake and came across your recipe today. I followed everything exactly and it is seriously fantastic! My son who doesn’t like carrot cake likes this cake too! Thank you for posting a wonderful recipe!!! I will be making this again soon I am sure!
jamjarkitchen
I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Ronnie
My family has been going gluten free lately. Can I use GF all purpose flour in place of regular AP flour? I like that your recipe includes coconut so I’m looking forward to making it.
Thank you.
jamjarkitchen
Hi Ronnie - You should be able to do a 1:1 swap with a good gluten-free all-purpose flour, but I haven’t personally tested this recipe with GF flour so I can’t say that 100% it will turn out the same. Most cup-for-cup blends work really well in cakes like this, especially ones that already have a lot of moisture. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Mel
My local grocery store sells a carrot cake just like this (with raisins!) and it’s my all-time favorite! I can’t wait to try this. Could I halve this recipe and bake it in an 8x8” square pan?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Mel - Loaded carrot cakes are the best! And yes, halving the recipe and baking in a smaller pan should work fine. Just be sure to check it for doneness about 5 minutes early. You'll know it's baked through when you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean (no batter). Hope you enjoy!
Dmc
The hubs wants carrot cake for his bday this week and this recipe looks awesome, however he's making faces at the pineapple. Does the end result taste super pineapple forward? Has anyone reduced or eliminated the pineapple?
jamjarkitchen
Hi there - No, it doesn't have a strong pineapple flavor. It mainly adds moisture, texture, sweetness and a little acidity. You could probably substitute with applesauce if he's uneasy with the pineapple. I haven't tried it this way yet, but imagine it would work similarly. Let me know how it turns out and I hope y'all enjoy!
dmc
This cake is amazing! I made it exactly as written, everyone loved it, even my pineapple disliking hubs. Thank you!
jamjarkitchen
Yay! That makes me so happy!
Donna Sinopoli
There is 2 cups granulated sugar in cake recipe, but no idea where and when to add it.???
jamjarkitchen
Hi Donna - In step 3 of the recipe instructions you will see that it says to add the sugar with the eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the cake! 🙂
Novice_Baker
Do you peel the carrots?
jamjarkitchen
Hi there - Yes, I typically peel the carrots. Although if you wash them thoroughly it's fine not to. Hope you enjoy!
Daniela White
I found this recipe looking for one that I made many years ago, but when I made this one my husband said oh! You found a better one” needless to say, this is our favorite carrot cake recipe for the last couple years!!!!!! Is so delicious!!! Thank you!!!
jamjarkitchen
Hi Daniela - So glad that you and your husband enjoy the recipe. That makes my day! 🙂