World’s Best Carrot Cake Recipe
If you’ve ever dreamed of moist, flavorful cake with a perfect balance of sweetness, spice, and creaminess, let me introduce you to the World’s Best Carrot Cake. This isn’t just another carrot cake recipe; it’s layered with rich flavors from crushed pineapple, coconut, and toasted walnuts, all crowned with tangy-sweet cream cheese frosting. It’s a showstopper for celebrations or whenever you’re craving something unforgettable, and once you taste how all the elements come together, you’ll understand why it earns its title.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe keeps things straightforward, relying on everyday essentials mixed with a few special additions that truly set the World’s Best Carrot Cake apart. Each ingredient pulls its own weight, guaranteeing a cake that’s tender, aromatic, and brimming with flavor.
- Eggs: Provide the necessary structure, helping the cake rise beautifully and hold together.
- Buttermilk: Gives the crumb a lovely tang and ensures the cake stays irresistibly moist.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps every bite soft and tender by adding moisture without overpowering the flavors.
- White sugar: Sweetens the batter and helps create a delicate, lightly caramelized crumb.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances warmth and rounds out all the sweet notes in the cake.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds a cozy spiced flavor that’s signature to any carrot cake worth its salt.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and elevates every ingredient.
- All-purpose flour: The foundation that gives the cake its form and texture.
- Baking soda: Ensures the cake rises just right, providing a light and fluffy texture.
- Shredded carrots: The star ingredient, infusing flavor, color, and natural moisture.
- Flaked coconut: Adds a subtle chew and tropical twist that keeps everyone guessing your secret.
- Crushed pineapple with juice: Brings an extra boost of sweetness, fragrance, and moisture.
- Chopped walnuts: Lend a satisfying crunch and buttery flavor that’s purely addictive.
- Butter (for frosting): Whipped with cream cheese for silky-smooth, ultra-rich topping.
- Cream cheese: Delivers luxurious richness and a delightful tang to offset the cake’s sweet warmth.
- Powdered sugar: Sifts into the frosting, making it perfectly sweet and easily spreadable.
- Extra vanilla extract (for frosting): Adds depth to the cream cheese frosting, making it completely irresistible.
How to Make World’s Best Carrot Cake
Step 1: Prepare Your Baking Pans
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Grab two or three 8-inch round cake pans, depending on how many layers you’d like. Grease them thoroughly and dust them with flour, making sure every corner is covered so your cakes release effortlessly. This little bit of prep makes all the difference between a perfect layer and a stubbornly stuck cake!
Step 2: Whisk Together Wet Ingredients
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a sturdy mixing bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat them together until everything is unified and glossy. This blend forms the lush foundation for the World’s Best Carrot Cake, ensuring every slice is moist with a silky crumb.
Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients
Now, sprinkle in the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Mix everything gently until it’s all well-blended, with no streaks of flour left. The cinnamon infuses that comforting aroma while the flour and leavening give you the structure you need for tall, beautiful layers.
Step 4: Stir in the Good Stuff
Fold in the shredded carrots, flaked coconut, crushed pineapple with its juice, and a generous handful of chopped walnuts. These ingredients are what make this cake utterly unforgettable, each bite revealing sweetness, chew, and crunch. Mix just until everything is combined—no need to overwork it.
Step 5: Bake the Cakes
Evenly distribute the batter between your prepared pans. Slide them into your preheated oven and bake for about 35 minutes. Every oven is different, so start checking for doneness by lightly pressing the center of each cake; if it springs back, you’ve nailed it!
Step 6: Cool and Unmold
Patience pays off here! Let the cakes cool in their pans, allowing the structure to set. Once cooled, carefully invert them onto a cake plate or cooling rack. This ensures your layers hold their form—no breakage, just pure, cake-layering joy.
Step 7: Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat softened butter and cream cheese together until creamy and light. Blend in vanilla extract, then gradually add sifted powdered sugar, whipping until the frosting is fluffy and smooth. Adjust with extra powdered sugar or a splash of milk to achieve your desired consistency—it should be spreadable yet able to hold gorgeous swirls.
Step 8: Frost and Stack
Frost each cooled cake layer generously. Stack them carefully, swirling the creamy frosting between each, and finish with an even coat over the top and sides. The final touch transforms the World’s Best Carrot Cake into a bakery-worthy showpiece, begging to be sliced and served.
How to Serve World’s Best Carrot Cake
Garnishes
Crowning your cake with a handful of toasted walnuts, a sprinkle of flaked coconut, or delicate carrot curls instantly elevates it. Even a light dusting of cinnamon over the frosting can give it a cozy, inviting aroma that hints at the flavors inside.
Side Dishes
Pairing the World’s Best Carrot Cake with something light and fresh is always a good idea. A crisp fruit salad, a side of unsweetened whipped cream, or even a scoop of tangy lemon sorbet counters the cake’s richness beautifully. For coffee lovers, a hot cup of strong coffee enhances every spice and nutty note.
Creative Ways to Present
Try presenting the cake in pre-cut slices on a wooden board for a rustic vibe, or as individual mini cakes if you want to wow your guests at a dinner party. You can also turn leftover slices into trifle layers with fresh whipped cream and berries—the possibilities with World’s Best Carrot Cake are endless and always delicious.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, keep any remaining cake well-covered in the refrigerator. The cream cheese frosting stays fresh and the cake remains perfectly moist for up to five days. I recommend using plastic wrap pressed directly onto the cut surfaces or storing individual slices in airtight containers.
Freezing
This cake freezes like a dream! Wrap individual slices or whole unfrosted layers tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil before placing in the freezer. For best results, enjoy within three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving or frosting.
Reheating
While carrot cake doesn’t require reheating, you can gently bring a cold slice to room temperature for the best texture and flavor—just let it sit out for 30 minutes before serving. If you prefer it slightly warm, use a quick 10-second zap in the microwave, but be careful not to melt the frosting.
FAQs
Can I make World’s Best Carrot Cake without nuts?
Absolutely! If you have allergy concerns or simply prefer a nut-free cake, just leave out the walnuts. The cake is still incredibly flavorful and moist thanks to the coconut and pineapple.
What’s the trick to getting really moist carrot cake?
The key is the trio of buttermilk, oil, and crushed pineapple with juice. Combined, they make sure the World’s Best Carrot Cake stays tender for days—and careful not to overbake it!
Can I use pre-shredded carrots from the store?
Freshly grated carrots are highly recommended for the best texture and moisture. Pre-shredded carrots can be a bit dry and tough, which may affect the final cake’s crumb.
Do I need to refrigerate World’s Best Carrot Cake?
Yes, since the frosting contains cream cheese, it’s best stored in the refrigerator. Just let slices come to room temperature before enjoying for the softest, dreamiest bite.
What’s the best way to frost the cake for clean layers?
It helps to chill the cake layers first, apply a thin crumb coat, then add a final thicker layer of frosting. This keeps crumbs at bay and gives you a smooth, gorgeous finish every time.
Final Thoughts
This recipe truly earns its name—World’s Best Carrot Cake is a dessert worth making for birthdays, holidays, or whenever you need a little extra slice of happiness. Trust me, after one bite, you’ll want to share it with everyone you know—so bake, slice, and enjoy making memories with this unbeatable classic!
Print
World’s Best Carrot Cake Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 cake (8-10 servings) 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This recipe for World’s Best Carrot Cake is a delightful treat that combines the sweetness of carrots, pineapple, and coconut with a rich cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- 1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lb. powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two or three 8-inch pans.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Mix in flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well blended.
- Incorporate Remaining Ingredients: Add carrots, coconut, pineapple, and walnuts. Mix until just combined.
- Bake: Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Check for doneness.
- Cool and Frost: Allow cakes to cool in pans, then invert onto a plate and frost each layer.
- Prepare Frosting: For the cream cheese frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Adjust consistency if needed.
Notes
- You can customize the cake by adding raisins or different nuts.
- For a tropical twist, try using macadamia nuts instead of walnuts.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: Carrot Cake, Dessert, Cream Cheese Frosting
