Out of this World Carrot Cake Recipe with Callie’s Cream Cheese Frosting
No joke! This Carrot Cake Recipe is OUT OF THIS WORLD! Seriously, so delicious. It’s a must for your Easter Menu this year or for breakfast tomorrow or for lunch tomorrow or for…..well, you get the picture…just make it soon.
My friend, Callie, made a delicious Carrot Cake for Christmas Dinner this year. It was full of all kinds of good things like coconut, walnuts, pineapple, carrots, and raisins.
I had never had a carrot cake quite like it and couldn’t stop thinking about it over the following weeks…Okay, months……When I eat something delicious, I just can’t get it out of my head. (Don’t get me started about the chocolate rice crispy I had 16 years ago at Disney World.)
I messaged Callie to get the recipe, which she is going to send me. In the meantime, I was invited to dinner somewhere and wanted to make a carrot cake. I already knew how to make Callie’s Awesome Cream Cheese Frosting, but I didn’t have the recipe for the cake yet.
Yummy Cakes with Homemade Frosting
- Banana Bundt Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Ganache
- Chocolate Zucchini Sheet Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Sheet Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- The Best Gingerbread Cake
- Dream Toasted Coconut Bundt Cake
I improvised by searching the web for recipes that looked similar and then made some minor adjustments. The results are pretty darn fantastic. I found Sam’s Famous Carrot Cake and used it as a starting point.
Out of this World Carrot Cake Recipe is fantastic! Just wait until you taste the frosting….this ain’t your mama’s cream cheese frosting…
how to make out of this world carrot cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch circle cake pans. Line cake pans with pre-cut parchment paper circles (see photo below) or cut wax paper into two 9-inch circles and line the pans.
- Next, make sour milk. Put 1 tsp lemon juice in a measuring cup. Then, fill to 3/4 cup with milk. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, combine sugar, oil, eggs, and milk. Mix well.
- Add vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Next, fold in the carrots, nuts, coconut, pineapple, and raisins (optional) until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour half of the batter into each cake pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
I just found pre-cut parchment circles on Amazon, and I’m pretty sure they could be life-changing. I have always cut my own, and it’s ANNOYING! (You can order 8″ or 9″.)
how to frost out of this world carrot cake
- First, make Callie’s Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Next, make a crumb layer by frosting a tiny amount on the first layer. (See photo below.)
- Place second cake layer on top and frost a small amount over the whole cake. (See photo below.)
- Then, place the cake in the refrigerator or freezer for about 20 minutes or until frosting is set.
- Take the cake out of the fridge/freezer and use remaining frosting to cover the whole cake.
- If desired, sprinkle a few nuts on top in the center of the cake and place nuts around the bottom edge of the cake.
Crumb Layer
Finished Cake
Tips for making Out of this World Carrot Cake with Callie’s Cream Cheese Frosting
- Finely shred the carrots. If the carrot pieces are bigger than that, they will still be a little crunchy even after cooking.
- Don’t drain the juice out of the crushed pineapple. You want all that moisture in the cake.
- If you have buttermilk, you can use that instead of the sour milk.
- Use pre-cut parchment circles to line the greased and floured pans. The cakes will easily come out of the pans.
- When frosting the cake, first make a crumb layer. Making a crumb layer will keep little bits of the cake from getting in the final layer of the frosting. See instructions and photos above for frosting the cake.
baker’s tools:
- 9-inch Circle Cake Pans
- Pre-cut Parchment Circles
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Spatula
More to-die-for Desserts
- 1½ cups white sugar
- ½ cup oil
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup sour milk (milk + lemon juice)
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour OR 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cup carrots, finely shredded
- 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup walnuts, plus more for garnish on frosted cake, if desired
- 1 cup raisins (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch circle cake pans. Line cake pans with pre-cut parchment paper circles (see photo in post) or cut wax paper into two 9-inch circles and line the pans.
- Next, make sour milk. Put 1 tsp lemon juice in a measuring cup. Then, fill to ¾ cup with milk. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, combine sugar, oil, eggs, and milk. Mix well.
- Add vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Next, fold in the carrots, nuts, coconut, pineapple, and raisins (optional) until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour half of the batter into each cake pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
- 2 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Combine all ingredients in a mixer and beat until smooth.
- Next, frost the cake.
- First, make a crumb layer by frosting a tiny amount on the first layer.
- Place second cake layer on top and frost, again, a small amount over the whole cake. See picture above.
- Place the cake in the refrigerator or freezer for about 20 minutes or until frosting is set.
- Then, take the cake out and use remaining frosting to cover the whole cake.
- If desired, sprinkle nuts on top of the cake and bottom edge. See picture above.
Don’t forget to pin this awesome recipe onto your favorite pinterest Board!
Sneak Carrots in these Recipes
ok ok, I guess I will have to make it! the picture made my mouth water. and thank you for the reminder to message Callie a thank you for a recent sweet stash of hand me downs. what a gal that Callie! are you not coming for Easter this year? 😉
Callie is the bomb! and sniff, sniff, we aren’t coming this year…it’s just to crazy with the move.
Maria,
I love this recipe and I can not wait to make it for Church on Sunday. Can you tell me any idea how long to cook to use a bunt cake pan?
I just made it in a bundt pan last week, and I should have paid more attention to the time it took. I think it was around 50-55 minutes.
I cooked it for 40-50 minutes like it was called for. I checked at 40 minutes and took it out then. It was so dry. Maybe check at 30 minutes?
That is so weird, is your oven a convection oven? Mine always needs at least 40 minutes. Maybe your pans were bigger and it cooked faster because of that.
I did not make the cake . I used a different recipe . I did use the frosting recipe. The frosting is great , the other one I was looking at had 1/2 of the amount of cream cheese and 2 times the amount of powdered sugar. Oh my that would have been so sweet that it would make me ill. I will try your cake next time .
So glad you liked the frosting, I think it is amazing too…love how the cream cheese shines through and really compliments the cake. Can’t wait for you to try the cake recipe.
Made this cake tonight. It was very moist and delicious ! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Great! I am glad you liked it. 🙂
Maria, making this recipe for Easter but want to make cupcakes – what do I need to change or how to adjust temp and time for cupcakes, can you please let me know asap so I can proceed. Thanks so much.
PS You had me at MOIST; I don’t care for dry cakes. This sounds wonderful, can’t wait to make my cupcakes.
I haven’t ever done cupcakes myself with this recipe, but I think it will work great. You will still cook it at 350 but you will need to check them after 15-20 minutes and just cook them until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
I’ve been using Sam’s recipe to make carrot cake cupcakes for about 17 years now and it’s SO easy to translate into cupcakes. Like Maria says, just check them after about 15 minutes. I usually pull them out between 15 and 20 minutes. They freeze well, too, in case you want to get lots of them done ahead of time and frost later.
I get so confused with American cup quantities. Could you possibly give me either imperial or metric alternatives please. Would love to try this cake. Thanks
Hi. Was curious if you had measurements to make a smaller cake?
Hi Becky, I don’t, but if you half the recipe it should work great for a smaller cake.
How do you frost bound cake?
Thanks
When I do a bundt cake I put big drops evenly around the edge and then push it down evenly until cake is covered. Does that make sense?
Where is the frosting recipe
At the bottom of cake recipe
This cake came out perfect! It was a huge hit! Love that it’s fluffy and not too dense. I used pre-shredded carrots which were shedded a little thick but it was just fine. Also liked that it wasn’t overly sweet. The frosting was delicious as well. Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! I love hearing that Cindy…sorry I am so slow to respond. My family moved to Germany in late august and I deserted the blog for a bit while we were getting settled. I am back at it now and loved getting your comment!
I made this for my husband’s birthday because carrot cake is his favorite and he gave me the best compliment thanks to you!!! Said it was the best carrot cake he had ever eaten!! Since then I have been requested to make it for every holiday and birthday 😊
Thank u for sharing
I’m a little confused about the “ crumb layer”. It says to frost a small amount on first layer then top with 2 Nd layer, then refrigerate, then frost entire cake. But shouldn’t there be a thicker layer of frosting between the two layers? The pics look like it has a nice full layer between, not a thin layer as described in directions. (?)
Hi Janet, sorry about the confusion. I will go check that wording and re word it. The crumb layer is just for the outer part of the cake so that the frosting won’t have little crumbs in it. You can put as much frosting as you like in the center layer.
Ok, thanks!
Did carrot cake by far is the best recipe. Ever since I used it for the first time everyone asks me to repeat the carrot cake for any events. The recipe calls for two 9in round pans I’m using three 6 in. How long would I cook the cakes for? The same amount of time as a 9-inch?
It will depend on how thick the batter is in each pan, I would start out with a little less time and then watch them every 4 or 5 minutes from there. So glad you love the recipe!
This cake looks delish and can’t wait to try it. I had a quick question thou, after the cake is totally frosted, can it sit out on the counter or does it need to be refrigerated after icing? Thank you in advance.
Hi Maria, Nice name. 🙂
Once the cake is frosted it can sit out on the counter.
Have a nice weekend!
Maria….I made this for Easter (minus the coconut and used pecans instead of walnuts). Yummy, yummy, yummy!! Congrats on the new house 🙂
Isn’t it the best! I am so glad you made it! I think I’ll try pecans next time.
For the sour milk, could you use buttermilk? Looks delicious!
Yes, buttermilk will work great.
What is sour milk?
Milk that you add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to. Let it sit for five minutes. You’ll notice it starts to curdle a little bit.
Love your page. Thanks.
Thank you Kitty!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Getting ready to make it for my mom’s 90th birthday (tomorrow).
You will love it Susan! Wish I was there to enjoy a slice. 🙂
Hi Marie, When you say two round cake pans, what size pan are you using?
Hi Denise, I use 10 inch pans.
can you bake this cake in one round cake pan and slice the finished product in half when done baking?? I only have one 10 inch pan and no time to go buy another one 🙁
Hi Goska, I have never done that. My only concern is that it might overflow while cooking. You could try a 9×13 pan and then cut it in half and make a rectangle instead of a circle cake.
I’ve made this in a 9″x13″ turns out awesome every time! My favorite carrot cake recipe! I do use raisins.
Good to know, I will have to try it in a 9×13
Looks great! Any ideas for delicious substitutes for the coconut and pineapple?
Hi Ron, I can’t think of anything that will give it the same flavor/texture as the coconut and pineapple. You can leave the coconut out without too much trouble but the pineapple is pretty important.
The recipe says two 9 inch pans and you say you used 10 inch will it be a problem 😐
Hi Sonia, I am having a hard time finding where I said I used 10 inch. If I did that was a mistake in typing or speaking. I only have 9″ round pans so I wouldn’t have been able to make it in a 10 inch pan. 10″ inch would be fine to use but the cooking time will need to be adjusted a little. It will take a little less time to cook if made in 10 inch pans. Sorry for the confusion.
Yum!!!
Hubby’s bday cake!
(The ads on Web pages these days are so annoying though!)
Your husband will love it. As for ads, I’m sorry. Were you looking at it on a desktop, phone or Tablet? I feel like the ads on tablet view are super annoying and I have been trying to work something out with my ad-network to. Hopefully it will get a little better. Thank you for persevering and looking at my recipe anyway! 🙂
Is it 3/4 cup milk or a full cup milk?
Joy, I am so glad you asked this, I just went back and looked at the recipe and realize I worded that in a very confusing way. I fixed it now. It’s 3/4 cup.
We love this cake! I love how easy it is to make and how amazing it is when it is done. We have left it out as well as in the refrigerator and it doesn’t dry out either way. This is a keeper for us! Tha k you for posting it 🙂
I am so glad you love it! I do too, it is definitely a keeper. 🙂
I keep coming back to this recipe time and time again. It is delicious. My family is not a fan of cream cheese frosting, so I make a brown butter frosting. It compliments the flavours I the cake very well. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Hi Terry, You are so welcome. Thank you so much for coming over to make a comment and letting me know you love this recipe. Your brown butter frosting sounds amazing!
Hi there! For the milk in the cake what type of milk is best, whole, 2% or skim. And for the butter in the frosting is it salted or unsalted or margarine? Thank you so much!!!
Hi there Melissa,
For the milk I suggest anything 1% or higher. I prefer to use salted butter in the frosting. I hope you love the cake as much as we do!
I made this cake for my anniversary and is the best … with all the ingredients … ???
It is the Best! I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
Do I have to use round pans? Could I just use a 9X13? If so what temp and how long do I cook for? I know easy way out but I am a beginner and I don’t have round pans…
Hi Alesha! You can definitely use a 9×13 pan. The cooking time will be similar. Check it five minutes early and then if the center isn’t quite done check it every couple minutes until it is. Good luck!
God bless all u, tomorrow i gonna make this awesome cake, Maria do you speak spanish?, is only curiosity, i thinking about all this recipes in spanish for spanish mom, thanks
I don’t speak Spanish…I wish I did 🙂
Your cake looks amazing. I plan to try it, because I’m always after that “better recipe”…lol! But I usually use quite a bit more powdered sugar in my cream cheese icing. I was just wondering if your recipe leaves the icing more cream cheesey and not sweet enough? I guess I could try it as is then adjust it if I need to.
Hi Laura, The icing is more cream-cheesier 🙂 but still has just the right amount of sweetness. It is seriously CRAZY good. It is the perfect icing for this cake. I can’t wait for you to try it. Let me know what you think!
Maria
Would this work with cupcakes rather than a cake?
Hi Britany,
I haven’t ever tried it as cupcakes, but I think it would work, They will be very dense and you will need to watch the cooking time close as to not burn them or under cook them.
I think they would be delicious cupcakes. 🙂
You said you used 10″ pans – would 9″ be OK or should I invest in some new pans??
Hi Christine, 9″ pans will be fine but you will probably need to adjust the cooking time because the batter will be a little thicker and need to cook a little longer. Does that make sense?
I used 9 inch pans and it only took 35 minutes to bake. I probably could’ve taken it out even earlier, it seemed a little dry.
Wow, that really surprises me. Glad you caught it before it got too, over cooked.
Just curious, wonder what size can of pineapple was used? If using a smaller can would that make it dry? The receipe does not specify what size to use.
The pineapple is 1 cup of crushed pineapple with the juice. You can use whatever can you want but will have some leftover if you use a large can. I use a large can and then use the leftover pineapple in fruit smoothies.
I baked mine for 40 minutes and was so dry. That is probably why. No one liked it!
I am so sorry to hear that Barbara maybe cutting time down to 28-30 minutes will work better. I need to get some 9′ pans and try it myself. The cake is so delicious when it isn’t dry. I hope you’ll try it again.
Hi, I just made this recipe and it seemed quite runny. They turned out ok tho. But I was just reading the comments and I seen that you commented that it’s 1 cup crushed pineapple drained, and in the recipe it says 1 cup pineapple, don’t drain.🤔
Hmm, thanks for letting me know Anna, I’ll have to go double check that on my original.
Just Checked the original recipe. It should be with juice. I will make the correction. Thank you.
Me & everybody else loves this cake. I have made it around 5 times. This time instead of canned pineapple I used a fresh pineapple & used the whole pineapple with juice, not sure how it come out , will eat some tomorrow! Ì made this for a birthday cake for my daughter in law . My only question is
Is this recipe supposed to have baking powder in this cake?
I know you add soda but was wondering on baking powder? My cakes don’t rise that much & I use 8 1/2 inch round pans.
I also added pineapple to the frosting!
So glad you love the cake Dottie! I love it so much too! No baking powder, that is what helps if have such a nice dense consistency.
I would like to try this recipe as a cupcake do I follow the recipe to a tee
Hi Brian, I haven’t ever made this recipe as cupcakes, but I think it will work, you will most likely need to adjust the cooking time, so start low and cook longer if needed.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have been looking for a good carrot cake recipe for some time – I wanted something similar to what my mother used to make. I have to say – I think your’s is better! The cake was incredibly moist and tasty. I cheated a bit by using a package of pre-shredded carrots and it still was great. As my family does not like cream cheese, I made a standard buttercream frosting with vanilla and cinnamon which worked really well.
For your readers living in Europe like me, I baked the cake at 160°c (hot air) for 40 minutes and it was perfect.
Hi Barbara! I am so glad you found this recipe and like it as much as I do. Great short cut idea with the pre-shredded carrots and thank you so much for putting the appropriate temp and time in Celcius.
Pse could you give me the equivalent weight of 1/2 cup of butter, either in grams or ounces.
Thks.
Hi JoJo, it is 4 ounces
I have been making the Sams Carrot Cake for probably 7-8 years. It is so good. Well I moved recently and my old printed out beat up copy of the recipe somehow disappeared. Thank you Pinterest! I’ll be making it tonight. Oh! And you are right the more cream cheesy the better since this cake is pretty sweet.
Yay, so glad you found this. Wish I had a slice right now. 🙂
HI,
CANT WAIT TO MAKE THIS CAKE !! QUICK QUESTION , IS IT PLAIN SHREDDED COCONUT OR SWEETENED?
So sorry it took me so long to get to your question, I had my tonsils out and haven’t touched my computer in 11 days. Yikes! Anywho, I use sweetened. 🙂
Hi Maria,
Can I use desiccated coconut? I couldn’t find a fresh sweet coconut shred where I am. Or is it Macapuno in Asian stores? I want to make it as it looks so lush! Thank you.
Hi Cynthia, yes, desiccated coconut should work fine.
Hello! My dad asks for carrot cake every year on his birthday! I was happy to see you put pineapple in yours! I haven’t made it yet but I will be soon! If we buy the shredded carrots..is that thin enough? Someone once told me those aren’t thin and small enough.
Thanks!
If you use those type of carrots they will still be crunchy in the cake. If you don’t have any other choice, try to chop them up into tiny pieces, or put them in the food processor. Good luck!
I am so excited about this recipe. I want to do cupcakes. Would I change anything?
I have thought about doing cupcakes too, let me know how they turn out. You might want to spray the inside of the liners, (just a tiny bit) and check them frequently during cooking, they may not take as long to cook as the cakes do.
Dear Maria:
My daughter’s birthday is tomorrow and the family is coming for dinner. I asked her today what kind of cake she wanted and she said “carrot cake”. I looked it up on Pinterest and found your great looking recipe. I’ll be making it tonight or tomorrow morning. Thanks and wish me luck. You seem to have a lot of positive responses. Hope mine turns out as well!
Hi Betty Lou, I hope the cake turned out great for you. Your daughter is a smart girl, I think I want carrot cake for my b-day cake this year too! 🙂
I just made this for my boyfriend’s mom & it is to die for!!! I hope she likes it as much as I did!
So glad it was a hit, I totally LOVE this cake too!
I am wondering if the cake turns out moist or more dry because most carrot cakes call for 1 1/2 cups of oil and this is only 1/2…
Hi Alexis, This cake turns out very moist and gets more moist on day two or three. It’s awesome. The pineapple really helps add moisture.
So that does that mean it would be okay to make it a couple of days in advance…wrap it well and frost when needed??
I would go ahead and make it and freeze the two round cakes until you are ready to frost it. Or if you want to just frost it and then store it in an air tight cake transporter for a couple days. Either way it will be fresh and delicious.
Hi! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
What would you suggest for more moisture, if I didn’t add coconut or pineapple? I really just love the raisin and pecan combo. Thanks for your time!
Hi May, with this particular recipe, I strongly urge you to try it with the pineapple and coconut. I can’t think of a substitute that can do the cake justice. I am not a huge fan of pineapple in cake and absolutely LOVE how this cakes tastes.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ve made it twice now and everyone loved it! Even the non dessert and non raisin eaters rave about how great it is!
Haha Sue, that is what I love about it too, not only is it crazy delicious but even my husband who is a raisin hater Raves about this cake.
Maria I’m excited to make this for Easter. My family does not like nuts or raisins. Can I just leave them out. Was thinking of decoration with Easter sprinkles of Canbury mini eggs do you think that would look OK ???
You can definitely leave out the raisins and nuts. Cute mini eggs around the edge and a few in the center would probably be adorable.
Can I leave out the coconut and pineapple?
Yes.
Hi there ! This cake looks so yummy ! Quick question probably a little bit silly but where do I get sour milk from ?
Thank you ,
Melissa
You can make your own by putting some white vinegar or lemon juice into regular milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes. I use about 1 1/2 tsp per cup of milk.
Is that 1 1/2 tsp per cup or 1/2 tsp per cup? Thanks
Are you talking about the lemon juice in the milk? If so it is 1 tsp in the 3/4 cup of milk.
Do I use salted or unsalted butter?
Hi Phyliss, I use salted.
I made your recipe for my daughter’s birthday today. She turns 10. A very yummy recipe ????????????. Definitely a real keeper!!! Thank you very much. The only thing I did different was added apple sauce instead of the vegetable oil, and used half cream cheese and half Neufchâtel cheese to cut the fat down in the frosting. I toasted some coconut flakes and decorated the sides of the cake, and on top too. I did concentric circles of coconut flakes and piped shell shape frosting. I piped her name in orange frosting in the last middle circle. It was lovely.
I love the toasted coconut idea for decoration. Perfect!
So I made this cake this last weekend, it was a huge hit! Everyone loved it my husband took it to work and the guys said it was # 1 from all my cakes! Thank you for this amazing recipe????
Yay! I am so happy to hear this.
I am SO HAPPY that you and all of your friends love my Grandfather’s carrot cake so much! Every time someone comments about it, it makes me think of him.
Again, thank you to Maria and all of Maria’s friends 🙂
Peace, Love & Grandpa’s Carrot Cake!
Brian
Your Grandpa deserves a noble peace prize for creating this amazing cake! IT’S THE BEST!!!!!!!
I have been searching for a carrot cake recipe that is similar to the ” Oregon brand” found in the freezer section. They discontinued it.. Your recipe is actually better. THANK YOU!’
Yay! I am so glad you found this recipe. I know how sad it can be to have something you love discontinued or unavailable. 🙂
Love, love, love this cake!
Have made it twice and wouldn’t change a thing about it. Everyone comments how great it is and kept so weel in the fridge for a week.
I feel the same way! I want to scream it from the roof tops. MAKE THIS CAKE! IT’S AMAZING!:)
I made this cake yesterday and it didn’t seem to rise vey much. It is moist but pretty flat. I made it in a 9×13″ pan and it cooked in 30 min. Actually I think it was just a tad OVER-cooked so be careful. The flavor is good but think I’ll go,back to my old recipe.
Sorry to hear this Ann. I haven’t ever tried it in a 9×13 but if I do I will make sure to adjust the cooking time.
Hi there, I made it today after my friend recommended your recipe and it was very tasty, quite easy to make and handsome at the end ; )The only problem was that it was a bit undone or raw in some places. I don’t understand why, my oven is quite strong and I baked it for 45 min. If anyone has a tip for me how to avoid this in future (except checking with a toothpick because I did it and it seemed fine), please let me know, I would like to come back to this recipe.
How big were your carrot pieces? Sometimes if you do not grate the carrot small enough it can emit a lot of liquid during cooking and leave some places seeming a little less done.
I absolutely despise coconut, hate the taste and texture. Would it be okay to omit the coconut in this recipe or would it cause problems?
It won’t really affect the flavor but it may take away from the moisture in the cake a bit. Honestly though, this cake is so moist it shouldn’t be a problem. Let me know how it turns out.
hi. it says on your recipe up top don’t drain the pineapples. if i use canned crushed pineapples, i’ll just dump it all in with the juice? or that is exactly what you meant?
I use canned crushed pineapple and just scoop out 1 cup of juice and crushed pineapple mixture.
Hi Maria, can i use fresh pineapples in this recipe? The canned ones are not so easy to come by where I live.
Should be fine, just make sure they are chopped very small like crushed pineapple and try not to get too much juice.
I have a question. Do i use also the syrop of te pineapple?
yes
I made this cake for a 9×13 and was going to do a double layer… It seems the cake came out a little too moist. It baked for over an hour and was still gooey. Not sure what was different. I followed the recipe to a T except for adding the coconut. Would this cause that much of a difference?
It might have just needed a little more cooking time. Cooking it in a 9×13 will make the batter deeper and need more cooking time. Next time just keep cooking it until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
Want to try this recipe but make it in a bundt pan. Do you think it will work?
Hi Charlene, I haven’t tried it in a bundt pan yet, but I have been wanting too. Give it a try and let me know how it goes. You will just need to keep checking it until the center is done.
I just made this cake last night for my friend’s birthday and it was perhaps the most amazing carrot cake I’ve ever had. I even had to make some minor tweaks because she has some dietary restrictions, but it still turned out incredible. It was a hit with the birthday girl, who is quite the carrot cake connoisseur. I need no other carrot cake recipe!
Yay! I just love this raving review! I am quite crazy about this cake too.
I very very rarely comment on recipes. This cake. This cake is amazing. It’s the most incredible carrot cake, I’ve ever had. I swapped out flour for Gluten Free Cup4Cup and no one knew the difference. The frosting is heavenly. I think next time I will adjust and add a 3rd cream cheese, just so there is more of it. I haven’t stopped thinking about it and am currently devising an excuse to make (and eat) a second cake.
Haha Jeri-Anne, you sound exactly like me after I first had this cake. I am so happy to know it turned out great with the GF flour. My sister will be so excited. Thanks for the glowing review. It always makes my day to hear from readers.
I like to make 3 layer cakes can I make a second batch and layer 3 layer will it be too much. Please let me know. Thanks it’s so good.
You can, you may just need to adjust cooking time depending on how thick the cakes are.
You could also leave a little batter out and cook it in something separate if needed so pans don’t over flow.
Jeri Anne,
I live in Oregon. Where do you find the cup4cup GF flour? They are not all the same. I also wonder if Bob’s Red Mill GF flour will work just as well? Can’t wait to try this cake, it just makes my mouth water any time of the year!
Hi Donna. So sorry for the delay in responding. I’m actually only seeing this comment because I came back to the recipe today! I get my Cup4Cup at Wegmans (Northeast grocery store) but I’ve also purchased from Amazon. King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour is really good too. I don’t care much for Bobs Red Mill GF flour. It’s a garbanzo base and I feel it changes the flavor of things. Another good one is Better Batter, I think that is purchase online only. Bob’s Red Mill flour is not a cup for cup replacement where the other 3 you can swap out in any regular flour recipe for the same amount. No adjustments necessary. That helps in baking, you can take any recipe and make it gluten free. No texture change. They’re both amazing.
How do you think frozen coconut would work?
I think it would be fine as long as it is finely grated.
I know this sounds crazy but try cooking your carrots and the puree in the food processor. I make my carrot cake this way it comes out super moist also use corn oil.
Thanks for the tip, I’ll have to try that.
This is the second time I will make this recipe. So much love for it. Thank you very much.
Greetings from Honduras.
Hi Ricardo! I am so happy you love this recipe! Isn’t it the best! So glad you found my recipe!
How should the time and temp be adjusted if using 9inch dark nonstick pan?
I would shorten the time by 5-10 minutes and check it often.
This recipe looks amazing, I want to try it this weekend! I can’t have dairy, can I use Almond Milk or coconut milk instead? Thanks!!
Yes, either will work fine. You’re going to love this cake!!!
I’ve made Sam’s famous carrot cake a few times and I will try your recipe for sure. The only difference in the frosting that I think makes it a whole lot better tasting is using almond extract instead of vanilla
Never thought of putting in Almond extract. I’ll have to try that. Thanks Dennis!
Made this amazing cake as per the recipe….not enough stars could express just how delicious it is. One of our family members said they didn’t like cream cheese. So, just didn’t tell them there was cream cheese in the frosting. Well, let me tell you that person said it was the best carrot cake and frosting they had ever eaten….priceless! Thank you Maria, for sharing a keeper recipe!!
Hi Laverne,
Yay! I am so glad it was a hit! Especially with the family member who doesn’t like cream cheese! I love this cake so much! I am going to be making it for dessert on Christmas. Can’t wait to eat it.
Hi Maria
Can I take out the pineapple but leave in the coconut?
Or will the wet to dry ratio then be out?
Also I have 2×8″ pans will that work?
That is a good question. The pineapple definitely adds moisture so you may need to add something else. Maybe a scoop of yogurt or applesauce.
Hi Maria,
This looks like the recipe I’ve been searching for! Just wondering if I could use coconut oil instead of regular and also can I sub. in Splenda for sugar, or perhaps coconut sugar instead of white sugar?
It would be worth a shot, I have never tried any of those substitutions so I really can’t say.
My daughters and I made this cake and it is absolutely delicious. Easily the best carrot cake I’ve ever had! We had 9 in. rounds (recipe uses 10 in.) so, rather than risk the pans overflowing, we poured the excess batter into a mini loaf pan. Now we have a breakfast treat to enjoy in the morning!
Awesome Mindy! This makes me so happy!Thank you for coming back to tell me!
can I use 3 9in round pans for a triple layer
Yes, but they will not need to cook as long, so watch them closely.
In the recipe ingredients you list “crushed pineapple, not drained”, but in one of your responses to a comment on January 2, 2017 at 12:15 pm you indicate that the pineapple should be drained. And in another, you say you include 1 cup of the juice. Which should it be? Thank you.
Sorry to be confusing. It won’t make a huge difference either way, but when I make it I just use a spoon and scoop out 1 cup of the crushed pineapple/juice from the can as it is when I open it. I don’t know why I said to drain it in that comment. Sorry, sometimes I have brain farts.
Hi and thanks for great tecipe! When you say 10 inch pans. Are there a difference in sizes? I have wilton cake pans. And know that sometimes there aren’t enough batter for them. Verses regular brand pans thanks
Yes, there are different sizes. You can measure the bottom of your pan across the center to find out what size yours are.
Hello, Maria!
My question to you, Is this Out of this world Carrot Cake your rendition based off of Sam’s Famous or your friend Callie’s recipe she was to send to you? I’m no longer sure if commenters are speaking on 3 different cakes.
I may want to try all 3, for comparison. I am looking for the best one closest to a Cake I had waay back when. Haven’t had a decent Carrot Cake since.
This one sounds so close, but I’m not sure which one I’ll be attempting to bake.
The cake part is almost identical to Sam’s Famous and the frosting is something my friend Callie came up with. This recipe is SOOOO GOOOOOD!
Your carrot cake looked so delicious that I had to try it, but I only have a 9×13 cake pan, and when I put in the batter, I was worried about it over-flowing so I removed enough batter for 24 mini cupcakes. The cupcakes were done at 15 minutes and the cake was done at 40 minutes. I have never used raisins in carrot cake before, but I got sooooo many incredible compliments that I will continue only using this recipe in the future! Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!
Awesome! What a good idea to do mini cupcakes. How fun! This is the only carrot cake recipe I will ever make too. 🙂
Maria,
Thank you for the great recipe. Can’t wait to make this cake. I like to know if I use buttermilk instead of sour milk will the cake still come out great.
Thank you
LuAnn
You’re welcome! I haven’t ever tried using buttermilk, but it should still come out great. You could also do half buttermilk, half regular milk instead of buttermilk.
Hey Maria,
Would this be suitable for cupcakes too? how long should I bake them for?
Thanks
Hi Cassandra,
I think it would work great for cupcakes. They may not come to a peak at the top though. I would fill them a little more then 2/3 full because this batter doesn’t rise much. As for cooking time, I would check them often, but I am guessing they will need between 20-25 minutes…maybe a little longer…hard to guess.
Hi! I am going to try this wonderful recipe soon. I have a question on the coconut. Do you use sweetend unsweetened?
Hi Amy,
I use the shredded sweetened kind that you find by the nuts and chocolate chips in the baking isle. But I am sure that unsweetened would still work.
Dear Maria,
I have never tried a carrot cake before and I was afraid that non of my family will like it but I was wrong. It is so delicious and full of flavors. Thank you very much for the recipe.
Hi Nilli, I am so glad you tried it! It really is the best, isn’t it. I am dying for a piece now just thinking about it! 🙂
Hi, I’m wondering for the frosting if the butter could be replaced with coconut oil?
Hi Tiffany,
No, coconut won’t work well, you could use margarine if you need to substitute the butter out.
I have made this cake several times with 9 inch round pans. I need to make it in a 9×13 this time. Will the frosting recipe be enough to cover the entire 9×13 cake if I take it out of the pan?
My friend absolutely LOVES this cake! I am so glad I found your recipe!
Hi Lezlie,
Are you planning to leave the 9×13 in the pan or take it out and frost all the way around it? If you need to frost all the way around it, I would one and a half the frosting recipe. So glad you like the cake. It is one of my absolute favorites of all time too.
Any adjustment to temperature or time for dark nonstick pans?
I would check them 10 minutes early. Keep the same temp.
I won first prize at church in the baking contest two years ago. I’ve make it for Thanksgiving ever since. Everyone loves it. My son in law told me it is restaurant quality.
Love hearing this Carol!!!!
This would be the best carrot cake I had ever had if I wasn’t missing the nutmeg so much. Next time, I will add some and it will go from great to incredible. Thank you for sharing.
hmmm, maybe I’ll have to try a little nutmeg next time too. 🙂
Could you convert the recipe to grams please I’m in uk and I seem to struggle with the conversion,as every table I look as seems to say different measurements,would be so great full
Many Thanks
Carol buckley x
I am so sorry Carol, I am not familiar enough with gram ratio’s to feel comfortable doing that. Hopefully you can find a website with a conversion tool to help you.
I cant seem to print the recipe for callie’s cream cheese frosting, can you help me out. thanks
Hi Lucille, The frosting recipe is at the end of the post. You will need to copy and paste the text into a word document and then print that. Or copy the ingredients and directions down by hand. I didn’t include it in the recipe card because I thought it might be confusing. I may need to re-think this with recipes in the future.
Half a teaspoon of salts is in the recipe. Is this just ordinary salt? Looks wonderful 😊
Hi Margaret. Yes, regular salt.
Sooo yummy looking 🙂 thank you so much for sharing this! Did you ever intend to share Callie’s version of the recipe on here, btw? If not, was your rendition of Sam’s cake very similar in taste and ingredients? Also curious why you decided on the changes you did, when adjusting from the other recipe? Thank you again!
Hi Christy! Actually when Callie saw this recipe she messaged to tell me that it is actually the exact recipe she uses. I thought that was pretty awesome! So this is actually Callie’s recipe too!
Fabulous Cake!, Made it a few times now, and its always a big hit, did it with raisins for a friends birthday, and without for another, perfect every time…thanks for this one, its a keeper 🙂
Yay Karen! I am so glad you have enjoyed the cake! I too have yet to meet someone who doesn’t LOVE this cake!
Incredible good!!! Thanks!
Thank you Viviana!
I’m not one to leave comments. But I wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe! Recently my friends and family have been requesting that I bake this cake more frequently. I get so many compliments each and every time. Hands down it’s rhe best, out of this world carrot cake!
Thank you Sue, that makes my day! We are crazy about this recipe too and my mom asks me to make it every time she visits. 🙂
If I omit the shredded coconut, should I add more shredded carrot? My husband hates coconut.
Hi Emily, you could add a little more carrot or pineapple, but even if you don’t the recipe will still turn out great.
Hi! Getting ready to make this cake for a March Birthday! If I omit the pineapple, do I need to add something else to keep it moist? Thank you!!
Hi Melissa, if you are omitting the pineapple you could sup in shredded zucchini or more shredded carrot.
Hi Maria! Love your recipe! I want to make a 2 tier christening cake and I was wondering if it would be ok to cover it with fondant. Can it hold the weight of the fondant since it is very moist and soft? Thanks for your prompt reply!
Hi Anastasia, I have never used fondant on this cake, so I can’t say for sure, but it is a very substantial cake and I believe it will do fine with fondant.
Quick question, do I need to squeeze the fluid out of the carrots before I add them to the cake batter? I have on other recipes but I wasn’t sure for this one lol. Thank you!
Hi Frenchie, I do not squeeze them. If it seems like there is an excessive amount you could squeeze a little out, but I just leave it how it is.
I missed out on getting birthday cake this year because of the pandemic. This recipe is making me think I should make myself a belated birthday cake. It looks amazing!
Oh you definitely should, it’s amazing!
I made this wonderful cake last night for my husband’s birthday and it lives up to its name! I omitted the coconut because the German stores seem to only carry finely shredded coconut (flour like consistency) and I was worried about how it would effect the texture. I was also fortunate enough to find a fresh pineapple and used it in place of canned. This recipe will certainly be repeated as it was super moist and loaded with fresh flavors! The only downfall is that I wanted to eat the entire cake in one sitting 🙂 Thanks for sharing another amazing recipe.
LOVE HEARING THIS KATE!!!! You are so good at making practical adaptions around what we can find here. I hear you on the downfall. I love this cake so much too! Its just such a great combo with the substantial texture of the cake and the smooth cream cheese frosting. YUM-O!!!
I have never made carrot cake before, even though I love it.
I had seen your recipe, and looking at the luscious picture, decided to give it a try for a Thanksgiving dessert. It wasn’t as hard as I had always thought making carrot cake to be.
OMG! It IS “Out of this World”!
We didn’t have anyone home for Thanksgiving for the first time in years, so divided up the cake and dropped a portion off at my two grown children’s homes for them and their families. This morning I am getting in the reviews..Best carrot cake they have ever had!
Yay!!! I love this so comment much Patricia! Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Hi, this is one of my favorite recipes! If I want do a three layer of it how much would I add to the batter !!
Hi Iman, I am so glad you like the recipe. To get three layers You would need to 1 1/2 the recipe.
This is so delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Aubrey!
This is the best carrot cake I’ve ever made. Sooo delicious! It’s my husband’s favorite so we make it in his birthday.
I forgot the hashtag on my last comment. Sorry. #julygiveaway
Best carrot cake ever, according to my husband. Took me about 20 years to find it! At his suggestion we tried the cream cheese frosting in the middle and used coconut pecan frosting on top-its his favorite way to do it now! It’s become a favorite request from family members now and will be passed down to my kids.
Yay, so glad you love it! And I’ve never thought about using Coconut Pecan Frosting. I’ll have to try that sometime! Yum!
I have made this recipe as cupcakes 3 times now and everyone raves about it!! I usually add a little nutmeg and ground clove because I like a more “spicy” cake. I also decorated mine with toasted coconut flakes but otherwise I make it exactly as the recipe states ands phenomenal, thanks for sharing!!
Yum! That sounds so good with toasted coconut flakes! I can’t wait to try it!
I made this recipe too mant times , Also for sale , is the best recipe i ever made
Gracias – thank you for Sharing
Awesome! I love hearing that Karla!
I have made this several times and still can not get over all of the comments on how much everyone loves this recipe. I have made it in a 9×13 pan, a bunt pan and round pans also. At work they are almost fighting over getting a piece of cake and everyone loves the icing! If you are looking for a great carrot cake recipe this is it!
Lol, I love that people are almost fighting to get a piece! It really is the very best! Thank you for your kind comment!
I love your recipes so thank you!! I was wondering if this could be frozen straight from the oven like the banana cake recipe on your blog? The banana cake is the best ever (and we have tried many) and though I was doubtful on freezing straight from the oven I’m now a believer. We live in Italy and the oven are a bit finicky so I’m always searching for a secret to keep my cakes moist. Thanks again. d
HI Debbie, Yes, this can definitely be frozen straight out of the oven. I’m so glad to hear you like the banana cake.