Best Ever Carrot Cake with Easy Cream Cheese Icing

There aren’t too many desserts in this world more delicious than a carrot cake, full of carrots, pineapple, raisins and, because I’m a Southern girl, pecans. If that isn’t enough deliciousness, this Carrot Cake is then topped with a quick and easy but decadent, luscious, and velvety smooth cream cheese icing.

There are probably as many carrot cake recipes as there are cookbooks, and that’s a lot. Most cooks have a favorite recipe, and there is also much discussion about which carrot cake recipe is the best. You have to have a lot of confidence in a recipe to proclaim it the best, and this recipe has earned it!

Let’s talk carrot cakes:

All carrot cakes have in a few things in common: they are made with oil instead of butter, you don’t have to beat the batter as much as some other batters, and they all include grated carrots. Some recipes also include pineapple and raisins, and some include nuts. Pecans for sure if you are in the South, and sometimes walnuts or other nuts.

Cream cheese icing is the classic icing on carrot cake, and all recipes include, you guessed it, cream cheese plus powdered sugar. The amounts and measurements may vary, and some may include other ingredients.

Here’s why you will love this recipe:

1. With a full pound of carrots, it’s healthier than most other cake recipes. One slice also provides over half of your daily Vitamin A requirement.
2. This recipe is foolproof. Usually, cakes require that you measure precisely and follow the directions carefully. An ingredient left out, not measured correctly, or at the wrong temperature, can make the difference in a beautiful, moist and tender cake and one that well, just doesn’t turn out how you hoped it would. Fortunately, this recipe isn’t like that.
3. It is ultra moist! The carrots and pineapple not only make this one of the most flavorful cakes, but they are also the reason it is so moist.
4. Where most cakes start drying out after the first day, carrot cake is even better the second day!

Here’s what’s in the cake:

You will also need two 9-inch cake pans.

Here’s how to make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and then sprinkle with flour. Tap the pans to distribute the flour and swirl them around to spread it out so that it covers the surface of the pan. Pour out any excess flour. Set aside.

Add the sugar, oil, and eggs to a large bowl and beat using an electric mixer until the mixture is light yellow. Add vanilla and mix well.

In a medium-size bowl, add two and one-half cups of flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk or fork and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. 

Use an electric mixer to mix everything. The batter will be thick. Set aside.

In a small bowl, add the raisins and nuts and sprinkle with one tablespoon of flour. Toss to coat everything.

Add the raisin mixture, shredded carrots, and pineapple to the batter and mix again to combine.

Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and lightly tap the pans on the counter to remove any air bubbles. 

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack.

How to make the icing:

Add the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla to a large bowl and mix using an electric mixer until everything is smooth and creamy with no lumps.  Add the confectioners’ sugar and keep mixing until the icing is soft and fluffy – this will take about four minutes.

How to assemble:

Place a dollop of icing in the center of a large plate to keep the cake from sliding around. Top that with the first layer, flat side up. Use a knife or offset spatula to spread about one-third of the icing over the top.

Place the second layer round side up on top of the first layer. Spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Slice and serve.

Sharon’s tips:

You can use either a box-type grater or your food processor to grate the carrots. I usually use a food processor, which takes seconds to complete this task.

Do not use pre-packaged shredded carrots. This recipe works best with freshly grated carrots, and they are one of the reasons it’s so moist. I wash my carrots thoroughly before grating, but I don’t peel them. However, feel free to peel yours if you like.

When greasing your pans, you can substitute sugar for the flour if you prefer. You can also use a non-stick baking spray that contains flour.

This recipe is enough to make two nine-inch cake layers, or you can use a 9×13 inch baking pan and make a sheet cake. The cooking time will be about the same. If you make a sheet cake, you will probably have some icing leftover.

You can also make cupcakes with this recipe, but reduce the cooking time to about 20 minutes. You also won’t need as much icing.

To make this cake ahead, make the cake and allow it to cool completely. Wrap the layers securely and freeze for up to two months. The day you want to serve it, let the layers thaw, make the icing and ice the cake.

This cake is best if kept covered and refrigerated. It is also easier to slice if it is cold.

Be sure to allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting. If the cake is warm, your icing will melt and slide off.

Believe it or not, there are folks in this world that dislike raisins. If any of these folks happen to live in your house, feel free to leave them out.

If you don’t have pecans, you can leave them out or substitute walnuts.

Related Recipes:

If you love easy old-fashioned desserts like this one, you might also want to check out these popular recipes:

• Southern Pecan Praline Cake 
• Blueberry Delight 
• Apple Dapple Cake with Caramel Icing
• Southern Peach Cobbler
• Minnie Lee Croley’s Sour Cream Pound Cake
• Old Fashioned Strawberry Pie
• Georgia Cornbread Cake aka Pecan Cake

Need more recipes or ideas, check out all of my dessert recipes here.

★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!

*This recipe was originally posted on October 26, 2016. Republished today, April 5, 2020, with new photos, a “how-to” video, expanded directions and tips. The only substantial change to the recipe directions is to reduce the amount of baking time.