Moist Carrot Cake
This Carrot Cake is unbelievably moist and full of flavor. Carrots, crushed pineapple, cinnamon, and nutmeg give this carrot cake that classic taste.
I know everyone likes their carrot cake made differently but this version of Moist Carrot Cake stole my heart. The perfect cake recipe for Easter.
MOIST CARROT CAKE
My computer died around the New Year and after shipping it off to get fixed for TWO weeks, it’s now in pristine condition. Or so I thought.
My house is never quiet. With five kids you can imagine the noise level around here rivals that of a football stadium. Which is why I don’t even try to blog or do anything on my computer during the day. But at night, when they’re tucked in bed, I actually do get some quiet time until the wee hours of the morning. I just can’t make myself go to bed. I love the night.
The other night I noticed a new development with my computer. My mouse is literally squeaking like a mouse. Every time I click it, it sounds like the little mice on the movie Cinderella. It’s not big enough that I would send my computer back in but it’s annoying enough that I have to (twist my arm) watch reality TV to drown it out.
If you’re looking for an easy moist carrot cake, this is it! Easter is just around the corner and you cannot have Easter without a good carrot cake in your back pocket. This is a sheet cake which means no double layers, no intimidating frosting job…it’s pretty straight and forward. This version uses crushed pineapple and oil to get it’s incredible moisture.
I know you might be cringing at the oil part but in my opinion you just can’t get that kind of moisture with butter. I have replaced half of the oil with applesauce and it works great so know that can be an option. 
The cream cheese frosting is a little different than my favorite cream cheese frosting. I usually like equal parts butter and cream cheese but with carrot cake you want a little bit more of the tangy cream cheese flavor to come through. I said the pecans were optional but I really liked them on top for texture and taste. Enjoy!
Moist Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded carrots
- 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, well drained
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter , softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- (optional) chopped pecans
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, beat the first six ingredients until well blended. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg; gradually beat into carrot mixture. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
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Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. You can cover it with foil towards the end if the top looks like it's getting too brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
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For the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth adding a little milk if needed. Spread over cooled cake and topped with pecans if desired. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Recipe Notes
Source: adapted from Taste of Home. I added vanilla and nutmeg.
Mm, carrot cake’s best version, probably!
Looks awesome! 🙂
Love this! I’m happy you added the nutmeg, so many people underestimate the flavour it adds.
I agree!
Love this super moist carrot cake!
Yum!! This sounds great! Thanks for sharing! I love your other carrot layer cake that you have posted…which one do you prefer? Thanks!! 🙂
totally different. Don’t make me choose!!
I think I’m confused. Does she mean crushed pineapple instead of applesauce? She mentions applesauce twice. So can half of the 1 cup of oil be subbed with that?
Sorry! I fixed it.
No she means applesauce instead of oil, you need the pineapple, just wouldn’t be as moist without it
I wondered the same thing about the pineapple versus applesauce. Hey, Christy, help us out here……thanks!
Sorry! Use the crushed pineapple called for in the recipe. If you want to replace some of the oil with applesauce you can using equal amounts.
I think she meant to say crushed pineapple and then if you want you can replace 1/2 the amount of oil with applesauce.
Thank you. Yes I did.
Gorgeous cake Christy! Your photos are always so simple yet show stopping. I want to be like you when I grow up. Oh and crank up that reality TV, squeaky mice are no joke! 🙂
Haha. You’re so funny!
hey girl I would love this! Yummy!
Your instructions say you replaced half the oil with applesauce, but the recipe doesn’t include applesauce. Do I use 1/2 cup canola oil & 1/2 cup applesauce (to equal the 1 cup canola oil the recipe calls for), or use 1 cup of both canola oil and applesauce? I want to try this, but don’t want to taunt my family with the promise of carrot cake that doesn’t completely bake b/c I included too much liquid. Thanks for your reply!
You can replace the oil with applesauce if you wish. Just an option. So you could use 1/2 cup canola oil and a half cup of applesauce.
Made this today….crazy good! Split in half, and use GF flour for my daughters half….just as good! Thanks!
Ooh! Perfect! Glad it worked gluten-free.
Has anyone cut this recipe in half and baked it in a 8 inch pan?
This recipe is pure delight (even though I had to grate the carrots by hand, eek!). It turns out very light, and I used all oil. Next time, though, I am going to cut down the amount of frosting because it was excessive. Sugar coma.
Haha. Yes. I guess that’s why I like it.
Would I be able to completely leave out the pineapple since I don’t have any on hand?
It’s definitely what makes this extra moist. I wouldn’t leave it out.
this was amazing!! so delicious, best ever!!!
Yay!! love hearing that
Just made this a few minutes ago! BEST carrot cake recipe i have ever had. I halved the recipe and put it into two 8×8 pans. Giving one half to a sweet coworker, and another half to my parents!
So glad you agree!
what does prepared pan mean? you don’t say anything of that
It just means the greased 9×13 dish that I talk about in the first line of the instructions. Sorry if that was confusing.
Can i make cupcakes with this recipe? And would the frosting be thick enough to pipe?
The frosting is definitely thick enough to pipe. I haven’t tried them in cupcake form but I don’t see why not.
Can I freeze this? I’d like to make it in advance to save some time!
I’m sure you could freeze it but I haven’t tried.
I usually make the traditional version of carrot cake but saw this and had to try it. I love it. I made a second into a bundt cake with pecans in the batter for a family gathering and it was a hit. I left off the frosting too, as the cake is so yummy without it. Thanks for sharing this. Will definitely be making it again in the future.
Thank you!
Do you think I can use coconut oil instead of canola and use applesauce for the sugar?
Sure! I think that would be great!
This cake is SUPER MOIST and really good…the only thing I would change is I would add a bit of salt or lemon juice just for a slight “tang”…its a bit more bland than I thought it would be. For many years, I have had an amazing recipe for a carrot cake almost exactly like this. I took the recipe out of town to fix, and somehow lost the recipe (praying I will eventually find it!!)…so I was looking for a recipe that was as close as possible to the one I’ve used for years. This was ALMOST as good…just that one little thing is all I’d change! Thanks for an easy to follow YUMMY recipe!
Thank you for your feedback Laurie!
Where’s the baking powder?? I made this recipe, and thought ” gosh, shouldn’t there be baking powder in a cake recipe?” And surprise! It hardly rose! I shoulda gone with my gut and looked for another recipe 😣.
Baking powder and baking soda have the same lifting agents. Baking soda just needs an acid (like pineapple) in this recipe to do it’s magic.
Did you ever add raisins to this recipe?
No but you sure could.
Beautiful moist carrot cake. Didn’t change a thing……..
Thank you!
I just moved and can not find my cake pans but I did find a bundt cake pan, could I use that?
Amazing. I doubled the recipe. Adding 1 cup of raisins, 1 cup pecans nuts, and an extra cup of carrots. I also Added half cup extra crushed pineapple with the juice. I kept the oil at 1 cup, and added cloves, all spice, and salt to the mixture. I used 3 cups brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar. The cake itself came out not too sweet with a perfect amount of sweetness from the frosting. I decorated the top of the cake with pecans and toasted coconut. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome!
I just pulled out from my oven…. something went wrong. I bake 3 round pan and they will not measure more than 3″ in height when stacked. Did not rise, seems they are very densed. Afraid to frost and waste the cream cheese frosting. Hmmm? Any thoughts?
Sounds way off. Are you sure you added eggs?
this recipe for carrot cake was scumptus.we ate it in one day.yummy.although i never use oil in cakes,i sub with applesause.it was so moist .cant wait to make it agian.
Just made this – too much sugar! The cake mixture needs no more than half a cup and the frosting around quarter cup I reckon.
Sorry. I guess my sweet tooth is different than yours.
Can I use fresh pineapple? And brown flour?
Sure! I don’t see why not.
I made this today in Dhaka, Bangladesh! Turned out fabulous! Bengalis love cake so I WILL be making this again. I toasted the pecans before sprinkling on top. NOT optional- totally necessary 🙂
I agree. And welcome! All the way around the world.
Super moist, easy and tastes great
Definitely keeping this recipe to make again
So good to hear!
Cake was very moist, but EXTREMELY bland! Thank goodness for the icing. Very disappointed in this recipe overall.
I’m sorry that you feel that way.
Hi. If i want to make these into cupcakes, how long should i bake and at what temperature
I would do 350 for 15-18 minutes.
Hey! For sugar do you use white sugar or brown?
I use white but brown would work too!
This is now my go-to carrot cake recipe. I used fresh pineapple I crushed in my food processor, but honestly, the canned would be just as good and not as much work! Everyone who had some raved about it. And I thought it worthy of joining my arsenal of awesome cakes to take to pot lucks!
Well I’m glad it passed!
So for the powdered sugar… Is it 3cups and 3/4 cups of it? Or 3 of the 3/4 cup? Lol sorry for the confusion
Sorry if that’s confusing. It’s 3 cups plus 3/4 cup total. Does that make sense?
Can this be made using less sugar? The answer is yes, I suppose…but just wondered how it tastes. Anyone tried this with less sugar?
Of course. It would be to taste so I’m not sure how much.