Photo Credit
Charles Brutlag/shutterstock
Yield
About 24 two-inch squares
Category
Course
Sources
The Best-Ever Carrot Cake is moist, rich, and topped with a tasty cream-cheese frosting. We’ve tested this reader recipe, and trust us—it’s aptly named!
Cake
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups lightly packed shredded carrots
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple tidbits, drained
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13x9-inch baking pan.
Using an electric mixer, combine sugar, oil, and vanilla until just combined. Beat in eggs one at a time on medium speed.
Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg. Add carrots, pineapple, and nuts. Stir until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
6 ounces (3/4 package) cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 to 2-1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
shredded coconut, for topping (optional)
Instructions
Using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, orange zest, and confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth. Adjust the amount of confectioners’ sugar depending on how stiff you like the icing to be.
Frost the cake and top with shredded coconut, if using.
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When making the substitution you can sub any amount up to the whole shebang. It just depends on how much fat and calories you want to cut out. Just experiment and see what works for you. Happy baking!
Has anyone tried this cake with gluten free flour? I would appreciate any help as carrot cake is my beloved daughter's favorite and I would love to surprise her this Easter with a "moist" cake.
Thanks for any help
Yes "ever" should be in all caps; as this is the best carrot cake EVER! My husband is a "die for carrot cake" kind of guy and will travel miles to a well-made moist carrot cake. So I decided to give the recipe a try and the cake is very, very, very good. The twist in this recipe are the pineapple tidbits (I used crushed) which give the cake a tropical taste. Also, the way the recipe is put together gives it that moisture and fluffy texture. Ya know, I should have added few more "verys", and some "wows" and maybe "Oh----my----goodness" to describe this cake. Thanks for the recipe, I know I will be asked to make this cake over and over again.
We are loving your happiness! Thanks so much for letting us know how much you—and your husband—enjoy this!
I received a similar recipe in the early 70's. I started substituting homemade apple sauce for the oil. It's the best! I've never eaten another carrot cake that is so moist!
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