I’m not sure why it is, but carrot cake just seems to go with Easter. I guess it’s because carrots remind us of bunnies. Or something like that. I don’t know, but that’s okay, I’ll eat this cake for Easter even if it makes no sense at all. Because it is dang good stuff!
This is the basic carrot cake recipe that I grew up with. Over the years, I’ve experimented with adding pineapple, nuts, and coconut. You can add or omit any of them and the cake is always delicious. And oh so moist.
This time my experiment was with the frosting. I added some orange zest just to see what it would taste like. Oh my. I am in trouble. It was killer! So yummy that I wanted to just sit and eat it out of the bowl. But I restrained myself. Mostly because we had family over and they were all watching me. 😉
Seriously though, I thought it was a fabulous addition. Everyone else loved it too. Some even came back for thirds. I don’t remember the last time I enjoyed a piece of carrot cake so much. And I’ve had a lot of great carrot cake. I will always be adding the orange to the frosting from now on!
How to make Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
- vegetable oil
- sugar
- eggs
- vanilla
- grated carrots
- crushed pineapple
- flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- cinnamon
- pecans
- coconut
- cream cheese
- orange zest
- powdered sugar
- milk
Whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in carrots and pineapple. Stir in dry ingredients. Fold in nuts and coconut if desired. Pour into a greased 9×13″ pan.
Bake at 350 for about 50-60 minutes. Cool completely, then spread frosting on top.
Oh man. I kid you not – this carrot pineapple cake is incredible! Nothing fancy, just good old fashioned deliciousness.
How to store carrot cake:
Leftovers are good for a day or two at room temperature covered tightly with plastic wrap. If you want to keep the cake longer than that, store it in the refrigerator. Before serving, let it come to room temperature so the frosting will soften up.
COOK’S TOOLS FOR MAKING CARROT CAKE:
Food Processor – there’s a lot of carrots to grate, so a food processor is very handy!
Grater– if you don’t have a food processor, you’re going to need a hand grater.
Whisk – all you need to mix up the batter is a whisk, no hand mixer required.
Serving spatula– I have several of these, and they are so handy!
More cake recipes to try:
- White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake
- Super Easy Pineapple Cake with Broiled Icing
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Banana Pudding Cake
- Pound Cake Recipe (easy)
- Quinoa Cake
- Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Grasshopper Cake
Best Carrot Cake Recipe
Carrot Cake
Carrot Cake topped with a scrumptious orange cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/4 cups oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 8oz crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
- 1 cup coconut, optional
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1-2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tsp milk if needed
Instructions
Whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in carrots and pineapple. Stir in dry ingredients and nuts and coconut if desired. Pour into a greased 9×13″ pan. Bake at 350 for about 50-60 minutes. Cool and frost.
Soften cream cheese and butter. Beat till smooth. Add the vanilla and orange zest. Beat in the powdered sugar till you get the consistency you like. You can add milk if you need to.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 672Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 404mgCarbohydrates: 93gFiber: 3gSugar: 76gProtein: 5g
I made a carrot cake one time and put pineapples in it and it made it turn green. I went by the recipe and when I cut it it was like that. Any suggestions why it did that.
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I’ve only used canned pineapple, and I have never had that happen. Did you use fresh pineapple?
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These cupcakes are so easy to make and will be the perfect addition to your Spring and Easter celebrations. They re also great for feeding a crowd. BATTER. Begin by whisking together flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, eggs, and oil till thick and foamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and carrots and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and stir till just blended.
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Have you ever tried making brown sugar cream cheese frosting? It literally is the icing on the cake or cupcake for this recipe. ??
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I add raisins too! Yummy ????
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Carrot Cake is a favorite and this recipe just took it up a notch!
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Carrot cake is one of the best!! It is so good! This looks so moist & cream cheese frosting is one of my favorites!
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So perfect for Easter- thank you!
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Oh my goodness I need a piece of this right now!! So yummy!
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You and me both! I can go for a piece of carrot cake just about any time. 🙂
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Turns out so moist and not overly sweet. Love it!
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This is a favorite in my family!
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OH Yum!!! I don’t know which is my favorite!!! The Carrot Cake or the Cream Cheese Icing.
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Haha, it’s a tough choice. Thankfully you can have both!
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Mmmm! That makes my mouth water just looking at it. I'll have to try it. I don't think my kids have ever even tried carrot cake.
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