Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This super easy-to-make Carrot Cake recipe has it all – carrots, raisins, pineapple, walnuts, and pecans! A flavorful combination that creates a moist and delectable spice cake with layers and toppings of Cream Cheese Frosting. Perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day Dessert, spring birthdays … or any occasion!

By far, it’s the best carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting we have ever eaten!

Our Cream Cheese Frosting recipe (also included below) is our go-to most favorite frosting for almost all of our cakes, cupcakes, and cake pops. With only 4 ingredients, it’s pretty much the easiest and most delicious Cream Cheese Frosting out there! This recipe creates enough frosting to cover a 3 layer 9-inch round cake.

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What do you need to make Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting?

This quick and easy Carrot Cake recipe is packed full of yummy ingredients and includes my all-time favorite combination of spices – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. D E L I S H !!

Here’s what you’ll need for the Carrot Cake:

• All-purpose flour, 3 1/3 cups
• Sugar, 2 cups
• Brown sugar, 1/4 cups (light or dark)
• Raisins, 3/4 cup
• Chopped walnuts + pecans, 3/4 cup
• Cinnamon, ground – 1 tablespoon
• Baking soda, 2 teaspoons
• Baking powder, 2 teaspoons
• Kosher salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons
• Ginger, ground – 1 teaspoon
• Nutmeg, ground – 1 teaspoon
• Cloves, ground – 1/2 teaspoon
• Freshly grated carrots, 4 cups (do not use pre-shredded carrots – they are too dry)
• Crushed pineapple, 16 ounces
• Eggs, 4 large
• Canola oil, 1 cup
• Pure vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons

Here’s what you’ll need for the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Click here for the easiest Cream Cheese Frosting recipe: Coogan’s Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream cheese, 2 8-ounce packages
• Unsalted butter, 1 cup
• Pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon
• Powdered sugar, 1 2-pound package

Using a stand mixer with a large bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and unsalted butter at medium speed until it is creamy and smooth.

Beat in vanilla and then slowly add in the powdered sugar for about 5 minutes or until it is again cream and smooth in texture.

How do you make this Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting?

I grew up on carrot cake as it was always one of my dad’s most loved cakes. Several recipes have been passed down to me over the years and I have enjoyed every single one of them … however … this one takes the “cake”! Cheesy, I know but we have combined our most loved ingredients from each of those to create this special treat.

Another favorite cake of ours – full of banana, pineapple, walnuts, and pecans is our Hummingbird Cake!

The simplicity and flavor of this recipe … absolutely divine. The brown sugar, pineapple, oil, and FRESHLY grated carrots are what make this the best carrot cake recipe that’s moist and tasty. Measure out your ingredients first and place them in groupings based on when the recipe calls for them. I LOVE baking this way! It makes the process smooth, easy, and so fun!

Let’s get started …

Preheat your oven to 350° F.

Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by cutting out parchment paper into circles to fit in the bottom of each pan. Spray each pan with non-stick baking spray, place the parchment paper in the bottom of each pan, and then spray the paper with non-stick baking spray.

In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, raisins, walnuts, pecans, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix well.

Stir in the grated carrots, pineapple, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well combined and mixed thoroughly.

Pour the batter into each of the three prepared pans equally.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

NOTE: If you choose to add some of the pineapple juice to the recipe, you will need to increase your cooking time by about 10 minutes. Test with a toothpick at the 25-minute mark, then bake another 10 minutes and check again.

Place the cakes on a wire rack and allow them to cool for about 15 minutes. Then remove from the pans and cool completely on the wire racks.

Spread the Cream Cheese Frosting in between the cake layers and on the top of the cake. Top with chopped pecans and walnuts.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. E N J O Y !!

How to store or freeze Carrot Cake, Carrot Cake Muffins, or Carrot Cake Cupcakes?

Refrigerate your finished cake and store it one day prior to serving. Remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature just before serving.

Freeze the entire cake (even if you’ve already frosted it) or slices (cupcakes, muffins too) by wrapping in several layers of plastic wrap, then wrap in two layers of aluminum foil. Be sure to use a permanent marker to identify your cake and date it. Freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw the carrot cake, cupcakes, or carrot cake muffins in the refrigerator overnight and bring them to room temperature prior to serving.

Looking for more tasty and easy recipes? Try a few here:

• Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous
• Chicken & Pork Crostina Pasta
• Creamy Beef and Potatoes
• Wild Rice Chicken Casserole – (Easy Recipe)
• Meat and Potato Timballo Pie

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