Classic Carrot Cake

Classic Carrot Cake is moist and delicious and just screams, “Hello, Spring!” Packed with shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, flaked coconut and chopped pecans, this dreamy cake is simply out of this world. One of our all-time favorites! It is perfect to serve as an Easter dessert or for any spring celebration.

Serving this Classic Carrot Cake for Easter dessert has become an annual tradition in our home. Everyone asks in advance, “Are you making carrot cake?” Once you try this recipe, you’ll understand what the fuss is all about. So delicious!

Classic Carrot Cake Recipe

What’s needed?

• 2 cups carrots, finely chopped
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
• small jelly beans for decorating, optional

How to make Classic Carrot Cake?

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a tube pan or Bundt cake pan by spraying with cooking spray and dusting lightly with flour.
• Shred the carrots in a mini food processor. My electric chopper is a million years old, but still works great. It only takes a minute to chop all of the carrots. Love my Mini Chopper! Set the carrots aside.

• Using a stand mixer, or a large bowl and a hand mixer, add the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, ground allspice and cinnamon to the bowl. Mix on low speed until dry ingredients are combined.
• Add the eggs one at a time.
• Stir in the oil, pineapple, and vanilla. Make sure to drain the excess juice from the pineapple. Add the chopped carrots and mix until well blended, about two minutes.
• Using a spatula, stir in one cup of coconut and the chopped nuts. I used walnuts for this cake. Pecans also work very well. Reserve 1/2 cup coconut for decorating the cake later. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55-60 minutes.
• Test the cake with a toothpick before removing it from the oven. The toothpick should be clean when pulled from the cake.

• Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack. Run a knife around the OUTSIDE of the pan and remove the cake from the outer pan. Then, run the knife around the INSIDE of the cake along the tube and along the bottom of the pan to separate it from the inside pan. Invert the cake onto a plate, then turn it right side up onto a serving platter.

Now you are ready to frost the cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons of softened butter
• 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

How to make Cream Cheese Frosting?

• Mix the ingredients in a medium bowl with a hand mixer until blended well, about three minutes. You may need to add a bit more powdered sugar to get the frosting to the right consistency.
• Using a wide knife or a cake decorating spatula, frost the cake with cream cheese frosting. Begin on the top and work down to the sides. The cake may flake a bit, so be careful as you apply the frosting. Press gently as you spread the frosting and be sure to cover all sides and the center. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

• Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of coconut on the top of the cake. (You can toast it in the oven for a few minutes first if you wish. Just sprinkle the coconut on a cookie sheet and bake for about 4 minutes, keeping a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.) We like the coconut untoasted.
• Add some brightly colored jelly beans along the bottom edges and a few on top, or decorate as desired, and you are done!

The cake is VERY moist and will tend to crumble as you cut it. So, I put the cake in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. This way it stays firm and is easier to cut into slices. I hope you enjoy this delicious Classic Carrot Cake with your family and friends. The recipe will make 12 yummy servings.

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Classic Carrot Cake

Serving Classic Carrot Cake for Easter dessert has become an annual tradition. Carrots, pineapple and coconut make a moist, delicious cake.

Servings: 12 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 55 minutes mins

Cooling Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Ingredients 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 1/2 cups coconut, sweetened flaked, divided
• 1 cup walnuts , or pecans, chopped
• small jelly beans for decorating, optional

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a tube pan or Bundt cake pan by spraying with cooking spray and dusting lightly with flour.
• Shred the carrots on a box grater or in a food processor. Set the carrots aside.
• Using a stand mixer, or a large bowl and a hand mixer, add the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, ground allspice and cinnamon to the bowl. Mix on low speed until dry ingredients are combined. Add the eggs one at a time while mixing.
• Stir in the oil, drained pineapple, and vanilla. Add the chopped carrots and mix until well blended, about two minutes.
• Using a spatula, stir in one cup of coconut and the chopped nuts. I used walnuts for this cake. Reserve 1/2 cup coconut for decorating the cake later. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55-60 minutes.
  
• Test the cake with a toothpick before removing it from the oven. The toothpick should be clean when pulled from the cake.
• Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack. If using a tube pan, run a knife around the OUTSIDE of the pan and remove the cake from the outer pan. Then, run the knife around the INSIDE of the cake along the tube and along the bottom of the pan to separate it from the inside pan. Invert the cake onto a plate, then turn it right side up onto a serving platter.
  

For the frosting:

• Mix the ingredients in a medium bowl with a hand mixer until blended well, about three minutes. You may need to add a bit more powdered sugar to get the frosting to the right consistency.
• Using a wide knife or a cake decorating spatula, frost the cake with cream cheese frosting. Begin on the top and work down to the sides.
  
• Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of coconut on the top of the cake. Decorate with brightly colored jelly beans along the bottom edges and a few on top of the cake. Recipe makes 12 servings.
  

Equipment

• 1 13×9-inch baking pan, or a tube pan

Notes

Tips on baking Classic Carrot Cake:

1. This cake can also be made in a 13×9-inch baking pan. Remember to spray the pan with cooking spray before baking. Check the cake for doneness at 45 minutes.
2. You can toast the coconut used for decorating the outside of the cake by putting it on a cookie sheet and baking it for about 4 minutes. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn or get too browned.
3. The cake is moist and may flake a bit while frosting it, so be careful as you apply the frosting. Press gently as you spread the frosting and be sure to cover all sides and the center when using a tube pan or a bundt. If using a 13×9-inch pan, simply spread the frosting over the top of the cake.
4. I put the cake in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. This way it stays firm and is easier to cut while slicing it.

Nutrition

Calories: 694kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 7gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 297mgPotassium: 178mgFiber: 2gSugar: 62gVitamin A: 444IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mg