World's Best Carrot Cake?! Oh yes it is...moist and yummy, with a little crunchy nuttiness and lots of rich and fruity flavor.
Prep Time45 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
cooling time1 hourhr
Total Time2 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cake, Carrot Cake
Servings: 8slices
Calories: 1211kcal
Author: Jurga
Special Equipment
Two 9" round cake pans or Three 8" round cake pans or One Bundt pan.
Rubber spatula, wooden spoon and hand or stand up mixer
Large baking sheet
Parchment paper
Ingredients
CAKE
2cupsall-purpose flour
2cupsgranulated sugar
1 ½teaspoonsbaking soda
2teaspoonsbaking powder
1 ½teaspoonscinnamon
1teaspoonsalt
1cupsweetened flaked coconut
½cupchopped pecans, lightly toasted
1 ½cupsvegetable oil
1teaspoonvanilla
4eggs, room temperature
2cupsfreshly grated carrots, well packed
18 ounce cancrushed pineapple with juice, do not strain
FROSTING / FILLING
1stick (½ cup)salted butter, room temperature
8ouncescream cheese, room temperature
12ouncesconfectioners sugar, 3 cups
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1cup sweetened flaked coconut
1cupchopped pecans, lightly toasted
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Instructions
CAKE
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the chopped nuts on the sheet in a single layer. When the oven is heated, place the tray in the oven and roast for 3-4 minutes or until they are slightly browned. Don't overcook! Immediately transfer the nuts onto another baking sheet to prevent scorching. Let the nuts cool completely.
Prepare your pans – (Use two 9″ pans or three 8″ pans.) Grease the bottom of the pans with a little oil and lay a piece of parchment cut to size in the bottom of each pan. Grease the top of the parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl whisk the first 8 ingredients (dry ingredients through the pecans).
In a separate large bowl whisk the eggs, then add oil, vanilla, freshly grated carrots and pineapple and mix well.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold the ingredients together using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, until well combined.
Distribute the batter evenly into prepared pans.
Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes if using 8″ pans and 40-45 minutes for the 9" pans. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops of the layers are springy to the touch. Oven temperatures vary so you may want to check for doneness a few minutes sooner.
Let the cakes cool in the pans before removing them to assemble, about 15 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge of the cakes and turn them out on to cooling racks. Peel off the parchment paper and let them cool completely before frosting.
It is important that the layers are completely cooled before frosting, preferably chilled for 2 hours or better overnight. However, the frosting needs to be at room temperature before spreading the layers.
FROSTING / FILLING
Using a hand or stand mixer, beat together butter, cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla until well blended (you may want to add the sugar a little at a time so that it stays in the frosting and not all over the kitchen counter!)
Stir in the coconut and chopped pecans until well blended.
Frost the top of one layer then place the other layer on top. Spread the remaining frosting on the top of the cake and the sides. If less frosting is desired, then leave the sides unfrosted. It can be just as pretty!
Notes
Gr8 Tips:The cake can also be made in a Bundt® pan. Grease and flour the pan and bake at 350ºF for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.Gr8 Do-Ahead Tip:The cake layers can be baked and chilled in a refrigerator overnight. The frosting can also be made and chilled over night. The frosting should then soften at room temperature before frosting.The cake can be made one day ahead of time. Keep it in the refrigerator covered until ready to serve. Leave it out for at least 30 minutes before serving.A frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months.This nutritional information is only an estimate. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site.This nutritional info is based on one serving being one-eighth of the cake. For smaller slices, the nutritional info should be adjusted down.