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Home / Recipes

Mom’s Best Carrot Cake

4.34
/5
50 minutes minutes
45 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 03/10/2016

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Hands down, the BEST Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting I’ve ever had. Rich, moist, and full of flavor, this cake is perfect for your holiday celebrations! #carrotcake #cake #Easter #spring #baking #dessert #dessertrecipe #scratch
Hands down, the BEST Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting I’ve ever had. Rich, moist, and full of flavor, this cake is perfect for your holiday celebrations! #carrotcake #cake #Easter #spring #baking #dessert #dessertrecipe #scratch

Rich, moist, and full of flavor, this carrot cake has been my Mom’s signature dessert for years!  Try this cake and you’ll immediately know why!

Deemed a seasonal cake, carrot cake has graced many a Spring table.  I’m here to say that this cake, it should be a year-round dessert!  So incredibly soft and moist, and topped with the most luxurious frosting… you won’t want to stop eating it!

The Best Classic Carrot Cake | Rich, moist, and full of flavor, this carrot cake has been my Mom's signature dessert for years! Try this cake and you'll immediately know why! | http://thechunkychef.com

For as long as I can remember, my Mom has been making the most delicious carrot cake… I mean this cake is requested for just about every family function.  People rave about it, grab another piece, and continue to rave.  It’s been the iconic dessert of my childhood, and the dessert I still ask for often 🙂

My Mom makes my brother and I dessert for our birthday and always asks us if we have a request… guess what mine almost alllllways is?  Yep, this one!

The Best Classic Carrot Cake | Rich, moist, and full of flavor, this carrot cake has been my Mom's signature dessert for years! Try this cake and you'll immediately know why! | http://thechunkychef.com

Okay, so not exactly this one… I did deviate a little from her recipe in that I made it into a two layer cake and to add some toasted coconut, mainly because I have a *slight* obsession with coconut lol.

The Best Classic Carrot Cake | Rich, moist, and full of flavor, this carrot cake has been my Mom's signature dessert for years! Try this cake and you'll immediately know why! | http://thechunkychef.com

Now I do know that some people prefer some raisins in their carrot cake, or pineapple… so feel free to add a bit of whatever you love to your cake.  For me, I grew up on this original carrot cake, so I stick to what I’m used to (for the most part) 🙂

I thought this would be a great recipe to share with you all, since it’s coming up on Spring and Easter here soon… but really, this cake is just perfect any time of year.  The rich moist cake combined with the lusciously creamy frosting… it’s definitely a year-round cake!

The Best Classic Carrot Cake | Rich, moist, and full of flavor, this carrot cake has been my Mom's signature dessert for years! Try this cake and you'll immediately know why! | http://thechunkychef.com

As far as the toppings on the cake, you could go with the toasted coconut like I did, or some crushed walnuts, or even leave it plain.  Honestly, it’s hard to go wrong with this carrot cake!

I really hope you all give this cake a go… I’m sure you’ll LOVE it!

The Best Classic Carrot Cake | Rich, moist, and full of flavor, this carrot cake has been my Mom's signature dessert for years! Try this cake and you'll immediately know why! | http://thechunkychef.com

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AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!

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The Best Classic Carrot Cake | Rich, moist, and full of flavor, this carrot cake has been my Mom's signature dessert for years! Try this cake and you'll immediately know why! | http://thechunkychef.com

Marsha's Outrageous Carrot Cake

4.34 from 18 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 -10 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
Rich, moist, and full of flavor, this carrot cake has been my Mom's signature dessert for years! Try this cake and you'll immediately know why!

Ingredients

  • CAKE:
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 cups finely grated carrots
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts optional
  • CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 - 8oz bricks of cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 5-6 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

  • MAKE THE CAKE:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottoms of 2 9" cake pans with parchment paper and spray sides lightly with baking spray. Set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the flour and baking soda and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • To the bowl of a stand mixer, add oil, sugar, salt, eggs, and spices and beat well.
  • Add in flour mixture and beat to combine.
  • Stir in the carrots and nuts.
  • Pour into prepared baking pans and bake for about 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Let cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
  • MAKE THE FROSTING:
  • Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy.
  • Add vanilla and salt, beat to combine.
  • Slowly add in powdered sugar, beating well.
  • ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
  • Spread out coconut in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for several minutes, until very lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
  • Spread frosting over the top of one layer of the cake, then top it with the second layer of cake. Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
  • Sprinkle toasted coconut around the rim of the top and around the sides of the cake.
  • Keep refrigerated until about 30 minutes before serving.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

1. I got this recipe from my Mother, and asked her permission to post it here on my blog. However, I did see that it's similar to King Arthur Flour's recipe, so in the interest of fairness, I've linked to their recipe as well.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Meet The Chunky Chef

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4.34 from 18 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Sharon Covington says

    Posted on 1/16 at 12:28 am

    This recipe for carrot cake is delicious my family loved it thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  2. Carol says

    Posted on 9/15 at 1:35 pm

    Started a comment and lost it. Darn it anyway. Hate to start whole thing again. Was explaining a little about means my loss of appetite because of double stroke 10 months ago but this site makes me very hungry. The carrot cake (my very favorite) and the instant pot (which I have) chicken and dumplings, can’t wait to try. Wish you were here in my kitchen. Takes me longer yet todo things but at least I can. Yum yum!!! Don’t know how soon I’ll get to both of these but plan to.

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      Posted on 9/20 at 9:03 pm

      Hi Carol 🙂 So sorry to hear about your double stroke… that had to be terrifying and difficult to work your way back from. I’m honored that some of my recipes are making you hungry again 🙂

      Reply
  3. Candy says

    Posted on 8/21 at 11:45 am

    Too much oil. I use 1 cup applesauce in lieu of 1 cup of the oil. It is still moist.

    Reply
  4. Kathy says

    Posted on 7/6 at 12:01 pm

    Yes, I would agree this cake is definitely outrageous. But I had a problem with the frosting. I do a bit of baking and when I find a new recipe I always follow it exactly, but my frosting came a really soft to where it was practically running down the sides of the cake. I got what I could on, then got what coconut I could get on and promptly put it in the fridge. Any idea what went wrong?

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      Posted on 8/8 at 9:51 pm

      Oh no! Was the cake completely cooled to room temperature before you added the frosting? If the cake is hot, warm, or even a little warm, it will heat up the frosting and make it runny.

      Reply
  5. Hettie says

    Posted on 6/22 at 6:51 am

    This is now my go to carrot cake for any occasion- I’ve served it to friends, colleagues and family and without fail have been asked for the recipe.

    Find there is always quite a bit of frosting leftover, but that might kust be me being too strict about it in the decorating!

    Reply
  6. Nancy P says

    Posted on 10/17 at 2:40 pm

    How can I make this into a Chocolate Carrot Cake?
    Can I subsitute 1/2 c. of the flour with 1/2 c. natural cocoa powder?
    Your thoughts?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/18 at 10:24 am

      I haven’t tested turning this cake into anything other than my Mom’s recipe, and baking is pretty exact, so I can’t say for certain if that would work or not.

      Reply
    • Karoline says

      Posted on 3/25 at 6:28 pm

      just add a little to the recipe..1/4 cup should work.. experiment..

      Reply
  7. Kathleen rock says

    Posted on 10/9 at 3:45 pm

    Hi I’m from England and I don’t understand when you say 2 sticks of butter ?.What does that mean please .thank you kathleen 

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/9 at 8:50 pm

      Hi Kathleen, my apologies, I’m in the process of fixing recipes that I incorrectly typed up with vague ingredient lists. It’s 1 cup of butter 🙂

      Reply
      • Davin says

        Posted on 10/12 at 12:25 am

        Another way of saying it is a half pound of butter

        Reply
  8. Can I add pineapple and take out the nuts? I’ve only got till today I hope you answer thank you so much happy Thanksgivingjewel says

    Posted on 11/19 at 1:14 pm

    Can I add pineapple and take out the nuts? I’ve only got till today I hope you answer thank you so much happy Thanksgiving

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/19 at 4:30 pm

      Yes you can, just make sure you drain the pineapple well so your batter isn’t too wet 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!

      Reply
  9. Erin Wilson says

    Posted on 7/31 at 4:03 am

    I came across your recipe on Pinterest. I live in Iraq, and often have a hard time finding ingredients that I can get here.

    Made your carrot cake for a birthday a week ago, for a co-worker. Everyone loved it so much that another co-worker, whose birthday is today, requested the same cake! So I’ve made it twice in a week.

    Simple, easy to get ingredients, delicious.

    Just wanted to send my thanks for sharing. You made two birthdays in Iraq a little more special.
    Peace

    Reply
  10. Shawn Simmons says

    Posted on 4/15 at 3:32 pm

    This cake was fantabulous! I’m not a coconut fan so I left it out and added pineapple. Do you think this recipe would work for cupcakes?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 4/15 at 9:42 pm

      I’m so happy you loved it!! I’m sure it’d be great for cupcakes, although I’ve never tested it so I can’t give baking times for those.

      Reply
  11. Gina G says

    Posted on 1/31 at 10:23 pm

    Hi! My brother & I love carrot cake so I can’t wait to try this. I do have a question though, do you recommend using pre-shredded (store bought) carrots or do you shred them yourself? I know freshly shredded carrots tend to be pretty damp.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 2/1 at 8:17 am

      My Mom and I always shred them ourselves, as store-bought shredded carrots tend to be too thick. If you’re worried about the carrots being too wet, give them a squeeze in a paper towel 🙂

      Reply
  12. Nellie says

    Posted on 12/28 at 3:43 pm

    Hi, for the frosting it says 2 cup sticks of butter. Is that 2 sticks of butter or 2 cups of butter?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/28 at 4:44 pm

      Hi Nellie 🙂 It should be 2 sticks of butter, and thanks for letting me know that the recipe card wasn’t showing correctly! I’ve updated the recipe card to show the true amount 🙂

      Reply
  13. Stef says

    Posted on 3/26 at 9:15 pm

    Made this tonight and I can’t wait to enjoy it tomorrow for Easter. I sampled the batter and the frosting so I know it’s going to be great!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 3/26 at 10:34 pm

      Hi Stef 🙂 I’m so excited for you to try it tomorrow!! I hope you love it as much as we do, and have a wonderful Easter 😀

      Reply
  14. Christina says

    Posted on 3/26 at 7:00 pm

    This looks amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. I want to make this for my mom, but she’s allergic to milk. If I use cream cheese extract in stead of cream cheese, should I just use 4 cups of butter for the icing? Thanks!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 3/26 at 7:44 pm

      Hi Christina 🙂 Thank you!! That’s so sweet of you to make this for your mom 🙂 I’ve never made it without cream cheese, but I think the best bet would be to substitute the regular cream cheese with a dairy-free cream cheese (such as Tofutti brand)… and this recipe for the frosting looks delicious http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/sweetsaucesfrostings/r/creamqfrosting.htm . Or you could make a standard buttercream and add in the cream cheese extract. I hope you all love it 🙂

      Reply
  15. Trish - Mom On Timeout says

    Posted on 3/11 at 11:00 am

    Carrot cake is a personal favorite of mine! Can’t wait to give this a try!

    Reply
  16. Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says

    Posted on 3/11 at 4:32 am

    Can I have a slice please? This cake is gorgeous and looks amazing. I would eat the whole thing if I could. 😉

    Reply
  17. Michelle @ The Complete Savorist says

    Posted on 3/10 at 11:17 pm

    I am also a fan of original carrot cake without raisins or anything .

    Reply
  18. Nancy | The Bitter Side of Sweet says

    Posted on 3/10 at 10:06 pm

    Carrot cake is one of those traditional recipes that is always a must to have! This one looks amazing!

    Reply
  19. Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie says

    Posted on 3/10 at 7:52 pm

    Such a beautiful cake….and sounds so delectable

    Reply
  20. Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen says

    Posted on 3/10 at 1:31 pm

    Oh my gosh, this sounds amazing – and the toasted coconut sounds like the perfect addition!

    Reply
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