With brown sugar, oil, freshly grated carrots, and pineapple this carrot cake is extra moist, and extra delicious. It’s a from scratch cake that comes together so quickly and will be a huge hit for your Easter dinner, baby shower, or just when you need a sweet cake to share.
This Simple Carrot Cake Recipe is Perfect for Easter
This cake is my favorite dessert to make for Easter. It’s so moist, soft, and packed with the perfect amount of spices and flavor – it’ll become your new favorite dessert to make every year too.
And the cake is topped with THE best cream cheese frosting, its got a little more powdered sugar than my typical cream cheese frosting, which helps it spread more to cover the whole cake in that thick tangy and sweet cream cheese frosting and doesn’t matter that it doesn’t hold its texture quite as well since you won’t be using it for any piping. Its the same cream cheese frosting I’ve used on my pumpkin cake.
Moist Carrot Cake Recipe Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Easy Carrot Cake Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Granulated sugar and Brown sugar – the perfect balance for sweetness, and moisture
- Vegetable Oil – substitute canola oil as needed
- Crushed Pineapple
- Large eggs
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg – the perfect blend of spices
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – to give the cake lift, and make it fluffy
- All purpose flour
- Freshly grated carrots – do not buy pre-grated carrots from the store
- Cream Cheese – a block, not in a tub
- Unsalted Butter
- vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar – to sweeten the frosting, and hold its texture
Why put pineapple in carrot cake?
Canned pineapple adds extra sweetness, and extra moisture to your carrot cake without needing extra oil to add the moisture.
Easy Carrot Cake Recipe Substitutions
- Applesauce – instead of adding crushed pineapple you can add the same amount of unsweetened applesauce. You can also substitute the applesauce for 1/2 cup of the oil, instead.
- Layer Cake – Follow the recipe for preparing the batter, pour it into 2 greased 9inch round pans. Bake them for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Frost and decorate as desired.
- Nuts – Add about 1 cup of chopped nuts to the cake batter for a nice crunch, I like walnuts or pecans.
- Raisins – Add up to 1 cup of raisins to your cake if desired.
- Additional Spices – Add 1/2 tsp of ground ginger and cloves for an extra spicy, seasoned cake.
How to Make Carrot Cake with Pineapple
- Mix the wet ingredients. Add the sugars, oil, and crushed pineapple to a large bowl and stir them together. Add in the eggs and stir them in, until just combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Dump in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, an salt and stir it into the mixture.
- Fold in the grated carrots.
- Bake the cake. Pour the mixture into a greased 9×13 pan, bake in the oven until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Frost the cake. Let the cake cool completely. Mix the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a hand mixer, or stand mixer until creamy and smooth. Spread over the cooled cake, and enjoy.
Tips for Making Single Layer Carrot Cake
- Make in a different pan – This cake can be made as a layer cake, bundt cake, or cupcakes. For a layer cake you may want to double the frosting. Bake it in two 9inch round pans for about 30-35 minutes. For a bunt pan, grease a 10 inch pan liberally and bake for 55 to 70 minutes. For cupcakes bake them for 19-22 minutes. Check all cakes with a toothpick for doneness.
- Use fresh carrots – Grate large carrots, by peeling them then grating them with a fine cheese grater for the best results. We want the moisture from the carrots in the cake, and grated carrots from the store are lacking that.
- Pineapple – Instead of a can of crushed pineapple you can use 1 cup of fresh pineapple. Dice it up into small pieces, and add as much juice from the pineapple as you can to keep the cake moist.
- Don’t over mix. Mix the batter until everything is just combined, this will prevent a dense cake.
How to Serve this Carrot Cake Recipe with Pineapple
This carrot cake is delicious as is, but if you’d like to add a crunch, or optional garnishes, try adding chopped nuts, or mini chocolate chips, or a sprinkle of cinnamon on top of the cake after frosting – for a nice look.
Storing Leftover Carrot Cake with Pineapple
The leftover cake can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container, or covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
If you want more carrot cake desserts:
If you want a layered carrot cake, or even carrot cake made a bit lighter with the help of less sugar, less oil, and greek yogurt, I’ve got those too. Or if you want to make them into individual serving sizes carrot cake cupcakes! And if you’re trying to eating keto, this almond flour carrot cake is a perfect option too!
Now back to the carrot cake at hand. You’ll never regret making this cake, but I think you might regret not making it 😉
Ps. You can add chopped walnuts or pecans to the cake, or top the frosting with them if desired. I didn’t this time.
You can find the cute candy carrot toppers at Target!
Looking for more easy 9×13 cake recipes?
- Pumpkin Cake
- Banana Cake
- Strawberry Cake on Tastes of Lizzy T
- Cookies and Cream Cake on The First Year Blog
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Simple Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
- 1 cup crushed pineapple
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups freshly grated carrots (was about 5 medium carrots for me)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 Oz Cream cheese (Softened)
- 1/2 Cup Butter (Softened)
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- 3 Cups Powdered sugar
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together your sugars, oil, and crushed pineapple until well combined.
- Add in the eggs and stir until just combined.
- Dump in the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour. Stir into the mixture.
- Fold in your grated carrots.
- Pour mixture into a greased 9×13 pan.
- Place into the preheated oven and bake for 37-45 minutes (Mine took 40) or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting. (Place in the fridge to speed up cooling.)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Beat your cream cheese in a large bowl over medium speed until smooth.
- Add in the butter and continue beating till well blended.
- Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and continue to mix until the frosting is totally smooth.
- Spread over cooled cake.
Video
jan says
why did my cake sink in the middle
Aimee says
When cakes fall in the middle its usually because they are over mixed. But this can also be a result of different baking pans and sometimes the center is slightly under baked when pulled out and then it will fall.
Pete and Chris says
Hi Aimee
My wife and I are full time travellers. We have a nice luxury caravan with which we are currently travelling around Australia and have most of the comforts that we would otherwise have at home.
Although we have an internal oven and stove, we have mastered the art of cooking cakes in our webber BBQ, most times to perfection.
The carrot cake recipe will no doubt be another challenge and we are excited and eager to give it a go.
We will let you know how it went over the next week.
Thank you for this site, it is truly amazing.
Warm regards, Pete and Chris.
Ellen says
Love that you are enjoying the site. Please let us know how the carrot cake recipe turns out for you.
Me says
Hi! If i put it in the freezer will texture change?
Aimee says
I haven’t tried with this recipe, but it should be able to be frozen, just let it chill in the fridge first then wrap tightly in plastic wrap or another freezer safe container
Julia says
Do you think it would still taste ok if I subbed Stevia for the sugar?? I’m very hesitant in where I can make the sugar subs.
Aimee says
I’m not sure, I don’t bake with it. You could try lowering the sugar a bit (about 10% to start), or try using half sugar half stevia.
Amanda says
Looks delicious – if I doubled the recipe, would it be too much batter for a half sheet pan (12×14)? Or should I use 1 1/2 batches?
Aimee says
I believe a half sheet pan is 13×18, but they’re also usually much thinner pans, unless you have a baking dish size I haven’t seen before. So I’d guess the original recipe would fill the pan, since this cake is a couple inches deep, and sheet pan sides are usually only an inch or less high.
Shari says
Made this today for Easter & it was A-MAZ-ING! I had never tried Carrot Cake w/crushed pineapple before. Couldn’t really taste the pineapple but made cake very moist. YUM! This will be our Easter dessert for now on, easy & fun to make. Thank You!
Next time will add a little ground ginger & cloves as I like it spicy.
Aimee says
So glad you loved it 🙂 Ginger and cloves sound like a great addition.
Pamela Allen says
So easy, moist & delicious! Thank you for sharing this exceptional recipe. Saving forever. 💖
Aimee says
That makes me so happy!! So glad you loved it!
Anna Brennan says
My carrot cake recipe that I’ve been using for years also calls for crushed pineapple.
Aimee says
It’s such a yummy addition.
Glenda says
I only have a 20oz can of pineapple. Is that too much? Making it today
Aimee says
I would just measure out the 1 cup as called for and use the rest of the pineapple for something else. I can’t say what would happened with the extra liquid.
Kylie says
Can I make the cake day before and add frosting day of?
Aimee says
Yeah it should be no problem! Just cover it so it doesn’t dry out in between
Allison says
Hi! I am interested in subbing the pineapple for applesauce. Should I use unsweetened applesauce?
Aimee says
I usually use unsweetened, either should be ok
Sue says
Can I add a cup of raisins and a cup of walnuts? Both? It won’t be too much will it?
Aimee says
I think you should be okay, maybe start with 3/4 cup of each and see how the batter looks.
Joanna Su says
I went 1/2 less on brown sugar and 1/4 less
On the white sugar in the cake recipe and it still tasted AMAZNG. instead of pineapple, I used apple sauce. SO MOIST. I loved how simple this recipe was and easy to follow. I did do 3 cups of carrots and then added some cranberries. WOW. My husband said he LOVED the frosting and how moist the cake was.
WILL BE REMAKING!!
Aimee says
Yay! I’m so glad you made it work for you and loved it!
Debra Weldon says
Should the pineapple be drained?
Aimee says
Nope, I just scoop straight from the can!
Pam says
I can’t wait to try it. Can I add pecans? If so, about how much pecans? How thick will the layer be? Im looking for about 2 and a half to 3 inches high. Thank you
Aimee says
Yes, you can add pecans! I think up to 1 cup chopped, should be fine. I think my cake was probably right in there 2.5 inches maybe. Let me know how it goes!
Sharon says
I tried your recipe this afternoon for hubby’s birthday as Carrot Cake is his favorite. There are only two of us so I was looking for a sheet cake recipe, rather than large layer cake. Your recipe was easy to make, and very moist. The only thing I would change next time is to reduce the sugar as we found it a tad too sweet. I used a 9 x 9″ pan and made muffins with the remainder of the batter. All in all a “keeper recipe”!
Aimee says
Yay! Glad to hear you liked it! You can definitely cut the sugar down next time if you’d like 🙂
Suz in OH says
Made this cake for Easter and was very happy with the results. Did not add the frosting this time as some of my guests prefer to go with out that topping, but the cake was indeed easy and very delicious. Will definitely make again!
Aimee says
So glad you loved it!
Ariel Frank says
I’ve never made carrot cake before and now will be making it for every gathering! So good! And so easy. The only sub I had to make was I used applesauce instead of crushed pineapple – I didn’t have any pineapple in my pantry. And the sub worked great! I definitely want to make it with pineapple next time around, but the applesauce was perfect! The cake was so moist and delicious. Such a crowd pleaser!
Aimee says
So glad you loved it!
Maluniu says
Super easy and super delicious!