With its amazing spice batter, melt in your mouth buttermilk glaze, and decadent cream cheese frosting this is truly the best carrot cake. Use pineapple, coconut, and pecans for ultimate flavor. This is one of those recipes that people will not stop talking about and will make you a star in the kitchen! Follow along to get all the details and the recipe below.
With love,
The Big Booty Baker
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CARROT CAKE:
There are three components to this cake, all amazing in their own delicious way and I’m here to break them down for you
The Carrot Cake:
As in any baked good there is a dry and wet mixture
For the dry you will whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, & cinnamon
For the wet mix the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, & vanilla
Alternate dry ingredients with buttermilk into the wet mixture and you’re done! Place in a 350 F oven for 25-30 until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Now on to the BUTTERMILK GLAZE:
This super easy glaze in what takes this cake to the NEXT LEVEL! This buttermilk glaze soaks up into the cake making this already moist cake even better!
Simply add into a medium size saucepan the butter, buttermilk, baking soda, granulated sugar. (All measurements below in the printable recipe card as usual) Bring to a boil and whisk constantly for 5 minutes then add vanilla and pour immediately over hot cakes as shown below! YUM
Cream Cheese Frosting:
This easy cream cheese frosting is my go to! Use it to frost cupcakes, cookies, cakes, etc.
Beat cream cheese and butter together until silky smooth and then add in the powdered sugar slowly and the vanilla. Whip until fluffy and refrigerate until cakes are completely cool. Then frost by placing the first cake layer down on a cake board or cake stand and spread a thin layer of the cream cheese frosting on top, repeat with the second layer following another layer of frosting, lastly top with the third layer and coat the entire cake with the rest of the frosting. Decorate with remaining 1/2 cup of pecans.
So delicious, this cake will make you the hit of the party! Let me know if you make this carrot cake in the comments below! Make some of my other seasonal favorites like my cranberry orange coffee cake, pumpkin butterscotch chip cookies, mini pumpkin cheesecakes, and fall apple crisp!
Have a great day, happy baking! 😉
The BEST Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 3 eggs
- 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
- ¾ cup (170 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ¾ cup (170 ml) buttermilk
- 2 ½ cups (200g) grated carrots
- 1/2 cup (30g) flaked coconut
- 1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple drained
- 1 cup (123g) chopped pecans divided
Glaze
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118 ml) buttermilk
- 1½ tsp vanilla
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces (453g) cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup (113g) salted butter room temperature
- 3½ cups (223g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F, grease and flour three 8 inch cake pans and line with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer beat eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla until creamy. (About one minute.)
- Alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk into the creamed mixture until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Next, fold in carrots, coconut, pineapple, and 1/2 cup of the pecans.
- Divide evenly among the three cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few crumbs.
For the Glaze:
- Place the butter, buttermilk, and sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat, stirring constantly and bring to a boil. Stir for 4 minutes and then poor directly over hot cakes right when they come out of the oven.
- Let the cakes cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add in powdered sugar slowly and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the cake.
- Place the first cake layer down onto a cake stand or board and top with a thin layer of frosting, then top with the second layer of cake along with a thin layer of frosting, lastly top with the third layer and coat entire cake with remaining frosting. Top and decorate cake with remaining pecans.