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Cakes  / 

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

by Jennifer Preston
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This Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a recipe of mine that has received countless positive reviews; it’s one of the many cakes that I choose to bring with me to a get-together with friends or even just a simple family dinner because it’s reliably ALWAYS a hit and people rave about it!

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Toasted Coconut

Let me tell you why this carrot cake is seriously one of my favourite cakes in the whole world:

It is SO moist, fluffy, and flavourful!

It has an incredible variety of texture from the coconut, pineapple, and carrots!

This cake has ZERO raisins in it. It’s #RaisinFree. I’ve been on a Raisin-Free diet since I was very young, and this cake is the answer to all of my Raisin-Free struggles! With this recipe, you do not have to worry about any “surprise raisins” in your carrot cake! (I should be fair to ALL of my readers and disclaim that if you do happen to be a raisin-lover for whatever reason, you can swap out the nuts for raisins. There, I said it.)

It contains both fruits AND vegetables so no worries, it’s totally healthy…right? 😉

It’s topped with a velvety Cream Cheese Frosting. Need I say more?!

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting toasted coconut recipe

The Best Carrot Cake You’ll Ever Make

Go ahead and toss out all the Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting recipes you have along with every preconceived notion you own about carrot cake–because this cake is going to change your world!

Aside from the carrot cake I baked and decorated back in culinary school, this is the only carrot cake recipe I’ve ever made. It’s the only one that I’ll ever need to make because it’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a carrot cake; it’s moist, crunchy, cinnamon-y, and it’s got that BUTTERY CREAM CHEESE frosting!

(I’ve had carrot cake that wasn’t topped with cream cheese frosting and had a buttercream frosting instead and it just wasn’t right. I could tell it was missing that cream cheese magic, ya know?!)

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting toasted coconut recipe

It’s easily baked in a 9 x 13 baking dish!

I don’t know about you, but any dessert that involves a 9×13 baking dish immediately perks my ears right up, like my Strawberry Shortcake Bars with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting recipe! Ahh the ease of it all…

A flat sheet cake that’s left in its own pan is much easier than having to deal with assembling and frosting a layer cake–not that layer cakes are difficult for me, it’s just that there’s times when my laziness gets the best of me and I’d rather go all sheet than layer! You get it, right? We’re all human.

Recipe Note: If you decide to go with a 9×13 baking dish, you could probably get away with cutting the cream cheese frosting recipe in half, unless you love to have a ton of frosting! The whole frosting recipe is better suited towards the layer cake version.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting toasted coconut recipe

It can be baked into a layer cake too!

If you’re feelin’ adventurous this cake can totally be made into a layer cake using two 9″ round cake pans! I’ve baked this carrot cake with cream cheese frosting into a layer cake many times and it always turns out fantastically. Check out my Instagram and follow me for layer cake inspiration!

Wanna Bake Some Cupcakes?

Good news everyone! I just converted this carrot cake recipe into a carrot cake CUPCAKE recipe–click here to check out the blog post! I can’t even tell you how much I love this carrot cake as cupcakes! Plus, you can learn how to pipe those adorable little carrot garnishes out of melted white chocolate!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes white chocolate toasted coconut dessert recipe tutorial

No mixer-required!

I totally have a thing for baked goods that don’t require a stand-mixer or an electric hand-mixer (like my Banana Oat Chocolate Chunk Muffins recipe)! I’m not sure why, because it’s not like it’s a HUGE hassle to wash the one extra paddle or the two beaters…but there’s just something magical about clutching a big bowl with one hand and stirring together gloriously delicious batter with a wooden spoon in the other. Sigh…

The recipe requires a large bowl for the wet ingredients, and a small bowl for the dry ingredients, which get added into the large bowl at the end.

BUT as for the cream cheese frosting, a stand-mixer or hand-mixer is definitely required to get it ever-so smoothly combined and fluffy!

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting toasted coconut recipe

A Longer Baking Time

This recipe is definitely easy and quick to prep and whip up (with the most strenuous activity being the peeling and grating of the carrots). Even though the prep time is short, take note that the baking time is long, so make sure you give yourself enough time to be at home to check on it!

On my most recent baking endeavor I baked my carrot cake in my favourite light blue Opalhouse ceramic baking dish so the baking time was much longer than usual! I checked it at 40 minutes and the top and sides were getting brown but it was still quite jiggly. So I made sure to cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil for the rest of the baking time until it was done.

So yes, be aware that the baking time for a 9×13 cake could take over 60 minutes! (I imagine a thin aluminum baking dish would bake much quicker!) But make sure you continually check it.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting toasted coconut recipe
Ceramic Blue Baking Dish by Opalhouse from Target.

Have leftovers? Freeze ’em!

This carrot cake with cream cheese frosting freezes so well, even after it’s been frosted.

Layer Cake:

  • You can always freeze cake layers! I like to freeze my cake layers because I find it’s much easier to frost and assemble a layer cake when the layers are cold. After the layers cool down to room temp, just double wrap each layer in plastic wrap and place on a flat surface in the freezer (for up to 3 months).
  • After your layer cake has been frosted, slice your cake into desired portion sizes and lay each slice flat on on baking sheet. Stick in freezer for an hour or two. Then individually wrap each slice in plastic wrap and place into freezer bags or sealed tupperware containers, and place in freezer. Whenever you want a slice, just grab one, remove its’ plastic wrap and let it thaw to room temp, and enjoy!

9×13 Cake:

  • Slice carrot cake with cream cheese frosting into desired portion sizes. Place each slice onto baking sheet, stick in freezer for an hour or two. Remove and individually wrap each slice in plastic wrap and place into freezer bag or sealed tupperware container. When ready to enjoy, just take a portion out of the freezer, remove its plastic wrap and then let it thaw to room temp and enjoy!

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting toasted coconut recipe

Recipe for Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:

I highly encourage you guys to give this cake a try! It’s moist, fluffy, flavourful, crunchy, smothered in cream cheese frosting and finished off with a sprinkling of toasted coconut. It’s such a delicious cake!

Now, let me know in the comments below: do you prefer to live raisin-free (like me!) OR do you love to have “surprise raisins” in your baked goods? Either way, we can still be friends.

Thanks guys, and happy baking!

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Sheet Cake decorating

Shop The Products I Used to Make This Recipe Happen:

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Sheet Cake decorating
5 from 2 votes
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Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 2 9" round cake pans or a 9"x13" pan
Author Jennifer Preston // Flour & Floral

Ingredients

Cake

  • 2 cups Cane Sugar or white sugar
  • 3/4 cup Vegetable Oil I used avocado oil
  • 3 Eggs
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract or vanilla bean paste
  • 3/4 cup Buttermilk
  • 2 cups Carrots peeled and grated
  • 1 cup Coconut Flakes sweetened or unsweetened (it's your preference)
  • 1 (15 oz) can Crushed Pineapple drained
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans or Raisins

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 (8 oz) pkg Full-Fat Cream Cheese softened to room temperature
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 5-6 cups Powdered Sugar (also known as Confectioners Sugar)
  • 1/4 tsp Salt (optional)

Optional Toppings

  • 1/2 cup Coconut Flakes toasted
  • 1/2 cup Walnuts or Pecans

Instructions

Making the Cake Batter

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your 9"x13" baking dish or grease two 9" round cake pans and line with parchment rounds.

  2. Using a large bowl and a wooden spoon/whisk, mix together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Then stir in carrots, coconut, and pineapple.

  3. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Using a wooden spoon, gently fold the dry mix into the wet mix.

  4. Stir in chopped nuts (or raisins). Pour mixture into your prepared 9"x13" pan or two 9" round cake pans.

  5. Bake for 40 minutes. Stick a toothpick in the centre, if it's still jiggly and/or toothpick doesn't come out clean, cover pan(s) with a sheet of aluminum foil and continue baking until toothpick comes out clean. Depending on the type of pan used, baking can take over 60 minutes.

  6. Once finished baking, remove from oven and let cake cool completely before topping it with the cream cheese frosting.

Toasted Coconut Topping (Optional)

  1. Sprinkle coconut flakes evenly onto a baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes at 350 degrees F. Watch it continuously as it bakes quickly and can burn easily. When most of the flakes are golden brown, remove from the oven and place baking sheet on rack to cool.

Whipping up the Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. Using the paddle attachment on a stand-mixer or using a handheld mixer, combine butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until fluffy (at least 2 minutes).

  2. Add vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and salt. Blend on medium speed until combined and creamy. 

  3. Pipe or smooth frosting onto completely cooled cake, sprinkle with optional toasted coconut and enjoy!

Notes

If you're just planning on baking a 9"x13" cake and only frosting the top, you could get away with cutting the frosting recipe in half. (Unless you love alot of frosting!) A full frosting recipe is great for a two layer 9" round cake.

Store frosted carrot cake covered in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, and then freeze any leftovers.

This cake freezes really well, even while frosted! Slice cake into desired portions and place in sealed tupperware container in the freezer. When wanting to eat, just remove one, and let it thaw to room temp for about an hour.

In the mood for more cream cheese desserts? Check out my Strawberry Shortcake Bars with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting recipe!

Strawberry Shortcake Bars with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Tags

  • Baking
  • Buttermilk
  • Carrots
  • Cinnamon
  • Coconut
  • Cream Cheese
  • Fall/Winter
  • Food Photography
  • Frosting
  • Holiday Baking
  • Nuts
  • Recipes
  • Spring/Summer

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Banana Oat Chocolate Chunk Muffins (or Mini Muffins!)
Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Jennifer Preston Flour & Floral food photographer cake decorator (1)

Hi! I’m Jennifer and I LOVE to bake, style, and photograph beautiful desserts–I also have an eternal weakness for pastels, berries, and silky buttercreams.

What brings me even more joy is sharing my love of baking with others. Whether that is through recipe development, decorating how-tos, or food photography tips, I want to share everything I have learned with YOU!

I believe in creating food with high quality ingredients and making it look GORGEOUS. I also believe that every dessert deserves a photoshoot, and that food is meant to be shared.

And butter; I believe in lots of butter.

Flour and Floral about me

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Follow My Baking Adventures On Instagram

Hello Fall and hello all-things pumpkin! 👋🏻 Hello Fall and hello all-things pumpkin! 👋🏻 These Mini Pumpkin Pies are a delicious twist on the classic Pumpkin Pie dessert that truly taste as scrumptious as they look!

First, buttery pie dough is shaped into muffin tins and then filled with a match-made-in-heaven mixture of E.D.SMITH Pure Pumpkin Puree and sweetened condensed milk.

After baking it’s then garnished with a dollop of whipped cream, an adorable pie-crust leaf and a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice. 🥰

You can find the recipe at the link in bio!

#Ad #EverydayEDSMITH #EDSMITHBakingHappiness #EDSMITH #EDSMITHTraditions
I had the honour of making my very first Mothers D I had the honour of making my very first Mothers Day Cupcake Bouquet for a brand and I just love how it turned out. 🥰 These variations of purples are one of my favourite colour palettes. 💜

Piping Tips Used:
Hydrangeas: 2D and/or 1M
Rose Swirls: 2D and/or 1M
Rose with petals: 102
Crysthanamum: 102
Leaves: 352
Baby’s Breath: 16
Stems: 12 & 8
Yay! 💕 Easter weekend is here and this Easter B Yay! 💕 Easter weekend is here and this Easter Bunny Fruit Tray is so perfect to gather around and indulge in! I love this healthier option and I don’t know about you, but the toothpicks make it even more fun! 🐰

Just whip up the simple fruit dip recipe using simple ingredients, pour into a bowl, and arrange the fresh fruit around it on the platter. So easy and so delicious! 🥰

And as always, all these fresh, colorful and inspiring ingredients can be found at @SaveOnFoods! 🍓🍇🥝🫐

#SaveonFoods
#OurWesternFamily
@Saveonfoods
@WesternFamilyCA 

Easter Bunny Fruit Tray Recipe Ingredients:
Red Grapes
Strawberries (sliced)
Blackberries
Kiwis (sliced)
Raspberries
Blueberries
Pineapple (sliced)

FRUIT DIP:
1 8oz pkg WF Cream Cheese (softened)
5 Tbsp Confectioners Sugar
1 1/2 tsp WF Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Whipping Cream
1 Tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

Instructions:

1. Pour whipping cream into a medium-size bowl, and using a hand mixer on medium speed, mix until it forms stiff peaks. Takes about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add softened cream cheese and mix on medium speed with a hand mixer until smoothed.
3. Add in confectioners sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice mix on medium speed until smooth. Feel free to add in more sugar if you prefer sweeter.
4. Fold in the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until fully incorporated.
5. Pour fruit dip into small round bowl and place on platter. Start with the pineapple to form ears above the bowl. Arrange fruit around the ears and bowl. Use two blueberries for the eyes, and slice a strawberry for the nose. Use toothpicks for the bunny’s whiskers. Serve and enjoy!
Let me introduce to you one of my FAVOURITE chicke Let me introduce to you one of my FAVOURITE chicken soups: Creamy Chicken Taco Soup. 😍 It’s packed with veggies, savoury rotisserie chicken, tangy cream cheese, and has that amazing taco flavour we all crave and love! 

This delicious chicken soup wouldn’t be possible without Western Family’s Chicken Broth! My go-to products are always by @WesternFamilyCA because of quality and value. ✨

I can’t rave about this soup enough, we just love it over here! I especially love to top it with Sweet Chili Heat Tortilla Chips. Let me know if you’ll be keeping warm this month by making this comforting soup! 🥰

Creamy Chicken Taco Soup
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 medium Sweet Onion, chopped
1 Cup Celery, chopped (about 2 stalks)
2 Tbsp Butter

1 Orange Bell Pepper, chopped (or red or yellow!)
3-4 Cups WF Chicken Broth
1 398 ml can WF Diced Tomatoes (with liquid)
1 can Green Chilies (with liquid)
1 341 ml can WF Corn (with liquid)
1 398 ml can WF Black Beans, drained & rinsed

1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 250g pkg of WF Cream Cheese, softened and chopped
2 Cups Rotisserie Chicken, shredded

Optional Toppings: Shredded WF Tex-Mex Cheese Blend, Cilantro, Tortilla Chips, Avocado, Lime wedge ect.

Instructions:
1. Remove meat from Rotisserie Chicken (easiest while still warm) and shred using a hand mixer. Set aside.
2. Add oil, onion, and celery to large pot and sauté over medium heat for 4 min, add butter, then sauté for another min.
3. Add all remaining ingredients except for cream cheese and chicken, bring soup to a boil and then turn down heat and allow to simmer for 5 min.
4. Stir in cream cheese until fully dissolved, then add chicken and simmer for 5 min.
5. Taste and season with salt and pepper, and enjoy with optional toppings!

#OurWesternFamily
Need a nutritiously filling and delicious breakfas Need a nutritiously filling and delicious breakfast to save your mornings? This recipe is just the thing: Blueberry Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal! 🫐 

I love it so much because everything gets dumped in a baking dish, baked, and then can be enjoyed for the rest of the week. It even freezes super well so you can reheat individual portions any morning you’re in a pinch! 🙌🏼

It offers plenty of nutrition too, from the oats to the fruit, to the pumpkin seeds and the coconut oil! It’s the perfect post-Holiday breakfast. And all the ingredients can be found at @SaveOnFoods, of course!

Oh! And it must be enjoyed with a generous drizzling of maple syrup. SO good! 🤩

#SaveOnFoods #OurWesternFamily @WesternFamilyCA

Recipe:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 1/2 cups, Rolled Oats
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
2 Bananas (ripe, fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 cups Milk (if using frozen fruit and 1 3/4 cup if using fresh fruit)
2 Eggs
3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Pecans
2 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
WF Pure Maple Syrup

Instructions:
Put 2 cups of the blueberries at the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
In a bowl mix together oats, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over blueberries.
In same bowl, mash bananas (I like to use a hand mixer for fast results). Then mix in eggs, milk, and coconut oil. Pour into baking dish.
Top with pecans, pumpkin seeds, and reserved blueberries.
Bake for 45 minutes. Enjoy warm, drizzled with maple syrup. To freeze, slice into portions, freeze, then reheat portions as needed.💕
Yep, I still love my @kana.goods cast iron. 🥰 I Yep, I still love my @kana.goods cast iron. 🥰 I received the 5-piece cast iron cookware set back in March and I’m overall just thrilled with it! ✨

I actually avoided cast iron for longer than necessary because I was intimidated by the thought of cleaning/seasoning it. But it’s actually SO easy!

For stuck on foods, I put a little water in the pan, coarse kosher salt and scrub it with a paper towel until all the bits come off. I rinse, then heat it on the stove until 100% dry. Then remove, and rub avocado oil all over the cast iron with a paper towel. Done! 🙌🏼 It looks brand new after!!

Do you clean/season yours the same way??

#goodsmadebetter #colormymilo #cookwithmilo #kanagoods

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