wontons and curried sweet potatoes are used to make miniature samosas. With chutney or ketchup, serve.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 40 mins |
| Additional Time: | 40 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 35 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 1 9×13-inch cake |
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups white sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 2 cups finely grated carrots, or more to taste
- 1 (8 ounce) can finely crushed pineapple, drained
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans (Optional)
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts (Optional)
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, or to taste
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Place flour in a bowl. Add salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Sprinkle in ground ginger and cinnamon. Whisk thoroughly until combined. Set aside.
- Add sugar to a separate bowl. Whisk in eggs until mixture is smooth and pale yellow, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Heat butter and coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat until just melted but not too hot. Whisk into the bowl with the eggs and sugar until well combined. Add carrots, crushed pineapple, pecans, and walnuts. Stir well.
- Stir flour mixture into the carrot mixture until no dry spots remain. Pour batter into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Tap the pan against your counter to let any big air bubbles rise to the surface.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting, at least 40 minutes.
- Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract together using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar to form a smooth frosting. Spread evenly over the cooled cake. Chill completely before slicing.
- You can substitute vegetable oil for the coconut oil. If you do go with the coconut oil, you can use a ‘virgin’ coconut oil, which will have a fairly strong coconut aroma, and identifiable flavor, or you can go with a more refined coconut oil, which is virtually odorless and flavorless. I used the latter, but the former would be fine, if that’s what you’re into.
- Use more carrots for a moister cake.
- Divide batter between two 9-inch round pans if you want to make a layer cake.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 728 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 88 g |
| Cholesterol | 103 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 26 g |
| Sodium | 473 mg |
| Sugars | 68 g |
| Fat | 41 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I followed the directions exactly and it came out extremely well. Everyone loved it. Great texture, and good density. Husband described it as rich. This one’s a keeper!
I made a 2 layer cake for Easter. It tuned out great. It had a good taste but it could be a little more moist. I used the coconut oil. I will use this recipe again.
Made it for our company Christmas party and everyone LOVED it!! Will make many more times I’m sure
This recipe was a great match for my ingredient search. I was using up some items in the pantry while having been checking use-by dates. I used fresh ginger, and instead of pineapple green sultanas and preserved citrus peel, and peanuts instead of pecans as these where what was at hand. I didn’t ice the cake although would have made a nut butter and icing sugar option. The baking took almost twice as long. This has happened before. I think must be to do with the oven. Quite yum, had a good flat shape, and regular texture through out.
I made a few changes… 1 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of brown, 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup of applesauce. 2 cups of confectioners sugar for the frosting. Baked for 40 min. Everyone devoured it. it was so moist and delicious
As always, I find Chef John’s recipes nothing short of outstanding and this dessert is no exception. It is the best carrot cake recipe I have had. I did add 1 tsp Allspice to the dry ingredients.
Followed your recipe and was delicious thanks John
This is my go-to carrot cake recipe. Truly delicious. I personally like the layered cake best as it gives a better cake to icing ratio. We love this recipe!!!
A really good, fairly easy to make carrot cake. I add a half cup of carrot, but delicious as it is.
This may be the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. The frosting is amazing. I did add about 3/4 cup more powdered sugar than the frosting recipe called for. Instead of pecans and walnuts in the cake, I just doubled the pecans and omitted the walnuts. Everyone at our Thanksgiving dinner loved it.
I made exactly as suggested and it was the by far the most delicious carrot cake I have ever had.
I found that the icing did not firm up, next time I will not add butter to cream cheese. Also I made two 9 inch layer cakes rather than 9 X 13 and it was done in 35 minutes.
It was delicious! My husband loved it.I followed the recipe, except used veg. oil instead of the coconut oil. It is our anniversary cake, so I will make it at least once a year. Thank you, John
I was making my first carrot cake to bring to a friends gathering of 4 at Easter. My friends absolutely raved over this cake. In fact the husband told me where he’s had the best carrot cake and then proceeded to say that my cake was better than that one is. Of coarse I thought he was just being nice but he said that he was serious. So yes this recipe is fabulous. By the way, it was very moist and the frosting was sinfully delicious!
Made it three times; first time, as written. Verdict: not enough spice and too much orange in the frosting. Second time? Too wet but had better cake flavoring after doubling spices . and, it sank cuz I put in a whole can of pineapple. So, on number three, I got it right. Here we go: Double the spices, add half of a grated nutmeg and some cloves (ground) and use fresh ginger. Stay exactly to 8 ounces of drained pineapple and no more than two and a quarter cup of carrots. Keep other measures EXACT. It was perfection.
Made it exactly as the recipe except I used fresh pineapple instead of canned. Would this cause the cake not to rise? Flavor of cake is absolutely wonderful!
Chef John does it again. Best. Cake. Ever. Very moist. Pineapple is a great addition. Cream cheese frosting is perfect as directed. Best when thoroughly chilled.
Great taste and good texture. No frosting required. Love it.
I made this just as directed and it was fantastic! This is a new family favorite.
More Covid-19 baking, but sadly this one will not go into my top favorites. The cake was almost too moist and too pineapple-y tasting, more of a pineapple upside down cake than a carrot cake. A tad bit too sweet. I will try making the recipe one more time, with a few tweeks, like less sugar, less pineapple and more carrots.
Baked carrot cake for the first time. Was super fun. Tasted amazing.