This is the recipe for Sam’s (my grandfather) well-known carrot cake. Everyone who knew him is familiar with his legendary carrot cake. Anyone who wanted some could always get some from him. Although we will miss him, his carrot cake legacy will endure forever!
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr |
| Additional Time: | 20 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 40 mins |
| Servings: | 15 |
| Yield: | 1 8×12-inch pan |
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8×12-inch pan.
- Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Mix sugar, eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla together in a large bowl; gradually add flour mixture until just combined.
- Combine shredded carrots, pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and raisins in a separate bowl; stir into cake batter using a large wooden spoon until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Allow cake to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 374 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 49 g |
| Cholesterol | 38 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Sodium | 259 mg |
| Sugars | 31 g |
| Fat | 19 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
This is exactly the recipe I needed for my father’s birthday cake – hearty, flavorful, moist, and with all the textures he prefers. Thank you so much for posting! I’ve made this several times and will make again and again.
Don’t change a thing
It’s good. I did not add raisins or coconut. Cooked perfectly in my 7.5×11.5 pan in 1 hour. It does need some cream cheese icing to finish it. Also, I don’t usually keep buttermilk around, but I make it using 2 parts sour cream and one part milk.
Everyone says the cake is moist and flavorful. I used only 1 1/2 cups of carrots, added a little more coconut, and only used 1/2 cup of craisins instead of raisins.
I use this recipe to make all my cakes. I substitute pecans for the walnuts, and use golden raisins for regular raisins.
This is the best carrot cake in existence! I make it all the time and everyone loves it! I use cran raisins instead of raisins
This has been my go to carrot cake recipe for 7 years now. It’s exactly like the carrot cake you can get from bakeries.
I have made this recipe I feel like a hundred times and always get nothing but great compliments. This is truly my go to carrot cake recipe.
I have used this recipe for 10 years or so. I’m from Texas and have two pecan trees so I use pecans not Walnuts. This cake has lots going on. This cake has every thing on it I could possibly ask for a carrot cake.
I have been making this particular recipe now for over 12 years and I still find it is my favorite. I have served it at pot licks, family holidays, birthdays, my restaurants, and special catering events.
This cake was absolutely delicious! I baked the carrot cake 2 days prior to serving, which I knew that all the flavors would meld together. MOIST & DEVINE
Perfect carrot cake to make. Also made the whipped heavy cream, cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla frosting with toasted coconut on top. Delicious!
This is one of my most frequently requested desserts, but like many others, I’ve tweaked it over the years. I’m gluten-free, so first off, I use a GF baking flour mix. I also add 1 tsp ground cloves and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg. I sub out 1/2 c of white sugar for brown sugar and use pecans instead of walnuts. I shred my carrots with a fine grater, use unsweetened coconut, and use a raisin blend (instead of all dark raisins) and I soak them in fresh orange juice before adding them, for flavor and softness. I frost the cake (or cupcakes) with a cream cheese frosting made with cream cheese, butter, heavy cream (I like to whip it separately before adding it to the cream cheese and butter), powdered sugar, a splash of vanilla, a bit of fresh-squeezed orange juice, and orange zest. Everyone loves the cake, but I’ve frequently been told the cream cheese frosting is the best they’ve ever had – I swear by adding the orange juice and zest.
Recipe worked out fine for me, and I tend to use it every year for Easter. I usually take the time to study the recipe first before I start preparing it, in order for the cake to turn out right……
My favorite carrot cake! Sometimes a make a cheesecake layer to put in the middle!
No changes made
I left out the coconut, split the batter into 2 – 10 inch pans, replaced the walnuts with pecans, and used the cream cheese ll recipe. It was fantastic and everybody’s favorite new desert! I love this!!
Love this carrot cake. Didn’t change a thing
I’ve made this cake recipe a few times follow the instructions and it will come out perfect! Rich with flavors!
Nicely moist and delicious. Important to grate the carrots very fine so that they blend into the cake. Cream cheese frosting is perfect with this cake. I increased the recipe, keeping the ratios the same, to make 3 round cake pans, and split each layer in half (I didn’t use one in the finished cake; it was tall enough with 5 layers! We ate the leftover with lunch the next day)
I have made this 10 or more times. This cake is wonderful!