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Every fall for twenty years my mother’s carrot cake was the first thing gone from the bake sale table in our town, and every fall somebody asked her what made it so moist. They guessed buttermilk. They guessed applesauce. One woman was sure it was mayonnaise. My mother smiled and said it was just carrots, and she went on saying that for the rest of her life. It was carrots, and a small can of crushed pineapple.
The pineapple is drained, but not squeezed dry, so the cake keeps a little of the juice. It disappears into the crumb completely. What you notice is that the cake is still soft on the fifth day, when most cakes have gone dry. The other habits are simple: oil instead of butter, which keeps the cake tender even cold from the refrigerator; carrots grated on the fine side of the grater, so they melt into the cake instead of sitting in it as wet crunchy shreds; and a cream cheese frosting with enough butter in it to hold up between three layers. And then there were raisins. My father wanted them and my brother picked out every single one, so my mother left them out and put a little bowl of raisins on the table. That was her answer to most arguments.
Why this carrot cake works
- Crushed pineapple, drained but not squeezed. It adds moisture and a little acidity that makes the spices taste brighter, and nobody can pick it out.
- Oil, not butter. Oil stays liquid when cold, so the cake stays soft even straight from the refrigerator.
- Finely grated carrots. Fine shreds soften and melt into the crumb. Coarse shreds stay crunchy and leave wet pockets.
- Brown sugar with the white. A little brown sugar gives a deeper, almost caramel flavor and a darker crumb.
- Thin layers. Three 9 inch layers bake quickly and evenly, with no dry edges and no raw middle.
Ingredients
Makes one three-layer 9 inch cake, about 16 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300g)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (100g)
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (300ml)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups finely grated carrots (300g), about 6 medium carrots
- One 8 ounce can crushed pineapple (227g), drained but not pressed
- 1 cup chopped pecans (115g), plus more for the sides
For the cream cheese frosting
- Two 8 ounce blocks full-fat cream cheese (452g), softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g), softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar (480g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grate the carrots yourself on the fine side of a box grater. Bagged shredded carrots are thick and dry and will not melt into the cake. Use full-fat block cream cheese for the frosting; the soft tub kind makes a runny frosting.
How to make carrot cake
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease three 9 inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with circles of parchment and grease the paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil and vanilla until smooth and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones just until no flour shows. Fold in the grated carrots, the drained pineapple and the 1 cup of pecans.
- Divide the batter evenly among the three pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the layers in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto racks, peel off the paper and cool completely, about 1 hour. Do not frost a warm cake.
- For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar a cup at a time and the vanilla, until thick and fluffy.
- Set one layer on a plate and spread it with frosting, add the second layer and frost it, then the third. Frost the top and sides, and press chopped pecans into the sides with your palm. Chill 30 minutes before slicing.
Tips that make the difference
- Drain the pineapple in a sieve for a few minutes, but do not press it. The little juice that clings is part of the recipe.
- Weigh or measure the carrots after grating. Too many carrots make a heavy, wet cake.
- Toast the pecans for 8 minutes at 350 degrees before chopping for a deeper flavor.
- Chill the frosted cake before slicing. Cream cheese frosting cuts clean when cold.
Variations
- With raisins. Fold in 3/4 cup raisins (110g) with the carrots, or do what my mother did and serve them on the side.
- Sheet cake. Bake in a greased 9 by 13 inch pan for 40 to 45 minutes and frost the top only, using half the frosting.
- Coconut. Fold 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (40g) into the batter with the carrots.
- Walnuts. Use chopped walnuts in place of the pecans.
Storage and make-ahead
Because of the cream cheese frosting, keep the cake covered in the refrigerator, where it stays moist for 5 days. Let slices sit out 20 minutes before eating.
It tastes better on the second day, once the frosting has set and the pineapple has moved through the crumb, so it is a good cake to make ahead.
Unfrosted layers freeze for 3 months, wrapped in plastic and foil. Thaw in their wrapping, then frost.
Frequently asked questions
Can you taste the pineapple in carrot cake?
No. Drained crushed pineapple disappears into the crumb. It makes the cake moister and the spices brighter, but nobody identifies it.
Why is my carrot cake dense or wet in the middle?
Usually too many carrots, coarsely grated carrots, or pineapple that was not drained at all. Measure the carrots after grating and drain the pineapple for a few minutes.
Can I use butter instead of oil?
You can use melted butter, but the cake will be firmer when cold. Oil keeps carrot cake soft straight from the refrigerator.
Can I make it in two pans?
Yes, in two 9 inch pans; bake 30 to 35 minutes. The layers will be taller and you will have a little frosting left over.
Grate the carrots fine, drain the pineapple without squeezing it, and keep the secret if you want to. Raisins on the side settles the rest.
Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake with Pineapple and Cream Cheese Frosting
A moist three-layer carrot cake with the secret ingredient: a can of crushed pineapple, drained but not squeezed dry. Finely grated carrots, pecans, cinnamon, oil, baked at 350 degrees, with a thick cream cheese frosting. Exact amounts, pans and times.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups finely grated carrots (300g), about 6 medium carrots
- One 8 ounce can crushed pineapple (227g), drained but not pressed
- 1 cup chopped pecans (115g), plus more for the sides
- Two 8 ounce blocks full-fat cream cheese (452g), softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g), softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease three 9 inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with circles of parchment and grease the paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil and vanilla until smooth and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones just until no flour shows. Fold in the grated carrots, the drained pineapple and the 1 cup of pecans.
- Divide the batter evenly among the three pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the layers in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto racks, peel off the paper and cool completely, about 1 hour. Do not frost a warm cake.
- For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar a cup at a time and the vanilla, until thick and fluffy.
- Set one layer on a plate and spread it with frosting, add the second layer and frost it, then the third. Frost the top and sides, and press chopped pecans into the sides with your palm. Chill 30 minutes before slicing.
