This carrot cake with orange cream cheese frosting is as delicious as it is beautiful. Layers of moist, tender carrot cake and sweet, tangy orange cream cheese frosting create a dessert perfect for any occasion.
Carrot cake is a classic dessert that’s always a welcome addition to any table. From classic carrot cake like this one to creative twists like mini carrot cake cupcakes or carrot cake cupcakes with orange buttercream frosting, it’s a treat everyone always loves.
My version of the classic is loaded with freshly grated carrots, crushed pineapple, and flaked coconut. This is a super yummy carrot cake that is a family favorite.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super Moist and Tender: This carrot cake is super moist and tender, thanks to all the crushed pineapple and grated carrots.
- Classic Flavor: Every bite of this cake is full of old-fashioned flavor.
- Basic Ingredients: Every ingredient in this cake is a basic baking item found in any kitchen or grocery store.
- So Easy: This cake may be made from scratch, but it’s so easy that even beginners can make it.
- Versatile: This is the perfect dessert for a special family dinner, like bacon wrapped rib eye roast, or an addition to any potluck or holiday party.
- A Great Make-Ahead Option: This is a freezer-friendly cake, so you can make an extra one for future use.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Grated Carrots: Grated carrots give this cake its classic flavor and texture while adding moisture.
- Crushed Pineapple: Crushed pineapple adds sweetness and more moisture to create a more tender cake.
- Flaked Coconut: Flaked coconut adds sweet, tropical flavor to the cake.
- Vegetable Oil and Buttermilk: Vegetable oil and buttermilk work together to add more moisture, along with acidity, to make a more tender cake.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is the base for the sweet and tangy glaze added to the carrot cake.
- Light Corn Syrup: Light corn syrup adds sweetness to the glaze.
- Cream Cheese and Butter: Cream cheese and butter create the rich, creamy base for the frosting.
- Orange Juice and Zest: Orange juice and zest add sweet, citrus flavor to the frosting.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar adds sweetness and body to the frosting.
Variations
- Sweeter Cake: Use buttercream frosting in place of cream cheese frosting for a sweeter cake.
- Vegetable Oil: Any neutral oil will work for this recipe. You could use coconut oil, as well for a more tropical flavor.
- Sheet Cake: Make a sheet cake version for easier prep.
How to Make Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
An overview of the recipe is listed here, but you can find the exact instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Whisk the dry cake ingredients in a medium bowl. Then, beat the wet ingredients in a large bowl.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Then, fold in he carrots, coconut, and crushed pineapple.
- Divide the batter equally between two prepared 8-inch cake pans and bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Bring the buttermilk glaze ingredients to a boil while the cakes bake. Cook for a few minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Remove the cakes, poke holes all over the top, and immediately pour the glaze over them.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then, turn out the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Then, add the remaining frosting ingredietns and beat until smooth.
- Frost the cake when completely cooled. Garnish the sides with chopped walnuts and the top with orange peel.
Expert Tips
- Mix the cake batter ingredients until just combined. Don’t overmix, or the cake will be tough.
- Fold the carrots, coconut, and pineapple into the batter rather than using a stirring motion to prevent a tough cake.
- It’s important to pour the glaze over the cakes while they’re still hot. This allows them to fully absorb the glaze.
- To help ensure your cakes fully release, firmly tap along the sides and bottoms of the pans before turning out the cakes.
- Fully cool your cakes before frosting them. Otherwise, the frosting will thin and slide off of the cakes.
Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting FAQs
The classic frosting for carrot cake is cream cheese frosting. Its tangy, slightly sweet flavor works well with the sweet, tropical flavors of the cake.
The bright citrus note in orange cream cheese frosting works very well with the tropical flavors of pineapple and coconut in the carrot cake.
Yes, you do. Any cake made with cream cheese must be refrigerated for safety, freshness, and flavor.
You can refrigerate this carrot cake for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to a month.
To freeze carrot cake, wrap the entire cake in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and freeze for up to a month. You can also wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to a month in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
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Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 eggs, slightly beaten
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
- 3½ cups carrots, grated
- 1½ cup coconut, flaked
- 1 tsp orange peel, grated (to garnish the top of the cake)
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional for adding to the sides of the frosted cake)
For the Buttermilk Glaze
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup butter
- 1½ tsp light corn syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp grated orange peel
- 2 tsp fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat over to 350°.
- Lightly grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.
For the Carrot Cake
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- In a large mixing bowl, combined eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar and vanilla. Beat on low-speed until well combined.
- Stir in flour mixture with a wooden spoon.
- Fold in grated carrots, flaked coconut, and crushed pineapple until combined.
- Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and poke little holes all over the cake.
- Immediately pour the buttermilk glaze over both cakes.
- Let cool in cake pans for 15 minutes.
- Remove cakes and let cool completely on a wire rack.
For the Buttermilk Glaze
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter and corn syrup. Bring to a boil.
- Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Stir until combined.
For the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla, powdered sugar, grated orange peel, and fresh orange juice.
- Beat until smooth.
- Frost cake once cooled completely.
- Optional: Garnish sides of cake with chopped walnuts and add orange peel to the top and center of cake.
- Store in refrigerator.
Notes
- Mix the cake batter ingredients until just combined. Don’t overmix, or the cake will be tough.
- Fold the carrots, coconut, and pineapple into the batter rather than using a stirring motion to prevent a tough cake.
- It’s important to pour the glaze over the cakes while they’re still hot. This allows them to fully absorb the glaze.
- To help ensure your cakes fully release, firmly tap along the sides and bottoms of the pans before turning out the cakes.
- Fully cool your cakes before frosting them. Otherwise, the frosting will thin and slide off of the cakes.
Nutrition
Here are a few pics that are the perfect size for pinning to Pinterest.
Enjoy, Terri
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This carrot cake looks wonderful and I can’t wait to try it. My question is in regard to the coconut. Could I omit it without messing up the cake? It’s such a moist cake that I wonder if I would need to replace the coconut with something dry to keep the right texture. Thanks for your advice.
Susan
Hi Susan, I’m not sure what to use in this cake as a replacement for the coconut. I know that nuts can be a replacement for coconut, like macadamia or brazil nuts, but I haven’t ever tried using nuts. I’m sorry I’m not a big help with this question.
This cake can also be baked in a quarter sheet pan, 9″ by 13″, left in the pan, and frosted.
I’ve been making this cake for over 45 years now, and I call it “Tropical Carrot Cake”. I came across the recipe in a Garnishing Book, and have been making it ever since. the only differences are: I use pecans, double the glaze amounts, make the glaze in a large glass bowl in the microwave, and do not poke holes in the cake. It is one of my signature cakes, and I’ve had orders to make it for 600 people at the St. Barbara’s Day Ball at Fort Drum Army Base.
I make a totally unique Mock Whip Frosting when everyone orders over any buttercream frosting. On a wedding cake, when a carrot cake tier has to match the other frosted tiers, I either put an Orange Rum Mock Whip or a Pina Colada Mock Whip on it. If the bride has her heart set on a cream cheese frosting, we put the carrot cakes out in the kitchen. The cream cheese frosting would not match the other tiers, and is difficult to decorate with.
This truly is a Blue Ribbon Cake, as was the name in the book I found it in.