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Loaded Carrot Cake

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Four glass bowls sit on a blue and white dish towel.  The bowls contain grated carrots, chopped pecans, crushed pineapple, and shredded coconut. which are important ingredients for the loaded carrot cake.
Three silver cake pans filled with unbaked batter from a loaded carrot cake recipe. The pans are sitting on a marble counter.
Two baked layers of loaded carrot cake resting on a wire rack that is sitting on a marble counter.
A slice of carrot cake with white frosting and pecans has been removed from the cake, revealing the multiple layers. The cake is decorated with additional pecans and swirls of white frosting.

Our carrot cake is the best I've ever tasted.  The carrots, coconut, and

 

 

pineapple keeps it wonderfully moist.  This recipe will make a layer cake, 

 

 

24 cupcakes, or a 9x13 cake. 

I used three 9-inch pans for the cake above. If you want a higher cake, use

 

 

 

the 8-inch pans.  FYI, I used one recipe for the frosting.  I would suggest if

 

 

 

you are making a cake for a group of people, mark each serving on the top

 

 

 

of the cake with some type of decoration; I used rosettes here and topped

 

 

them with candied pecans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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About the ingredients:

Carrots: Fresh grated carrots are the key to this recipe.  If my time is

 

 

   limited, I use the prepackaged peeled carrots and grate with my food

 

 

   processor.

 

 

 

Pineapple: If you can't find the small can of crushed, it takes about 3 to 4

 

 

   slices of canned pineapple, crushed with a fork and drained to make ½

 

 

   cup.

 

 

 

Coconut: Since it only takes ½ cup, I use the bagged kind that you find in

 

 

   your market.  I also have a habit of freezing fresh grated coconut in ½ cup

 

 

   increments if I have it left from making a fresh coconut cake.  Use what you

 

 

   have, as long as it's not old and dried out.

 

Nuts: I like to use pecans or walnuts for this.  No need to toast beforehand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why I like this recipe:

•  It is a very moist and luxurious cake.

 

•  This cake recipe serves a lot of people.  

•  You can make a layer cake, bundt cake, cupcakes, or a 9 x 13-inch cake.

​​​​

 

I usually make my cake in three pans instead of two.  It's just a personal

 

 

choice, and I like the look of the three layers, especially when I do it "naked

 

 

cake style".  BTW, we used to call that a crumb coat. 

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Ingredients

• 1½ cups sugar

• 1 cup vegetable oil (I use coconut oil)

• 3 eggs

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp vanilla

• ½ tsp salt

• 3 cups grated carrots

• 1 small can crushed pineapple (8 0z), drained (should be about ½ cup)   

• 1 cup chopped nuts, pecans or walnuts

• ½ cup coconut

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray the bottom of three 9-inch pans* with nonstick spray or use our Pan Release.

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil, and eggs until blended, about 30                seconds. Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, vanilla, and salt;          beat for about 1 minute at medium speed. By hand, stir in carrots,                pineapple, nuts, and coconut until combined.  Pour into pans.

2. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes          out clean. Cool completely, about an hour. Frost with our Cream Cheese        Frosting. See the recipe below. 

*This recipe will also make a 13x9-inch cake or 20 to 24 cupcakes

  (use greased paper liners).  

Tip

• I used pineapple in its own juice and unsweetened coconut. But if you           want additional sweetness, use sweetened pineapple and coconut.

Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese

• ½ cup butter, softened (1 stick)

• 4 cups powdered sugar (1 lb)

• 1 Tbsp milk

• 1 tsp vanilla

• ½ cup toasted nuts, small chop (optional)

Instructions

1.  In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla until                smooth.  On low speed, add the powdered sugar in thirds.  Turn the              mixer to high speed and beat until fluffy.

2. Spread frosting on the cake and sprinkle with nuts or cinnamon if desired.      Store covered in the refrigerator.

LAURA LEE ALICE
COOKS

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Loaded Carrot Cake

 

 

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Three round stainless steel cake pans.
A silver cake knife and a silver cake server are lying crossed on a green background.  On
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Recipes are like stories; they can change from person to person.  Everyone has their idea of how a recipe should be, even

 

 

though it may have changed from the original.  We will never know the true author of the original recipe, regardless of

 

 

what some may say.  That's why I go back and look through the oldest cookbooks that I can find.  Sometimes it's not the

 

 

recipe in the books that I find, but the tiny pieces of handwritten recipes and newspaper articles that are stuck within

 

 

the pages.  That's where the real story is, finding those simple Southern recipes.      -Mac

Copyright © 2025 Laura Lee Alice, LLC. All rights reserved.

LAURA LEE ALICE COOKS

 

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