Carrot cake and Easter go hand in hand. I often make my non-traditional Brazilian Carrot Cake recipe for the holiday, but this cake here is one for classic celebrations (Easter or otherwise!) Layers of sweet carrot cake are drizzled with a caramelly buttermilk glaze and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. It can also be made in a simple 9×13 pan. If you love a great classic carrot cake, this one’s for you!
Ingredients Needed
- Baking Basics – flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon
- Buttermilk
- Carrots
- Crushed Pineapple
- Pecans (optional)
- Coconut
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Cream Cheese Frosting – It wouldn’t be carrot cake without the cream cheese frosting! Don’t cut corners here- full fat cream cheese and real butter are a must!
How to Make Carrot Cake Supreme
This is simply a brief overview, for full directions continue scrolling for the printable recipe!
- Preheat your oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 9″ round pans (or a 9×13) and set aside. For best results, cut two circles of parchment paper and place at the bottom of your pans. Secure to pan by spraying non-stick spray both under and over the paper layers.
- Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk.
- Combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture and then fold in shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, coconut, and pecans if using.
- Divide batter into prepared pans and bake.
- While cakes are baking you’ll cook a buttermilk caramel syrup on the stovetop and pour it over the finished cakes while they’re still warm.
- After the cakes have cooled, you’ll whip up your cream cheese frosting and ice!
Frequently Asked Questions
This cake is drizzled with a sweet buttermilk glaze before it’s frosted, producing a rich, tender texture. The glaze recipe makes just under 1 1/2 cups of glaze. As it is written, the recipe calls for this to be split amongst the cakes. It is quite rich and decadent, so feel free to put a little less, or save some for drizzling over the top of the finished cake. If you’d like to skip that step, the cake is still delicious without it!
Yes! This cake has many steps and can be overwhelming to make all at once. The cake layers can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen before icing the cake.
This pan is equally great simply baked in a 9×13 pan. When doing this, I find that 1/2 the frosting recipe is a good amount to top the cake. You can also add the buttermilk syrup to taste, saving some to drizzle on top if you like.
Tip: Making a 9×13 Carrot Cake
Most often, I make this cake in a 9×13 out of ease! Because this glaze recipe is so sweet, I usually use half of it to glaze on the cake itself and serve the other half on the side for drizzling. I’ve also skipped the glazing all together and the cake is equally delicious, so consider that step optional if you wish! I also cut the frosting recipe in half, which is the amount you see here in this photo and I think it’s great.
Carrot Cake Supreme
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoons table salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cup grated carrot
- 8 ounce can crushed pineapple drained
- ⅔ cup coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans toasted (optional)
Buttermilk Glaze
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup butter
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. (This cake can also be made in a 9×13, see notes below). For best results, cut a circle of parchment to place in the bottom of each pan. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla on high speed until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. Fold in the carrots. Fold in the pineapple, coconut, and pecans (if using). Divide the batter evenly among the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out with only moist crumbs attached.
- While the cakes are baking, prepare the buttermilk glaze. Combine sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, and vanilla in a large pot (think soup pot or Dutch oven- it will expand!) and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil, stirring constantly, until the syrup is caramelly and golden, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and set aside.
- When the cakes are done baking, drizzle the glaze over the warm cakes (still in the pans). You'll want to do it slowly and let it soak in just a bit at at time. Note: This is quite rich and decadent, so feel free to put on a little less glaze, or save some for drizzling over the top of the finished cake. It's flexible! Your cakes do not need to be swimming in glaze 🙂 Cool completely on a wire rack. When the cakes are cool, remove them from pans. Yes they will be a little sticky so just be gentle!
- When cakes are completely cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add cream cheese and vanilla and whip until smooth.
- If making a layer cake, tear four thin strips of parchment or wax paper or aluminum foil and make an overlapping square on the serving plate. This is to protect the serving plate from frosting. Place one layer on top of the square with the parchment strips sticking out. Spread some frosting on the bottom layer of the cake. Place other layer on top of the frosted layer. Frost the entire cake with cream cheese frosting and decorate with coconut and chopped pecans if desired. Pull out the parchment strips for clean presentation.
- Store in refrigerator. When ready to serve, leave at room temp for about 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- This cake has many steps and can be overwhelming to make all at once. The cake layers can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen before icing the cake.
- The glaze recipe makes just under 1 1/2 cups of glaze. As it is written, the recipe calls for this to be split amongst the cakes. It is quite rich and decadent, so feel free to put a little less, or save some for drizzling over the top of the finished cake. If you’d like to skip that step, the cake is still delicious without it!
- You may also bake this cake in a 9×13 pan. It will most likely take 30-40 minutes. Watch for it to be set and have only moist crumbs attached when poked with a toothpick. When making a 9×13 size, I find that 1/2 the frosting recipe is the perfect amount for me. I also do not use all of the glaze on the cake. I’ve skipped it entirely, or used about half for glazing and half for optional drizzles on top.
Questions & Reviews
I just wanted to say that this cake is THE BEST carrot cake recipe I’ve ever tried. Hands down! And I’m a tough critic 😉 I was a bit skeptical by the pineapple, but don’t let this fool you — the results are rich, sweet wonderfulness.
The only thing I do differently is to top it with maple cream cheese frosting. All you need to do is to sub the vanilla for about 1/4c. maple syrup and it’s just divine.
This recipe looks amazing and I’m wondering if I would be able to make cupcakes instead of the cakes with this recipe? I think the glaze may be a little hard to do with the cupcakes, but I think it should still work. I’m just wondering about the density that you commented on earlier.
I’ve never tried it, so I just can’t say for sure, but you could always try it! Just fill the cupcake liners more full than you usually would. Good luck! 🙂
I don’t know if you’re still answering questions on this post but I wanted to make this for my grandma’s birthday and she’s worried that the grandkids who don’t like coconut won’t eat/like it. Can you taste the coconut (and does it keep its texture) when its baked into the cake?
HI!!
Can you use your buttermilk glaze on any kind of cakes?
This is an amazing recipe! Made them into cupcakes and they turned out just great!
What do you think??? Can I just make this recipe into cupcakes? Would I pour a little glaze over each cupcake, or just leave the glaze out?????
I made this a few nights ago and it is by far the best carrot cake I’ve ever had! We made ours in a bundt pan just because I didn’t want to clean 2 pans later. The kids thought it was super special and we all thought it was DELICIOUS!!
Made this for a party last night, it was awesome! I used two 8″ pans, worked great and looked beautiful. It took 35-38 minutes in my convection oven for the deeper pans.
This is by far the best carrot cake I’ve ever had! I’ve made this 3 times now and everyone that’s tried it loves it and asks for the recipe.
I just love the recipe for carrot cake. I pray your hubby is feeling much better and doing much better also . Thank you again for this great blog Keepin the faith Love to you all and gods many blessings too Love Cheyenne Henderson Nv Summit ward