Amazing Carrot Cake (Recipe Inspired by LOVE LIKE THAT)

I swore that I’d never make Carrot Cake for the blog.

But, here I am, gleefully breaking that promise. 

Why is Carrot Cake the book-inspired recipe for Love Like That?

Okay, everyone take a moment to click on the link to my book review for Love Like That.

Now, look at that book cover. 

That is clearly a Carrot Cake. And it looks freakin’ delicious.

How could I not make carrot cake as the book-inspired recipe after seeing that? Sigh. 

My tumultuous history with Carrot Cake

For years, I’ve disliked carrot cake. Loathed it, in fact. Every version I’ve tried has been dry and tasteless. 

A few years ago, at the insistence of some co-workers at an office party (oh, the things we do under peer pressure), I gave this dreaded dessert one more chance…

And discovered one of the best friggin’ cakes I’ve ever had in my life.

Whoever baked that cake worked some magic. We’re talking some serious, Rumplestiltskin-spin-straw-into-gold type of stuff. I didn’t think a carrot cake could taste like that.

I mean, I went back for seconds.

What made it so good? I’m convinced it was because the cake didn’t just contain carrots; it was laden with pineapple, raisins, and shredded coconut.  

In fact, I could barely taste the carrot in it. **thumbs up**

What makes this Carrot Cake so dang amazing?

While I couldn’t get my hands on the recipe that changed my life, I did my best to recreate it with my Amazing Carrot Cake. 

The cake recipe below might look a little familiar. The base is very similar to my banana cake recipe.

And, actually, to my zucchini bread recipe.

Aaaaaand, if you’ve tasted hummingbird cake before, you’re going to get a strong sense of deja vu, too. 

Okay, YES! I combined all three of these desserts into one. So sue me.

It was the only way I could think to make this thing palatable. 

And you know what? IT WORKED. This cake is friggin’ delicious. 

It’s super moist and super tender. There’s a whole lot of texture going on, which is awesome. I love the soft cake with the bits of sweet pineapple, the flakes of shredded coconut (okay, and carrot…), and plump raisins.

Heaping amounts of cinnamon magically bring all the ingredients together, and the whole cake is topped off with swirls of my favorite fluffy coconut frosting.

Easy cake and easy cake decorating for the win

What I love about this cake — apart from the fact that it tastes nothing like carrot cake — is that it’s one of the easiest cakes to make.

It’s a one-bowl wonder: you just dump everything into a bowl, stir stir stir with a spatula, and you got yourself a cake batter.

As you can see, I also went easy on myself when it came to the frosting. 

Say it with me: RUSTIC. That’s the vibe we’re embracing here.

I hate frosting cakes. And decorating them. All that fuss just feels unnecessary. Like, I already baked a cake. And cleaned up all the dishes afterward. Now, you want me to take time to decorate this thing, too? Eff that.

Mr Tart is the decorator in the family. Remember those decorated Christmas cookies I posted on Insta a few years ago? Yeah. That was all him. I won’t touch a piping bag if I can help it.

The naked cake trend is the best thing to ever happen to desserts, as far as I’m concerned. 

So, I guess the only question remains is… can we call this a carrot cake? Purists may disagree.

But, is this a carrot cake that people who hate carrot cake will actually want to eat?

YES. And that’s good enough for me.

What do you serve with Carrot Cake?

Serve up a big ol’ slab of Carrot Cake with endless cups of freshly brewed coffee or tea. This dessert is a great follow up to a cozy, comforting meal of Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings or One Pot Swedish Meatball Pasta.

Carrot Cake

A moist, two-layer carrot cake made with crushed pineapple, coconut flakes, and raisins, then topped with fluffy coconut frosting. The perfect cake to transition from summer to fall.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 people

Ingredients

  

CARROT CAKE INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups grated carrots (4-5 medium carrots)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 eggs, at room temperature (lightly beaten)
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8-oz can of crushed pineapple (do not drain)
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1 cup raisins

COCONUT FROSTING INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp coconut milk
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup cream of coconut
• 3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

 

PREP INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Line two 9-inch round cake tins with parchment paper, then spray with baking spray. Set aside.
• Beat the eggs lightly with a fork. Set aside.
• Use a food processor to grate the carrots, then set aside.

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS

• In a very large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, flour, baking soda, and salt until combined.
• Pour the beaten eggs, oil, vanilla extract, crushed pineapple, and grated carrots into the bowl. Use a spatula to stir together ingredients until just combined. Make sure there’s no flour left at the bottom of the bowl. Batter will be thick but pourable.
• Add the coconut and the raisins to the bowl. Fold into the carrot cake batter until evenly combined.
• Divide the batter evenly and pour into the prepared cake tins. Bake at 350F for 30-35 mins, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
• Remove cakes from oven to a cooling rack. Let rest for 15 minutes, then run a dull knife around the edges of each cake tin. Invert cakes out onto additional cooling racks, turning right-side up again to finish cooling. Be sure to cool completely before frosting.

COCONUT FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS

• Use a handmixer or stand mixer to whip together the butter, coconut extract, vanilla, and cream of coconut in a large bowl until smooth.
• Reduce the speed and carefully mix in the coconut milk.
• Slowly add the powdered sugar. Beat mixture until smooth, about 2-5 minutes.
• Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 to 8 minutes. You want as much air in the frosting as possible.
• Smooth frosting onto cooled cake layers and sprinkle with ground cinnamon if desired.

Keyword cakes, carrots, cinnamon, Coconut, coconut frosting, pineapple, raisins