Go Back
Print

Nana Ruth's Carrot Cake

A moist, warmly spiced carrot cake with toasted pecans and the creamiest cream cheese frosting you've ever tasted. This is the kind of cake Nana Ruth would have baked for Easter — nothing fancy, just deeply good.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword baking, carrot cake, desserts, easter recipes, heritage recipes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12 slices
Author Maggie

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups finely grated carrots about 5-6 medium carrots
  • 1 cup chopped pecans toasted
  • 1/2 cup crushed pineapple well drained
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
  3. In another bowl, whisk the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined.
  4. Fold in the finely grated carrots, crushed pineapple (drained well), pecans, and coconut if using. The batter will be thick.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops spring back when gently pressed.
  6. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. Don't frost a warm cake — the frosting will slide right off.
  7. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat on low, then increase to medium until fluffy. Frost the top of one layer, stack the second on top, then frost the top and sides.
  8. Press toasted pecans around the sides or sprinkle on top. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing — the frosting sets up and the cake slices much cleaner cold.

Recipe Notes

Nana Ruth always said the secret was grating the carrots fine — not shredding them on the big holes. The fine grate melts into the batter and makes the cake unbelievably moist. You can skip the pineapple if that's not your family's thing, but it adds a sweetness that makes people ask what your secret is. This cake keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to 4 days — if it lasts that long.