If you were to ask me what my favorite cake flavor was I would almost immediately say, “Chocolate!” However, there is something about this carrot cake that makes me feel differently. This is no joke, THE BEST CARROT CAKE EVER!! This is a recipe my mom has been making for years and years. She also makes this carrot cake every Thanksgiving and everyone always goes crazy over it. The original recipe came from a Southern Living magazine back in the days when we didn’t find recipes on the internet. The recipe below is mainly original, with a few tweeks of my own thrown in there. If you love baking, you must try this easy recipe. If you are still learning how to bake, this is a great recipe to follow if you’re looking to make your first cake from scratch, icing and all! Fun tip: Use carrot stem greens to decorate your cake stand.

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 tsp of baking soda

• ½ tsp of salt

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs

• 2 cups sugar

• ¾ cup vegetable oil

• ¾ cup buttermilk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract

Mix-In Ingredients:

• 2 cups grated carrots

• 8 oz. of crushed pineapple, drained

• ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

• ¾ cup butter, softened

• 10 oz of cream cheese, softened

• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar

• 1 ½ tsp of vanilla bean paste or extract

Cake Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with spray, oil, or butter. Set aside.

2. Mix together dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Lightly whisk to combine and set aside.

3. Place all the wet ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in the large mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until well combined.

4. Fold in carrots, pineapple, coconut, and nuts.

5. Pour batter in the cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is cooked through. Use a toothpick to test the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. Cool the pans on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, then remove the cake from pan and cool completely on wire racks. Once the cake is completely cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting in between the layers and on top of the cake. Optional garnish- sprinkle a little of the chopped nuts on top.

Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions:

1. Place butter and cream cheese a medium sized mixing bowl and let soften on the counter for a couple hours. Make sure they are really soften so they become creamy when mixed.

2. Use an electric hand mixer on medium speed to mix until creamy.

3. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until smooth. Keep covered in the fridge until ready to use.

Click the image of this awesome vanilla bean paste to shop and get your own from Sur La Table, this stuff is the best!

We’d love to see your finished product! Post your picture on Instagram, tag us @danimade.kitchen and hashtag it #danimade