My secret ingredient to make the Best Carrot Cake is adding a can of crushed pineapple, which makes it SO moist with less added sugar.
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Best Carrot Cake Recipe
cI was recently asked if carrots are really in carrot cake – The answer is yes! Hence, the name! This cake also has coconut flakes and pineapple giving it such great flavor, texture and moisture with no butter. This healthier dessert is the best carrot cake for your Easter celebrations or any time of the year. Other Easter or spring dessert recipes I love are these Coconut Macaroon Nests, Hummingbird Cupcakes, and Easter Egg Cake Balls.
Carrot Cake Ingredients:
- Flour: Use half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour for extra fiber.
- Granulated Sugar or brown sugar can be used
- Coconut: Shredded sweetened coconut
- Baking Soda and Salt
- Cinnamon and Vanilla Extract for flavor
- Oil: I used canola oil, but coconut oil or vegetable oil works too.
- Eggs: You’ll need two large eggs.
- Carrots: Peel and grate carrots until you have two cups grated.
- Pineapple: Buy a 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple and drain the juice.
- Walnuts: Mix some chopped walnuts into the batter and top the cake with the rest.
What is cream cheese frosting made of?
This easy cream cheese frosting for carrot cake only has three ingredients:
- Cream Cheese: I like 1/3-less-fat cream cheese because it saves calories but still tastes good. You can use regular cream cheese, but I wouldn’t substitute fat-free. Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, so it blends well.
- Powdered Sugar: Beat in a quarter cup of powdered sugar.
- Vanilla: A teaspoon of vanilla extract improves the flavor.
How to Make Carrot Cake
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk both flours, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
- Wet Ingredients: Combine the oil, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl and then mix in the carrots and pineapple.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. The cake batter will be stiff and dry, but keep stirring it, and it will all come together, no need to use a mixer but you can if you prefer. Fold in a quarter cup of walnuts.
- Bake: Spoon the batter into an 8” x 3” cake pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 40 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, and the cake pulls away from the pan’s sides. Let it cool completed on a wire rack.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat the room-temp cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake and garnish with the remaining nuts.
What is the best type of pan to bake a cake?
I baked this carrot cake in an 8-inch round cake pan, which I love because it’s three inches deep. Other cake pans you can use, a Bundt cake pan, a 9-inch springform pan, or a 13 x 9-inch pan. Just know the baking time will vary, so keep an eye on it and test it with a toothpick.
Most carrot cake recipes are lighter because they have much smaller serving sizes, so I cut the cake into 16 equal slices. If you use a different pan, the serving size might be slightly different.
Should carrot cake with cream cheese frosting be refrigerated?
Carrot cake will usually keep on the counter in a cool place for one to two days if un-frosted. If the cake has icing, refrigerate it right away, and it should last for five to six days.
How to Freeze Carrot Cake
Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is ideal for freezing. I like to freeze it sliced so I can pull out a piece or two as needed. However, you can certainly freeze the entire cake frosted. To thaw, put it in the refrigerator the night before.
Variations
- Flour: You can use all purpose flour or sub white whole wheat flour for the wheat flour.
- Gluten-Free Carrot Cake: I would try swapping all the flour for the same quantity of gluten-free Cup4Cup flour.
- Coconut Swap: Substituting the sweetened coconut for unsweetened may make the cake less sweet. I haven’t tested it, so you may need more sugar depending on your tastes.
- Not a coconut fan? Sub it with the same amount of raisins or dried currants.
- Allergic to pineapple? Try swapping the pineapple with grated zucchini and adding more sugar or using applesauce instead. I haven’t tested these changes, but if you do, let me know in the comments how it worked.
- No walnuts? Substitute them with the same amount of pecans or macadamia nuts.
- Frosting: If you’re dairy-free or want to reduce the calories/sugar, skip the icing.
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes: If you want to make cupcakes, bake them at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes. Check them with a toothpick to ensure they’re done.
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love
- Pineapple Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Strawberry No-Bake Cheesecake
- Banana Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- 5-Ingredient Almond Cake with Fresh Berries
- Easy Buttermilk Blueberry Cake
Super Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups grated carrots, peeled
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, drained (or about 2 cups fresh)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, divided
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz 1/3 fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and spices; stir well with a whisk.
- In a medium bowl, combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well.
- Add grated carrots and pineapple; mix well.
- Fold wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, batter will be stiff and dry but keep folding it and it will all come together. Fold in 1/4 cup chopped nuts.
- Spoon batter into an 8" x 3" cake pan coated with cooking spray.
- Bake at 350° for about 40-50 minutes, depending on pan size or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and cake is pulling away from sides of pan. Cool cake completely on a wire rack.
- To prepare frosting, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cake.
- Garnish with remaining chopped walnuts.
Hi Gina! I’ve been making this cake for like three years now, but last year and this year the carrots have turned green! Do you know what could be causing that? I looked on the internet and perhaps too much baking soda? Can I use less baking soda? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as the flavor is great, but it doesn’t look very appetizing to have your carrots turn green!
So strange!
So delicious! Did I change it? Yes, but only slightly. Nut allergies here so did not add them and instead used a fourth cup of golden raisins. I also added grated orange rind to the frosting.
This recipe is indeed moist! We were out of walnuts so I sprinkled more coconut on the top. It’s sort of healthy, so it doubled as breakfast this morning for my 7 year old! Kid and adult approved.
Perfect!
I made this for Easter, and used unsweetened coconut and Swerve granulated sugar for the cake, and Swerve confectioners sugar for the icing. It was so delicious! I made two cakes and stacked them. It got rave reviews from my family!
Just what I was looking for! A healthy lower sugar and fat birthday carrot cake served on Easter. I made this in a spring form pan and it worked perfectly!
rave reviews from our house! not too sweet, super moist! i made this for my partner and he loved it–that’s the best compliment i can give you. (he’s a super picky eater!)
I love a carrot cake that has pineapple in it! Can’t wait to make this!
Hi Gina, gave this a try (first carrot cake) and tastes phenomenal? However, it was a tad mushy in middle even though it passed the stick test and pulled easily away from the edge at 50 minutes baking. Used spring form 8″ pan. Any suggestion of what I may do better? Longer bake? Thank you so much for sharing this. Have a great day.
Sounds like it needed a longer bake, although if the pineapples weren’t drained enough that could be the issue.
Thank you Gina, my first thought was the pineapples as they did seem a bit still very juicy when I added. I also used an 8″ pan. Will be giving it another try this week for visiting friends on weekend. Thank you again for the delicious cake recipe. Cheers!
I truly believe that your issue was that the pineapple was not drained enough, what I do is put it in a strainer, and keep pressing on it until no more of the pineapple juice is released, it happened to me the first time when I didn’t drain it correctly and I also bake it in a 9 inch pan for 50 minutes, it was the best carrot cake we’ve ever had.
Thank you Sally! I wam going another round this week with it. When I use frozen spinach in dishes I always do the press method in strainer to get it strained well. Will do the same on pineapple. The one I did tasted great it was just a little soggy. Looking forward to round 2!! 🙂
Absolutely delicious and moist! It was a big hit for Easter dessert.
Can you omit the nuts and coconut to make it less calories or would it mess up the cake if you omit it ?
should be ok
Wow, glad I finally did this. I used a spring form pan that was more like 9 inches so watched the time, done in 40 to 43 minutes. I used swerve –a combo of white and brown for the sugar and cut it back to .75cup total. Added a .25 teaspoon each of nutmeg, ginger and 1/8clove, as I love spice. Did use everything else but no nuts on top and only half the amount of icing–just to save a bit and it was wonderful. Thank you for a great festive cake recipe.
GREAT!!
Can I use only Whole Wheat Pastry Flour from Sunrise Mills?
Thank you for not adding any artificial sweetener to this recipe. I am slowly weaning off of them and cutting my sugars in half. I plan on making this yummy sounding cake very soon!
I made this for a gathering of about 15 people and everyone raved about it saying that THIS is how carrot cake should taste 😊
AWESOME!!
Almost as good as my very high cal carrot cake! Now, I make this and have a slice without guilt …. So yummy!!!!
Definitely a favorite and quicker to make when I grate enough carrots for a second cake! I appreciate being able to keep it healthier with carrots and pineapple; would like to use less sugar.
Hi Gina,
Thanks for all the great recipes! This is one of my favorites. However, I don’t think the WW point total is correct. When I click the WW button, their site lists 12 points for crushed pineapple packed in juice, drained. That should be 0 points. Also, the recipe on the WW site lists 1 c of 10x sugar in the cream cheese icing, but your recipe only calls for 1/4 c. This makes a significant difference in the points total.
I’d hate to see a WW member pass up this fabulous recipe because of the higher point total. I know you must be very busy, but it would be great if this could be corrected.
Thanks again!
Hi Renee! Thanks for letting me know, I’ve fixed the sugar and it is now 9 points. From my understanding a fruit is not zero points if it is canned in juice. Glad you enjoy this recipe. 🙂
All WW counters will count the pineapple as 12 points because it has been crushed or macerated, thus allowing you to chew less which is part of zero points. All fruit that has been blended, crushed, or macerated will have points.
If you check WW canned pineapple in juice is NOT zero points. It’s several point for a half cup alone. So I could imagine 20 oz. would be 12 points. Only fresh pineapple is zero points.
Its the same points when I use canned. I will switch it now in the app so you can see.
Super delicious ! I used 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup swerve snd 1/3 cup allulose in the cake recipe— reduced heat to 325 and baked 10 minutes longer. For the frosting used a similar mix of powdered confectioners, powdered allulose and powdered swerve. Came out fantastic!
made this delicious cake for my moms birthday. i had to modify it based on diet restrictions and what we had. no nuts or coconut, I chopped up pineapple rings and drained them, added raisins and used a mashed banana instead of oil. it turned out perfect and so delicious. the only other thing i’d do is add more spice like maybe some pumpkin pie spice and ginger. I love a really spiced carrot cake. i’d say this recipe is the perfect base for whatever modifications a person would want! so wonderful!
This is the best guilt-free carrot cake recipe and easily one of my favorite cakes overall! The only thing that I change is using only half the sugar, I feel like 1 cup is way too sweet. Tip for europeans who can’t find crushed pineapple: Buy normal canned pineapple and roughly chop it up in a food processor.
I made this for a birthday party. Everyone loved it and were shocked to know it was a healthy take on carrott cake. The pinneapple left the cake moist and overall it was easy to make (this coming from someone who’s never made a non-boxed cake before!)
I’m thinking of making this as cupcakes. How many would it make, what temperature, and time?
I’ve done this multiple times! For me, it makes 17 cupcakes (when filled 3/4 full with batter), and I bake at the same temperature for about 24 minutes.
I was so excited to make this cake but realised after it had been the oven for 5 minutes that I’d totally forgotten the sugar!!! So to make up for that I sliced the cake through the middle horizontally and added more icing. It’s still got a slightly salty tang but the texture is great and it’s so filling! I also really enjoyed drinking the juice from the crushed pineapple. Yum!
Swapped out the sugar for All-Purpose In The Raw Zero Calorie Sweetener Blend 1:1
and Lakanto Sugar Free Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener.
It rocked !
So moist that it loses any cake texture. It is more like a steamed pudding.
Did you remember to drain the pineapple? Mine was very much cake like.
My cake batter was also super runny from not draining the pineapple enough, and also from the carrots shedding water during the grating process. I ended up adding nearly an extra cup of flour to get it to the right consistency and it came out amazing.
Can sugar substitute be used?
Swapped out the sugar for All-Purpose In The Raw Zero Calorie Sweetener Blend 1:1
and Lakanto Sugar Free Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener.
It rocked !
Made this tonight. Fabulous! Carrot cake is my favorite and this one is as good as any I’ve had. I’m especially impressed with the nutritional information considering it includes a generous amount of cream cheese frosting.
Made this last night for book club who are all excellent bakers. Made it exactly as written but baked it in a bundt pan and used a cream cheese glaze instead of the icing and it was fantastic. Book club loved it. Thanks!
Perfect!
This carrot cake is amazing! Love everything on your site ♥️👏🏼
Thanks Kayley!
Can you freeze this cake ( without icing of course)
You can freeze it, I would ice it and then freeze it. I have done that with several other carrot cakes, not this particular recipe. They thaw out fantastic, perfect with a cup of coffee for an indulgent breakfast. She also mentions freezing it in this post.
I would like to make this cake in a 9×13 or a bundt pan because my round cake pan is not 3 inches deep. What are the baking times for the different pans?
I did not have cream cheese on hand, so I used cool whip, added about half a pack of sugar free white chocolate pudding and then some of the pineapple juice from the crushed pineapple……YUMMO! Definitely will be making this cake again. Good stuff. Next time I might add raisins too…..not sure if anyone else has done that?
Thanks for the good recipe.
I made this today for Easter dinner. Moist and delicious! Another winner, thanks Gina
Thanks Kyra!
DELICIOUS! I used 20 ounces of unsweetened apple sauce in lieu of pineapple, as I went to two grocery stores the Friday before Easter and both were out of crushed pineapple. I did not make any other changes to the cake recipe. The next time I make it I’ll stick to the applesauce bc it is so good and just sweet enough. I planned on making the icing, but it is so moist and tasty without it that I think the icing may overpower the flavor of the wonderful cake and this omitted it.
Made this into cupcakes (and little baked doughnuts) for this Easter. I’m going to halve the cream cheese frosting and only frost about 8 for a family dinner tomorrow night> Thanks for this great recipe, my 2 year old and I ate “doughnuts” for breakfast this morning and he loved them!
How did you adjust the time for cupcakes instead of the full cake? I really want to make these.
I’m making this for Easter and am on WW. Has anyone tried this recipe using Monk Fruit instead of sugar in the cake and the frosting? Looking to see if I can get the points down a little more. Thanks! Happy Easter.
I used maple syrup I get from a co worker that makes it, instead of the sugar. And for the frosting, instead of cream cheese, I used cool whip, added about half a pack of sugar free white cholate jello pudding and some of the pineapple juice from the crushed pineapple…..it was delish!
Yes, I use monkfruit sugar blend all the time for this cake and it’s great!!
Hi just a question I’m not a cook and I may have messed this up but I added baking powder instead of baking soda and the video has coconut oil and the actual written recipe says canola oil does it matter?
I used unsweetened coconut, a smaller can of pineapple and left out the nuts. And yet the WW calculator gives me 8 points per slice, Even with 16 slices in the cake. I haven’t tried it yet (it’s in the oven!)
Hi Amanda! The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”) which does not count fruits and vegetables in recipes in the calculations as they are now 0 points.
The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting the fruits and vegetables. So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, now you know why.
Can I use gluten free flour or a mix of different flours in stead of the ones in this recipe?
Wondering the same thing
Same – anyone try gluten free flour?
I was wondering the same thing! If substitute for gluten free flour, any adjustments need to be made to the other ingredients? I’m excited to try this for Easter!
I typically find it may need a few more minutes in the oven. But otherwise I think it would be fine.
I make this every year for Easter. Aside from using all AP flour because I don’t keep WW flour around the house, I make no changes or subs. I love that its a small cake, great texture and flavor.
I can’t wait to try this!
How can I make this gluten free?
This cake is fabulous!! Followed directions as best I could. We don’t have a 20 oz can of pineapple so I had to wing it. Beautifully moist. I shared with my friends and they couldn’t believe is was low cal/low fat. Thank you so much!
great base recipe. made a few changes. 3/4 cup white whole wheat and 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour. 3/4 cup sugar. replaced the pineapple and coconut with 8 ounces of natural applesauce and 1/4 cup greek plain yogurt. added walnuts just to the batter and not for the top. I like cream cheese frosting and didnt like this one it needed some more heft so I added some plain greek yogurt to the frosting instead of the normal butter which is what cream cheese frosting usually has 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 ounces cream cheese and 1/4 cup yogurt 2 cups powdered sugar. i only had full fat cream cheese so thats why i reduced the sugar and took out walnuts coconut (and pineapple bc my family wont eat it). 211 calories and 9 ww points. i guess its better than 28 WW points but would love to get it down a little more. however bday cake for DH so thats what they wanted!
Can you make these into cupcakes? I wanted to healtlhier version of cake for my friend’s birthday who is on weight watchers. Thanks
How many points would this be if you cut out the frosting?
This cake is perfect
Is there any changes I should make if I want to make this cake into cupcakes instead? What temp and time would you suggest for cupcakes?
Best carrot cake recipe I’ve ever made. Thank you!!
Just delicious. Several carrot cake lovers in our card group. Brought this for dessert and requests for the recipe and many compliments. THANK YOU again for lightening up a classic recipe.
Gina, I’ve made this as a cake and loved it. (Truth be told, I’ve never had a bad recipe from you.) I’d like to make this recipe as cupcakes this time. How long should I bake them for? Also, do you think they’d freeze well?
What is the serving size? How many slices out of the 8×3 cake pan = the nutritional value please and ty
Serving size is 1 slice, 16 servings. Nutritional info is listed under the recipe. 🙂
Excellent! Will make again for sure.
Hi just wondering if I can sub the granulated sugar for brown sugar as it’s what I have on hand.
Cheers 🙂
In the video it says coconut oil but, in the recipe it’s canola oil what is it supposed to be coconut oil or canola oil? Would like to make this cake for my mother for Mother’s Day and want to make sure to use the right ingredients. Thank you 😊
Canola.
Can this be made with almond flour?
I just made this with substituting the pineapple with 1 cup applesauce. It turned out great!!!! I also used gluten free flour. I didn’t have any powdered sugar so we ate it without the frosting. Defiantly a keeper!
Hi – did you use all 3 cups of gluten-free flour? Which brand did you use?
It’s only 1.5 cups total of flour not 3 cups
This is my question too. Did you try it?
Since I can’t go out an shop normally with Covid-19 I was wondering can I use vegetable oil and just regular flour (all I have in the house right now)? Also can I make these in muffin tins? How long would I bake them for? Thanks, They sound so delish
Can you make these into cupcakes? I wanted to healtlhier version of cake for my friend’s birthday who is on weight watchers. Thanks
Sure!
Can this be made with powdered stevia or with agave? Thanks!
can we use frozen pineapple vs canned? the shelves at the store are bare when I looked for canned pineapple? Or can we just omit the pineapple all together?
What if we don’t have whole wheat flour? Do we just do another 3/4 of all purpose flour?
Thanks, Gina! Love all your recipes. xo
I’m in love with this recipe!! Thanks 😊 Just one questions, does the cake turn out better with coconut oil or vegetable oil ?
Can I sub oat flour for whole wheat flour?
I just made this case and it appears very dense and heavy. Is that normal?
Going to make this cake this weekend for Easter – can’t wait! I have a ton of unsweetened coconut in my pantry. Can I use that instead of sweetened coconut?
You can, but it may need more sugar.
This is obviously really late but for you or anyone else wondering like I was, I looked it up and if you use unsweetened coconut, just add 1 teaspoon of sugar per 1/4 cup of coconut to sweeten it. 🙂
The video shows coconut oil but the ingredient list says canola oil. Are these interchangeable?
yes they are
This looks amazing! Can you use fresh pineapple vs canned?
I am trying fresh right now. I crushed in food processor. I will let you know how it turns out.
I used fresh in mine because I didn’t have enough canned. I used the food processor to crush it and then drained some of the juice. It turned out amazingly!
Happy Easter Gina and everyone baking.
I made 1/2 the recipe, 8 very light and moist gluten free cupcakes
1. I used 6 oz very ripe mango instead of pineapple. I pureed it . I was able to obtain a box of mangos but very ripe.
2. No coconut
3. Pecans instead of walnuts.
I baked them for 24 minutes.
4. Used near dead carrots
My family loved the recipe . Everyone stay well and safe
What is your recommendation for making this gluten free? All purpose GF flour or almond flour suitable? Thanks!
I made this cake yesterday. It was amazing!!!! Will definitely make it over and over again.
Could I use gluten free flour and how much? Thanks for sharing!!
This is my question too. Did you try it?
Can i sub pineapple for applesauce?
I would love to know that too!
I’m wondering if I could use a different sized pan and how I would adjust the cooking time? Possibly a 9×9 or 9×13′ pan??
Looks great! How many servings in the cake? If I made it into muffins, how many muffins would it make? thanks!
I made it into 24 generously sized mini muffins. I baked for 17 minutes and they came out perfect!
can i leave the pineapple out and replace it with carrots?
Yes! Would love to know this too!
I haven’t tried, if you do let me know how it comes out!
I love so many of your recipes! I have a weird question. I’m the only one in my family who eats carrot cake and I have very little space in my freezer. Can I freeze the batter? If I want to make it in like 8 oz ramekins how long would I likely cook it for?
I think it would be better to freeze the baked cake in slices.
@Gina – I’m planning to make this for husband’s 40th this weekend. What is the baking time for cupcakes? And can I substitute Splenda for granulated sugar? If so, how much Splenda should I use?
I never thought I liked carrot cake, but after having purchased an absurd amount of carrots, and not knowing what to do with them, I turned to this recipe, and was so pleasantly surprised. The cake was extremely moist and had great flavor. This has definitely turned me around on carrot cakes!
Love this recipe! I’ve made it for years and always get rave reviews. Most carrot cake recipes are loaded with oil and taste like oil. I can’t believe this one only has 2 TBLS. I use olive oil. I rarely have coconut on hand, so I go without, and I use only 1/2 cup of sugar and it is perfectly delicious. I found that draining the pineapple through a strainer while I put the rest of the cake together helps prevent too much juice getting in. One time it didn’t cook well as I hadn’t drained it enough. I’m baking one right now for my husband’s birthday today…a Christmas baby. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Can you substitute vegetable oil for the canola oil? Thank you.
How much is one servin?
I was a bit concerned that flavor would have to be sacrificed to keep this low calorie, but it was honestly the best carrot cake I’ve ever made. I made it for some very health conscious family members and they loved it. Based on another commenters recommendation, I did sweeten up the frosting a bit with three packets of Stevia. It was just delicious!
AWESOME!!!
The most amazing carrot cake..The cake was super moist and had just the right amount of sweetness to it. I didn’t even do the cream cheese……The cake didn’t need it…..Thank you
The most delicious, satisfying carrot cake. I’ve been asked for the recipe numerous times after bringing it to various functions.
Can i substitute pineapple for 1/2cup Applesauce & 1/2cup Greek yogurt ?, and if so what would be the measurements.
I would really like to hear your suggestion.
Just made this today it is absolutely delish. I used all whole-wheat flour and didn’t put the frosting on as I’m trying to be extra good for the next few weeks so instead I used fat free vanilla quark. The cake was so moist and flavorful. I will be making this again and again I just know it. Thanks you. 😊
I made this for work and it got RAVE reviews. Apparently everyone where I work loves carrot cake and they said this was the best carrot cake they’d ever had. Everyone commented that it was moist and dense. I admittedly added a few other spices because I am pathological in my need for cinnamon to be accompanied by clove, allspice, cardamom, and nutmeg at least. I also used some FF cream cheese for a little extra frosting and a bit of pineapple juice. I LOVE this recipe and will use it again.
Super moist and delicious cake. Personally I thought the frosting needed sweetened up a bit. Next time I’ll use Truvia to cut down on calories while sweetening it. Love this website. Thank you so much for all your hard work.
The best carrot cake ever!! Hands down!! Used 3/4 cup maple syrup instead of the sugar.
This is SO good! I made it for a party of friends and no one guessed it was a “skinny” recipe! This is my new go-to favorite!
Hi, can I omit the pineapples? Thanks.
Wow, this was so good. I made it for Easter and everyone loved it, No one would have a clue it was from a “skinny” website. Will definitely do this one over and over. SO moist and flavorful. It is very dense which is great because you don’t need a big piece. Just a skinny slice will be enough to satisfy so for those of us who are in the WW program, you can do this one without any guilt.
This was very good, light and moist and came out perfectly! I omitted the coconut because I didn’t have any. The only thing I would change next time is cut back on the sugar. It was a bit too sweet for my taste.
Can I substitue sugar for maple syrup. I don’t like to use granulated sugar, I prefer using natural sweeteners. i know the calorie count is the same but refined sugar is out of my diet.
It was such a pleasure to be able to make this healthy for my dad and gluten free for me and another family member for Easter. Thank you, Gina! I’ve never made carrot cake for my dad, one of his favorite desserts. He watches his diet, so this was perfect. And Cup 4 Cup worked beautifully as a gluten free substitute for the two flours. The cake was moist and hard to tell it wasn’t a wheat-based flour. Twenty four hours later and the entire cake is gone. That’s a huge success.
Made this for Easter dessert. I made it in a bundt cake pan. It came out beautiful. Can’t wait to make again. Bonus was my toddler ate it and didn’t even know he was eating vegetables! I will also be making as muffins without the frosting. Perfect!
Can I just use all all-purpose flour? Don’t have whole wheat on hand. Also, will a 9 x 9 pan work? Can’t wait to make this! Thanks!
How can I turn this gluten free? Can I use one-to-one GF flour?
The cake is very yummy, but I can’t quite get past the frosting. I love cream cheese frosting and this substitute didn’t really do it for me so I prefer to eat the cake without of the frosting.
I made just a couple adjustments.
1. Gina’s video says to add coconut oil, so I did. The recipe does not specify.
2. Since my family doesn’t like the texture of coconut, I substituted dried currants.
3. I used 1/2 C sugar and 1/4 C Truvia.
4. I baked it in a Nordic Ware (the smaller size) 10-cup fleur de lis bundt pan at 350 for 50 minutes, since it makes about 6 cups of batter.
Great Recipe!
Any idea what the baking time would be for a 9 inch pan?
Saw this on IG and am excited to make for Easter! Question, can I substitute almond flour for the whole wheat flour and if so, would it be 1:1 or a different amount?
Sorry, I haven’t tried it with almond flour.
No worries! I ended up picking up whole wheat flour. This was a HUGE hit with my family! The only change I made to the cake recipe was to swap applesauce for the eggs to accommodate a vegan and baked in an 11×7 glass baking dish so I could cut some off for the vegan prior to adding frosting. I did cheat and add a bit of butter and extra powdered sugar to the frosting though!
Can you substitute gluten free all purpose flour?
what is the cooking time if I make in a 9×13 pan?
This looks delicious. Have you (or could you) made this into cupcakes? Thanks!
Yes, I don’t see why not!
I just made them into a cupcake and they turned out wonderful.
Can’t wait to try your healthier version of our favorite cake. I use dark brown sugar because of the way it carmalizes as it bakes, making the cake have a wonderful flavor to it , plus I use grated fresh nutmeg as well as cinnamon , but less than amount of cinnamon. I feel that it really adds that pow! Of flavor to it. I also tried 1/2 white, & 1/2 Brown sugar. Can’t wait to make your cake. Thanks !
Hi Gina, thank you so much for this recipe. Carrot cake is my favorite and since I’m on WW thought I would have to give it up for a while. I use King Arthur Flour and there are two types of wheat flour, one is a white wheat and the other a heavier wheat. Which would you recommend? Thanks.
I prefer the white whole wheat. Enjoy!
This recipe sounds wonderful, quick question, the video shows Coconut oil being added, the written recipe states canola oil. Which one…or does it matter ?
It does not matter.
Can this be made gluten free? If so what’s the substitute for the flours?
I found a really nice GF cake mix (Betty Crocker)
that I used instead of the dry ingredients here. Turned out great!
Can this be made in advance? and frozen? I’m thinking of doing this as cupcakes for a very large crowd for Easter and would like to make ahead.
Cakes are frozen frequently. You totally should be able to without any problems. Just take out to thaw in fridge the day before.
This looks delicious. Have family members who can’t eat pineapple. What could I use instead of pineapple?
maybe applesauce instead of pineapple for moisture?
Can you tell me the calories without the frosting? Has anyone done the cupcakes and figured out the calories with and without frosting? Want to make this so bad!
This was amazing! My mom loves carrot cake, and I was pretty sure she would be unimpressed with a lighter version. She said this was one of the best carrot cakes she’s ever had, and I agree. It was so moist and tasty. This is my go to now whether I’m looking for a “skinny” dessert or not!
I made this today and love it! My kids like it too. I used all white whole wheat flour and baked in a spring form pan. The frosting is so easy, too.
I have made this cake several times and it is a hit! So tasty!
I made this last week and put the cupcakes in the freezer. I took it out yesterday and it was my morning snack. It was fabulous. Thank you
How long did you bake cupcakes for?
Seriously the best carrot cake ever!! I feel like it is some healthier than any other recipe. Low in sugar and super moist. a Must try!!
I hate it
5stars!! I made this cake for my Mom’s 94 birthday and wrote on the top, then decorated it with tiny pansies. We had 16 guests and Voila! it was gone!! Everyone commented that it was moist and delicious and I bragged about Skinnytaste recipes to all present! ?
This was yummy!! Easy to make and the cake was delicious with the pineapple. I don’t even think you need the cream cheese frosting. They would make great muffins. Will definitely make again!!
I dd it today, it was very good but it’s normal to taste the baking soda in the cake a little?
I cannot describe how amazing this was! I made it for Easter last Sunday and used the same recipe to make muffins today. Minus the frosting , each muffin has 4 points of deliciousness
Sorry second question …how long to cook in muffins?
Leslie McCain
GINA: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! This Carrot Cake was Delicious!! Have not seen my out of state sis and brother-in-laws in 5 years. ( divorce removes an ex, but not the love of some in- laws. ?) I really wanted to end the week-end with a super desert. All my kids and grand kids and sister came for dinner and I made this Carrot Cake for dessert and EVERONE raved over it!!! I’ve made several of your recipes .. loved them all. This is a keeper. So easy. Moist. Sweet but not super sweet. I baked this in a 7” X 11” glass baking dish for 30 minutes. Perfect! I will make this to bring to other get togethers since I know it’s so good and easy to prepare. I did send the few pieces left home with family since I knew I would devour them when all had left. Although it is a Skinnytaste recipe, I’m dealing with weak will power and I know who would finish them off!! ?. Again a 5 STAR recipe!!!!
Thanks Lynn!
I made this cake last night. It is absolutely delicious! One sixteenth piece was quite satisfying. My husband loved it as well. I am on Weight Watcher’s and it is nice to have cake and not have it be too many points! I will defintely make this recipe again.
Soooo good!! Subbed out honey for sugar (2/3 cup) and olive
oil for oil. Wish I could post a pic !!! Made in a bumdt pan and
cake was a total cutie!!!
I am a bakeaphobic. Your recipes have given me confidence like no other and I feel good that the recipes are made from healthful ingredients.
Made this for Easter brunch as a layered cake. Much to the surprise of my doubtful family (I have not baked anything for dessert in 20 years) they loved it! They couldn’t believe how moist it was, delicious and nutrition friendly.
Thanks Gina!
Hi Gina,
I made this cake last night and am SO excited to try it today!! Thank you for your recipes! Two questions:
1. I didn’t change anything in the cake recipe and, like someone else mentioned, the middle of my cake sunk down about 15-20 minutes after I took it out of the oven. A toothpick came out clean and the edges were pulling away from the pan, so I’m pretty sure it was cooked all the way…any idea why that happens and how to prevent it?
2. How do you store this? Does it need to be refrigerated?
Thank you! I LOVE your recipes!!
Frosted and ate the cake so wanted to revise my comment: even though the toothpick came out clean, the middle of the cake was totally mushy and uncooked, and the edges were cooked perfectly. So I assume more cooking time? Just not sure how else to measure done-ness if the toothpick truck doesn’t work! But-delicious still!! The frosting is to die for! Anyone else experience this?
Made this on the weekend, did not have enough pineapple on hand so added some applesauce to make up some of the moisture. I did it in a bundt pan for about 32 minutes and it was incredible. Family could not believe how good it was! Just served with whipped topping as I didn’t have cream cheese on hand. This is another keeper, thanks Gina!
love this cake! thank you. made a double layer cake for my husband’s birthday and got great reviews. one layer came out a little less risen and a bit more heavy and dense for an unknown reason but overall it was fantastic and i highly recommend it.i tripled the frosting to cover 2 layers, plus between the two.
Hi! maybe a silly question – did you double the recipe to make a double layer cake?
Thanks!
I forgot to drain the pineapple , would that change the point value ?
I think it would, because pineapple is only 0 sp if it’s drained from the juice.
this is probably the best carrot cake I have ever had! So moist and delicious! I made it for Easter and it was a huge hit. Since my kids do not like coconut I chose to leave it out. Substituted Splenda for the sugar (diabetic) and forgot to buy walnuts. They weren’t missed – still delish. And ended up being only 3 points for the 1/16th slice. Have to be honest though – I cut it into 8 slices for 6 points. Loved it!!
This was *OUTRAGEOUSLY* delicious for Easter yesterday! No one would think in a zillion years that I was trying to be healthier with this recipe, it’s so decadent and moist. Rave reviews, will now make every year (or more!). Thank you!
I made this for the first time this year, for Easter. It was so good! Everyone asked for the recipe and requested I make it again soon. Definitely a keeper!
Made it for Easter, turned out fabulous, used a metal bundt pan, cooked in 35 minutes.
Made this for Easter weekend and it was delicious. I substituted in chopped almonds as that was the nut everyone in our family will eat. This was so moist and flavorful! Will definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe.
Gina…you are the Bomb in everything you do!
I have not found one recipe that I haven’t loved. Thank you for all your hard work in keeping us well fed and diversified. The fact that you work with Weight Watcher values is even better. I made the carrot cake for my daughters birthday and it was delicious. You make my week!!! I plan my meals around you. You are appreciated!!!
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Made this yesterday for Easter; my very first carrot cake! Love coconut, so I used 1 whole cup and really liked the moist texture. Overall it is delish and not too sweet, like most carrot cake I’ve had in the past. I also love that it’s just one deep layer (used a 9″ springform pan).
I used a 9″ springform pan also, worked great!
This is just as delicious, if not more so, than our family recipe for carrot cake that is LOADED with fat! Thank you for your amazing recipe!
This recipe was EVERYTHING! I made it as cupcakes though and the only thing I changed was the cook time. 20 minutes was perfect. I made them for a family Easter gathering and people said it was the best carrot cake they’d had. It was like carrot cake meets hummingbird cake. You knocked this one out of the park!
Great tasting cake and very easy to make. Delicious!
Made this for Easter and it was a huge hit! So moist and delicious!!!
Made this gluten free and have zero point icing for the top. If cake turns out as well as the batter then its a huge success. Its in the overn for Easter 2018. Smells fabulous only reason for 4/5 stars is because finished product has yet to be eaten lol.
To make it gluten free did you just substitute the regular flour for gluten free flour? If so, how did it turn out? Thanks!
I made this carrot cake, the almond cake and coconut cupcakes for our Easter celebration. All are fantastic but this carrot cake won the popular vote by far. Even my kids, who don’t like carrots, gobbled it up. Thank you, Gina, for all your work on these recipes. Over the past year (or more), we have been making 2-3 items from your website/cookbooks per week and we have not been disappointed yet. Your instructions make these all seem so possible. Thank you!!
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoy them
I make this all the time! I love it, my family loves it & it’s easy to make. I highly recommended this recipe!
I can’t wait to try this! I have it baking in the oven now for Easter Dinner tomorrow.
I am such a fan of your recipes Gina. Thank you for what you do! 🙂
I made this cake this morning. Yum! I thought I had ruined it by forgetting to drain the pineapple but no, it was wonderful. I used unsweetened coconut and baked it in a 9-inch x 3 springform pan for 50 min.
Thanks Gina, I’ll be making this again.
Great! 🙂
Don’t keep whole wheat flour in the house. If I only use unbleached white flour, how much would I use? Thanks.
I used all as white flour still using the 1 1/2 cups as in the recipe and it was delicious.
Can you post on the recipe how many points it would be without the frosting? I am considering making these into muffins and not using frosting and this would be very helpful. Thank you!
5 points
Can you tell me the calories without the frosting? Has anyone done the cupcakes and figured out the calories with and without frosting? Want to make this so bad!
Hi, this looks delicious! Can I omit or substitute the coconut flakes? Someone at Easter has an extreme nut allergy (including coconut!). What would a good substitute be?
When I enter this recipe I get 8 freestyle points? Does anyone else or am I doing something wrong? I think the error may be the extra 1/4 cup of walnuts for the topping wasn’t calculated because if I take them out it’s 7 points? Can’t wait to try this for Easter – thanks for the awesome recipes Gina! We love them all.
Did you use the recipe builder?
Do you think I could make this without egg?
I’ve made this twice before for my husband, and it is SO GOOD. Highly recommend.
I am not a fan of coconut; it’s a texture thing. Does it change the cake too much if I leave it out?
It might need more sugar.
Hi Gina. This cake looks delicious. I have removed all refined sugars from my diet. What can I substitute the sugar for?
Can’t wait to try this recipe for Easter.
Any sugar you would normally use should be fine.
I will use about 1/2-3/4 cup sugar instead of the full cup since you also have so much sweetness from the pineapple.
Can’t find a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple where I live. Can some one tell me what the measurement in cups would be for the drained pineapple?
Thank you in advance.
OMG!!! I am a carrot cake snob. That’s all I want for my b-day. Over the years, we’ve tried over a dozen cakes from restaurants and bakeries. Then one year my friend made me this one since I’m doing WW. It ROCKED my world!!!!!!!!! How could a healthier version be this good and my favorite! Last year I made my own birthday cake with this recipe and loved it. It’s easy to tweak if you want to make it a layer cake…or add golden raisins. After all, it’s my b-day!!! I’ll be making this one again next month!!! xoxoxo
I can’t stand coconut in my carrot cake, can I just leave it out? Is there something else I should add in to keep the sweetness?
You can leave it out.
Thank you, thank you for this recipe! I love carrot cake. I won’t use the frosting due to my dairy allergy but I am sure the cake will be great without it!
I am making this cake right now! I am making it vegan, so I used flax eggs instead of real eggs, and Tofutti cream cheese in the frosting. 1 Flax “egg”= 1T flaxseed meal + 2T warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Any suggestion for a dairy and soy free frosting for this? Can’t wait to make it!
You can leave the frosting off.
Why not try – coconut cream and whip it with sugar. Alternatively soft tofu with sugar. Add the extract for flavor as these 2 suggestions are bland on their own. Ive seen Youtube videos that use these and they turn out pretty great.
I’m excited to try this but I have a question on the coconut – does it add a lot of coconut flavor or is it more for sweetness/texture? I have some (strange!) family members that don’t like coconut!
It’s not too strong of a flavor but you can always leave it out.
I just bookmarked this to make. It looks delicious. I also wanted to say how much I love the cake stand in the pictures. Gorgeous.
thank you!
Gina your website is absolutely amazing. I patiently await your weekly meal plan each Sunday and then prepare my family’s meals for the week. You are a life saver
thank you!!
Can you use Coconut oil instead of Canola oil?
My husband loves carrot cake and this recipe is his favorite.
This cake looks amazing and I love carrot cake BUT I have a pineapple allergy. Weird I know! It isn’t your problem with such an amazing recipe but do you know of what I could substitute?
Have a wonderful Easter weekend.
Try zucchini and add more sugar
Hi! Can you recommend an alternative to the pineapple (allergy)? It looks delish!
try zucchini and add a little more sugar
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Can you please let me know how you suggest making this gluten free/ratios on gluten free flour (and what flour you use). Thanks!
I would try with cup 4 cup or 1 to 1 and swap out the same amount.
If I wanted to do these as cupcakes, would that change the baking time? (I have made it as a cake three times and LOVE it!!)
great! Yes, less time. You have to do the toothpick test and keep an eye on them.
Has anyone tried subbing the canola oil for applesauce?
Can I leave out the pineapple??
Sure, but not sure how that will effect the overall sweetness and moistness.
The pineapple is more for moisture and texture than for flavor. You could try applesauce or crushed pears, but I think it would be too moist unless you grated fresh apple or pear. If you’re feeling really sassy, try pureeing a mango or two and see how it turns out, would add more flavor than apple or pear and sounds delish also!
So moist & delicious! Used coconut sugar, and only had unsweetened coconut flakes on hand and still was great. Baked in 2 8″ pans at 35 minutes. Made for a birthday party and everyone loved it. My new go-to carrot cake recipe!
Do you think next time, you’d use the unsweetened coconut again or opt for the sweeter version? I’m considering using the unsweetened on purpose which is why I ask. Thanks 🙂
Can I add raisins to this cake?
Bought an 8×3 pan just for this cake after making it successfully with two 8 inch shallow pans for years. Bake for 40 min and put a toothpick in and it comes out clean, but then the center collapses and I cut the cake and it’s gooey. Any suggestions?
I had the same issue. Did anyone give you any suggestions? Next time I think I’ll do it in a bundt pan.
How do I store the cake? Should I put it in the fridge?
Can this be frozen if made ahead?
Hi can I make this in a 12 cupcake try? Are the proportions the same ?
I don’t see why not!
How long do you bake for in cupcake and muffin form?
Made this as a bundt for dessert tonight. It was fabulous! I followed the recipe exactly and everyone raved about it! Thanks again, Gina! Another great recipe from you!
Would it be possible to eliminate the coconut? ( I really dislike it) or any other ideas for a substitution? Thanks so much.
I substituted dried currants. My husband doesn’t like raisins, but never says a word when I use dried currants!
I made this yesterday, using two 8″ cake pans to bake the cake. I only made three changes in the original recipe (besides baking in two pans):
1. I used 1 1/2 cups of white flour instead of 3/4 cup each white and whole wheat.
2. I substituted brown sugar for half of the white sugar,
2. I used macadamias instead of walnuts. (I thought macadamias were a natural with pineapple and coconut.)
Like Sarah said, 35 minutes worked for 8″ cake pans. The lack of fat made the cake less light and more dense than the typical carrot cake. However, the flavor combinations were spot on. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing, Gina!
This is so good!! Whoever says they don’t like carrot cake needs to try this! I accidentally bought unsweetened coconut so I was worried it wouldn’t be sweet enough but it was great! Thanks!
It’s cooking in the oven as we speak!. Second year making this cake, I love, love love it. First Easter lunch happening today!. Thank you Gina I’m a fan I have both of your cookbooks I just got the second one from Amazon that’s actually how I found out about you, I work at Amazon and saw your cookbook there last year around this time!. Thank you for all the amazing recipes my husband loves them too and his the picky eater hahaha refuses to eat light!.
Wondeful!!
Not sure if I’ve commented before…just wanted to say that I found this recipe YEARS ago when my mother was really into Weight Watchers. Every Mother’s Day/birthday since then, I’ve referred back to this recipe, even though nobody in my family still adheres to Weight Watchers. It is the quintessential carrot cake recipe, and I’m so thankful to you for having it posted!!
（╹◡╹）♡
I’m going to bake it for my family for Easter this year, and I’m going to make extra so I can form some cake balls–shaped like bunnies–to garnish it. Here goes nothin’!
Awesome!!
I love carrot cake and will give your recipe a go soon. By the way, can I use white whole wheat flour? Thank you!
Not sure how it would turn out.
I am making this for Sunday day dinner this weekend. Would you suggest doubling it for a group of 6-8 adults? I’ll probably bake it in 2 pans so it can be a layer cake, since I don’t have a deep 8 inch pan.
Hi Gina! Would like to make this cake in a 9×13 rectangular pan. Do you think there would be enough batter for this size pan? Thanks so much ~ NancyLee
Should be fine
Just made this with the addition of some more spices and brown sugar and it came out awesome! Gonna play with this and maybe add some pumpkin too!
Hi Gina,
Is it ok to use a spring form pan?
I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not.
It works..i just made it in a spring form pan ?
I did and it works great.
Sorry if this comes across as dumb but is there any difference between canned pineapple chunks? and crushed pineapple and is 20oz the drained weight? This recipe looks amazing!
Pineapple chunks are too big and thick for the cake. The 20 oz is what you will see listed on the can of crushed pineapple, juice and all. Hope this help.
My husband loves carrot cake and is very picky about it. He said this was the best carrot cake he ever tasted! I of course loved it too.
Glad to hear it Kathy! Thank you!
My family doesn’t like cream cheese, any other recipe for frosting?
Whipped cream? Or just leave it naked ?
Made it today with two 8inch shallow pans, baked at 350 for 35 minutes! It’s awesome!! ☺️
What do you recommend for bake time for two shallower round 8inch cake pans?
I made this for Fathers Day and my husband and kids loved it. It was delicious! I used white flour only as it was what I had and a bundt pan. It worked great.
We love, love, love this cake, and I am trying to find a way to make it for Passover. It is possible to substitute almond flour for (all) the wheat flour, or perhaps half almond flour and half matzo cake flour or something else? If so, would other adjustments be needed? I make it in a Bundt pan with raisins instead of coconut but otherwise follow the recipe exactly. All suggestions are welcome. Thanks!
Almond flour might work, I have had great results in the past doing this.
I should have asked IF IT IS POSSIBLE to substitute almond flour or something else …
You can try!? I haven’t tested it this way so I don’t want to strear you wrong.
Thanks. I will let you know.
I have made this every easter for 3 years now and it has become quite the topic of conversation in my family. Thank you!
Hi Gina- Can I use whole wheat pastry flour for the 3/4 cup?
Hi Gina, Can we substitute crushed pineapple with anything else ?
The pineapple is more for moisture and texture than for flavor. You could try applesauce or crushed pears, but I think it would be too moist unless you grated fresh apple or pear. If you’re feeling really sassy, try pureeing a mango or two and see how it turns out, would add more flavor than apple or pear and sounds delish also!
OMG! I MADE IT TODAY! YOU ROCK, Thank You!��
I used stevia granulated sweetener and it was just as delicious, no after taste, and cuts about 85 calories per cupcake 😀
How much Stevia did you use?
I don't mean to be dramatic, but this is literally the best thing I've ever tasted in my life.
I am not a huge fan of pineapple, is the taste of it pretty strong in this?
Carrot cakes are one of my favorites so I'm always excited to try different versions! i have two very picky little girls who wont eat anything with the hint of any sort of vegetable in them, so if my girls love them and asked for seconds ill bet anyone will. yum totally recommend this one. Thanks for sharing!!
What do you think the baking time would be for cupcakes?
Thanks, Robyn
This is the first recipe I attempt from your blog and it is just amazing!!!! everyone loved it. Thank you!
Greetings from Argentina!
wondering about adding raisins?
This carrot cake is fantastic! It is as good as any high-fat restaurant carrot cake I have ever had. Very moist and delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
My best friend and I just baked a batch…the cake's still cooling, but we tried a piece already…and it tastes delish! Can't wait to top it with your frosting!! It was a great way to take a break from studying for finals! Thank you =)
This recipe was delicious, thank you so much for sharing it. Have you considered a carrot cookie recipe?
Can you use apple sauce instead of oil?
Hello, I just wanted to check as I think it should be fine, but can I make muffins out of this recipes instead of cake? Thank you!!
I am going to make this tomorrow using a bundt pan, will the frosting recipe be thin enough to drizzle?
Hi Gina! I am a huge fan and have shared your site with all my girlfriends 🙂
I have never made carrot cake with pineapple before. Does it make the carrot cake very pineapple-y? Or is the addition more for the moisture?
Thanks!
This is delicious! Made it last year for Easter and I've been requested to make it again! 🙂
The calorie count on this is ridiculous, since an 8×3 cake cut into 16 pieces is a tiny sliver of cake!
Gina, if I added raisins do you think it would make a difference in the outcome of the cake?
This was AMAZING! Seriously one of the best cakes I have ever made (and I bake a lot!). My husband, who is a bit of a food snob asked me to make this for his next birthday (which is 11 months away)! haha Thanks for the delicious recipe.
Can't wait to make this for Thanksgiving!!! Do you happen to know, is there a way to resize the pictures when we go to print this recipe? I like to print your recipes with one pic so it will help me remember the dish but the pics are huge! Thanks!
This is the first time I've made a cake "from scratch" that actually tasted great. And I'm not really a big cake fan unless it's moist which this one definitely is. Great recipe!
Could you make this gluten free ? Maybe sub with Bob's GF all purpose mix?
Gina,
Thank you so much for your awesome recipes! I am just learning how to cook, and your site has definitely allowed me to create some delicious meals 🙂
I made this recipe, but as a non-pineapple-enthusiast I decided to swap it out for fresh nectarines. I just blended up 15 oz and threw them in. It turned out great! Next time I will add raisins to take it to the next level.
hi Gina- have you ever added raisins into the batter? any suggestions on how much?
I made your recipe this weekend and it was incredible! I found that the flavor gets even better as the cake sits – love that! I am lactose intolerant, so I used a different frosting, which complimented your moist cake really well:) I wrote about it here:
http://www.paulasplate.net/2013/07/carrot-pineapple-cake-with-two-frosting.html
Thanks for such a delicious recipe, Gina!
So, I know it's really late to mention this, but I left out the coconut and only used 8oz of pineapple and these (I made cupcakes) still came out awesome.
So to answer that poster waaaaaay back there, you can totally make this recipe with only an 8oz can (because that's all I had). 😛
Also, these were toddler approved from my picky eater and I know it's horrible, but I am totally using these to sneak vegetables into him. >:)
I made this yesterday.. (no frosting cause my family doesn't like it). It is to die for.. thankfully we are all sick so no one can come around and *share* it with us. hehehe. Seriously.. this GOOD CAKE.
I'm looking for a nut free version. Do you think I could use raisins instead?
I put sultanas in mine.. it was even more good! this really is one of the best cakes I have ever made
Made this today, so good! Everyone at Easter dinner loved it!
THANK-YOU I just made this with a few substitutions and even forgot to drain the pineapple and it's still a raging success. The substitutions I made were to use half brown sugar and half xylitol (please excuse my spelling error). 2 egg whites and one whole egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 T olive oil and 1 T applesauce, omitted the coconut and nuts and it's fantastic!! Came out with 18 beautiful moist cupcakes.. now headed for the freezer until my birthday!!! YAY… thanks again!!!
can i make this with all all-purpose flour and no wheat flour?
I LOVE your blog and recently started my own very simple, basic blog just to share my favorite recipes since I love to cook and bake. Thanks so much for sharing yours and this carrot cake recipes looks to die for..might just have to try it for Easter this weekend!
I made this the other day without the creamy frosting, and called it carrot cake bread, it was great
This was so beyond fabulous. I made it last night and got rave reviews from my HUSBAND! Husband who hates carrot cake! He loved it! So many healthy things in here too. I forgot we had used the last of the coconut. Cut back on the walnuts (didn't use them for garnish) and substituted 1/4 cup raisins for the coconut. I didn't have the right size pan so I used two standard round cake pans and did frosting between and on top (the amount this recipe makes is more than enough). Such a great recipe-thanks!
These look delicious! I was just wondering though, can you omit the coconut in this recipe? I'm not really a fan of coconut.
Gina, would i be able to use whole wheat pastry flour rather then the regular whole wheat flour? Thanks!
Gina, I recently made your banana bread and can't wait to try this one! Do you know what the baking time would be for a bundt pan? Thanks!
Gina, these are great. I made half the recipe tonight with my Pampered Chef Brownie pan – 12 little cakes. Modified it using 1 can of mandarin oranges, slightly drained, since I didn't have canned pineapple. Bake for about 20 minutes. I bet muffins would be similar timing. Ran it through the recipe builder for 4 WWP+ each, with 12 servings, including your frosting. Tasty and hit the spot on the sweet-craving. Thanks so much.
can I make this in the mini loaf pan? to make 8?
I just made this cake for the first time last night and it came out absolutely delicious, to die for! sooo yummy! I used pecans instead of walnuts and baked in a 8inch spring-form pan. came out just perfect, my only issue is that it's a little crazy to cut this cake into 16 slices…each slice would be so little! I could not serve to guests like that, lol. So I cut it into 12 slices which was perfect… it's worth the extra calories for me =)
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Has anyone tried subbing in applesauce for the cup of sugar?
Hi – I would not sub applesauce for the sugar, it will mess with the wet to dry ratio …. you could try using the "domino light" sugar (has stevia in it) I just bought it, it's very good – you use half the amount of sugar that's called for in a recipe, therefore it will be less calories/points.
would another baking pan work other than springform pan like 9 by 13…or any other suggestions
Hi, not sure if you made already but you could compare this recipe with Gina's zucchini pineapple cake recipe(almost same cake), if the flour, sugar and most ingredients are the same then it can definitely be done in a 9 by 13 because that one is
Just made this for a family birthday and it was spectacular!! I have not made "regular" carrot cake for a few years, because of the oil and sugar required. This was actually better. I also liked the fact that it makes a bit smaller cake (I used an eight inch springform pan). I will definitely make this again, and again and again!
First of all this looks amazing!!! We use your recipes almost everyday for dinner and love them so much!!! For this cake I am on the green plan and my kids are allergic to nuts so when I entered everything in I was expecting it to have less points and I keep getting 9 points per slice? Not sure what’s going on. Anyone else having this problem?
Do you know the point value without frosting? I am a non frosting kind of gal.
OH MY GOD! This this first cake I have baked since high school, which was 10 years ago.
I have type 1 diabetes and so I didn't add the granulated sugar (only added sugar to the icing – will use less next time). I was so damn delicious. THANK YOU!
Hi Gina! I love you site! Would it be possible to use agave instead of the sugar? Thank you for all of your recipes!
Do u need to drain the pineapple?
Thanks for the recipe, just made it yesterday and it is so moist and fantastic. No frosting needed! Love the pineapple!
I made this cake for my boyfriend's birthday. Separated the batter into two 8" cake pans for an easy layer cake. I also used chopped pecans instead of walnuts. I filled the cake with Nutella and whipped up some cream cheese frosting and it was delicious! Very moist, nice crumb, lots of flavor. The pineapple was a nice touch, and added a lot of moisture, which I was kind of worried about since whole wheat flour tends to dry some things out. The spices weren't specified, but I used allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a pinch of cloves. All in all, a very good "healthy-ish" carrot cake recipe that I will use again. Thank You!!
Hey,
Just baked one, did not need any frosting, awsome just like that, super moist, ate it with a spoon 😀
I made this over the weekend for my family….they absolutely loved it! Another great recipe
I made cupcakes and it turned out as 18. Also, I only had 5oz of cream cheese in the fridge so I reduced the powdered sugar to about 1/2 cup, and just put a dollop of frosting on each cupcake while they were still warm so it spread out nicely. Very good! Also, I noticed that they're even MORE delicious out of the fridge the next day! I'm really looking forward to seeing how the ones in the freezer thaw out, too.
I didn't drain the juice either, maybe why I did not need the extra 3 ounces of pineapple!
I just made these for dessert – THEY ARE SOOOO GOOD!! I made 12 muffins and 4 mini loaf cakes. I omitted the coconut and didn't add nuts on top – only because I have a gallstone and am not supposed to have fat (I cheated and added some in the cake). These are moist and super tasty. My kids LOVED them and so did my hubby!! Thank you for the great recipes!! I love this blog!!! I only had a 14 oz can of pineapple and did not add any extra liquid and they still came out perfect!
This was really good. I didn't add the coconut because I didn't have it and I had to add a little of apple sauce because I didn't have enough pineapple but it was sooo delicious.
Erika.
Amazing recipe, as always! I made a regular 8" round + 6 cupcakes. The round was to give as a thank you to a friend and we kept the cupcakes for dessert – perfection! Thanks for the great recipe- again!
I made this into cupcakes for Easter and since then it's been requested over and over! Thank you for the no-fail recipe Gina!!
I tried this recipe… and the whole family loved it!!! Thank you so much – I love carrot cake, but it's always so high in fat/calories… so this is wonderful. I shared it on my blog as well…
This looks good but i would love to find a bread. A good carrot raisin bread thats also low in calories
Made this today for June birthdays in our family and it was a huge hit. I forgot to drain the juice from the pineapple so baked it the full 50 min and it was perfect….moist & totally delish! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!!
I'm new to your blog and have tried several recipies. This carrot cake is the absolute best! Thanks for sharing!
I LOVE YOUR BLOG! I've tried a couple of your recipes and this was the most recent one. Check it out: http://thepetitecow.blogspot.com/
Hi Gina, Thanks so much for sharing your recipes. I too made this for Easter and it was huge hit with everyone. My son is allergic to nuts and I'm not a fan of coconut so I omitted both of those and added in some raisins. I also used a few grated carrots on the top for garnish and it looked and tasted fantastic. I will definitely make this again and spend some time getting to know some of your other recipes!
I made this for Easter. Absolutely delicious and a hit with everyone! I skipped the coconut and didn't notice anything was missing. I think I threw in a few extra walnuts, just for some crunch. I also made a little extra frosting, so I could make sure I got the sides of the cake too. This is my new favorite carrot cake recipe (and I've tried a lot of them!)
I made these for easter. I used all whole wheat flour instead of the mix and I used 1/2 c white + 1/2 cup of brown sugar. I made them into cupcakes it made 18. I also used chunky applesauce instead of pineapple. They were very moist and delicious:) they took about 23 minuted to cook.
Hi Gina! This looks delicious and I cannot wait to try it out for Easter. I have two questions: 1. Can I substitute unsweetened apple sauce for the oil (how does it compare?)? 2. Can I sub out sugar for Stevia?
Thank you!
Delicious!! It was a huge hit in my family. We loved how you were able to SEE the carrots, walnuts and pineapple. It is already all gone! The recipe is pretty healthy, but I halved it, and made a even healthier version for just myself for breakfast this week. ALL whole wheat flour, and made an "icing" out of non fat plain greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and a teaspoon of cinnamon.
I made this recipe as cupcakes and they were delicious. However, on some of the cupcakes that I stored in the freezer in a tupperware, I noticed some mold. I've never had this problem before. Has this happened to anybody else? Help!
Hi Gina!
I just made this cake, it was amazing! Btw I have been making your recipes every night for the last 2 weeks! and they are all wonderful! Thank you
Hi Gina,
Would it be alright to substitute white whole wheat flour for the whole wheat, would it cause any adverse reactions to the cake or are they pretty similar.
I just made this cake last night. Definitely moist and delicious!! Thank you!
I have to post again…this is FABULOUS! I've got two three layer cakes in the fridge waiting to be frosted for a bday party tomorrow!
I made this cake yesterday and am moaning the short life span it had…in that…. the three men in my life (husband and two grown sons)and one FIL (future daughter in law) devoured this cake. I had two slices so should not complain.
It was so tasty!! I added another 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, tsp of ginger and 1/2 tsp of nutmeg (my always faithful go to carrot cake recipe has the same amount of spices) Also I only had a 14 oz tin of crushed pinapple so used that and a 1/2 cup of applesauce.
For white sugar I used 3/4 of a cup of organic Agave syrup. Baked it in two 8 inch round pans and turned it into a two layered Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting….my husband and the kids loved it… It was the best carrot cake I ever ate! My sister and youngest son thought it tasted a little two healthy (that said they each had two pieces.
This was a winner and I am looking forward to trying more recipes :0
huge thank you Gina 🙂
Thank you, again, Gina! I am a HUGE carrot cake fan, but it's not usually worth the WW points to me to have a regular cake. This one makes me feel much less guilty. And my 2 year old wants it for breakfast! As always, delicious, healthy foods from your site. Oh and the frosting – so easy and SO DELICIOUS. Keep 'em comin'!
I made this and it's very good and moist. However, I didn't have any whole wheat flour, only white all purpose, so used that. I used an 8 oz can of pineapple and did not drain it. Left out the coconut. Made it into muffins. I made 18 muffins. (It did not rise as much as I thought, so the muffins are only to the top of the muffin holders). If you want them 'taller' make only about 12 or 14. I only had fat free cream cheese, and when you 'mix' it well (I only did it with a fork, it breaks down and becomes watery). Thus the icing was too thin, and I knew that was going to happen, so I used 1/4 of a box of s.free vanilla pudding to thicken it. Used it DRY, do not add the milk. Icing is a bit grainy though, but has a pretty good taste. I also used all of the nuts to sprinkle on top of the cupcakes, instead of adding the 1/4 cup into the batter. Pretty darn good! I will be making them again!! Satisfied my craving for carrot cake, for sure. If anyone wants to know, using the ingredients I used, the Nutrition info is … (ran thru mastercook) making 18… Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 171 Calories; 4g Fat (23.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 25mg Cholesterol; 349mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
Unknown Items:
s. free vanilla pudding mix (DRY)
I did figure the amount of s.free pudding I added, added 2 calories to each cupcake. So each cupcake is 173 calories. Same amount of fat, fiber, and carbs. Add 5 mg. of sodium per cupcake.
Edited to add.. I also used PECANS, instead of walnuts.
Made this last night and it was amazing! Even the boyfriend, who isn't generally a fan of when I try to make low fat/low cal food, LOVED it!
Just a note – two shallow 8 inch round pans only took 20 minutes in a convection oven at 325F. I set the timer for 30, lucky I checked on them!
Made this to take to a friends house for dessert last night and it was a HUGE hit!!! My Husband said he usually doesn't like carrot cake because it;s too dry, but this was so moist he went back for seconds! Thanks Gina for the great recipes!!
Hi Gina im new on your websit and i love of your recipes thank u for posting then…how can i save the recipes in my recipes box
Oh this looks so good….my daughters and I love your websit and cant wait to make this for Chirstmas Eve dinner. Thanks for putting all these wonderful recipes together.
Without doubling the recipe can i bake in 2 round 9" pans
Like the pineapple bliss cupcakes, do you think if i bought a carrot cake mix and added a can of crushed pineapple, it will be yummy?
I made these as mini-muffins and have perfect portion control! Even having 2 at a time is just right. I also froze half of them and after thawing out, they are just as good as fresh 🙂 Wonderful recipe!
Do you have an approx. of points value without icing? Thanks!
Is it possible to make this cake with pumpkin puree instead of eggs and oil?
Awesome!! It's nice to be famous for something pretty healthy!
To flyhips, I have made this at least a dozen times and have never used whole wheat flour, and I've never had it collapse. The only thing I can think of is that maybe the temp in your oven is off? That happened to me with a pie recipe that didn't set…
I'm making this right now for a cake walk at the senior center my mother runs. She announced Friday that her daughter was bringing in her "famous carrot cake" and everyone clapped! I've never been "famous" for anything! Thanks Gina!!!
Hi!!! I've been reading your site for a looong time and just to let you know, I'm VERY THANKFUL to you for your low fat dessert recipes! I love desserts and 1 cup of oil per cake (and even more sometimes!) is really really bad for me ( and I feel guilty for serving people unhealthy things). I've been looking for a good low fat carrot cake (its my most favourite cake of all time!)recipe for a long time. Will make it soon! 😀
hi, i made this cake just now. since i didnt have whole wheat flour , i use all purpose flour (total 1 and 1/2 cup). this is the only thing that i change on the recipe. after 40 minutes the cake is brown on the outside but still wet on the inside and after 10 minutes it collapsed in the middle :(. is it because i didnt use the whole wheat flour? PLEASE ADVICE…the !st time i made this with whole wheat flour, it was a BIG success though.
Carrot cake is my favorite dessert and I so I was excited to try this healthier version. I made it the other day and am in love! I created a single serving version and cooked it in a ramekin for breakfast. It was amazing!!! I added walnuts and used Fage instead of cool whip for the frosting. Thanks 🙂
To the person who's cake didn't rise, did you change anything at all in the recipe?
Mmmm these are really good! I made some for my father and he loved them! 🙂
Fantastic recipe! However, my cake didnt rise! it looked abt 1/2 the size of that in the picture!
That's a good question, maybe a can of pears of peaches, crushed?
I really want to try this recipe, but one of the people I'm cooking it for, is allergic to pineapples!! How can I make this wonderful skinny recipe without the pineapple and still make it super moist and delicious?
Sorry Sara! I no longer have the nutritional data saved for this recipe so I suggest you put all the ingredients in recipe builder. I don't want to guess and give you the wrong info.
Do you know what the points would be for cupcakes if the nuts were left out? Also would using raisins instead of coconut change the points? Thanks!
Sara
This is the most delicious carrot cake! So good. Next time I will have to make the cupcakes, because I can't control myself with the whole cake!
Don't have the info with regular cream cheese. You'd have to look it up on recipe builder.
Flutterbye, great idea about the applesauce.
Chunky applesauce is almost always a good substitute for pineapple. Mom's allergic to pineapple, so we've found lots of alternatives in our family – but I'll admit I have to make it at least once WITH the pineapple! Can't wait to try it!
How many points would it be with regular cream cheese?
I made this the other day and it turned out very well!! I used all purpose flour and substituted cake flour for the wheat one. The cake was extremely moist I have to say!! I added a little less sugar to the cake on purpose assuming the cream cheese frosting would make up for it!! My husband loved it. He wants MORE frosting next time. I also didn't have coconut which I'm sure would have added another dimension to the cake and used chopped almonds instead of walnuts. Very wonderful recipe, Gina!!! Thanks so much 🙂
Made this for Easter & it was really moist, but I think it needs more spice. The frosting was YUM-O-RIFFIC! Definately going to give this another try! Thanks for sharing!
And yes I think you could substitute 1 1/2 cups Bob's whole wheat pastry flour for the 3/4 white – 3/4 wheat combo!
Jessica, did you add the cream cheese? Not sure how it would be runny, even if I left out the sugar it would be as thick as the cream cheese.
Great recipe Gina! I made cupcakes today for Easter and they turned out awesome. The only think I had an issue with was the icing. With only 1 cup of powdered sugar the icing was a very runny goo. I had to add at least 1 1/2 more cups until it turned into actual icing. Not sure if I did something wrong or not.
I made this for Easter today! It was a big hit! So good and VERY moist!! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Gina – This is sort of a generic question about flour I guess…When making cakes, do you think that you could substitute 1 1/2 cups Bob's whole wheat pastry flour for the 3/4 white – 3/4 wheat combo?
I was going to skip desert on Easter…BUT, can't now that I've seen this recipe. My husband is a carrot cake nut & will love this! Thanks.
Aren't these great!!
I guess if it shredded really fine it should be ok.
I would say it would keep without the frosting 3-4 days refrigerated, with the frosting maybe overnight.
I just made this on Saturday, and it was a big hit! This is a new dessert staple at our house. The pineapple… big "OH YEAH" all around.
How long will this keep with and without the frosting?
Hi Gina, love this recipe and I want to make cupcakes for Easter. Can I use the shredded carrots sold in my local supermarket? Is there a real difference between shredded and grated?
HOly cow, yummy! I made cupcakes out of this recipe and it was a huge hit. Super moist, it's hard to believe that it only has 2 T oil in it. This is my new go to carrot cake.
I made this tonight and my 4 year old LOVED it, as did I. I made 12 cupcakes, and cut all ingredients in half, but was wondering how long these will last in the fridge? Very moist, very, very good!
I love, love, love this recipe. Have made them as cupcakes and also in a bundt baking pan. Taste great frosted, also serve it without. Just put a little brown sugar before I bake it and it tastes great (like a coffee cake). I have a frozen cake in the freezer right now. Will last approx. 3 months frozen and still tastes great. Just defrost at room temp (take it out 3-4 hours before needed) and will be as moist as the day you made it. Serve as is or frost at his time.
I have cupcakes and a round cake in the oven right now! I hope they come out ok…I drained the pineapple through the lid, but not in a colander. The batter was more runny than the recipe stated…I probably should have drained them in a colander. Hopefully, even if it doesn't hold together well, it will still taste great 🙂
Made these as cupcakes and they were delicious! I baked for 20 minutes and it made 24 cupcakes. Thanks for the WW recipes!
I don't see why not!
Gina, can this cake (minus the cream cheese frosting) be frozen so I don't eat the whole thing at once :)? And if so, what is the freezer life of the cake? Thanks. By the way, love this cake and your other recipes.
Gina: I am so excited I found your blog through my Weight Watcher site…and I must say you have improved the world of dieting with your wonderful recipes…I've already tried the banana bread recipe and the Chocolate Mousse with great results–and I do believe this carrot cake may be the next experiment! I look forward to many more tasty treats from your blog:)
Michelle, you're welcome!
You don't have to use wheat, I like it to increase the fiber, but white works just fine.
I'm not sure off the top of my head if they change without, you'll have to check in recipe builder. It's only 1/4 cup, so not likely.
I'm making this today. Would the points change if I kept the coconut out? Not a huge fan of coconut.
Do you have to use the wheat flour?
Oh my Gina! This recipe is delish!! I made cupcakes and baked for about 20 minutes. I was amazed at how much icing there was on each cupcake! Soooo good. Thanks for all of your hard work! You are simply amazing!!
My daughter has egg and nut allergies so I left out the nuts and used an egg replacer. I also left out the coconut and replaced it with raisins. Delicious!
Hi, this recipe looks to die for. I love carrot cake and can't wait to try. Do you happen to know the pt total of the cake & icing separately? Just in case I ever decided to leave off the icing. Silly thought, I know. 🙂
OMG I am def making this. My daughter's first birthday is coming up and I wanted to make her a little cupcake that isn't soo full of sugar. This is perfect! I also love the red velvet recipe idea for everyone else!
These turned out great, I don't eat coconut so I replaced it with a handful of raisins and made cupcakes. The kids love them!
Great!!
another pleaser for the non-dessert crowd. thanks for the recipe.
I made cupcakes for Thanksgiving yesterday. My husband's uncle is a very healthy eater and usually only eats fruit for dessert… I wasn't even anticipating him to eat these… he ate TWO and raved about how they were the best cup cake he's ever had! They were super moist and SO delicious!! Bravo, Gina – you've done it again!!!
I'm not sure if it would work, you would have to experiment. Baking is such a sensitive thing. If you try it with success, let me know.
I made cupcakes with this recipe (baked for 20 minutes as suggested.) They were very moist and super delicious! I loved them and so did the rest of my family! I am wondering though, do you think a no added sugar chunky applesauce would work in place of the pineapple? (I would like to make these for a family gathering and there are a couple people that do not like pineapple…) Would it change the points?
Delicious! I have to say, this site makes staying on track easy!! Thanks Gina!
I've made this carrot cake a couple of times in the past few months and it's a huge hit every time!
@Jessica- Yes, that a diet soda cake. Not as good as a home made cake though!
@Ali- I haven't tried it so I'm not sure if this would work. If you try it let me know.
Can you make this using all whole wheat flour rather than half wheat half white? Or half white whole wheat flour instead of the all purpose?
I just made this today! For some reason, my cake didn't rise that much – but it was still deeeelish! Wonderful recipe, thankyou!
Did you know that you could take a carrot cake mix and add diet coke and it is half the calories. 🙂
Sorry to hear that Dawn. You'll have to experiment with other crushed fruit but the flavor won't be the same.
I am allergic to pineapple, any suggestions on what I can use instead?
LOL, glad you enjoyed it! This one is so much lighter than anything you would buy on the street, I'm sure!
I just made this and oh my god!! i am not buying carrot cake in the street anymore!! this was DELICIOUS!!!
Gina, thanks for the update! It looks delicious to me no matter how you slice it. :p
@Carolyn, I'm not sure how I made that mistake. I'm getting 7 points now. Thanks for noticing! The slices are huge so making this as cupcakes is probably the best way to use portion control and each cupcake would be lower in points.
I know I'm late to the party, but I'm wondering about your points calculation. Plugging 301.1/8.1/0.4 into the online WW calculator, I get 7 points a piece. Am I doing something wrong?
@Sharon, great idea topping it with coconut. Glad you liked it!
I baked this cake for my grand daughter's high school graduation celebration and it was a huge success…so moist and tastes as good or better than the higher calorie carrot cakes. Instead of sweetened coconut I used Unsweetened Organic Coconut Flakes and even put some of the gorgeous large wide flakes on the icing with the chopped walnuts. Wow!!! This is a winner!!!!
I made these into cupcakes last night, and they are absolutely amazing! so moist and tasty 🙂
Thank you so much for all these amazing recipes!
Sure! Why not. Maybe replace the coconut to keep the points the same.
My sister loves carrot cake and I wanna give this a try! Would it be okay to add raisins? thanks!
I just made cupcakes out of the recipe and they were sooooooo good. I did make the mistake of using fat free cream cheese but to counteract the liquidity i added a little more powdered sugar and some coconut flakes. Then i drizzled the frosting on top of the cupcakes and it was perfect. This is my new favorite recipe. Thanks sooooo much.
Excellent!! I actually have this in the oven right now! Making it for some friends. Glad everyone approved! I know how important it is to get the in laws to approve your cooking 😉
I am a newlywed and decided to try this as cupcakes since we celebrate Easter at his parents and then my parents and it was a success all around!!! I'm sure some of you can relate to making food as a new wife and being criticized.
I never buy fat free cream cheese because I think it tastes terrible, but thanks for sharing it turned to liquid!! More of a reason not to use fat free!
I made this.very very good.One mistake I made was I used fat free cream cheese for the frosting and as soon as I added the vanilla it turned to liquid.So all I had was regular cream cheese.But the cake was sooooo goood!!!!I will make this again.I have tried many of your recipies and everything has been GREAT!!
You really won't see too many recipes with artificial sweetner here, I prefer to use honey, sugar (sparingly) or agave. I'm afraid of artificial sweetners, who knows what the long term effects are!
I'm not a big fan of artificial sweeteners although I am comfortable using stevia. So if I could cut the sugar to 1/2 a cup, what other substitute could I use instead?
I appreciate that SO MUCH! I get migraines or diarrhea from almost all of the artificial sweeteners and 99% of the low-cal bloggers you find use them in all their recipes. I love that here I can still find healthier recipes and not have to modify them (and reconfigure calories) at all!
Thanks so much for coming up with a recipe that doesn't have artificial sweeteners. It's so hard to avoid them and stay on plan. I can't wait to bake this cake next weekend!
Isn't this great!! Really does hit the sweet spot!
Gina I just baked this and i'm still licking my plate clean 🙂 It is soooo good, super moist, and definitely hit the sweet spot. I feel like I just ate 20 points though – so worth the 6 points. Thanks!!
@Virginia- Thanks for the laugh!! I'm glad it worked! I'm sure it must have been very tasty with all that fruit! Tropical Fruit Cake, I like that!!
Gina, this was a hit!!! I made this for desert tonight. Everyone loved it and man was it moist!!!
Thanks
2 thumbs up!!! way UP
Well I had a bit of a tragedy… I left my grocery list at home, and when my DH read me off the items over the phone, he said 2oz pineapple instead of 20, so I had only bought an 8oz can!! I remembered seeing Gina saying apples might be a good substitute so I ran to the fridge for some of my daughters applesauce cups. Only one 4oz cup left! That still left me 8oz short! It's Easter Sunday, no stores close are open, I have already followed all the instructions up to this point, and don't want to throw it all to the compost and have NO CAKE (unacceptable!!) so I am desperately looking about my kitchen for anything to save this when I spy the bananas. I added one small mashed banana to the mix. Let me tell you what, it is quite the tasty save!!! Fruit substituted for fruit so no noticeable change in the points calculations. We are going to call it Tropical Fruit Easter Cake! Hope you give it a try Gina!
Thanks for sharing your points without the nuts Heather!!! For me the nuts are a must 😉 but they do increase the points a bit. Happy Easter!!
@Amber, Glad you liked it!
I made this yesterday & it turned out excellent! Everyone gobbled it up! I didn't add the nuts since I can't have them so it lowered the cake by 10.5 points. I made it in a bundt pan & cut it into 20 pieces making each piece only 4.25 pts each. I will definitely make this again!
OMG I made this a couple nights ago and it is beyond delicious!
Thanks for answering Gina! You rock! I have so many other things to do on Easter day so it's great that I can make this a day before. 😉
@52- Thank you!!
Beautiful pictures! I came over from DessertStalking.com. I love that you made a slightly healthier version of carrot cake, but still looks and sounds amazing. Looking forward to trying this recipe in the future!
Good question. The cake without the frosting can stay unrefrigerated 1-2 days so you can make it the night before and keep it out, the frost it the next day or if you want to frost it the night before, refrigerate it.
Gina I love the recipe and will be making it for Easter! Quick question, how long before can I make it, let's say can I make it the day before? and if yes should I store in the fridge or can it stay out?
very nice… thanx 😉
The prettiest carrot cake I've ever seen, and I don't even like carrot cake, but my mom does! I will save the recipe for her.
this looks amazing!
@Erin- Sorry to hear that! Maybe pureed prunes or apples. (Baby food works good for baking)
Printing- Some people told me they had problems, it prints fine for me but I realized if you are using an old version of Internet Explorer, it won't print. You probably have to update your browser or use Firefox.
That looks phaaaa nahhhh menal. OMG.
I will happily bake this for Easter!
May I share that I do not enjoy the "new" printing of blog … used to be able to print the recipe only. Not any longer, huh? Thanks!
Oh my… yum yum!
I'm allergic to pineapple – is there a substitute you might recommend?
Gina, Thank you for posting this recipe. It will be a perfect dessert for Easter. Carrot Cake is my favorite so I am especially looking forward to this treat!
@Carrot Cake lover- Thank you 🙂
Your cake looks amazing. It looks really hearty and full of spicy goodness. I like how you decorated just the top with the cream cheese and nuts. Gorgeous! I want a slice right now.
This really looks good. I had plans to make a carrot cake for Sunday, but I am going to use this recipe instead. Much lower calories and it sounds soooo good! Thank you 🙂
I am delighted to find your WW Blog!
Yeah!
Hubby and I just started WW to take off this WINTER weight!
Looking forward to browsing your recipes!
I see a turkey meatloaf I already want to try!
I have some Hungry Girl cookies on my blog right now you may want to pop over and take a peek at!
www.bloomingonbainbridge.blogspot.com
This cake looks divine!
My hubby would love it if I would make this for Easter to enjoy!
Again…just THRILLED to find your blog! I now subscribe!
Teresa
Bainbridge Island, WA
Thank you! I am so making this.
this will be my Easter dessert!
Yes, you can replace the sugar with the Splenda but I have not done so since I don't use Splenda. It will bring the points down however.
@Cheryl- Baking time would be less for cupcakes. Bake cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
@Sophie – Tough, right!
This looks delicious! Now I have to add ANOTHER possible Easter dessert to my list — how am I going to decide?!
I'm so bummed that my mother-in-law is already making carrot cake for Easter. I can't wait to try this. Thanks Gina!
Do you bake the same amount of time if you make cupcakes?
Can you use Splenda instead of the sugar in the cake??
You can make this without the coconut with no problem. Will taste just as good. 🙂
i can't wait to try this recipe! it looks soooooooo good. thanks.
Your carrot cake looks fantastic!
MM MM I am going to make this on Good Friday (and probably scoff the whole lot over the weekend break) lol
Oooh, so moist! If any cake looks that moist, it's worth the calories.
How would it turn out, do you think, w/o the coconut? Or do you suggest any substitutions? My husband's allergic. 🙁
Just don't add them, it's for added flavour and texture but isn't necessary for the recipe. If you want maybe replace it with slivered almonds but it isn't a big deal to skip it all together!
YUMMO! I wanted to make a carrot cake for Easter – thank you so much!
TJ .. laughing at your post, but you are so right!
~ Jill
Oh my goodness this looks so good. I have not made a carrot cake in forever.
lol
YUM! Can you post a YUCKY recipe soon so I don't get hungry when I stop by your blog? 🙂 Hummm? pretty please? 🙂 hehe