Loaded Carrot Cake

Coconut, pineapple, raisins, and carrots make this Loaded Carrot Cake the best Easter dessert! Add a pan of this easy cake to your holiday plans!

One of my all time favorite cakes is a carrot cake loaded with all the good stuff!  Give me a soft, moist cake filled with lots of coconut, carrots, pineapple, raisins, and spices.  And of course, it has to be topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting with more coconut. I understand that not everyone agrees with me on all of that. That's ok.  We can agree to disagree on this cake.

The coconut on it probably puts some of you off.  This time of year just brings out all the coconut desserts! I mean almost every magazine at the stores has a cake or cookie with coconut all over it, right? And I'm totally cool with it because I puffy heart love coconut anything! If you are like me, you need to check out this awesome chocolate coconut cake.  It's to die for!  

Now I know some of you are probably thinking, "Didn't you just make and share this carrot bundt cake?" Yeah, right now I am totally on a carrot kick.  But today's cake is totally different.

A can of drained pineapple keeps this cake from being dried out, and it gives it a tropical flair along with all that coconut.  I'm also a big fan of raisins.  That's another ingredient that can turn people off. I get it.

The great thing about this cake is that you can customize it because we all have different tastes.  Don't like coconut?  Leave it out or replace it with diced nuts.  Don't like raisins?  Leave those out too. Just make sure you keep the carrots and pineapple, otherwise the cake will be bland and dried out.  Plus, then you can't call it loaded carrot cake, can you?

The last thing that this cake needs to have on it is the fluffy cream cheese frosting.  Make sure you save the pineapple juice when you make the cake batter because it is perfect for thinning out this frosting just a bit.

After the cake cools, smother it in the frosting and add more coconut because it makes the cake so pretty.  Or nuts if that's the way you roll. Then plate it up and dive in! It's the perfect dessert to share for Easter dinners!

Looking for more ways to add more carrots to your diet?  Check out this Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake because it is a stunning dessert! I also love the look of this Easy Carrot Cake Pound Cake.  And a big slice of this Carrot Loaf Cake to go along with a cup of coffee sounds perfect!!!

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Continue to Content

Loaded Carrot Cake

Yield: 24 pieces of cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Coconut, pineapple, raisins, and carrots make this Loaded Carrot Cake the best Easter dessert! Add a pan of this easy cake to your holiday plans!

Print

Ingredients

For the Cake

• ½ cup butter, melted
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 - 8 ounce can crushed pineapple
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups freshly shredded carrots
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

For the Frosting

• 1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• ½ cup toasted coconut
• carrot candies

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
2. Mix the butter and sugars until it looks like wet sand.
3. Drain the pineapple, saving the juice for later. Add the crushed pineapple, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla to the butter and beat again.
4. Stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly add it to the wet mixture until mixed in.
5. Add the grated carrots, coconut, and raisins and stir gently. Pour into the prepared pan.
6. Bake fo 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs on it. Remove and let cool.
7. Beat the cream cheese and salt until creamy. Add the pineapple juice and beat again.
8. Slowly add the powdered sugar until it is all mixed in. Beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes longer.
9. Spread over the cooled cake and top with the shredded coconut. Add the toasted coconut for some color.
10. Cut into 24 squares and add a carrot candy to each piece. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Wilton Recipe Right Non-Stick 9 x 13-Inch Oblong Cake Pan, Multipack of 2
• 
  Bakers Joy Cake Pan Spray 2 Pack

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 297Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 237mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 2gSugar: 37gProtein: 3g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram