Coconut Carrot Cake with Jam Swirled Buttercream.
Embracing springtime with a sweet Coconut Carrot Cake with Jam Swirled Buttercream. Three layers of light and fluffy cake swirled with sweet coconut, carrots, and a touch of warming cinnamon. Each cake layer is frosted generously with berry jam swirled buttercream. Every bite is layered with coconut, sweet vanilla, and filled with creamy buttercream. An easy, mouthwateringly delicious, carrot cake to enjoy anytime time of the year!
When life gives you a lot of time to bake – we bake cakes! Or at least that’s what I’ve been doing. I mean, sort of. I’ve baked this cake, plus two others in the last few weeks. Honestly, I wasn’t sure…heck, I’m still not sure…if you all would be interested in a cake recipe. Times are obviously a little different right now. But with Easter this Sunday I decided to go for it and share this easier carrot cake with you guys.
I’ve been plotting and dreaming up this cake in my head for months now. I know we’re not having any large Easter gatherings or even any spring gatherings, but we can all still enjoy some cake, right?
Yes, yes. We have the time to bake, so let’s bake cake.
In all seriousness, I’m really excited to share this cake with you guys. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that chocolate cakes are the usual favorite around here. But I’ve slowly started to enjoy baking with fruits…and now vegetables too. For the longest time, I never understood why anyone would want carrots in their cake. It just didn’t make sense to me, but now I get it. Carrot cake is delicious.
It’s sweet, tender, moist and so flavorful. The perfect springtime cake.
Some details.
With times being the way they are, I did have to adapt the recipe slightly from what I had originally created. I know many of you are cooking and baking using your pantry staples. So I wanted to be sure this was something we’d all be able to make with ingredients we all have access to. You’ll still need fresh carrots, but personally I always have carrots in my fridge.
The other key ingredients here are the usual baking items…flour, baking powder, etc. You’ll also need shredded coconut and any jar of berry jam. Not sure if coconut and jam are staples for everyone, but I like to have both on hand at all times. You never know when you might want a sweet coconut cake ore maybe even just a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Let’s start with the coconut carrot cake.
The batter is simple. As mentioned, you need the usuals plus shredded carrots and shredded coconut. I like to use coconut oil for even more coconut flavor and a touch of cinnamon to warm the cake up. The cinnamon is classic for carrot cake, but I also find it especially delicious when paired with the coconut.
It’s not even that you notice the cinnamon so much as it really just helps to highlight the flavors and make them that much better. These cake layers are soft and fluffy and have just the right amounts of carrots and coconut swirled throughout.
The layers themselves are truly delicious.
But every cake needs a good buttercream.
Fun fact? I always go back and forth about whether to use the word buttercream versus frosting. I finally took the time to google what the difference really is…and it’s pretty simple. Frosting doesn’t use butter but instead uses shortening or cream cheese. And buttercream, well it always uses butter! Just in case you were all wondering.
Ok, moving along…
This buttercream is extra special. For one, it’s made with the addition of both butter and cream cheese. Classic carrot cakes always use a cream cheese frosting, so I wanted to incorporate a bit of that flavor into my buttercream. And two, this is an extra “whipped” buttercream with heavy hints of vanilla.
The other thing I wanted was a berry-filled buttercream. Since not all of us have easy access to berries right now, I decided to use jam, which honestly worked out better than using fresh berries. You can use whatever jam you like, but I used half raspberry and half strawberry.
Twas’ delicious.
Now, decorating.
I used the last of our fresh raspberries and strawberries plus a light sprinkle of very finely chopped pistachios. You can really decorate however you’d like. But I loved the simplicity of this, and the added salty, nuttiness from the pistachios are a nice touch.
If you’re looking to go the edible flower route, I love using chamomile or thyme blossoms. Sadly, there’s no chamomile around here right now.
And that’s it, a simple cake that’s fun to make and beyond delicious. Perfect for our days at home this spring. So what do we all think? Tuesday cake baking? I know many of us have the time, so why not? Sounds like the perfect stay at home baking day to me. Have fun and enjoy some sweet carrot cake!
Looking for some other Easter cake ideas? Try these:
Lemon Coconut Naked Cake with Whipped Vanilla Buttercream
Strawberry Coconut Carrot Cake with Mascarpone Buttercream
Lastly, if you make this coconut carrot cake with jam swirled buttercream, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Coconut Carrot Cake with Jammy Swirled Buttercream
Every bite is layered with coconut, sweet vanilla, and filled with creamy buttercream. An easy, but delicious carrot cake to enjoy anytime time of the year.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups melted coconut oil or canola oil
- 3/4 cup milk or buttermilk, at room temperature
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
Berry Frosting
- 3 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup high-quality fruit jam
- 1/3 cup salted pistachios, finely chopped
- fresh berries, for serving
Instructions
-
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer), beat together the oil, milk, eggs, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the carrots and coconut. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until just combined and there are no clumps of flour.
3. Pour the batter among the cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan. Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Cover and let the cakes cool completely before assembling.
4. To make the buttercream. Add the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy. Gently swirl in the jam, leaving streaks of jam throughout for a "swirled" look.
5. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread the buttercream over the cake. Add the 2nd cake layer and spread with buttercream. Add the final cake layer and spread buttercream. Lightly frost the outside of the cake, it shouldn't look "perfect". Chill 30 minutes or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
6. Before serving, decorate the cake, as desired with berries and pistachios.
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looks so beautiful
Thank you so much Ruth!! xTieghan
I cannot wait to bake this next week! But I only have two 9 inch pans… should I double the recipe? Thanks Tieghan!
Hi Juul,
You should be fine with the recipe as is and using two 9-inch pans. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Superb! I have been craving all things coconut these days and this carrot cake looks yum! Never paired the two ingredients together and this just sounds amazing. Obviously looks very beautiful too. Trying this for sure.
Thank you so much Sheenam! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
I don’t see the shredded coconut listed in the recipe. Is that an error? also, about how many carrots is 1lb? Thanks!
Hi Hannah! It is in step number 2 when you beat in the carrots and coconut. The carrots should be around 3 1/2 cups grated. I hope you love this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So….I don’t eat coconut but read the blog anyway since I knew the pictures would be pretty…
I’m going to make this, the recipe for the cake doesn’t have coconut listed :-).
Hi Mary Ellen! I added it! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it! Shredded coconut is added to the batter but it’s not on the ingredient list. Would you please correct? Thank you and I love your recipes!
Hi Laura! It is all fixed! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Good Morning!
Delicious looking recipe!
I do not see a quantity for shredded coconut in the ingredient list.
And, an interesting article in the Washington Post about how to make substitutions for herbs, dairy and meat in your everyday cooking. I know that you are really great at offering these substitutions, but the one that stuck out for me was the one about buttermilk (which I don’t have on hand). She said that even better than adding lemon juice or vinegar to milk to sour it, use kefir or plain yogurt. I might try the plain yogurt (which I do have on hand) in this recipe.
Hi Carol! I am so glad you like this one and I hope you get a chance to try it! The recipe is all fixed with the coconut! xTieghan
This looks delicious. Yes, keep making cakes!!!!!
Haha thank you Bobbi Jo! xTieghan
Could I halve this recipe? If so, should I change the baking temperature, and about how long should I bake it? It looks really good, but I don’t need a giant cake.
Hey Anna! You could cut the recipe down by a 1/3 and make 1 layer (using just 1 egg). Baking time would be the same 🙂 Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe and happy Easter! Thank you!! xTieghan
This cake sounds amazing and I will be watching for the coconut quantity for the cake!
Hi Martha! I updated the recipe! I hope you love this one! xTieghan
hello, how much coconut should be added to the Coconut/Carrot cake? thank you
Hi Marsha! The recipe is all fixed! I hope you love this one! xTieghan
i think you forgot the shredded (well, I assume it is shredded) coconut in the recipe. 🙂
Hi Kelly! Yes, the recipe is all fixed! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi,
How can I adjust this to make a 1 layer cake for the sake of low pantry ingredients? Thanks for the recipe!!!
Hey Becky! Yes! That will work well. Just cut the recipe down by a 1/3 and make 1 layer (using just 1 egg). Baking time would be the same ? Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe and happy Easter! Thank you!! xTieghan
I’m not seeing where the coconut is in this recipe besides the coconut oil. Is that the only coconut in the recipe?
Hi Sarah! You need need 1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut. So sorry about that. Recipe all fixed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi Sarah! The recipe is all fixed! I hope you love this cake! xTieghan
Need to try this recipe! Do you have any suggestions for making this gluten free? Could I use coconut flour??
Hi Alexis! I have never tried this with GF flour, but I have heard cup4cup works really well as a substitute. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! This looks delish!!
Can you send me measurements for one round Cale?
Thank you in advance!
Ho Jennifer, see below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe and happy Easter! Thank you!! xTieghan
INGREDIENTS
1 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cups melted coconut oil or canola oil
1/4 cup milk or buttermilk, at room temperature
1 eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cups grated carrots
1/3 shredded sweetened coconut
BERRY FROSTING
1 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
1 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons high-quality fruit jam
2 tablespoons salted pistachios, finely chopped
fresh berries, for serving
This looks amazing, everything about it! Can’t wait to test it out this weekend. Could it be adapted and made into cupcakes? A full cake would be too much for just my hubs and I 🙂
Hi Hannah! Yes, these can be made into cupcakes! I hope you both love these! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I second the request for cupcake baking time. It’s just me and my parents sheltering in place and as much as I love cake, 20 servings might be a bit much for 3 people. Was thinking of “thirding” the recipe so I don’t have to try to split the egg.
Hi Alix! For cupcakes, bake 20-25 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Could you adjust this for a baking pan (9×13)? Thanks so much!!
Hey Clara! Yes, that will work well. I would bake 30-40 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe and happy Easter! Thank you!! xTieghan
could i half the recipe? and make cupcakes?
Hi Ray! Yes, of course! xTieghan
I noticed that you live in Colorado so I’m sure you bake at a high altitude. I live in Utah at about 5,000 ft and I need to make adjustments to most cake recipes. Are your recipes posted for baking at sea level or do you post the actual recipe that you use at your high altitude? Years ago I was trying to be Martha Stewart and felt like a failure every time I would bake one of her cake recipes. Then I realized that I needed to make the necessary adjustments for my high altitude which completely changed the outcome of the recipes. Thank you so much for your fun and easy-going blog. You make everything look so effortless. You are extremely talented. ❤️
Hi Janet! This recipe should work great for you and I hope you love it! Please let me know if there are any other questions I can help with! xTieghan
Carrot cake with coconut oil, and in frosting. I’m highly allergic to coconut of any kind. Please suggest what to substitute for the coconut
Thank you for being so kind ?
Hi Kathleen,
You can use butter in place of the coconut oil. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
For some reason I didn’t get this post on Tuesday. I just happened to see were you mentioned it on Wednesday’s. So I clicked on it. Sounds yummy!!
Thank you so much Charlotte! xTieghan
Things have been a little hectic/emotional/trying with everything happening in the world right now, so I am very excited to find some joy baking this cake this weekend. Thanks Tieghan!
Thank you so much Lea! I hope you love this recipe and many others! xTieghan
cake came out a crumbly mess, went back and looked at your photos, yours looks crumbly to? Seems like way to much carrot, 1 pound ends up almost 4 cups, is that right.
Hi Henry! I am really sorry to hear that. The one pound of carrots should yield about 3.5 cups. Was yours dry? I would love to help! xTieghan
I adore this recipe, and want to make it SO BAD!! But my family does not share my affection for coconut. Could I leave the shredded coconut out, or would that change the chemistry of the cakes? If the answer is no, do you have a similar carrot cake recipe you would recommend?
Hi Laura,
You can simply leave the coconut out. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Is there a substitute for the coconut? I cannot eat it.
Thanks!
Hi Celeste,
You can leave the coconut out. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
The cake looks delish! My husband doesn’t like coconut, can I omit this ingredient?
Hi Candace,
Yes you can leave the coconut out. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
With a combination of coconut and carrot I would be inclined to use freshly ground cardamom instead of cinnamon – but I prefer it to cinnamon anyway.
Beautiful cake nonetheless.
Thank you so much! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I’d love to make this cake on Sunday, but don’t have shredded coconut nor do I have access to any (not going to the store right now). Any advice on substitutions, or on what do do if leaving the shredded coconut out?
HI! You can just omit the coconut from the cake. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe and happy easter! Thank you!! xTieghan
Since I have made Carrot Cake many times, I love adding pineapple sometimes. . I thought with your recipie, I would use either pineapple preserves or the pineapple ice cream topping in the butter cream. What do you think? Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Violet,
I haven’t tried this before, but I would do pineapple preserves in place of the jam. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Would love to make for some of my hardworking medical friends on the front lines. If I were to make into cupcakes, how many would this recipe make and what would be baking temp and time?? Love all of your recipes so much!
Hi Elana,
You could make these into cupcakes, not sure how many it would make as I have not tested this! I would keep baking time the same and watch them carefully in the oven. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, can you freeze leftovers from this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Jade! Yes, you can freeze this! xTieghan
So, I had a family birthday request for carrot cake…of course I had to go to my fav #halfbakedharvest. Found this beautiful, simple recipe for coconut carrot cake with jam swirled buttercream icing…. Not only was this one of the prettiest cakes I’ve ever made, it was one of the most delicious too!
Hi Barrie! I am so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe!! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Is it ok to bake this with 9 inch cake pans?
Thank you so much! Huge fan!!!
Hi Meme,
Yes you can use 9 inch cake pans! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Muito atraente essa receita de bolo de cenoura de coco com geléia rodada buttercream. Sinceramente, muito sofisticado esse bolo. Muito sábia na combinação dos ingredientes Dá até para fazer Fatias de Bolo para Vender com essa receita. Amei.
Sucesso!!!!
Oi! Muito obrigado por tentar isso! Estou feliz que acabou tão bem para você! Posso perguntar o que você quer dizer com “vender a receita”?
Can you substitute with whole wheat flour?
Hi Liz! I would recommend using half WW flour and half all-purpose for better results. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Will this recipe work with unsweetened shredded coconut? Any additions I should make using the unsweetened kind?
Hi Erin! Yes, it will work! I hope you love this! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Well the flavour was good, but my cake came out really dense. Maybe putting it in the fridge was a bad idea. This is my first cake ever baking a cake so I know what I did wrong. Had issues with temperature etc. All together I’m happy with it, but maybe I should try an easier recipe. Any tips? Would love to see a video xx
Hi Peach,
So sorry you had issues with the cake. I would recommend this cake, it is much easier! https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/coconut-banana-cake/ Please let me know if you have any other questions. xTieghan
This looks delicious! Do you have a suggestion on how to make it dairy-free? (butter is okay, but can’t do milk or cream cheese)
HI! You can use your favorite nut milk and just omit the cream cheese 🙂 Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi Ashley,
I would recommend using coconut milk in place of the milk. For the cream cheese, you can leave that out of the frosting but will need to add more powdered sugar. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, Tieghan love your Easter recipes you are the bomb I was waiting for them but you did a great job Thanks and Happy Easter to u and your familia
Thank you so much Sylvia! Happy Easter to you as well! xTieghan
Could this be made into cupcakes?
Yes of course! xTieghan
How many eggs?
Hi Daniela! It is 3 eggs at room temp! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Hi! I’m stuck in quarantine and only have a bundt pan, but I want to make this cake for Easter. Any tips on how to modify quantities/baking times? Thank you!!
Hi Jackie,
You can do this you will just need to cut the recipe down by 1/3. I hope you love the recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Tieghan – I am a new reader to your blog and so far absolutely love it! I discovered you from an IG story Hannah Bronfman did making dinner one night. This will be the 3rd recipe I’ve made in the last two weeks. Isolation and restaurant closures has left me with a lot of time on my hands and lots of mouths to feed. Easter will be different this year but I’m trying to make it special. My son chose Carrot Cake for the easter dessert. I have other recipes but decided to give this a go. Looks wonderful! Making may shopping list now, fingers crossed the shelves have everything I need. Also making your cinnamon knots for a breakfast treat on Easter Sunday morning. You’re blog is beautiful and recipes are so easy and unique. Can’t wait to make more!
Hi Peg! Welcome! I am so glad you are enjoying my recipes and my blog! I hope the knots and cake turn out amazing for your Easter Sunday! xTieghan
Yummy! Making this tomorrow. But it is only my husband and I, and we only have 1 9 inch pan, do I cut this recipe in half? Help!! I don’t really bake but want to make something special for Easter tomorrow:))
Hi Mariela,
INGREDIENTS
1 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cups melted coconut oil or canola oil
1/4 cup milk or buttermilk, at room temperature
1 eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cups grated carrots
1/3 shredded sweetened coconut
BERRY FROSTING
1 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
1 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons high-quality fruit jam
2 tablespoons salted pistachios, finely chopped
fresh berries, for serving
I made this today and will do the frosting/decorating tomorrow as it’s Easter Sunday. I did try a crumb and it’s sooooo good! Can’t wait to dive into it! Oh and I halved the recipe and baked it for 20 in a brownie pan – it doesn’t do any harm to the cake and its natural beauty ? thanks so much for sharing this easy yet amazing recipe right in time for Easter, Tieghan ?? happy Easter to everyone! Stay safe!
Hi Lara! I am so glad this turned out so well for you!! I hope you have an amazing Easter! xTieghan
The flavor is amazing and love the texture. My rounds were really small though. feel like I should have doubled the recipe to get such a high cake! And maybe add walnuts next time!
Thank you so much Kathleen! I am so glad this turned out well for you! I hope you love it with walnuts next time! xTieghan
DELICIOUS! Everything I love about a carrot cake with a tasty surprise of coconut and jam!
Thank you so much Rachel! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I am prepping on making this cake but I was wondering if the flavor of coconut jumps out at you in a good way or if its subtle? Also wondering if you think it would take over adding ginger and pecans? The cake looks very crumbly in the picture as well.. is it not moist? Thanks so much I look forward to your feedback?
HI! I think the coconut is subtle, but would not use it in addition to ginger and walnuts. The cake is crumbly due to the stir ins/ It is very moist. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi Fern,
The coconut flavor is subtle with works great with the carrot cake. I think adding the ginger and pecans would be a touch overwhelming. The cake is moist, sorry if it doesn’t look like that in the photos. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This cake was delicious and simple to make. It is beautiful and the icing is SOMETHING SPECIAL. Wow! Thanks so much for this sharing recipe, Tieghan!
Thank you Rebekah! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Just made this cake and it is delicious! The only thing I’m wondering is if I could replace the pistachios with something else?
Hey Janelle! Sure! Any other nut you really love would be great. My choice would be cashews.Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi Janelle,
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! You could replace the pistachios with another nut that you enjoy! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Question-I am going to try to bake this! It looks amazing, recipe says use 3 cake pans—but in your pics only see 2 layers—should we do 3 or 2 layers?!
Thanks!
Hi Renata! I have three layers in the cake in the photo, its a little hard to see though! Sorry about that. It is three layers! I hope you love this! xTieghan
Made this gluten free with one-to-one Bob’s flour – and it was delicious. There’s just two of us, so I cut the recipe down to a third and it worked out well. I ran out of oil, but subing some of the oil (about a third of it) with some plain greek yogurt worked out! I eye ball it – but I suppose the amount of yogurt I used compared to the oil I needed was about double.
I think this cake is delicious without the frosting (I’m not a big frosting fan). However – I had some cinnamon cranberry orange jam in my fridge and it paired well. YUM! This one is a keeper for my recipe box. Thank you!
Thank you so much Jen! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! I hope you continue to love other recipes you try of mine! xTieghan
Made this into cupcakes and it was amazing! The cake was the perfect level of moistness. I preferred slightly less jam in the frosting because the buttercream itself was just so delicious. Great flavors!!
Hi Hannah! That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! xTieghan
Just made it yesterday and enjoyed as a quarantine Easter dessert. SO SO yummy and moist. Thanks for creating something fun and yummy for the weird times we are in.
Thank you so much Megan! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! I hope you are staying well! xTieghan
Made this for myself on my birthday and it was soooooooo good! I made half your portion size and it was perfect! Thank you!!! I usually don’t leave feedbacks on any blog, but this cake came out exceptionally well. So I had to!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you Sana! Thank you for trying this! I hope you had a wonderful birthday! xTieghan
Oh man, made these as cupcakes for dessert tonight. Incredible! I think I may have over-baked them because I didn’t know what carrot cake looks like out of the oven, but the icing and the carrots evened things out. That icing is a WINNER. Truly the best icing I’ve ever had! I used strawberry jam. Incredible.
Hi Alix! I am so glad you tried this and enjoyed it!! Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy other recipes of mine! xTieghan
Very easy, very moist, very tasty…thanks for yet another recipe to keep! And easy to work with – we used canola instead of coconut oil; also did two-thirds of recipe qty to make just a 2-layer cake…still worked perfect!??
Hi Bonnie! I am really glad this cake turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
SO GOOD
Thank you Kathleen! xTieghan
Please could you help as to what 3 sticks of butter would be in grams or ounces..the cake looks incredible
Hi Elle! It is about 339 grams! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Made this for Easter and served to neighbors and then made my friend a cake for her birthday today! Best cake I have ever had!!
Thank you so much Mary! That is so amazing to hear! xTieghan
Hi! I will make this recipe for the Greek Orthodox Easter on Sunday, but I was wondering if I can use Spelt flour (maybe mix in some whole wheat flour)… I am trying to give it a healthy twist. Would it work?
Also, should I squeeze the carrots? Thank you so much for your recipes, they are delicious!
Hi Daniela,
So sorry but I have not used spelt flour with this recipe and honestly don’t think it would workout so well. I would recommend a combo of all purpose flour and gf flour. Yes you can squeeze the carrots if they have extra liquid. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Yum this was so good 😋
The buttercream is delicious without too much buttery taste, perfectly sweet and the sponge is not over rich like some other carrot cakes.
So nice with tea or coffee 🙂
Thanks a bunch for the recipe!
Thank you so much Chanel! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
My sister and I made this together on FaceTime today and it turned out great! Love the coconut and the jam in the buttercream.
Thank you so much Jorden! xTieghan
Hi there!
Love following along. Your receipts and food are amazing! Plus, how cool is your place! Just wondering for this recipe can I use honey or maple syrup instead of white sugar? Really trying to stay away from refined sugar with all the cancer causing studies it has proven to fuel 😢
Hi Jill,
Thanks so much for your kind message! I haven’t tested this recipe without the sugar but you could give it a try. It might have an affect on the consistency of the batter and it could possibly be too liquidy. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hello!
These look beautiful and delicious!
I was hoping to make these as cupcakes so I can give them as care packages to my parents and in laws during this quarantine. Should I alter the recipe in anyway?
Thank you!!
Hi Nirali! That is so sweet of you! These can definitely be made into cupcakes, just bake 20-25 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
I made this for my daughter’s birthday. It was amazing! The lovely subtle flavor added with the cream cheese and jam swirl was great. Thank you.
Thank you so much Laurel! I am really glad this one turned out so well for her birthday! Also, wishing a very happy birthday to her! xTieghan
Love all the cake recipes we’ve tried here! I used unsweetened coconut flakes (just what I had). And for the frosting I did 8 oz cream cheese with 2 sticks of butter. My kids really like cream cheese! Turned out fabulous!
Thank you so much Shawna! I am really glad you have been loving my cake recipes! xTieghan
I made this today for my moms birthday and we had a “socially distanced” get together with her. It was lovely and the cake was delicious!
Thank you so much Jessica! That is so sweet you were all still able to be there for her on her birthday! xTieghan
Made this as a birthday treat for my mom. We both loved the recipe! I ended up halving the recipe and making cupcakes. To get the swirled jammy frosting I just painted the inside of my frosting bag with some jam and frosted away. If I where to do it again I would add more jam. I was afraid of going overboard my first time so I sparingly applied the jam. I would also add some nutmeg, maybe even ginger to the cake so it would be a little more spiced. But really no complaints it was overall a wonderful recipe!
Thank you Andréa! So happy that this recipe turned out well for you and I hope you love it even more the next time! xTieghan
Hi, pantry supplies low, only have unsweetened coconut, should i try honey or brown sugar, and, if so, how much do you think i need to add? Thanks, can’t wait!
Hi Jonette! Unsweetened coconut should work great! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Can’t wait to make this, this weekend! Is it possible to use coconut sugar instead of white sugar in this? We try to swap processed sugar out as much as possible. Was curious if you think it would work?
Hi Megan,
I have not tested with this recipe, but I think that would be okay to do. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
I love making cakes; they always are able to make subpar days feel important. As I was making this cake though, I couldn’t help but think about how awesome it would be to have a video of you doing it! The frosting wasn’t right for my cake (a little soupy) and trying to ice it was a mess. I was wondering if you had any techniques for me to try?
Thanks!
Lauren
Hi Lauren,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. If you ever need to make a frosting thicker, just slowly add more powdered sugar. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Would I be able to make this in a muffin pan? Make lots of mini ones? I don’t have a cake pan. Thank you
Hi!
Yes making muffins would work well! I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I would like to ask. Your ingrediens list says 2cups of shredded carrots but people in comments ask how much cups is a 1 pound of carrots. So should I use 2cups of shredded carrots or 1pound? I made your strawberry coconut carrot cake with mascarpone buttercream for my husbands b-day last year which was delicious. Wonder if it is the same cake recipes with a little less shredded coconut and coconut oil instead of canola and little less of baking soda. I would like to try to make this one for him as well. Thank you!
Hi Lea,
You should use 2 cups of shredded carrots for the recipe. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi! This looks delicious 😋 Do you swirl the jam in the bowl of buttercream or once you dress the cake? How long do you allow the cake to cool? I always have a tough time with that when it feels cool but starts melting the buttercream once cake is stacked. Also, do you have recipe for carrot cake as well? Thank you so much! I am baking this today for my husbands birthday!
Hi Avishan,
You are going to follow step 4 for the buttercream, so you will swirl the jam into the buttercream. To let the cakes cool, they will no longer be warm to the touch, they need to completely cool before adding the buttercream. For plain carrot cake you can use this recipe and simply leave the coconut out. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions!
This cake was AMAZING! My mom is gluten free, so I substituted the AP flour for Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour and the cake turned out perfectly with no other substitutions. I even added some coconut to the frosting because my family loves coconut. Thanks for the recipe !!
Thank you Rachel!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi! Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour? If so, will the measurements be the same? Thanks!
Hi Madi,
Yes you can use cake flour and keep the same measurements. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I only used the frosting from this recipe, and it was very good! I used strawberry jam in the buttercream to fill and frost some buttermilk-lemon cupcakes. The lemon & strawberry combination was delish! Also, I didn’t have cream cheese on hand… but I did have some creamy-style baby swiss wedges that I used instead. Topped with your candied lemon (Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars), the result was “yum!” with a teensy bit of savory! I hope to make your original cake/frosting recipe sometime soon!
Hi Rachel! I am so glad this frosting turned out so wonderful for you!! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Thank you so much for sharing!! I am not a baker by any means, but your recipe was so pleasant to follow, and the cake turned out amazing! I will be back to your page again and again and can’t wait to try more of your recipes, thank you for sharing your talent!! 💛
Thank you Brianne! I am so glad this recipe turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan
This was so yummy! It was sweet, moist, a little chewy/nuttty with the coconut. I prefer my carrot cake without all the spice and raisins, so this recipe is perfect for me!!
Amazing! Thank you so much for trying this one, Tasha! xTieghan
I was firmly anti-carrot cake before making this recipe. It is my dad’s favorite so for his birthday I put my chocolate preferences aside and was not disappointed! Easy to follow instructions and the buttercream will change your life. I used strawberry jam and added a layer of fresh strawberries in the middle. The family was impressed and pleased!
Wow I am so glad this changed your mind! Thank you so much for trying this one, Kati! xTieghan
Can I use butter instead of oil?
Hi Ruth! Yes you can use butter instead of oil! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! Love this recipe and want to make it for Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, I do not have cream cheese, can I use ricotta or whipped cream instead for frosting??
Hi Salta,
Sure you can use another form of frosting for this recipe! Hope its delish! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve already made it once with just two layers and my family loved it. I am going to make it again for Mother’s Day. Can I use 3 6inch cake pans that are 2in deep?
Thanks for your time.
Hi Judith,
That should work, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this yesterday and everyone loved it! I did use 2×9″ deep cake pans instead, as that’s all I had. Almost double the batter would have fit, I’m surprised it was supposed to make 3 layers! It was delicious though!
Thank you so much Katie! xTieghan
Made this for Mother’s Day and it was a hit! So good!
Thank you Brittany! xTieghan
Hello Tieghan, First I want to say that I love your recipes-I have made many and they are always a hit. I made this cake for Mother’s Day. It was delicious but my cake did not have the texture that yours seemed to have in the picture. It also did not look as orange. You also mentioned a vanilla flavor in the frosting-but there is no mention of vanilla in the frosting recipe. Just wanted to know if I missed something. I may make this again. Thank you
Monica
Hey Monica! Glad you enjoyed the cake! Was there anything you did differently? It’s hard to know what might be happening for you without having any details. As for the color, where your carrots very orange? Not sure why the cake wouldn’t have been orange unless you used dulled carrots by chance? Any details would be helpful to problem solve for you!’
Thank you!! xTieghan
This was my first ever cake from scratch. It turned out much better than expected. My family LOVED this cake and the buttercream!
Thank you so much Kristen! That is so great! xTieghan
Lovely! If I want to prepare the cake the night before how do I store them? In the fridge or at room temperature? Would love to make it for my husbands birthday ! X
Hi Natasha,
I would store in an airtight container at room temperature. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this for Mother’s Day this year, & it was beyond beautiful and SUCH a huge hit for everyone including my picky MIL and husband!! My MIL texted me the following morning about how great the cake was and she was enjoying another piece of it along with some coffee for breakfast. Great flavors & texture.
Wow love that!! Thank you for trying this one, Christina! xTieghan
I made this for my family this weekend and we all loved it! I served the cake at room temperature, which I would recommend.
Love that! Thank you so much Sarah! xTieghan
This recipe looks awesome! I’m going to make it for my husband’s birthday this weekend. Do you think I could substitute a portion of the flour with coconut flour for a extra coconut flavour (he LOVES coconut).
PS I have your recipe book and it’s amazing!
Hi Meagan,
So sorry, but I haven’t had the best results using coconut flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’m baking this this weekend for my boyfriend’s birthday (he loves carrot cake). I can’t wait! I discovered your blog during quarantine and have made a handful of amazing recipes. I also noticed that you replied back to every single comment below. Thank you for truly loving food and the community!
Hi Jen! Aw that is so sweet of you to make this for him! I hope you all love it! Also, Happy Birthday to him! xTieghan
Hi this looks amazing 🙂 (as does all you have on your blog, congratulations for the amazing work!)
I want to make this over the weekend but I only have 1 round cake pan, do you think it is possible to make it all together just once and then cut it in 3? What advice would you give to make it work (like cooking time, how to cut it, etc)
Thanks so much in advance 🙂
Hey Raquel, I would recommend baking the layers as directed, but just do so one layer at a time. If you try to fit all the batter into the 1 cake pan, it will overflow. Instead, just divide the batter into thirds, and bake 1 layer at a time as directed. This way you will have all 3 caKE layers! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This is probably the best cake I have EVER tasted. I’m a huge fan of carrot cake in general, but the coconut and strawberry buttercream just took it over the top! I made it about a month ago (just for fun!) and my picky fiance could not believe how delicious this was! I saved the leftovers in the freezer and it thawed to perfection when we were craving a piece! I’m back here because it’s my sister’s birthday and I MUST make this again!! 🙂
That is so amazing to hear!! Thank you for trying this one Jade!! xTieghan
just made this and it was amazing!! thank you so much
Thank you Rameen! xTieghan
So so so good. Made this without a hand or stand mixer and still turned out stellar. I almost omitted pistachios and so glad I didn’t. This cake Wow’ my husband, who loves carrot cake. I’d make this again for sure
Thank you so much Alyssa! xTieghan
How much butter is 1 stick of butter? All the sticks I’ve found are different sizes 😳🙈
Hi Raman! It is 8 tablespoons! I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, I only have two 8” cake pans. Will the recipe work as is, or should I reduce it? Thank you!
Hi Aly,
You are doing to want to either reduce the recipe or bake the two cakes and then bake the remaining batter after. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Gorgeous cake! And I love the cake stand! Where did you get it??
Hey Veronica,
So sorry put this cake stand is vintage, I would recommend checking Etsy for something similar! xTieghan
I made this as a Thanksgiving dessert and it was amazing! Sooo delicious and the leftovers were great even days later. Highly recommend this HBH recipe!
Thank you so much Katelyn! xTieghan
I made this over the holidays and it was delicious! I loved the coconut in it. My whole family couldn’t stop snacking on it!
Hey Kate,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
What would cause the middle of the cake to sink? I baked in 2 round pans for 35 min. It still looks and smells delicious
Hey Jen,
So sorry, was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Great recipe, thanks!
Is it possible to use less sugar or use honey instead? Or will this recipe get fail?
Hey Olga,
I would follow the measurements as is for best results. I hope you love the cake, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
It was brilliant. Thank you!! Everyone loved it
Hey Greshma,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! 🌷xTieghan
How do I grate the carrots?
Hey Nicole,
You can use a veggie or cheese grater for the carrots. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Made this for Easter, it was AMAZING!! I used stawberry jam in frosting. SO good
Hey Becca,
Awesome! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
I made this for my birthday last weekend. It was amazing! It was mist and the jam just adds another level of flavour. The family loved it. BTW – I used mascarpone instead of cream chesse as it has a more subtle flavour.
Hey Aru,
I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xxTieghan
I made this cake. Just lovely to make and the texture of the cake is perfect. Has a really nice crumb. My effort here… https://www.pinterest.nz/pin/382031980899005492 I made this for my partners birthday tomorrow. In order to get the swirl through the icing I had to brush the jam into the finished cake as the jam in the icing tended to blend with it. Was made using a heart shaped tin. I did divide the mixture and waited for the first cake to bake before reusing the tin for the second cake to bake in. Probably not the best thing to do but both cooked the same and rose the same so no harm done.
Hey Roger,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Happy Sunday! xTieghan