This carrot cake recipe is studded with ruby-red cranberries, bright orange zest, and shredded coconut for added texture. It’s moist, warmly spiced, and easy to make—perfect for cozy mornings or a make-ahead dessert.
One snowy morning, I brewed tea, flipped through my recipe journal, and found a page dusted with orange carrot shreds: a carrot cake recipe I wrote down in 2009. The simple ritual of grating carrots by hand felt calming, and I set about making loaves to warm the house. This cake is forgiving and doesn’t require any special equipment—just a box grater or a food processor if you prefer—but the hand-grating is therapeutic and produces a lovely texture.
The first bite reveals a tender, moist crumb with a comforting cinnamon warmth. The batter is studded with dried cranberries, orange zest, toasted walnuts and pecans, and coconut for flavor, texture, and a touch of natural sweetness. These mix-ins are optional—this cake is excellent plain or with generous cream cheese frosting.
This recipe is intentionally simple and quiet to prepare, which is ideal for mornings when you want to keep noise to a minimum while your household sleeps. Although the ingredient list can look long, many elements are interchangeable or optional: the orange zest, coconut, walnuts, pecans, and cranberries can be omitted without compromising the cake’s character.
After baking, allow the cakes to cool. If you’re impatient, pop the pans in the freezer for 15–30 minutes to speed things up—an easy trick I often use. Once cooled and frosted, wrap the cakes and refrigerate them for 24 hours to let the flavors meld. While the cake is enjoyable the same day, it truly shines after a day of chilling: the textures and flavors become more harmonious and the cake is easier to slice.
Whether you’re baking for company or for quiet family breakfasts, this carrot cake rewards a little patience. It keeps well in the refrigerator and even tastes delightful chilled.
Carrot Cake Recipe
Inspired by Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours
Makes two 8×4-inch loaves or a two-layer 8-inch cakeThis cake tastes best after frosting and chilling for 24 hours, though it’s enjoyable the same day. I often use whole wheat pastry flour and natural cane sugar for a slightly deeper flavor, but all-purpose flour and regular granulated sugar work fine. The recipe calls for sunflower oil, but any neutral oil (safflower, canola, vegetable) is interchangeable.
Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 cup (128 grams) whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
Zest of one orange (optional)
Scant ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (about 2 grams)
1 ½ cups (135 grams) coarsely grated carrots
½ cup + 2 tablespoons (54 grams) shredded coconut (optional)
¼ cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)
¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
2 tablespoons (16 grams) dried sweetened cranberries, finely chopped (optional)
¼ cup sunflower oil (or other neutral oil)
1 cup (220 grams) natural cane sugar (or granulated sugar; you can combine granulated and light brown sugar)
¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 large eggsCream Cheese Frosting (enough for the tops of two 8×4-inch loaves; double for a two-layer 8-inch cake):
1 cup powdered sugar
2 ½ tablespoons butter
8 ounces cream cheesePreparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8×4-inch loaf pans, or line them with parchment. Alternatively use two 8-inch round pans for a layer cake.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt. In another bowl, combine the grated carrots, coconut, pecans, walnuts, and dried cranberries.
In a large bowl, mix the oil and sugar with a spatula or whisk until the sugar is coated. Whisk in the yogurt until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined, then gently fold in the carrot mixture. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake 30–45 minutes, until the cakes are well risen, firm to the touch, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The cakes may pull away slightly from the pan sides when done.
Cool the cakes in their pans on a rack, or chill them in the freezer for 15–30 minutes to speed cooling. (Cakes, well wrapped, can be frozen for a month or two.)
To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Frost the tops of the loaves. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours to let the flavors develop. If assembling a two-layer cake, double the frosting; apply a thin crumb coat, chill 20–30 minutes, then finish with a thicker layer.
After chilling, slice and serve. Enjoy!