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Home » Cake & Cupcakes » Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Published: Oct 23, 2017 · Modified: Mar 29, 2021 by Allison · 89 Comments

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A combination of pumpkin cake and carrot cake; a moist and flavorful layer cake filled with carrots, pumpkin, and warm spices and finished with tangy cream cheese frosting.  A beautiful dessert for Thanksgiving or any fall occasion. VIDEO below!

Close up of three layer carrot cake with white frosting.

Is it safe to say that the holiday season is upon us? Halloween is in a week and after that there’s no turning back.

A piece of pumpkin carrot cake on a white plate.

This Pumpkin Carrot Cake has been part of our Thanksgiving dessert spread for the last several years and this year will be no exception. When I think of this cake I automatically think “Thanksgiving”, but, there’s no reason something this good should only be served on a special occasion.

Which is why on a random, cloudy Sunday in October I made this triple layer, fall scented, cream cheese smothered cake for no reason at all.

Three layer carrot cake on a white plate.

Yes, you read that right. No reason at all. It was glorious (and a tad indulgent). My family of four ate our fair share of the cake and then I sent the leftovers with my husband to work. It was gone in record time.

This cake is always met with rave reviews.

Carrot cake batter in a glass bowl

The Best Pumpkin Carrot Cake

What makes this cake so great? It’s tender and moist from pumpkin puree, crushed pineapple, and buttermilk. Pumpkin pie spice adds warm spices that will remind you of a pumpkin pie.

The sweetness of the cake gets balanced by the tangy cream cheese frosting. I covered the outside of the cake in toasted walnuts, which add a great crunch, but feel free to leave them off if you’d prefer.

Your guests/family/friends/co-workers/neighbors will devour every last bite of this beautiful cake.

Round layer cake with white frosting and walnuts

So now you have two options: Bookmark this cake for Thanksgiving (or any other holiday celebration) OR just go ahead and bake it right now.

Forget to buy buttermilk? This Buttermilk Substitute works beautifully in this cake.

You might also like:

  • Pineapple Carrot Cake
  • Carrot Cake Cupcakes (with brown sugar cream cheese frosting!)
  • Carrot Cake Cookies

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A slice of carrot cake on a white plate with a gold fork.

 

Recipe

Close up of three layer carrot cake with white frosting.

Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A combination of pumpkin cake and carrot cake - A moist and flavorful layer cake filled with carrots, pumpkin, and warm spices and finished with tangy cream cheese frosting. A beautiful dessert for Thanksgiving or any fall occasion.
5 from 33 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 16
Calories: 508kcal
Author: Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 ⅓ cups canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 cup grated carrots, (about 2 medium carrots see note)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2-4 teaspoons milk
  • 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts, optional

Instructions

Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease two or three 9-inch cake pans, and line the bottoms with a round of parchment.
  • In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt.
  • With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat buttermilk, eggs, pumpkin, sugars, oil, vanilla, pineapple, and carrots until well combined. Slowly add flour mixture, beating until the flour is fully incorporated in the wet ingredients. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans (see note). Tap the pans on the countertop a few times to remove air bubbles.
  • If using two cake pans, bake for approximately 35 minutes. If using three cake pans, bake for 25-28 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

  • Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract for several minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
  • Using a butter knife or offset spatula, frost the cooled cake. Press chopped walnuts onto the sides of the cake. Transfer to the refrigerator for several hours before serving.

Video

Notes

This cake is made in 9 inch pans not 8 inch pans (see below). The batter will overflow in 8 inch pans. When placing the batter in the cake pans, make sure that it is evenly divided. To do this, I use a 1 cup measure and scoop the batter into each pan, a cup at a time, until they are evenly filled.
Only have 8 inch pans? You can still make this cake, just don't put all the batter into the pans. Fill your pans about halfway full and use any remaining batter to make cupcakes. Adjust cooking time accordingly.
I use the medium or fine holes on a box grater to grate the carrots.
Recipe updated November 2022. Original recipe HERE.

Nutrition

Calories: 508kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 4999IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

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Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

Stack of carrot cake cookies filled with frosting.

Healthier Carrot Cake

Square slice of carrot cake topped with white frosting.

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Comments

  1. Bridget

    October 25, 2015 at 8:41 am

    Do you know how many cupcakes this would make or temp/time? Going to bring this to a company potluck

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      October 25, 2015 at 11:29 am

      Hi Bridget! I would guess that it would make around 24 cupcakes (maybe a few more than that). I’m not sure on the exact baking time. I would suggest baking them at 350° for 18 minutes, then checking them every minute or two after that until they’re done. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Good luck! Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Julie

    November 14, 2015 at 9:35 am

    I made this in October for a family gathering and it was SOOOO good. I did not add any coconut because my husband hates it but it lacked nothing in flavor, so moist and so delish! Thank you!!!!!

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      November 16, 2015 at 8:32 am

      I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks for stopping back by to let me know! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Crystal

    November 18, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    Would it be possible to bake this in a 9 x 13 baking dish, or is that too much batter to fit in that? I want to make this for Thanksgiving but I’m thinking it’ll make it a lot easier on me if I don’t have to do it the proper way like you did- plus I’m a little lazy when it comes to that! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      November 19, 2015 at 10:39 am

      Hi Crystal. Great question! My guess is that it would be too much batter, but you could make a few cupcakes with the additional batter. If it seems awkward to serve just a few cupcakes you could always stick them in the freezer (unfrosted) for another time. Please let me know if you try it and if it works. Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply
  4. Katie

    November 21, 2015 at 9:24 am

    This looks delicious! How would it be without the pineapple? I have someone with an allergy to pineapple.

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      November 21, 2015 at 11:11 am

      Thanks, Katie! You should be able to leave out the pineapple without a problem. The pineapple does provide some moisture, so you might want to replace that with something else. I think applesauce would be a good substitute. I’d suggest using 1/3 or 1/2 cup applesauce in place of the pineapple. Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

      Reply
  5. Teri

    January 08, 2016 at 3:54 pm

    I had family and friends over for dinner last night and made this cake. I made it with the 3 layers and it turned out great. I got many compliments and will serve it to guests again!

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      January 09, 2016 at 12:29 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it! Send me a slice, pretty please. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Francesca

    October 11, 2016 at 6:18 am

    I love carrot cake! This looks like a delicious new twist on the classic! I need to try this recipe ASAP!

    Reply
  7. Kiana

    October 11, 2016 at 6:36 am

    5 stars
    Perfect for fall!

    Reply
  8. Ashley Markwood

    October 11, 2016 at 9:13 am

    3 layers of deliciousness? Sign me up! So yummy!

    Reply
  9. Lisa

    October 11, 2016 at 10:52 am

    Yum, yum, YUM! Carrot cake is my FAVORITE, and I love anything pumpkin! And cream cheese frosting? Yes please!! This looks fabulous.

    Reply
  10. Mary Barham

    October 11, 2016 at 11:40 am

    SO I am totally baking this next week!!! It looks delicious and moist!! I wish I could buy one from you haha

    Reply
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aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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