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Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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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.

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

 

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 17 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 16
Calories: 539kcal
Author: Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 cup grated carrots, (about 2 medium carrots see note)
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting:

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

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, and salt.
  • With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat buttermilk, eggs, pumpkin, sugars, oil, pineapple, carrots, and coconut 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).
  • 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.
Because this cake is so moist, I like to store it in the refrigerator.
Recipe adapted from Very Best Baking

Nutrition

Calories: 539kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 321mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 3675IU | Vitamin C: 3.2mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1.7mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @CelebratingSweets or tag #CelebratingSweets!

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Comments

    • Celebrating Sweets says

      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 says

    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

  3. Crystal says

    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 says

      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. According to this chart, you would place 10 cups of batter into a 9×13 pan. I would suggest using that as a guide and if there is batter leftover use it for cupcakes or just discard it. 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

    • Celebrating Sweets says

      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 says

    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

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