This moist and flavorful cake is a combination of pumpkin cake and carrot cake! It’s packed with carrots, pumpkin puree, and warm spices and finished with a sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting.
Choose between a layer cake OR a 9×13 sheet cake for this pumpkin carrot cake recipe!
Totally delicious and pretty easy to make. A new favorite for my family and friends.
★★★★★
– reader review
What sets this recipe apart
Flavor: A combination of pumpkin cake and carrot cake with lots of pumpkin spice and cinnamon!
Two pan sizes: Make this as a layer cake OR a 9×13 sheet cake.
Ease: This batter comes together in minutes! The most time consuming part is gathering the ingredients.
Perfect for feeding a crowd: This recipe is great for fall and the holidays. We always make it for Thanksgiving!
Key ingredients
These ingredients boost the flavor and moisture in this recipe:
Pumpkin puree: Canned pumpkin puree will produce a consistent result. Be sure you’re not using pumpkin pie filling.
Shredded carrots: Use the medium holes on a box grater to grate two medium-sized carrots.
Pumpkin pie spice AND cinnamon: This combination of spices imparts the best flavor.
Buttermilk: This keeps the cake moist and enhances the rise.
Recipe at a glance
Full recipe below in recipe card
Step 1
Combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Step 2
Combine wet ingredients: sugars, eggs, pumpkin puree, buttermilk, oil, shredded carrots, and vanilla.
Step 3
Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Beat until combined.
Step 4
Bake in 9-inch layers OR a 9×13 pan.
Step 5
Make the cream cheese frosting and add it to the cooled cake.
Recipe tips and modifications
Weight measurements will give you the most accurate results.
Feel free to swap the crushed pineapple for shredded apple, or omit completely.
Nuts can be added into the cake itself or used to decorate the outside of the cake.
Add cinnamon or pie spice to the cream cheese frosting for a deeper spice flavor.
Don’t have buttermilk? This buttermilk substitute works beautifully in this cake.
Recipe
Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (270g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (175g) buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups (270g) canned pumpkin puree
- 1 ⅓ cups (268g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (73g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (98g) vegetable or canola oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (135g) grated carrots, about 2 medium carrots see note
- ⅓ cup (45g) shredded peeled apple or drained crushed pineapple , optional
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups (390g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, optional
- 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 OR grease a 9×13 baking pan (preferably metal).
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat buttermilk, eggs, pumpkin, both sugars, oil, vanilla, carrots, and pineapple/apple until combined. Add flour mixture, beating until the flour is fully incorporated into the wet ingredients.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared round pans (see note) or add the batter to the prepared 9×13 pan. Tap the pans on the countertop a few times to remove air bubbles.
- If using two round cake pans, bake for approximately 35 minutes. If using three round cake pans, bake for 25-28 minutes. If using a 9×13, bake for 35-40 minutes, tenting loosely with foil during the last 15 minutes of bake time to keep it from getting too dark.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:
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, followed by the vanilla and pie spice/cinnamon, if using.
- Using a butter knife or offset spatula, frost the cooled cake. Press chopped walnuts into the frosting, if desired. Serve immediately (the frosting will be on the thinner side) or transfer to the refrigerator for several hours and the frosting will firm up.
Video
Notes
PAN SIZE:
This cake is made in 9-inch round pans or a 9×13 rectangular pan. Do not use 8-inch pans, the batter will overflow. When placing the batter in the round cake pans, make sure that it is evenly divided. Do this by filling each pan with a measuring cup or by weight.BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTE:
Don’t have buttermilk? Use one of these buttermilk substitutes.SERVING and STORAGE:
Serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Cake should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.UPDATES:
August 2025: New photos added along with instruction for a 9×13 cake and weight measurements. Original recipe from prior to Nov 2022 is HERE.Nutrition
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!
janet says
Just wondered if I could leave out the pineapple? My picky family doesn’t like it in cake. Thank you! This looks delicious!
Kay says
The cake was delicious! However, it didn’t appear to rise at all. I used three 8 inch cake pans. I followed the directions exactly, as I always do with a first time recipe. It did look very much like your picture though. Did something go wrong or does this cake not rise much?
Celebrating Sweets says
Hi, Kay. I’m glad you enjoyed it. It does not rise very high, the layers are quite thin. The cake batter is fairly heavy (due to the pumpkin, carrots, pineapple, coconut), so the batter is more dense than light and fluffy. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy!
Gail says
Would this recipe work in a 9×13 pan?
Celebrating Sweets says
It should work, but I think you will have more batter than you need. I would only fill the pan half to 2/3 full with batter, then maybe make cupcakes/muffins with any remaining batter. Enjoy!
Kim says
Made this in 3- 8” pans. To make it a little higher I divided eggs, adding in yolks. Then beat egg whites to fold in at the end. Delicious !
Celebrating Sweets says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Barbara says
I made the cake and it was delicious. What would you reccomend to add to make it a tad fluffier? I will say it was VERY moist.
Allison says
Hi, Barbara. You can try reducing the crushed pineapple by half. Also, pat it dry with a paper towel to get out any excess moisture. If you live in a humid environment you can try making a couple of these tweaks: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/tips-for-baking-high-humidity-27970
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
HoneyBunny20 says
Are there any reviews from people who have made this cake?
Allison says
There are quite a few. Scroll towards the bottom of the post, there are several pages of comments.
Jackie says
I made this today minus the nuts and it was absolutely awesome! My husband couldn’t stop commenting on how good it was. Thank you for this great recipe.
Allison says
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Jennifer says
Fabulous. My family enjoyed for days after. It chilled and kept well. I found that the frosting consistency was perfect and did not need any milk. I would also add a smidgen of nutmeg to amp up the flavor next time. I’m going to make it this holiday season and illuminate the coconut. I found it wasn’t needed and a little stringy for such a great moist and flavorful cake. Definitely five stars.
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Janet says
Can I make these into cupcakes? Do I need to alter anything?
Allison says
I haven’t tried it, but I would assume so. You’ll need to reduce the bake time. I’d start checking them around 18 minutes, then every couple minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I usually frost my cupcakes pretty heavily (with a piping tip) so you might want to increase the frosting a bit if doing so. Enjoy!
Karen says
This cake is so moist. I made 24 cupcakes instead of a cake. I’m going to freeze them. Can’t wait to try them with the frosting. Definitely a keeper! I did not use the coconut as I did not have any. Otherwise, I followed the recipe.
Allison says
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. Enjoy! 🙂