Neutral cooking oil
1 cup, plus a little for pans
Desserts
Divorce Carrot Cake.
A moist carrot layer cake with pineapple, coconut and walnuts, adapted from spider_hugs’ family recipe on Reddit.
- Makes
- 1 two-layer 9-inch cake; 12 slices
- Hands-on
- 35 minutes
- Total time
- About 3 hours, including cooling
- Effort
- Some practice
GET WHAT YOU NEED
Your shopping list
For 1 two-layer 9-inch cake; 12 slices.
Honey
3/4 cup
Eggs
3 large
Crushed pineapple in juice
1 × 20-ounce can, drained
Grated carrots
2 cups
All-purpose flour
2 cups, plus a little for pans
Ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons
Baking soda
2 teaspoons
Unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup
Chopped walnuts
1/2 cup
Raisins · optional
1/2 cup
Cream cheese, softened
16 ounces
Unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup
Powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup
Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon
Lemon juice
1–2 teaspoons, to taste
Amounts are what the recipe uses, not package sizes. Compare quantities and product details before buying.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Tools & supplies
Two 9-inch round pans
Bakes two thin layers.
Bowls, mixer and cooling rack
Mixes batter and frosting; cools cake.
STEP BY STEP
Make it
Prepare
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour both pans.
Mix batter
Combine flour, cinnamon and baking soda. Separately whisk oil, honey, eggs and drained pineapple. Fold in dry ingredients, carrots, coconut, walnuts and optional raisins.
Bake
Divide between pans. Start checking at 30 minutes; the posted recipe allows about 45. A center tester should emerge without wet batter.
Cool
Cool briefly in pans, then turn onto a rack. Let layers cool completely.
Frost
Beat cream cheese and butter smooth; add sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Spread between layers and over the cake; refrigerate covered.
Good to know
- The original honey range is 1/2–3/4 cup; this chooses 3/4 cup.
- Raisins were unmeasured in the original; 1/2 cup is an optional starting amount.
SAVE THE MAKING
Prefer it ready-made?
Compare these finished options with making your own.
Prepared carrot cake
A finished cake; check whether it contains coconut, pineapple or nuts.
Links go to the selected products. Availability and delivery vary by location; check the current listing and package size before ordering.
Sources & further reading
Independent instructions informed by the sources below. No affiliation or endorsement is implied. These instructions have not been kitchen- or workshop-tested by DIBuyIt.
- spider_hugs: original cake and frosting thread — Ingredient amounts and method