This incredibly moist and flavorful Pumpkin Carrot Cake gives you the best of so many fall flavors. It screams Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Carrot Cake by The BakerMama

Sweet Little Pumpkin

You can thank me now or thank me later, but I am about to get you two steps closer to being ready for Thanksgiving. Of course, I am going to provide you with an amazing dessert recipe that you must add to your holiday menu. But first, I am going to get you thinking now about what you are most thankful for this holiday season. Besides eating, that is truly what Thanksgiving is all about, right?

We have a special tradition in our family of going around the table during our Thanksgiving feast and sharing what we are most thankful for. One, it keeps us from devouring our food so fast that we start cutting into dessert before the mashed potatoes stop steaming. And two, we all have something to be thankful for. It can be small, big, simple, or funny, but we all have to share.

So I will start by sharing with you what I am most thankful for this year…PUMPKIN CARROT CAKE! Just kidding! I am so thankful for my happy, healthy, growing family. Especially, this little punkin’…

The BakerMama

A Thankful Heart

I am so thankful for my sweet sweet friends. And I am so thankful for each of you reading my blog right now. It means so much to me!

So please tell me, what are you most thankful for right now?

If you plan to go around the table and share what you are most thankful for this Thanksgiving, please do so before you serve this cake because after first bite, it is sure to be on the top of everyone’s “most thankful” list! You get the best of so many flavors in this incredibly moist and flavorful cake. There’s pumpkin (I’m obsessed!), carrots, coconut, pineapple, and walnuts. It shouts fall and screams Thanksgiving!

So let me walk you through how you can have this beauty as the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving dessert table. A simple and stunning cake that will make your Holiday all that more great!

Pumpkin Carrot Cake by The BakerMama

What Do I Need to make Pumpkin Carrot Cake

  • All-purpose flour
  • Yellow cornmeal
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Large eggs
  • Peanut oil
  • Vanilla extract
  • Fresh carrots
  • Crushed pineapple (with the juice)
  • Pure pumpkin
  • Walnuts
  • Flaked coconut
  • Unsalted butter, room temperature
  • Cream cheese
  • Lemon juice
  • Powdered sugar
  • Two 8-inch round cake pans

More Fall Baking

No need to wait for the leaves to start dropping to enjoy My Favorite Recipes for Fall Baking! From perfectly-spiced pumpkin bread to pecan pie bites and savory corn bread, you’re sure to fall for these autumn treats!

Cinnamon Swirled Pumpkin bread, Pecan Pie Bites, Fresh Apple Cake, Pumpkin Cornbread

How to Make Pumpkin Carrot Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
  • In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. The dough will be very thick at this point.
  • Fold in the pineapple and pumpkin until well combined. Fold in the carrots and then the nuts and coconut until just combined.
  • Pour batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 50-60 minutes until the cakes are browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
  • Let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Turn them out onto the wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
  • In a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese and lemon juice until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in the coconut and walnuts.
Pumpkin Carrot Cake by The BakerMama
  • To frost the cake, place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving platter. Use a spatula to cover with a thick layer of frosting.
  • Stack the other cake layer on top of the frosted layer. Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
  • Garnish with additional walnuts, if desired.
Pumpkin Carrot Cake by The BakerMama

More Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Love

Let’s get you ready for the big feast with these festive, delicious and easy Thanksgiving recipes everyone is sure to be thankful for!

If you make this Pumpkin Carrot Cake for Thanksgiving, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me or tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see. ???? I love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the recipes I share. I wish you a blessed Thanksgiving with lots to be thankful for! Enjoy!

xoxo,

Print
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Pumpkin Carrot Cake by The BakerMama

Pumpkin Carrot Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Maegan – The BakerMama
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 60 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
  • Yield: 12
  • Category: Dessert

Description

This incredibly moist and flavorful cake gives you the best of so many fall flavors. It screams Thanksgiving!


Ingredients

Cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup peanut oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups grated fresh carrots
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple, with the juice
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 11/2 cups flaked coconut

Frosting:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup flaked coconut
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. The dough will be very thick at this point.
  4. Fold in the pineapple and pumpkin until well combined. Fold in the carrots and then the nuts and coconut until just combined.
  5. Pour batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 50-60 minutes until the cakes are browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
  6. Let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Turn them out onto the wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
  7. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese and lemon juice until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in the coconut and walnuts.
  8. To frost the cake, place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving platter. Use a spatula to cover with a thick layer of frosting. Stack the other cake layer on top of the frosted layer. Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Garnish with additional walnuts, if desired.

Notes

Keep leftover cake refrigerated.

About The BakerMama

Maegan is the author of her best-selling Beautiful Boards, Spectacular Spreads and Brilliant Bites cookbooks. She started blogging in 2012 and features hundreds of original recipes on The BakerMama. She truly enjoys sharing her easy, family-friendly recipes, creative meal ideas, food board creations, and entertaining spreads to encourage others to get in the kitchen and make something memorable for their loved ones to enjoy together. Learn More

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Comments

  1. Hi Betsy quick question is it OK if I omit the cornmeal I never have that on hand as I really don’t ever use it? And also what exactly is it for just a texture? Thanks Kat

    1. Hi Kat! Yes, it adds such a nice texture to the cake to balance out all the moisture. You can definitely replace the cornmeal with more all-purpose flour. Just add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour instead. Enjoy!

  2. I can’t wait to try this cake!
    I am based in South Africa. I have never baked with yellow corn meal before and I am not too sure what it would be called here, is it the same as cornflour (maizena).

    1. Hi Megan! It’s so yummy! I’m excited for you to try it. Yes, it looks like maizena or maize meal is the equivalent to yellow corn meal. Enjoy!

    1. Hi Candace! The coconut does add great moisture, texture and flavor to the cake, but it will still bake up and taste great without it. Enjoy!

  3. Do you drain the crushed pineapple? Also, did not see any liquid/milk in recipe. Is this correct? Just want to make sure I’m not missing something.

    1. Hi Diana! No, you don’t need to drain the crushed pineapple. The liquid from it along with the moisture from the peanut oil, pumpkin and shredded carrots, adds the perfect amount of wet ingredients for the cake to be perfectly moist with a tender texture. Enjoy!

  4. This cake looks yummy, and I plan to try it as well, but do you also have just a regular carrot cake recipe that is this moist? If so, please tell me where I can find it, or tell me exactly how to adjust/omit ingredients from this recipe to achieve it. Thank you! (It’s SO hard to find a carrot cake recipe that just melts in your mouth, and other than “Kudzu Bakery,” here near Charleston SC, I have yet to find one!)

  5. We really enjoyed your cake with a few changes & will certainly make it again. I cut the recipe in half as it was very large & cooked it in a 9×12 glass cake plan -now ok for the diabetic in our house. Changes for 1/2 the recipe are – 1/3 cup coconut sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 eggs, avocado oil instead of peanut oil, more walnuts & 3/4 cup raisins. Everything else the same.

      1. Hi Pamela! Yes, but you will probably need to let it bake closer to 75 minutes or might consider dividing it into two bundt pans as to avoid it overflowing the pan. If you find that the top of the cake is browned, but the center is not baked all the way through, just cover it with foil and let it continue baking until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!

    1. Hi Linda! No, those are walnuts, but you could certainly add raisins. They would be a delicious addition!

      1. I did and your cake is awesome. It took me forever to make it but it was worth every minute. Thank U for sharing Linda

      2. So great to hear, Linda! Well worth the effort, for sure. Such a great cake! Enjoy!