Shortcut Easy Carrot Cake is made with a box of carrot cake mix and covered with a cream cheese frosting. This carrot cake is super easy to make and every bit as delicious as homemade.
Best of all you don’t have to grate any carrots!
Ingredients
- Box of Carrot Cake Mix– I use Duncan Hines.
- Vegetable Oil
- Eggs
- 1 can Crushed Pineapple in Juice– do NOT drain the can.
- Pecans– leave them out or substitute with walnuts.
- Shredded Coconut– I use sweetened Angel Hair shredded Coconut.
- Cream Cheese– softened.
- Butter– softened. I use salted butter. If using unsalted, add a pinch of salt to the frosting.
- Confectioners’ Sugar– add 5 to 6 cups depending on how sweet you want it.
- Vanilla Extract
How To Make Easy Carrot Cake
- Mix the batter. Use an electric mixer (either hand-held or stand) to beat the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, eggs, and crushed pineapple until mixed well. Stir in coconut and pecans.
- Bake the cake. Divide the cake batter between two cake pans that have been sprayed with Baking Spray with Flour. Bake for 28 to 35 minutes.
- Make frosting. Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Frost Cake. Spread frosting on top and sides of cake. Press chopped pecans around edge of cake.
Variations
- Add a third a cup of raisins or currants.
- The coconut can be left out of the cake batter.
- Make cupcakes instead of a layer cake. You will need to bake them for about 18 to 20 minutes.
Recipe Tip
If the frosting is too soft to frost the cake, refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes to firm it up a little.
How To Store
Cake should be stored in the refrigerator. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can bring it to room temperature before serving.
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Pin ItMore Carrot Cake Recipes
- Mama Dip’s Carrot Cake
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Easy Carrot Cake
Shortcut Easy Carrot Cake is made with a box of carrot cake mix and covered with a cream cheese frosting. This carrot cake is super easy to make and every bit as delicious as homemade.
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box carrot cake mix
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup shredded coconut
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 12 tablespoons butter, sofened
- 5 to 6 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 2 9-inch cake pans with baking spray with flour.
- Place cake mix, water, vegetable oil, eggs, and crushed pineapple in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined.
- Stir in coconut and pecans and pour batter evenly into the two cake pans.
- Bake for 28 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat cream cheese and butter with and electric mixer until combined.Add the confectioner's sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Spread frosting on top of 1 cake layer. Top with the second cake layer and cover the top and sides with frosting. Press chopped pecans around the top edge of the cake.
Notes
I use salted butter for the frosting.
Nutrition
Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 628IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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