Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Food and Recipes
  3. Party Food and Drink
  4. 9 Ways with Carrot Cake

9 Ways with Carrot Cake

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors
Skip gallery slides
FB
Ultimate Carrot Cake
Credit: Alison Miksch
While some recipe historians trace the roots of carrot cake back to medieval times, we disagree. We know exactly where the best carrot cakes come from – the oven of a Southerner's kitchen. Moist, flavorful, and covered in creamy frosting, carrot cake is a perfectly delightful dessert that satisfies a certain craving in a way unlike any other classic Southern cake. The sweet flavors of cinnamon, cream cheese, and carrots packed into traditional carrot cake recipes can be used in so many delicious desserts. For a tried-and-true classic, try our ultimate layered carrot cake recipe stacked high with layers of rich, custard-like cream cheese frosting. For a modern, tangy kick, try our Carrot Cake with Chevre Frosting made from flavorful goat cheese. When it comes to Carrot Cake recipes, it's never too early in the day to eat cake. For the ultimate occasion-worthy brunch dish, our Carrot Cake Pancakes topped with creamy frosting are absolutely show-stopping. To get your daily carrot cake fix with minimal effort, make a batch of our quick Carrot Cake muffins, packed with pecans, raisins, and pineapple, to grab on your way out the door every morning. Let them eat (carrot) cake!
Start Slideshow

1 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

The Ultimate Carrot Cake

Ultimate Carrot Cake
Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: The Ultimate Carrot Cake

These layers are tender, so remove from pans carefully!

1 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream

Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream
Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Recipe: Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream

This sheet cake is perfect for feeding a crowd.

2 of 10

3 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Carrot Cake with Chèvre Frosting

Carrot Cake with Chèvre Frosting
Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Recipe: Carrot Cake with Chèvre Frosting

Substituting goat cheese for the standard cream cheese gives this frosting an extra-tangy kick.

3 of 10

Advertisement

4 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Carrot Cake Pancakes Recipe
Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Carrot Cake Pancakes

Use the small holes of a box grater to finely grate the carrots by hand; if you use a food processor, the carrots will be too wet, making the pancakes dense and less tender.

4 of 10

5 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Layered Carrot Cake

Layered Carrot Cake
Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Layered Carrot Cake

The star of this classic carrot layer cake is the thick sweetened cream frosting that you spread between the cake layers and on the top and sides of the cake. The cake gets extra sweetness from the addition of crushed pineapple to the batter.

5 of 10

6 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Carrot Cake Muffins

Carrot Cake Muffins
Credit: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Carrot Cake Muffins

With pecans, raisins, and crushed pineapple, these muffins are a breakfast-approved version of the classic dessert.

6 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Pineapple Upside-Down Carrot Cake Recipe

Pineapple Upside-Down Carrot Cake
Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Pineapple Upside-Down Carrot Cake

One quick flip and this moist cake with perfectly caramelized fruit slips from a skillet.

7 of 10

8 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake

Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake
Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake

Top a showstopping crown of Mascarpone Frosting with swirls of Apple Cider Caramel Sauce and a scattering of salty-sweet Spiced Pecans. Caramel sauce, rather than fosting, sandwiches together the moist cake layers.

8 of 10

9 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Best Carrot Cake

Best Carrot Cake
Credit: Tina Cornett

Recipe: Best Carrot Cake

We're not lying when we say this is the best. Layers of delicious carrot cake are moistened with a Buttermilk Glaze and topped off with a sweet Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cooking Video: Best Carrot Cake Ever

9 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Mama Dip’s Carrot Cake

Mama Dip’s Carrot Cake
Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Mama Dip’s Carrot Cake

This recipe from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, restaurateur Mildred "Mama Dip" Council is one of the best carrot cakes we've tested. The cake layers can be made ahead and frozen up to one month.

10 of 10

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Southern Living Editors

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 10 The Ultimate Carrot Cake
    2 of 10 Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream
    3 of 10 Carrot Cake with Chèvre Frosting
    4 of 10 Carrot Cake Pancakes
    5 of 10 Layered Carrot Cake
    6 of 10 Carrot Cake Muffins
    7 of 10 Pineapple Upside-Down Carrot Cake Recipe
    8 of 10 Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake
    9 of 10 Best Carrot Cake
    10 of 10 Mama Dip’s Carrot Cake

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    9 Ways with Carrot Cake
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.