Carrot Cake – Easy Cracker Barrel Copycat

This Cracker Barrel Carrot Cake is soft, packed with texture, and loaded with things that make it better — pineapple, coconut, walnuts, all that. It’s sweet, kinda cozy, and comes together with basic pantry stuff. Feels fancy enough for holidays, but chill enough for any weekend.

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Quick Summary

• Prep time: 20 mins
• Cook time: 50 mins
• Flavor: Spiced, moist, a little nutty
• Great for: Birthdays, potlucks, leftover snacking

Why I Like This Recipe

Not gonna lie — I only made this ‘cause I had sad carrots in the crisper and didn’t wanna toss them. But it turned out real good. Like, “slice for breakfast the next day” good. I don’t bake a lot, but this one’s easy enough to not stress over.

Ingredients

Cake:

• ¾ cup chopped English walnuts
• 2 cups shredded carrots (fresh, not pre-bagged)
• 8 oz crushed pineapple (with juice)
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• ½ cup raisins (soak them first, trust me)
• 1¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cloves
• ½ tsp salt

Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 4 oz butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• ½ cup chopped pecans

How To Make Carrot Cake

1. Preheat your oven: 175°C. Grease and flour a 9×13″ pan.
2. Mix dry stuff: Flour, baking powder + soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. Stir in a separate bowl.
3. Whisk wet stuff: Oil, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla — get it smooth.
4. Add the mix-ins: Pineapple (juice and all), coconut, carrots, raisins, walnuts. Stir ‘til it’s chunky and good.
5. Combine: Add dry into wet in two batches. Don’t overmix. Just get everything combined.
6. Bake it: Pour into pan, bake 40–50 mins. Check with a toothpick. Cool completely before frosting.
7. Make the frosting: Cream the butter + cream cheese first. Add vanilla, then powdered sugar slowly. Beat until smooth.
8. Frost it: Spread over the cooled cake. Toss chopped pecans on top.

Tips for Success

• Fresh carrots > pre-shredded. The bagged ones are too dry.
• Soak raisins — just 10 mins in warm water. Makes a difference.
• Don’t drain the pineapple. That juice keeps it moist.
• Wait ‘til the cake’s completely cool to frost. I know it’s hard.
• Sift the powdered sugar — no lumps, less arm workout.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: Wrap it or seal it in a container. Keeps up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Freeze whole or in slices. Double wrap to avoid freezer taste. Keeps for 2 months.
• To serve: Thaw in fridge overnight. It’s still good cold, or let it sit out a bit.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I leave out the raisins or coconut?
  Yep. Swap or skip. Won’t mess it up too bad.
• Do I need to refrigerate it?
  Yeah, because of the cream cheese frosting.
• Can I make cupcakes with this?
  Totally. Just watch the bake time — around 20–25 mins.
• What can I use instead of walnuts?
  Pecans, or skip the nuts if allergies are a thing.
• Is the frosting super sweet?
  Not too bad. You can scale the powdered sugar up/down to taste.

Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them

• Using pre-shredded carrots: They’re too dry. Grate them fresh — it’s worth the tiny extra step.
• Overmixing the batter: Too much stirring makes it dense. Mix just enough to get it all combined.
• Frosting too early: If the cake’s even a little warm, the frosting melts and goes sad. Let it chill all the way.
• Not soaking the raisins: They get dry and chewy if you skip this. A 10-minute soak makes them plump and soft.
• Forgetting to sift the powdered sugar: Lumpy frosting isn’t fun to spread. Sift it, always.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

• Calories: 318 kcal
• Total Fat: 14g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Cholesterol: 41mg
• Sodium: 222mg
• Potassium: 182mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 45g
• Dietary Fiber: 1g
• Sugars: 29g
• Protein: 4g

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