Cracker Barrel Carrot Cake Recipe

Cracker Barrel Carrot Cake Recipe is a classic American dessert featuring grated carrots, crushed pineapple, and shredded coconut. This moist cake uses warm spices and chopped walnuts to create a textured bake finished with tangy cream cheese frosting.

If you do nothing else, grate the carrots yourself using the fine side of a box grater. Pre-bagged shreds are far too dry and won’t melt into the batter, leaving you with crunchy orange sticks in your slice. That’s the difference between a cake that’s truly tender and one that feels like a salad.

The pineapple and coconut are doing more work than you’d think. Without them, the cake loses that signature heavy moisture and sweetness that Cracker Barrel is known for. I once tried to leave the coconut out because a friend wasn’t a fan, but the texture just wasn’t the same.

Jump to Recipe

Cracker Barrel Carrot Cake Recipe Ingredients

For the Cake

• 200g (7oz) fresh carrots, finely grated
• 225g (8oz) crushed pineapple, including juice
• 45g (1.5oz) shredded coconut
• 75g (2.5oz) raisins, soaked and drained
• 100g (3.5oz) English walnuts, chopped
• 300ml (10fl oz) vegetable oil
• 300g (10.5oz) caster sugar
• 100g (3.5oz) light brown soft sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 375g (13oz) plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp salt

For the Frosting

• 225g (8oz) full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 115g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g (9oz) icing sugar, sifted
• 50g (1.75oz) pecans, chopped

How To Make Cracker Barrel Carrot Cake Recipe

1. Preheat and Prep: Set your oven to 175°C (340°F/Gas Mark 4) and grease a 23x33cm (9×13 inch) baking tin with butter and a dusting of flour. Make sure the tin is coated well so the heavy batter doesn’t stick to the corners.
2. Soak the raisins: Put the raisins in a small bowl, cover them with boiling water, and leave for 10 minutes. Drain them thoroughly through a sieve to ensure no extra water thins the cake batter.
3. Mix dry ingredients: Sift the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into a medium bowl. Whisk these together until the spices are evenly spread through the flour.
4. Whisk wet ingredients: Combine the vegetable oil, caster sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat the mixture with a whisk until it looks smooth and the sugars have started to dissolve.
5. Add the chunky mix-ins: Fold in the grated carrots, pineapple with its juice, coconut, walnuts, and the drained raisins. Stir with a large spoon until the fruit and nuts are distributed.
6. Combine: Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two halves, folding gently after each addition. Stop stirring the moment you can no longer see any white streaks of flour.
7. Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared tin and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Test the centre with a skewer; it should come out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
8. Cool: Place the tin on a wire rack and leave the cake to cool completely. Do not attempt to frost the cake while it feels even slightly warm or the cream cheese will turn into a liquid mess.
9. Make the frosting: Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together in a clean bowl until the mixture is pale and light. Mix in the vanilla, then slowly beat in the sifted icing sugar until you have a thick, spreadable consistency.
10. Frost and serve: Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake using a palette knife or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top and cut into squares to serve.

Recipe Tips

• Grate the carrots finely. Use the smallest holes on your grater so the carrot pieces disappear into the crumb and release their moisture properly. Larger chunks will remain hard and ruin the texture of the bake.
• Soak the raisins without fail. This extra step prevents the dried fruit from sucking moisture out of the cake batter while it’s in the oven. It makes the raisins plump and juicy instead of chewy and tough.
• Check the bicarbonate of soda. Make sure your raising agents are fresh by dropping a pinch of bicarbonate of soda into some vinegar; if it doesn’t fizz instantly, your cake won’t rise.
• Use full-fat cream cheese. Low-fat versions have a higher water content and will make your frosting runny. For a thick, stable topping, use the block-style cheese rather than the spreadable kind from a tub.
• Toast the walnuts and pecans. Toss the chopped nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes until they smell fragrant. This deepens the flavour and keeps them crunchy against the soft frosting.
• Let the cake rest. If you can wait, this cake actually tastes better the next day. The spices have more time to develop and the moisture from the fruit settles into the crumb.

What To Serve With Carrot Cake

This rich cake is best enjoyed with a hot drink to cut through the sweet icing. A strong English breakfast tea or a black coffee works perfectly.

If you are serving this as a proper dessert, a small dollop of extra thick double cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is a great addition. You could even drizzle a little extra honey over the pecans for a sticky finish.

How To Store Carrot Cake

• Fridge: Keep the cake in an airtight container in the fridge because of the dairy in the frosting. It will stay fresh and moist for up to 5 days. Take a slice out 20 minutes before eating to let the butter in the frosting soften.
• Reheat: This cake is usually eaten cold, but you can warm a slice in the microwave for 10 seconds if you prefer it room temperature. Do not heat it for too long or the frosting will melt into the sponge.
• Freeze: You can freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 3 months by wrapping it tightly in clingfilm and foil. If the cake is already frosted, freeze the slices individually on a tray first until the icing is hard, then wrap them to prevent a mess.

Cracker Barrel Carrot Cake Recipe Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 585kcal
• Protein: 7g
• Fat: 38g
• Carbohydrates: 56g
• Sugar: 34g
• Sodium: 310mg

Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Recipe
• Cracker Barrel Fried Chicken Tenders Recipe
• Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenders Recipe