The Best Carrot Cake Recipe (J. Alexander’s Copycat) (2024)

The best Carrot Cake recipe is melt-in-your-mouth moist, light and fluffy, warmly spiced, and perfect topped with a cloud-like canopy of velvety cream cheese frosting. It might not look like anything special, but trust me on this one and make it; get ready to have your mind blown!

I think it’s time to let you know a dirty little secret. I used to hate carrot cake. There, I said it.

Actually, it wasn’t the carrot cake I disliked as much as the cream cheese frosting. (Even worse, I know!) For some reason I just couldn’t get on board with cheese in a sweet context.

For as long as I can remember (easily dating back to my Easy Bake Oven days), I made (or helped my mom make) a carrot cake for her birthday.

My mom was never one of those people who liked to switch up her birthday cake. Her favorite cake is carrot and every March that’s what she gets.

My quest for the perfect carrot cake began when I was finally old enough to bake alone. Every year I would diligently make her one, usually with a different recipe I had found. I had hopes of one day seeing what everyone else saw in this renowned dessert! For about 22 years nothing worked.

The Game Changer - J. Alexander's Carrot Cake

I remember the day I was finally converted. I was in law school at the time, and I was eating lunch out with friends at J. Alexander’s in Tampa. One of my friends ordered carrot cake for dessert and asked me if I wanted to try it.

I politely declined, giving some silly excuse like I was too full or something. (Like I would ever decline a dessert I liked because I was too full!) Anyway, she insisted, going on and on about how it was the best carrot cake of her life, it was so moist, she's never had anything like it, etc. I finally obliged her and took a bite, more to get her to stop forcing her cake on me.

My fork sunk into that cake like a hot knife through butter. It was moist, yet fluffy and light at the same time. It had a little crunch from nuts, and a hint of warm cinnamon. And the frosting. Oh my God. It took the cake.

Since that life-changing day I’ve experimented a lot to try to replicate J. Alexander’s cake. And then I found J. Alexander’s carrot cake recipe on Sun Sentinel! I made a few tweaks and the end result is nothing short of long-awaited carrot cake perfection. And it's the only recipe I’ll make for mom from now on.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The smell will hit you first. Warm spices, vanilla, and pure sweet bliss.
• Then you’ll see the fluffy, cloud-like swirls of velvety cream cheese frosting. Ohhh boy.
• Finally, you let your fork sink into a slice. If you're looking for moist carrot cake, you found it. It's fluffy too! And it’s packed with flavors that come together like a symphony with no one thing overpowering the others.
• Last but not least, it will stay good in the fridge for up to 1 week! And yes, it’s even better the next day.

The Best Carrot Cake Recipe

Friends, for those of you who were looking for the one carrot cake that would make you stop looking for other recipes, you found it. Literally, the best ever carrot cake. Welcome to the best carrot cake recipe of your life.

This was inspired by J. Alexander’s carrot cake recipe, as seen on Sun Sentinel. Of course I put just a few of my own tweaks on it. Trust me and try it. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Ingredients

Cake Syrup:

• Granulated sugar
• Buttermilk
• Unsalted butter
• Vanilla extract

Carrot Cake:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Nutmeg
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Canola oil (or another neutral-flavored oil of your choice)
• Buttermilk
• Vanilla extract
• Crushed pineapple
• Shredded carrot
• Shredded sweetened coconut
• Pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Unsalted butter
• Cream cheese
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Salt

Step-by-Step Instructions

How to Make Cake Syrup:

1. Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Let the syrup cool until it reaches room temperature or is just slightly warm.

How to Make Carrot Cake:

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
2. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and crushed pineapple (with juices).
3. Whisk in the shredded carrot.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just to combine, being careful not to over-mix.
5. Stir in the coconut and pecans.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
7. Spread the batter out evenly.
8. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes.

How to Soak and Frost a Cake:

1. While the cake is still hot, poke holes all over the top with a fork or wooden skewer.
2. Pour the cooled cake syrup over the hot cake.
3. Let the cake cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate to chill, about 2 hours.
4. After a couple hours in the fridge, you can see that the cake has absorbed the syrup.
5. When the cake is almost fully cooled, make the frosting. Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
6. Use a handheld electric beater to mix until light and fluffy.
7. Once the cake is cooled, spread the frosting on top.
8. Before serving, refrigerate for 30 minutes so the frosting can set.

How to Store Carrot Cake

You can store this covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Tips

• Don’t skip the cake syrup. This is the ace-up-our-sleeves that ensures our cake is moist every time. And bonus, it helps the cake taste fresh for longer!
• If you think you don’t like pineapple in carrot cake, try this recipe. You won’t be able to pull out the flavor of pineapple, but it adds a fruity sweetness with a touch of tang. And it also helps keep our cake moist and tender. It's a secret ingredient for making the absolute best carrot cake.
• I know you can buy pre-shredded carrot. But unfortunately, this cake isn’t the place to do it. Only freshly-grated carrot will melt beautifully into this cake the way we want it to.
• You’ve made it this far! Yes, you really do need to butter and flour the cake pan.

See Also

Starbucks Cafe Mocha - CopyKat RecipesStarbucks Flat White Coffee - CopyKat RecipesStarbucks Caramel Frappuccino - CopyKat RecipesQuick and Easy Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe

Carrot Cake FAQs

What is Cake Syrup?

You might have heard of simple syrup, which is a mixture of sugar and water (usually at a 1:1 ratio) that’s brought to a boil to dissolve the sugar.

You can use simple syrup to sweeten drinks or to soak cakes after they’re baked (like poke cake).

Similarly, cake syrup is a sweet syrup that we use to soak cake after it’s baked. It adds a sweet, rich flavor and is the secret trick that keeps our carrot cake moist for days!

If you’re a baker and you’re familiar with enriched dough, you can think of cake syrup, which contains butter and buttermilk, as “enriched” simple syrup.

Think of cake syrup as the ace up your sleeve that transforms this into the best moist carrot cake recipe of your life.

Does Carrot Cake Have Raisins?

The real question is - do you like raisins in your carrot cake? If so, you can add them to this carrot cake recipe! Add 1 cup of raisins along with the coconut and pecans.

Can I Omit the Pineapple in Carrot Cake?

The technical answer is yes, you can omit the pineapple. (If you do so, add the same amount of applesauce instead.)

But I'm telling you, adding pineapple to carrot cake will help yield what you'll describe as the best carrot cake of your life. You won't be able to taste the pineapple; it just adds a fruity tang and sweetness.

However, the real magic in adding pineapple to cake is that it's a natural tenderizer. The pineapple helps make the cake tender and keeps it moist for longer.

Can I Use This Recipe to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes?

Absolutely! This homemade carrot cake recipe make a ton of cupcakes, so it’s perfect for a classroom party or other gathering.

If you make cupcakes, be sure to line the muffin tray with paper liners. Bake them at 325F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Start checking for doneness around 15 minutes.)

How Can I Make a Layer Cake with This Recipe?

You will need either 2 or 3 9-inch round cake pans instead of a 9 by 13-inch pan.

Butter and flour the inside of the cake pans. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper that’s been trimmed to fit.

Bake them at 325F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Start checking for doneness around 20 minutes.)

More Mind-Blowing Cakes to Make

• Chocolate Valentine’s Day Cake for Two
• Banana Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Pecan Swirl
• Chocolate Guinness Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

Let's Connect

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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on March 28, 2010. I updated it with more information on April 4, 2022.