My Mom’s Carrot Cake Recipe 

Today, I’m sharing something very special: my mom’s carrot cake recipe. This isn’t just a dessert—it’s a memory, a tradition, and a piece of my heart.

My mother passed away from cancer a few years ago, but this cake brings her back to life in the most beautiful way. She brought this recipe with her when she immigrated from the Dominican Republic to the U.S. in the 1980s. It was one of the first desserts she shared with new friends and neighbors. Over the years, it became a family staple—present at every holiday, birthday, and Sunday dinner. Now, I’m honored to pass it on to you.

Watch the video version of me making this recipe on my cooking YouTube channel called Jerra's Fresh Kitchen: Coming soon

🥕 Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 ½ cups avocado or olive oil

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 cups grated carrots

• 1 cup canned pineapple chunks (drained and squeezed dry)

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

• 3 eggs

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ cup chopped maraschino cherries (drained)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 lb powdered sugar

• ½ cup (1 stick) softened butter

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

•  one 8 oz block of cream cheese

Optional Decorations:

• Baby carrots

• Curly parsley sprigs

• Extra chopped walnuts

🧁 Directions

1. Prep the Pan and Oven

Butter your baking pan generously. I used a bundt pan, but you can use two 9-inch round pans if you prefer a layered cake. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Prep the Ingredients

• Drain your pineapple chunks and press out any excess juice.

• Peel then finely grate the carrots.

• Chop the walnuts and maraschino cherries (make sure they’re drained of their liquid).

3. Mix the Batter

In a large bowl, combine the grated carrots, oil, sugar, eggs, pineapple, cherries, walnuts, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly.
Add flour last and stir until well combined. The batter will be thick and textured—this is normal!

4. Bake the Cake

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 50–75 minutes. Begin checking at 50 minutes by inserting a knife into the center. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Mine usually needs closer to 75 minutes.

5. Cool Completely

Once baked, let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan—overnight in the fridge works great. If using a bundt pan, loosen the cake gently by running a butter knife around the edge, then flip it onto a plate.

6. Make the Frosting

Whip together the powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and cream cheese until light and fluffy. I like to use a stand mixer for this to get that smooth, creamy texture. You’ll know it’s ready when stiff peaks form.

7. Frost and Decorate

Apply a light crumb coat first, then follow up with your final frosting layer. Decorate with chopped walnuts pressed onto the bottom edge of the cake. I also like to decorate the top with baby carrots and small sprigs of curly parsley to make "carrot tops".

If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Share your version in the comments or tag me on social media.