There are a few recipes that I always know will be good. This is one of them. Southern Living Magazine never disappoints, so when they say this is the Best Carrot Cake, believe them. Now stick with me people, because there are three separate recipes here. The recipe for the Carrot Cake, recipe for Buttermilk Glaze, and recipe for the Cream Cheese frosting. I don’t want you to get to the bottom and realize you don’t have all the ingredients.

I remember as a child my mom trying to perfect the perfect Carrot Cake, and it was always a fail. I never knew why she bothered because it wasn’t chocolate after all! But once I tasted a really good Carrot Cake, I understood the love of them.

Southern Living Best Carrot Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups grated carrot
  • 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 (3  1/2 -ounce) can flaked coconut
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • Buttermilk Glaze (see below)
  • Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

Stir together first 4 ingredients.

Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Buttermilk Glaze

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine
  •  1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

Cream Cheese Frosting 

  • 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.