This is the best carrot and coconut cake ever! It's perfectly moist and tender, soaked with a tangy lemon juice and sugar mixture. Everybody adores this cake!
This carrot and coconut cake is one of the rare recipes that I have been making over and over again for years. It’s so good with just the right sweetness and tang, a moist texture, and a bright lemon drizzle that makes each bite perfect.
Featured comment:
Christine: Thank you so much for this gorgeous recipe ! The cake is absolutely divine, and I shall add it to my all-time favourites!
Try more delicious and easy-to-make loaf cakes: Rhubarb Loaf Cake with Blackberries, Breadcrumb Cake, or our very popular Fresh Cherry Loaf Cake.
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Recipe ingredients
Carrots: Weigh the carrots after peeling to ensure you have the right amount. I haven't provided a cup measurement for grated carrots because it can be inaccurate. Packing them too tightly leads to too much while packing too loosely means not enough. Weighing is the best way to get it right.
- Make this Lemon Traybake, too; it's moist and delicious!
Coconut: Use unsweetened desiccated coconut flakes for the cake. If you use sweet ones, the cake will be too sweet.
Granulated sugar for the carrot coconut cake and confectioners' sugar for the drizzle. The amount of confectioners' sugar you need depends on the juice from your lemon.
Oil: I use canola oil to make the carrot coconut cake. Try our Apple Muffins with Oil, too.
Lemons: I recommend using unwaxed lemons since you'll need their zest, too. Try the Lime Drizzle Cake or the Orange Drizzle Cake, too.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make carrot and coconut cake?
Preparations: Preheat the oven, grease and flour the cake tin, grate the carrots, and sift together the flour, baking sugar, and salt. Add the sugar to the flour mixture.
Step #1: Beat the eggs briefly. Add the zest and the juice of 1 lemon. Add oil and vanilla.
Step #2: Fold in the mixed dry ingredients.
Step #3: Fold in carrots and coconut.
Step #4: Transfer the cake batter to the tin and bake the cake.
Step #5: Mix lemon juice with confectioners' sugar to make the drizzle.
Step #6: Poke the cake with a toothpick and pour over the drizzle. Let cool completely in the pan.
Good to know!
Preheat the oven before mixing the batter and place the carrot coconut cake in the oven right after mixing. If you wait too long, the baking powder will lose its effectiveness, and the cake won’t rise.
The drizzle might look like too much, and you’ll see sugar gathering around the edges of the cake when you pour it over. Don’t worry! The mixture will be completely absorbed by the cake.
Make in advance and store
I find that the coconut and carrot cake tastes even better the next day. I usually make it the day before serving and soak it with the lemon and sugar mix directly in the loaf pan. After cooling in the pan for about 2 to 3 hours, I transfer it to a wire rack to cool for several more hours. I then wrap it in aluminum foil until the next day and slice it just before serving.
Store the carrot and coconut cake in an airtight container and keep it at room temperature for about 2 days. If you refrigerate it, it will remain moist and delicious for 4-5 days.
Freeze it well-wrapped in foil and placed in a freezer bag for 3 to 4 months.
Ahh, just talking about this cake makes me drool; it really is one of my favorite cakes!!!
Other delicious carrot cakes
Recipe
Carrot and Coconut Cake
Equipment
- Loaf tin 26 cm x 9 cm/ 10 x 3.5 inches
Ingredients
Cake batter:
- 280 g carrots finely grated, 10 oz (Notes 1,2)
- 280 g all-purpose flour 10 oz/ 2 ⅓ cups
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 200 g granulated sugar 7 oz/ 1 cup
- 4 eggs
- 1 lemon zest and juice, Note 3
- 200 ml neutral-tasting oil like canola 1 cup without 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g desiccated coconut unsweetened, 3.5 oz/ 1 cup
Lemon drizzle:
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 150 -175 g confectioners' sugar 5.5-6 oz/ 1 ½ – 1 ¾ cups, Note 4
Instructions
Carrot loaf cake:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 360°F. Butter and flour the loaf tin.
- Peel and weigh the carrots, you should have 280 g/10 oz prepared carrots. Grate the carrots on the finer grater. Set aside.280 g carrots/ 10 oz
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the sugar. Set aside.280 g all-purpose flour/ 10 oz/ 2 ⅓ cups + 2 teaspoons baking powder + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + 200 g granulated sugar/ 7 oz/ 1 cup
- Wet ingredients: Beat the eggs shortly in a medium bowl. Add the zest and the juice of 1 lemon. Add the oil and the vanilla extract.4 eggs + 1 lemon + 200 ml neutral-tasting oil/ 1 cup without 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dry ingredients: Carefully fold in the flour mixture. Add carrots and coconut to the mix and pour everything into the prepared tin. 100 g desiccated coconut/ 3.5 oz/ 1 cup
- Bake for about 55 - 60 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Frosting:
- Mix the juice and zest of the second lemon with enough icing sugar to form a paste. The amount of sugar needed depends on how large and juicy your lemon is. The paste should be runny enough to be easily spread on the cake and to be able to sink into the holes you poked into it.1 lemon + 150 -175 g confectioners' sugar/ 1 ½ – 1 ¾ cups
- Drizzle the cake: Poke the top of the cake with a toothpick all over and pour over the frosting. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
Notes
- Measurements: Use a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) to measure the ingredients when baking; it guarantees for best results.
- Carrots: I haven’t provided a cup measurement for the grated carrots because it can be inaccurate. Weigh the carrots after peeling them instead.
- Lemons: It's preferable to use unwaxed lemons since you will need their zest, too.
- Confectioners's sugar: The amount you need depends on the juiciness of your lemon.
Lori says
It's in the oven now. Sounds amazing. The instructions say to poke and frost while still in the pan, and then cool. So how do I get the cake out without ruining the frosting?
Adina says
Hi Lori. This is not a thick, decorating frosting, most of it will sicker into the cake. It will be easy to get the cake out without damaging the look.
Christine Birgit Lounder says
Thank you so much for this gorgeous recipe !
The cake is absolutely divine and I shall add it to my all-time favourites !
Adina says
So happy to read your comment, Christine. We love this cake too. 🙂
Alejandra Castro says
I tried your recipe this afternoon. It’s really yummy. Did not include the lemon glazing as my hubby is diabetic. Used less than a cup of granulated sugar too.
Adina says
Hi Alejandra. Thank you for the feedback, so glad you liked it. I often leave the glaze as well.?
Kella says
I cannot find the single baking powder, is it ok to go with the regular baking powder, what difference will it make? Going to try this soon as a gift for a friend.
Adina says
Hi Kella. I have never used the double acting baking powder because it is not available in Germany. However, I have read many times that most of the times it doesn't really make a big difference, the only thing that's important is that when you use the German baking powder you definitely have to preheat the oven. Let me know if you tried the cake with double acting baking powder, maybe it will help other users as well. Thank you.
sneha says
I'm not a Carrot cake fan , but after I tried a price at a coffee shop here in Frankfurt, I vowed I should make it .I am glad I found you Adina.
This is the perfect recipie .
I was so impressed I'm scouring your blog to find the perfect recipie for my son's birthday cake .
Adina says
Thank you, Sneha. I hope you find something you like. This carrot and coconut cake is our favorite carrot cake, I make it very very often.
allie says
Hi Adina - what a fantastic loaf cake! Perfect for springtime. I was so interested to learn about single and double acting baking powders. I've always wondered. You're always a wealth of information, so glad to drop by. Hope everyone is well at your house and that spring has arrived there. xo
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
What a lovely cake! It looks very moist and that crumb....it looks just perfect. I don't usually weigh items when I am baking. I know if comes out more accurate, but I just haven't done it.
Roland says
Good, that you put the dry in quotation marks. The cake is really moist and gives his whole aroma when it is parceling the mouth. I really enjoyed the cake.
Adina says
Dankeschön. 🙂
Adina says
Thank you, Rachel. The first times I have made this cake I left the glaze out because I thought nobody needs the extra sugar. But I have to admit it definitely belongs on the cake, the lemon in it makes things complete.
Rachel @ Simple Seasonal says
What a beautiful sweet bread! And that glaze looks like perfection!
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
This cake is right up my alley, Adina. It looks and sounds amazing—I love the sound of carrot, coconut, and lemon together. Pinning.
Adina says
They do fit well together, Thao, this is really one of my favorite "dry" cakes.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
If you have made this over a dozen times, I KNOW it has to be good! Love the coconut and carrot pairing with the lemon flavored frosting! I don't think I have ever had carrot and coconut together before, but I bet it tastes amazing! Plus, there is carrot so it's healthy which means I can eat the whole cake... right? 😉 #Winning Cheers, girlie!
Adina says
Riiiiiiiiiight!!! 🙂