If you love carrot cake but you don’e have time to make one from scratch, this doctored cake mix is going to blow you away. There are some very surprising ingredients in the mix, and they all come together to form the best carrot cake ever!
Can I Add Frosting to a Cake Mix?
I have been on a roll lately making cakes with coconut pecan frosting in the mix. It all started when my friend Carol told me about her German Chocolate Pound Cake.
From there, I made a delicious Butter Pecan Pound Cake with frosting in the mix. I loved that one so much that I added a can of this frosting to my Caramel Butterscotch Cake, (which, frankly, was delicious!)
I used the coconut pecan frosting in a surprisingly simple and delicious Lemon Coconut Loaf. And then I tried it once more in my Easy Hawaiian Pound Cake.
To be honest, I was blown away by the simplicity of adding coconut pecan frosting to a cake mix’s batter. So, I figured it would pair beautifully with a carrot bundt cake recipe.
What Else can I Add to Carrot Cake?
I have some special ingredients that I love to add to carrot cake. I usually toss in some pumpkin pie spice (about half a teaspoon). And of course I add a few grated carrots (slightly softened in the microwave). But my number one surprise ingredient? Orange juice. I always use OJ in place of water.
I happened to have a big jug of OJ on hand. And I also happened to have coconut pecan frosting. So, I made a random decision to add both to my batter!
I’m delighted to share the news that it worked! This carrot cake was absolutely divine. I’ll share more about that in a bit, but let’s pause to talk about what you’ll need to make it.
Carrot Bundt Cake Ingredients
You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand in your pantry and refrigerator. If not, they’re available at your local grocery store.
Cake Ingredients
- orange juice
- arge eggs (room temperature)
- softened butter
- pumpkin pie spice (or apple pie spice)
- carrot cake mix, any brand
- shredded fresh carrots
- coconut pecan frosting
Glaze Ingredients
- room temperature cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- heavy cream (to thin)
How to Make this Simple Carrot Cake
This one came together so easily!
Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spray a bundt pan with Baker’s Joy or other nonstick spray.
Grate a cup of carrots and place them in the microwave for one minute to slightly soften. Set aside to cool.
Make sure your butter is softened and ready for use.
Place eggs, butter, and orange juice in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment.
Mix on medium speed until liquids are all incorporated and foamy. I left mine in the mixer for at least 2 – 3 minutes.
Now it’s time to add your cake mix and pumpkin pie spice.
Beat at medium speed until it comes together with the wet ingredients.
Add a full canister of coconut pecan frosting. Mix until incorporated.
Fold in the cooled, pre-shredded carrots.
Mix well.
Pour batter into greased bundt cake pan.
Place in preheated 325 degree oven and bake for fifty minutes or until golden brown.
Cake should spring back to the touch and a toothpick should come out clean.
Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
After ten minutes turn out the cake directly onto wire rack to continue cooling.
Make Your Cream Cheese Glaze
Let cake cool while you’re making your glaze. (There’s nothing better than a homemade cream cheese frosting, y’all!)
Whip cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Add powdered sugar and continue to beat until it’s fully incorporated.
Thin with a bit of heavy cream. You want the glaze to be honey consistency.
Once cake has cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top. (I used a piping bag for this process.) Smooth it out with a knife or the back of a spoon.
Slice and serve!
This cake is delicious chilled, so store in a refrigerator in an airtight container.
You can freeze this cake and eat it later. It should stay good up to two months in the freezer if tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Allow to thaw naturally.
What to Expect from this Cake
I’ve always been a huge fan of carrot cake due to its warm flavors. I also love to start with a box of cake mix. I’m crazy about pecans, so adding them to a carrot cake makes perfect sense to me.
So the idea of stirring in a canister of coconut pecan frosting seemed perfect. I figured the carrots bits of shredded coconut would almost be indistinguishable from each other.
And y’all. . .I was right. It’s absolutely packed full of flavor, perfect for any carrot cake lover you might know.
And while it’s not a your grandma’s classic carrot cake, it’s just as good, I promise! This is one of the best carrot cakes I’ve had in ages.
This would be the perfect Easter dessert but you don’t have to wait until spring to make it. Those warm flavors will be perfect in fall and winter, too! And don’t think you have to bake it in a bundt pan. This is a great layer cake, too!
Variations on this Moist Carrot Cake Recipe
This is such an amazing recipe, but you guys know I can’t leave well enough alone. I’m always anxious to change things up a bit. Here are some ways I could do that with this cake next time I bake it:
Pineapple: Yep, it would be fun to add a cup of pineapple in place of the carrots in this cake. You’ll end up with something more like my Hummingbird cake, but it should be utterly delicious! (The best part of a Hummingbird cake is the combination of so many flavors!)
Craisins: I love craisins (even more than raisins) and I think they would be a natural addition to this cake mix. I would probably soak them in the OJ for fifteen minutes before adding to plump them up.
Pecans: I think that this cake really lends itself to more nuts. Add up to a full cup of finely chopped pecans if you like.
Cinnamon and other Spices: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice (or if you don’t happen to have a carrot cake mix on hand) you can add cinnamon and other warm fall spices (like nutmeg and ginger) to any yellow or white cake mix to turn it into a spice cake.
Brown sugar glaze: Not into cream cheese? No worries! Make a simple brown sugar glaze with melted butter and brown sugar.
Vanilla extract: Add two teaspoons to enhance the flavors of the cake.
Sour cream: If you want to add more twang to the recipe, stir in some sour cream or Greek yogurt in place of some of the other wet ingredients.
Spice cake mix: If you prefer, you can start with a box of spice cake mix for this recipe.
Other Carrot Cakes from Out of the Box Baking
Easy Carrot Cake Bars: If you love the flavor of carrot cake but the ease of a bar, have I got a treat for you. These luscious carrot cake bars come together in no time. And best of all, they start with a box of cake mix!
Aloha Carrot Cake from Scratch: If you’re looking for the perfect Carrot Cake to serve your guests this Easter, have I got a great one for you! This “from scratch” recipe is rich, moist, and covered in tangy cream cheese frosting!
Easy Carrot Cake Cupcakes: Holiday spice and everything nice! That’s what these carrot cake cupcakes are made of! Best of all, they start with a boxed mix!
Learn more about doctored cake mixes, the theme of this blog.
For the master list of all doctored cake mix recipes on this site, visit Doctored Cake Mix Recipes, Master List.
That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe.
See this recipe at
About the Author
Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.
Easy Carrot Bundt Cake with Frosting in the Mix
If you love carrot cake but you don’e have time to make one from scratch, this doctored cake mix is going to blow you away. There are some very surprising ingredients in the mix, and they all come together to form the best carrot cake ever!
Ingredients
- Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup OJ
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 stick butter, completely softened
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or apple pie spice)
- 1 box carrot cake mix, any brand
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 canister coconut pecan frosting
- Glaze Ingredients
- 1/2 cup room temperature cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Heavy cream (to thin)
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spray a bundt pan with Baker’s Joy or other nonstick spray.
- Grate a cup of carrots and place them in the microwave for one minute to slightly soften. Set aside to cool.
- Make sure your butter is softened and ready for use.
- Place eggs, butter, and orange juice in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment.
- Mix on medium speed until liquids are all incorporated and foamy. I left mine in the mixer for at least 2 - 3 minutes.
- Now it’s time to add your cake mix and pumpkin pie spice.
- Beat at medium speed until it comes together with the wet ingredients.
- Add a full canister of coconut pecan frosting. Mix until incorporated.
Fold in the cooled, grated carrots. - Pour batter into greased bundt pan.
- Place in preheated 325 degree oven and bake for fifty minutes or until golden brown.
- Cake should spring back to the touch and a toothpick should come out clean.
- Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
- After ten minutes turn out the cake directly onto wire rack to continue cooling.
- Make Your Glaze: While cake is cooling, make your glaze. Whip cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar and continue to beat until it’s fully incorporated.
Thin with a bit of heavy cream. You want the glaze to be honey consistency. - Once cake has cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top.
Slice and serve! - This cake is delicious chilled, so store in a refrigerator in an airtight container.
- You can freeze this cake and eat it later. It should stay good up to two months in the freezer if tightly wrapped. Allow to thaw naturally.