Carrot cake is definitely one of those recipes that will NOT please everyone. Everyone likes it different - nuts or no nuts, pineapple or no pineapple, raisins or no raisins. And that is why everyone should make it the WAY they like it.
Mix oil, sugar, eggs, carrots, pineapple and vanilla until combined.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and add slowly to the wet ingredients.
To make a 9x13 cake, pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish for 45 minutes. To make a 2 layer cake use 2 9-inch round pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using 2 round pans make sure to really grease or use parchment cut in circles so that your cake comes out clean. Invert cakes into a cooling rack.
When cake has cooled frost with cream cheese frosting. If layering and piping frosting you may need 1.5x the frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and then powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping the bowl often. Frost the carrot cake.
Notes
Note - If you are using 2 round cake pans you may want to do 1.5x of this frosting recipe. I like a LOT of frosting in the middle and on top. Source: Camden LeeMaster