Recipe: To-Die-For Carrot Cake

[Introversion]

https://www.momontimeout.com/to-die-for-carrot-cake-recipe/

I love carrot cake. Don’t think I’ve ever made a recipe that I didn’t like? Cream-cheese frosting covers a multitude of sins…

But the above recipe is particularly good. Very moist, yet not too stodgy. The Kid loves it too. Smart kid.

We usually do a family gathering for The Kid’s birthday. This year we’d planned to double-up with a celebration of her high-school graduation, but COVID-19 had other plans. We’re having a make-up of it tomorrow, and I’m making that carrot cake. Made two 9” cake layers yesterday, will stack and frost today.

 

[Jazz Club]

Carrot cake is one of the best cakes around. I know of someone who had a three-tiered wedding cake, one tier carrot cake, one chocolate and one...I forget the other one

Apple sauce instead of oil as one option? I'd never heard of that before. Apart from that your recipe is pretty similar to the recipe I use, except mine has caster sugar soft light brown sugar intsead of granulated and no grated coconut. I'm not too sure about the proportions because cups are above my pay grade. I put cream cheese frosting on mine too.

Enjoy!

ETA I said the wrong sugar! Just checked the recipe.

 

[lizmonster]

Apple sauce instead of oil as one option?

As a warning - I've done this with banana bread, and although the flavor is perfectly nice, it does make for a much tougher loaf.

 

[Catriona Grace]

I don't use pineapple but other than that, this is pretty much my carrot cake recipe, right down to the applesauce instead of oil. I've never noticed any difference in texture in oil v. applesauce carrot cake. I read that these ingredients are meant to add moisture to the concoction, so perhaps use a little extra applesauce if your results have been tough in the past?

I can take or leave raisins; sometimes I use them, sometimes I don't. The first time I tasted CC made with coconut, I fell in culinary love and never looked back. Cream cheese icing is... well, icing on the cake, but I like the plain cake just as well as the embellished one. I'm not a big cake fan, but don't need my arm twisted too far to indulge in CC or German chocolate cake.

 

[lizmonster]

I don't use pineapple but other than that, this is pretty much my carrot cake recipe, right down to the applesauce instead of oil. I've never noticed any difference in texture in oil v. applesauce carrot cake. I read that these ingredients are meant to add moisture to the concoction, so perhaps use a little extra applesauce if your results have been tough in the past?

To be clear - Intro's carrot cake recipe is wonderful. I only mentioned my banana bread experience because I see applesauce touted as an oil substitute in general, and how well it works is really going to depend on the recipe.

 

[Introversion]

FWIW, I don’t tend to use raisins in my carrot cakes either. In this recipe, crushed pineapple is more than enough for me!

One tweak I sometimes use is from another CC recipe, which used grated parsnips rather than carrots. Parsnips do taste a bit sweeter and a bit more intensely “carroty”, which works well in cake.

Also, I prefer the use of pecans as this recipe calls for, versus walnuts. I toast them before use, for extra flavor.

 

[Catriona Grace]

To be clear - Intro's carrot cake recipe is wonderful. I only mentioned my banana bread experience because I see applesauce touted as an oil substitute in general, and how well it works is really going to depend on the recipe.

My banana bread is never very good, with or without oil, so I bow to your banana bread expertise. A shared recipe for the same would not be taken amiss.

 

[lizmonster]

My banana bread is never very good, with or without oil, so I bow to your banana bread expertise. A shared recipe for the same would not be taken amiss.

I go with the Joy of Cooking, as a framework, for my banana bread:

1-1/3 c flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
5-1/3 tbsp butter
2/3 c sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 c mashed bananas
1/2 c walnuts or pecans

350F for about an hour (in my oven it takes longer, but YMMV)

I add raisins instead of nuts (I don't generally like nuts in bread), and I use good-quality gold raisins (which is what my mom always used). I also use salted butter, and don't add any extra salt, because I am lazy.

The recipe says to have all ingredients room temperature. I usually ignore this, but the batter will look curdled if you use cold ingredients. Still tastes good.

I'll often double the recipe and do it in a bundt pan, which works nicely, too.

 

[TeresaRose]

https://www.momontimeout.com/to-die-for-carrot-cake-recipe/

I love carrot cake. Don’t think I’ve ever made a recipe that I didn’t like? Cream-cheese frosting covers a multitude of sins…

But the above recipe is particularly good. Very moist, yet not too stodgy. The Kid loves it too. Smart kid.

We usually do a family gathering for The Kid’s birthday. This year we’d planned to double-up with a celebration of her high-school graduation, but COVID-19 had other plans. We’re having a make-up of it tomorrow, and I’m making that carrot cake. Made two 9” cake layers yesterday, will stack and frost today.

Damn, that looks GOOOOD!

 

[Catriona Grace]

Thank you, Lizmonster. I will try it the next time I have bananas that have gone beyond the Pale.

 

[ChaseJxyz]

I'll bookmark this recipe ty for sharing!

My roommate doesn't like carrot cake so I'll need to find some event where I'll have other people around to help me eat it lol