January 7, 2010

CARROT CAKE



CARROT CAKE

Classic Carrot Cake with hints of cinnamon and clove made super moist by pineapple as a secret ingredient.  Carrot Cake is fast becoming the most requested cake for wedding cakes because of it's tasty universal appeal.  And with Carrots as the main ingredient you could even say it is healthy.  Well, almost.  When you ice it with my amazing Cream Cheese Icing you will have an incredible combination of flavors that are both classic and proof you are Cooking The Amazing.


Here is the recipe.


2 c   All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 c   Sugar
1/4 c   Brown Sugar, packed (dark or light)
1  1/2 t   Baking Soda
1 t   Baking Powder
1 t  Salt
4 t  Cinnamon
1/4 t  Nutmeg
1/8 t  Ground Cloves 
1/4 t  Ground Ginger
2 c  Finely Grated Peeled Carrot, packed
1 c  Coconut Flakes, sweetened
1 c  Raisins (Optional)
1 can 8 oz  Crushed Pineapple, drained
       (reserve 1 T of drained Pineapple juice)
1 1/2 c  Walnuts or Pecans, chopped small pieces
1 c  Vegetable Oil
2 t  Vanilla Extract
1 T  Finely Grated Fresh Orange Zest
3  Eggs, extra large
Pam non stick Cooking Spray

Total Prep and cooking time approx. 1 1/4 hr.
Total Cooling and Icing time approx. 2 1/2 hrs




  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Prepare two 9 inch cake pans by spraying with Vegetable non-stick spray (like Pam Spray) and line with a parchment paper round on the bottom then spray the top of the parchment.  Or spray a 9 X 13 baking pan with Vegetable non stick spray (like Pam Spray) or use 20 jumbo Cupcake liners in a Muffin tin without using Pam spray.

  3. In a large bowl whisk well:  Flour, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt, all Spices.

  4. Peel then Grate approx 5-6 medium Carrots to yield 2 cups packed.  Grate Carrots finely to no more than 1/4 inch pieces.  Or process in a food processor until finely grated but not mush.  It is important that you peel the Carrots before grating.  You do not want the tough skins in your cake.

  5. In a medium bowl or KitchenAid bowl add Carrots, Grated Fresh Orange Peel, Drained Pineapple, Raisins (optional), Coconut Flakes, Walnuts or Pecans and mix well with a big spoon.

  6. To this mixture add the Vegetable Oil, Vanilla Extract and Eggs one at a time mixing in well then add 1 T of the reserved Pineapple juice and mix well.  Scrape down bowl often.

  7. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer or Kitchen Aid for  about 1 minute until well mixed.  Do not over mix.

  8. Pour divided into prepared (as above) 9 inch cake pans, or 9 X 13 pan, or approximately 20 Cupcake liners filled 3/4 full or a 9 X 13 baking sheet sprayed with Pam but no parchment paper needed. 

  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 mins for Cupcakes,  35-40 minutes for 9 inch layer cakes and 45-50 mins for 9 X 13 in the center of the oven.  Half way through cooking rotate the pans for even cooking.  A toothpick will come out clean when done.  All ovens vary in timing so check at lowest time first and if not done put back in oven and recheck in 2- 3 minutes.

  10. Allow to cool completely in pan for 1-2 hrs. before removing to ice with Cream Cheese Icing.  Recipe below.  Place 1/4 of icing between the two layers and when placing the top cake layer on, put the flat side of the cake (the bottom when it was in the cake pan) facing up for a flat top which makes a more attractive cake and easier to ice.

This cake is super moist and fragile so handle with care when removing from pans and icing.  If it breaks the icing will hide any imperfections.

TIP:  Add 1 cup of golden raisins or chopped dried cherries or apricots for a twist on tradition.

TIP:  Black Walnuts will give this cake the most flavor.  Sprinkle the top of the cake with Walnuts or Pecans as a tasty garnish.



CREAM CHEESE ICING


Here is the recipe.


2 sticks Butter, unsalted, softened
16 oz. Cream Cheese, softened (2 bars)
3 c Powdered Sugar
4 t Vanilla Extract
1/4 t Almond Extract
1 small pinch Salt (very small pinch)


Total Prep Time: 7 minutes (except time to soften butter and cream cheese.)


  1. Allow Butter and Cream Cheese to sit out until at room temperature and softened.
  2. In a large bowl, place the softened Butter.
  3. Cream the Butter with a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Then add the Cream Cheese and cream for 2 minutes or so more until well mixed.
  4. 1 cup at a time, add the Powdered Sugar and blend well.
  5. Add Salt, Vanilla and Almond Extracts and mix well.  Taste and add more Powdered Sugar to be more sweet or more Cream Cheese to suit your taste.
  6. Keep Cream Cheese Icing at room temperature for the best consistency to ice Cakes.
  7. Refrigerate unused icing. To use again, bring to room temperature then mix with a hand mixer for about 1 minute before using.
  8. OPTION: For those that like a very strong Cream Cheese taste add another 4 oz. of Cream Cheese for a more intense flavor.




COPYRIGHT (c) 2010



96 comments:

Melissa T. said...

YUMMY! This was so good! I love all of these recipes.

Judy Walkerson said...

I am very picky about Carrot cake and this was the best I ever made. Everyone loved it!

Anonymous said...

Your cake looks delicious!!! But I can't read your recipe with dark type over the dark background. I'm not blind mind you, just visually impared!!!
Can you help me out on this???

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

This recipe sounds amazing! If I'm making standard size cupcakes, how long should I bake them? Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Hi

How many OZ in a 'stick' thank you

m. a. rhodes said...

Bake regular sized cupcakes for 18-22 minutes depending on your oven. Hope this helps. Check them at 18 mins with a toothpick if not done check 1 min later until a toothpick comes out clean.

m. a. rhodes said...

There are 4oz in a stick of butter. 1 stick butter= 4 oz, 1/2 c, 8 Tablespoons, 113 grams.

Jennifer A said...

you really need a print button for your recipes! The one is really long to cut and paste!

Susan said...

THIS sounds Amazingly moist, can't wait to make it!

Do you have a "follow" or "follow by email"??

Thanks, Susan

Anonymous said...

The person I'm making this for does not like coconut, would it taste the same if I omitted it, or can u not even taste it or feel the texture of it?

M. A. Rhodes CTA said...

You can make it without coconut but it really does not taste like coconut at all. It gives it texture and moisture.
Use more pineapple in place of coconut if you omit it.

Yvearl said...

YUM!!! I love carrot cake. Can't wait to try this! Thanks for sharing!!

madiia said...

Just finished eating the cake I made using your recipe. It came out amazing!! Took more work and time than I anticipated but it was worth the wait!! The first cake I ever made from scratch. My husband loved it a lot, too:)

Beverly said...

AMAZING RECIPE... Thanks, it's my husbands Fav!!!

Chelsea said...

This recipe looks so amazing, seems like everyone has given it great reviews too, cant wait to try it!

SJ said...

I have been using a version of this recipe for years (only mine calls for 3/4 c. buttermilk)and people rant and rave about how delicious it is! I'm wondering how yours compares without the buttermilk because I NEVER have that on hand. It seem like omitting it would make the cake dry???

Tiffany said...

The 't' beside the numbers on the recipe, does it stand for teaspoon or tablespoon?

m. a. rhodes said...

t = teaspoon
T = Tablespoon

Trixi said...

This must be heaven! So delicious! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

When it calls for orange peel, do you mean the whole peel or just the zest?

m. a. rhodes said...

You are correct. Zest is the correct term and is only the orange part of the peel and does not include the white pith which is bitter. Thanks you.

Anonymous said...

I saw a cute idea for a pumpkin shaped cake using two bundt cake pans...if I sprayed the bundt cake pans with cooking spray would the carrot cake come out easily? And would I cook it the same as I would if I was using the regular cake pans? This recipe looks DELICIOUS!

Anonymous said...

Could you please provide measurements for the butter and cream cheese as those of us in Canada cannot buy these products in stick form. I am looking forward to making this recipe.

m. a. rhodes said...

There are 4oz in a stick of butter. 1 stick butter= 4 oz, 1/2 c, 8 Tablespoons, 113 grams.

In a bar of cream cheese there are 8 oz, 1 c, 16 Tablespoons, 226 grams.

Hope that helps.

m. a. rhodes said...

Using a form bundt pan usually cooks longer than a regular cake pan would. I'm not sure if this recipe would work in a pumpkin form or not or how long to bake it. You may just have to experiment and see what happens! Let us all know if it works. I don't want to give you bad advice not knowing the pan size or trying it myself.

Penny Gregory said...

Just finished making cupcakes, they are amazing! Great recipe. Was worried about adding the pineapple, but it really adds to the taste and texture. This one is a keeper! Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Is that really 3 Cups of sugar (caster I assume) in the icing?

m. a. rhodes said...

Yes, it's 3 cups of sugar but not caster (granulated sugar as we call it here in the US). It is 3 cups of icing sugar as you call it where you live or powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar as it is called in the US. The very fine powdery sugar which is often called 10 X sugar in the pastry field.

m. a. rhodes said...

Yes, that is 3 cups of sugar but not caster sugar (granulated sugar in the US) as you call it where you live. It is powdered sugar (as we call it in the US) or icing sugar as it is called where you live. It's the powdery sugar that is also called confectioner's sugar or 10 X sugar in the pasty field.

Judy said...

I have two favorite carrot cake recipes, but always up for trying more. Pinning this to save.

Anonymous said...

This carrot cake is in the oven RIGHT NOW and my kitchen/living room smell sooo goood! Divine! If it smells this delicious I can only imagine the taste!! This recipe was easy to make...I didnt think it was difficult at all...I enjoy baking its definitely the season!
Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

I am baking this carrot cake right now!
My kitchen smells divine!
I cant wait to taste it!
My DH is super stoked to eat some!

Bella Bella said...

The best carrot cake ever! Actually the BEST CAKE EVER. I still can not believe I made this myself. So good and easy.

Detektei Frankfurt said...

This cream looks wow!

Belinda said...

I don't typically write reviews, however this cake made thanksgiving dinner a hit. This cake takes a lot of time to prepare but omg is it worth every second. Try this recipe people. You will not be disappointed. Best carrot cake ever!!

hanadi said...

I just made the cake I put frosting on it do I save it the fridge or out thanks .

vega07 said...

Made this cake for Christmas!!!! Best carrot cake ever!!!!Love Love Love, will be making it again that's for sure!!!!

Anonymous said...

I had to add my review, best carrot cake ever! I was worried about the coconut addition since it was for my son's 12th birthday but you couldn't taste the coconut. I left the raisins out because my son doesn'tlike them in his cake and used pecans for the nuts. I'm dumping all other carrot cake recipes for this one!

The Yazster said...

So far I have't felt an inclination to make carrot cake (since I tasted for the first and last time my aunt's CC and hated it), but since I saw this I really want to give it a go.
However, fresh pineapples are freely available in my country and I was wondering how, if at all I may substitute them for the canned ones, which are a tad expensive? Thank you!

Anonymous said...

This cake looks delicious. I would love to make this for my daughter's birthday next week but she is allergic to nuts. Can I leave the nuts out and just add more raisins?

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting this recipe, it truly is the BEST carrot cake my family and I have ever had! We're picky when it comes to our desserts, too. I never leave comments, but I feel compelled! It's so flavorful, the balance of the spices is rich and perfect, it's so moist, and the frosting is delicious (though I put 2 cups of sugar instead of 3 because I like my frosting less sweet). My husband has a very discerning palate and he said this was better than our previous favorite from a bakery! We find the flavor is at its best after a couple days. Again, thank you!!!

Anonymous said...

Instead of vegetable oil(which is so bad for you), you can substitute 1 cup of applesauce or 1 cup of melted coconut oil. I've done this for years in my carrot cake recipe!

COOKING THE AMAZING m. a, rhodes said...

Answering your comments:
You can use fresh pineapple in place of canned just chop very fine or mash well into small crushed pieces. Also, omitting the nuts and adding more raisins is fine or just leave them out is ok too. Replacing the oil for apple sauce I have not tried. So I can not say if it works or not. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

I left the cinnamon out on accident going to ice today hope this does disappoint me with my mistake

Anonymous said...

The frosting looks extremely gorgeous!

Nahe Wein said...

beautiful cake and really nice combo of colours!

Unknown said...

How do I do a printer friendly version of the recipes?

Anonymous said...

I made this cake last weekend for my husband. It is by far the best carrot cake I have EVER made or had! So wonderful I am making again this weekend but in a 9x13 so I can share with a few more friends!! Thank you, thank you - this is now the ONLY carrot cake I will make. The almond extract in the frosting is genius!!

candi said...

I'm making this tomorrow for a valentines day surprise. I have heart shape cake pans so hoping I don't end.up with too much excess batter. So excited to try this after reading.all the rave reviews. Thanks.

Nicole said...

My family and friends are absolutely in love with this cake! I want to make it when my husbands family comes to visit this weekend but my sister-in-law will not eat fruit of any kind (crazy, I know). Can you think of anything that I could use in place of pineapple? Will it be ok if I also leave out the coconut? Thanks so much!!

m. a. rhodes COOKING THE AMAZING said...

You can leave out the coconut and leave out the pineapple and just make it as directed and it will be fine, just less moist and less complex in flavor and texture but, still good!

Anonymous said...

Do you think this can be stacked as a wedding cake? Could it be covered with fondant? You said it would be fragile is why I am asking. The recipe sounds amazing!

Anonymous said...

Made this for Easter dinner dessert. Should it be stored in the refrigerator overnight?

m. a. rhodes said...

COOKING THE AMAZING: no need to refrigerate but it won't hurt it if you do. Just keep tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and bring to room temp before serving.

COOKING THE AMAZING said...

Yes you can make it stacked covered in fondant. Just wrap cake well and refrigerate 12 hrs then cover in fondant. Chilling it makes it less fragile.

Anonymous said...

My husband made this cake today for Easter while I cooked all the other dishes for dinner. It was the first cake he ever made (not even a box mix before), so I had to help explain a few directions to him, but it turned out INCREDIBLE!!!!! Great recipe and easy to follow instructions. I normally don't eat cream cheese icing, but this is sooo creamy and I couldn't even taste the normal sour taste I get with a cream cheese. The cake was moist and so flavorful. This is going to become an Easter tradition for the dinner table for sure.

Anonymous said...

I made this for Easter and it was a huge hit with my family. I love carrot cake and this was the best ever and SO very easy to amke. This will be a family standard. It was moist and yummy and the frosting was perfect. Thank you for San Jose California!!!

Unknown said...

I just took this out of the oven. Carrot cake is my husband's favorite, so I thought I'd try this for his birthday. My house smells delicious! Can't wait to eat it tonight after dinner! I'm wondering if you have any of the nutritional information before I figure it out myself. Thanks for sharing!!!

COOKING THE AMAZING. m. a. rhodes said...

I'm sorry, I do not know the nutritional values for this recipe.

Sandy Bridge Xeon said...

Looks and sounds delicious!! I haven't made a carrot cake yet...not for sure why. My favorite cake to make is Lemonade Cake. I got it off of Pinterest last year and have made it multiple times. I can't wait to try this recipe!! Thanks :)

MichelleP12 said...

As for printer-friendly...may take some work...I create a new file in Word for each of my recipes anyway (saving them in C / RECIPES ). Then I right-click on the pic of the cake and save as.. there as well.

Then it's just a matter of copy and paste the text from pinterest (if allowed) and pasting the photo into the Word file. Maybe even say it's a Pinterest recipe if need be.

By creating a Word file, you'll have a copy on your computer at hand to print whenever you want.

Nelda said...

A true carrot cake has no other items such as pineapple..that is more like a hummingbird cake. I have a 30 year old carrot cake recipe that is super moist and only has carrots...

Anonymous said...

Just made this cake, waiting for it to cool down so I can ice it... I only used 2 cups of the powdered sugar for the frosting... I also used a box of butter pecan cake mix since I had a box on hand (I've used it before for pumpkin/spice cupcakes)... Next time I'll make it from stratch; havent tried it yet but I can already tell that this cake will be make again!!

Do I need to store this in the fridge or can I leave it out covered in a container?

Anonymous said...

Nelda, the pineapples made this cake super moist! Don't knock it until you try it...

Tandy Candy said...

This was the best cake I have ever made or tasted.
My mom and husband said it was perfect! I'm not a good baker but I am learning. It was so moist and smelled so good baking. We ate the whole cake in one night!!!

Unknown said...

1 1/2 t bicarbonato de sodio encuentro que esta cantidad de bicarbinato es mucha no serĂ¡ 1 1/2 cucharadita?

Anonymous said...

Its in the oven now. If it tates half as good as it smells...ill be excited!! Not too hard for a novice baker but just make sure you have all the ingredients before you start because there are a lot.
Thanks for the recipe!

Anonymous said...

So.Damn.Good. I did it today and was so yummy. Dont doubt on doing it bcos you are not going to regret it! :D

Anonymous said...

Can I make this using the Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour?

Unknown said...

I made this and put real bacon bits in it. The kind in the bag from the grocery store. A lil old lady made me one like this with bacon bits, she uses them in everything. Amazing!

Unknown said...

This is best recipe for making Chef's Larder Carrot Cake.Thanks for sharing it!!

Anonymous said...

Hello, the quantity of the ingredients would make how many cupcakes? Or how much would the whole cake weight? I would like to make a small batch to try it firts. Thanks

Anonymous said...

This was amazingly good. Stuck to the directions minus the orange zest and almond extract because I didn't have it on hand. Took it to a BBQ, blinked and it was gone. Will never use another recipe again. Thank you so much!

Annoma said...

First of all I would like to thank you for shareing this amazing recipe

Really it's speechless
How nice and funny in the same time when you see the people faces during gettig the first bite

I will never think or search for a new carrot cake recipe

Best regards��

Anonymous said...

I took this cake to a 4th of July party and when leaving I was told I was not leaving with the 1/4 piiece left of this cake. One ove the wives said she would pay me to make it for her husbands birthday. Were do I send the royalty ck? Ha! Awesome recipe! Everything complements each other so well! P.S. Use black walnuts!

Anonymous said...

So delicious! The best carrot cake I've ever had. I've made it a few times. I've received so many compliments and requests. Love the recipe, thank you!

Unknown said...

I also tried one recently! I swoon over the cake

Anonymous said...

OMG! This IS THE BEST carrot cake! Where has this recipe been all my life?!!!!! I love it! Everyone wants the recipe and it lasts 5 minutes whenever I bring it somewhere.

Unknown said...

Just made it in cupcake form, it is exquisite!

Anonymous said...

Would it be ok to use grated carrots from the grocery store?

Unknown said...

This cake looks amazing! I've scrolled through the reviews, WOW, sounds fabulous. I will make this tomorrow for my daughter's bday the 2nd. Can't wait to taste this, as I sit here reading the recipe, my mouth is watering! Happy New Year & thanks for sharing!

diane said...

Making this today for a Birthday. Just wondering if I should cut the icing in half if making it in a 9x13 pan? Seems like I would need less.

Kerry Roberts-Keuvelaar said...

Made this for my dad for his birthday...found out he is on a diet...well his loss(weight) is the rest of our gain! Smells amazing!

Unknown said...

I made this for my daughter's bday. OMG, it was wonderful! We thoroughly enjoyed it. Very moist & rich, but so worth the time. Just absolutely delicious! It looked amazing on my crystal cake plate, a beautiful presentation for a birthday. She loved loved loved her cake. Thanks again for sharing.

Teresa said...

Made this today and must say thanks. This is my 5 * for carrot cake. Did sub. 1/3 apple sauce for 1/3 oil and made it a 3 layer. Carrot Cake is my all time favorite. I can remember 50 years ago waking up in my gramma's house to smell all the spices and goodness for carrot cake. Thank you for all the details.

Anonymous said...

I just made this cake for easter tomorrow and it came out amazing! Followed the recipe to a T and it's great. I did use a different recipe for frosting but I can't wait to have some!

Unknown said...

This was sooo disappointing! Recipe looked delicious... I followed this recipe and used the 9" pans and cooked them for 38 minutes stuck a toothpick in and it came out clean (did this a couple of times checking, very confused). Let them rest....looked at them later and they were pretty much raw. My dad just missed out on fathers day cake because this recipe was such a flop it would have needed at least an extra 30 minutes...and we have a brand new expensive oven.

Kathy said...

This cake looks amazing. Just wondered if it would work in a 9x13 pan?

Mariajeronima said...

Is this frosting pipe-able? Does it hold its shape if I do some roses with it?

Thank you

Chandra said...

Thanks for the recipe! I've made this cake 3 times now. (Husband requested it for his birthday). It's truly excellent.
I'm making it again tomorrow for our school auction. This cake is the only cheat I've had in the last three months of no sugar.
It's that good.

Anonymous said...

Great recipe! Delicious! I used pecans and almond and vanilla extract in frosting! Amazing! Everyone had seconds...literally!

Unknown said...

I have made this four times now and each time its been a success. I think its very hard to stuff it up! A great recipe and the flavour of the cake is amazing. I continue to make it because its so so good. Thankyou for sharing!!

Anonymous said...

I’ve made this cake several times and it’s a hit every time. Friends and family request it for various occasions, making one tonight for my Mom’s church dinner tomorrow. This cake is delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!

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Caitlin S said...

Made the cake as written except I used my own cream cheese frosting recipe. OUTSTANDING!!!!!! The orange zest makes this cake so special. Just make it- almost no other cake will compare. If it's any help, mine took 35 minutes in two 9x2.75 inch pans.