Your BEST Carrot Cake (doesn't have to be low-fat)

[chefandi]

I love Carrot Cake, but have not been able to find a recipe for it that seems to come out as moist and delicious as those I have had in restaurants. I don't care if it is low-fat I just would really like to have a good recipe for this. T.I.A

[funnybone]

I have a great one, but it isn't low fat at all. I will try to post it later on - I have to type it out as I don't think I have it on the computer anywhere.

[chefandi]

Yeah if you could post the recipes that would be perfect. Thanks again for your help!

[funnybone]

I will post it as soon as I get back from son's soccer practice tonight.

In the meantime, I have the following recipe I have been meaning to try, as it is a lower fat version.

CARROT AND FRUIT BUNDT CAKE FROM LHJ ONLINE
http://www.lhj.com

We've given carrot cake a major overhaul, starting with an oil change. Instead
of one cup of vegetable oil, we used applesauce and just one quarter cup of
canola oil, a heart-healthier fat. Thanks to the carrots, this cake is also high
in beta-carotene, and studded with apricots and currants, it's every bit as
delicious as carrot cake should be.


Tip: Bake the cake a day ahead to allow the flavors to mellow.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour 15 to 20 minutes
Degree of difficulty: easy
Low-fat

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried apricots, finely diced, divided
1/2 cup dried currants, divided
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/4 pounds carrots, shredded (4 cups)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
--------------------
GLAZE
1 can (6 oz.) pineapple juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
--------------------
2 tablespoons toasted pecans, chopped

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup fluted kugelhopf mold
or bundt pan. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a
large bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons apricots and 1 tablespoon currants in a bowl
for glaze. Stir remaining apricots and currants and crystallized ginger into dry
ingredients.

2. Stir together remaining ingredients in another large bowl until well blended,
breaking up any lumps of brown sugar with spoon. Stir into flour mixture. Pour
batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 1 hour 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of cake
comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Unmold onto rack
and cool completely.

4. Make glaze: Meanwhile, combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to
a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently 12 to 15 minutes, until glaze thickens and
is reduced to 1/3 cup. Pour into a small bowl and let cool 15 minutes.

5. Stir reserved 2 tablespoons apricots and 1 tablespoon currants into glaze.
Spoon glaze over top of cooled cake, pressing fruit to stick to cake. Sprinkle
top with pecans, pressing to stick. Makes 12 servings.

PER SERVING
Calories 435
Total Fat 7.5 g
Saturated Fat 1 g

[lorilei]

This is sinful -- and wonderful. Probably the most moist carrot cake I've ever eaten -- and it seems to turn out perfect every time. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Carrot Cake
from The Cracker Barrel Restaurant


3/4 C Finely chopped English walnuts
2 C Finely shredded carrots
1C Crushed pineapple (8oz can with juice)
1/2 C Finely shredded coconut
1/2 C Raisins that have been soaked in water until plump and then drained
1 1/4 C Vegetable oil
1 1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Brown sugar
3 Eggs
3 C Flour
2 tsp Baking powder
2 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 tsp Ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ground cloves
1/2 tsp Salt


Preparation:
Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and
cloves. Set aside. In a large bowl mix with beater oil, sugars, vanilla and
eggs until smooth and fluffy. Add pineapple, walnuts, coconut, carrots, and
raisins and blend well. Gradually add flour mixture a half at a time until
blended through.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9"x13" pan and bake at 350 for about
40-50 min. Test with toothpick for doneness. When cool frost with cream
cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8oz Cream cheese
1 Stick of butter room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
2 C Powder sugar
1/2 C Chopped pecans for garnish

Blend cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and a little
powder sugar at a time until all has been blend well. Turn mixer on high
and beat until frosting is light and fluffy. Spread frosting over the cooled
cake and sprinkle with pecans.

[funnybone]

Here it is. Soccer practice is cancelled.

I am always giving out the recipe. It's from The Canadian Living Cookbook

Carrot Cake

4 eggs
1 cup cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 cups grated raw carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions
In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Add sugars gradually, beating until light. Gradually beat in oil. Mix together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in egg mixture. Stir in carrots, raisins and nuts (if using).

Pour into greased and floured pan. Use one 10” tube or bundt pan OR 9”x13” rectangular pan, OR two 9” square pans OR three 8” square pans.

Bake at 350F for 1 1/4 hours for tube/Bundt pan, 45 to 50 mins for rectangular, 35 to 40
mins for layers, or until tester comes out clean. Let cool 5 to ten minutes in pan before turning out onto rack. When cool, frost with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING, if desired.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups (approx) sifted confectioners sugar

Cream together cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Gradually beat in enough icing to give smooth, spreadable consistency. Makes enough to frost rectangular, tube or layer cakes. To both frost and fill large layer cakes, double the recipe. For small cakes, halve the recipe.

Not sure what the calorie count is - I'm afraid to know actually! lol



[This message has been edited by funnybone (edited 05-08-2001).]

[Peggy]

chefandi,

The recipes that have already been posted look great, but I will go ahead and post my favorite to really confuse you! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif Definately not low-fat or light!!

Peggy

Paul's Carrot Cake

1 1/4 cup salad oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 teas salt
2 teas baking soda
2 teas baking powder
2 teas ground cinnamon
1 teas ground ginger
1 teas ground nutmeg
3 cups finely shredded raw carrots, packed
1 - 8 1/2 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

In a large bowl, cream together the salad oil and sugars. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well blended. In another bowl, blend flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Add the flour and spice mixture about 1/3 at a time to oil mixture, beating just enough to blend. Fold carrots, pineapple, nuts and raisins into the batter.

Pour the batter into two greased and floured, round 9" cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cook the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out on a wire rack and cool completely.

Frost with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, and allow the cake to rest for 24 hours before serving.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 T butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teas vanilla
1 T grated lemon rind

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese with the butter until fluffy. Stir in the powdered sugar and beat with the cream cheese until well blended. Blend in the vanilla and lemon rind. Frost cake.

[This message has been edited by Peggy (edited 05-08-2001).]

[Karen from VA]

I second Lorilei's recipe. It is very similar to the one I've made from the Silver Palate cookbook, only I think her's looks even better. The pineapple and coconut really make the difference.

Karen

[maizeyoats]

Well, you have all put me in the mood for carrot cake....that's right up there along with all the decadent chocolate recipes in my book.

[m4star]

.02!!!

This is an excellent carrot cake recipe AND it's light AND it's vegan. Not that there anything wrong with decadent carrot cake, it is my favorite also. But here is a really tasty one to try when trying to be virtuous.

Vegan Carrot Cake

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup ground flax seed
3/4 cup oat bran
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup soy milk
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, mix together flour, flax seed, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the milk, applesauce, and vanilla- mix until just blended. Stir in the carrots and raisins. Pour into 9' x 9' baking tray that has been coated with non-fat cooking spray.
Bake at 350 F (175 degrees C) for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Icing

12 ounces low-fat silken tofu, extra firm
1 1/2 Tbs. orange zest, minced
3/4 tsp. orange extract
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Spread on cooled cake and refrigerate to set.

I have tried this recipe with and without icing and I have NEVER been disappointed.

Servings- 12
Calories- 205
Protein 5g
Total Fat 6g
Sodium 385mg
Cholesterol 29mg
Carbohydrates 39g
Fiber 5g

[Gail]

Shame on you. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif You've neglected to run a search. I'm being naggy, because I KNOW I've posted two of them, both of which are excellent. One is from the Getty Museum (at the time in Malibu), the other is an unusual-but-fabulous cake with glaze instead of the usual frosting. Please do check 'em out-- probably you'll find them in the archives.

Good luck with your baking. (and eating!)

[kbucky]

Gail--I've been searching for your recipes and only found this one...

CARROT CAKE

1 1/2 cups corn oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
Cream Cheese Frosting (follows)

Combine the oil, sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, carrots, walnuts, and pineapple in a large bowl. Mix until blended. Pour into a greased 13 x 9 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Cool; then frost with the cream cheese frostign.

Makes 12 servings

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/8 cup crushed pineapple
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and margarine until fluffy. Add the pineapple and walnuts, and mix well.

(From: Best Recipes from the Los Angeles Times, donated by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Pacific Palisades, CA)


Would you post your unusual glazed version? I only found links to it on old threads that don't work now... Thanks!

m4star--I will definitely try your vegan version at some point...what does the frosting taste like?

[Gail]

...as long as you at least tried... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

Here you go. Elusive little devil, wasn't it?

Sorry, I copied the link, rather than the recipe...
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Archives/Archive-000002/HTML/20010301-1-001323-2.html

This isn't your restaurant recipe, but on the other hand, I've never met ANYONE who didn't like it!

[m4star]

kbucky- the icing does NOT taste like cream cheese, although I haven't had dairy in so long that my memory doesn't serve me well on the exact taste. According to my DH, who isn't lactose intolerant and therefore a better judge, he says it's "sweet and thick thick but not syrupy with a hint of orange and maple". I've often fed it to other cream cheese frosting eaters and they've noticed it's different but can't quite pin-point the difference. It is not bright white, it has an almost almond color and DOES NOT taste like tofu at all. It's very yummy and I usually sprinkle chopped walnuts or pecans on top. I think the icing is more "zesty" than your average cream cheese frosting (I just love that word- zest!)

[kbucky]

m4star...I will just have to try that frosting for myself...dh is lact.-intolerant as well, but often the store-bought cream cheese frosting has no actual dairy product in it (scary, isn't it?) so we end up with that sometimes. It would be nice to make something that tastes fresher...

[Darlin]

I don't remember where I got this recipe but I've been making it for years and always get raves.
BEST CARROT CAKE
2 C granulated sugar
1 C vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C flour
1 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
3 C grated carrots
nuts, optional
Mix sugar with oil and eggs. Mix the two unsifted flours with baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir into sugar mixture. Mix in carrots and nuts. Pour batter into two 8 or 9” greased or sprayed layer pans. Bake 350º, 50-60 minutes.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
2 C sifted powdered sugar
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 t vanilla
Beat until creamy (takes awhile). Frost carrot cake, garnish with nuts if desired. I usually leave the nuts out of the cake and sprinkle some over the frosting. I like cream cheese frosting made without butter because I like the taste of the cream cheese. I always bake this in two 9" pans.

[This message has been edited by Darlin (edited 05-11-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Darlin (edited 05-11-2001).]

[KValley]

Over the summer I set out to find the "perfect" carrot cake recipe. It's DH's favorite, yet I'd never made it and decided to attempt one for his birthday. I printed out nearly every recipe on the BB, looked them over, and settled on one posted by lorilei- it looked to be the most rich, lush, decadent, and I loved the addition of coconut and crushed pineapple. Raisins and nuts were a must!

Well, that was July. DH's birthday (end of July) came and went, life happened, and this weekend we FINALLY celebrated with my family.

Lori, the cake was simply outstanding. I think I will make this an annual thing for Brendan (although we'll aim for closer to his actual birthday in future years :rolleyes: ). No point in trying other recipes- I'd be afraid that none could match this! Although the one Peggy posted looks quite similar- could do a carrot cake bake off and let Brendan decide :D What mattered most is that Brendan loved it. I cut the cake into 16 pieces. 8 were served Saturday night, the other 8 he consumed between Sunday morning and MOnday evening. Oh, to have his metabolism!

It was so pretty- I made a 2 layer cake. With the complexity/richness of the cake, this would make a terrific holiday dessert. The frosting was incredibly white and so easy to spread- I'm hopeless when it comes to icing cakes and even I couldn't mess this up. I'm sure that more creative souls than I could really make it snazzy for a buffet. I sprinkled crushed pecans all over.

16 pieces sounds like it would be stretching the cake pretty thin, but it is so rich that a small-ish piece is plenty (and they weren't THAT small!). The frosting really didn't taste all that cream cheesy- it's buttery smooth, not too sweet, but rich rich rich.

Oh, lori, I ended up using unsweetened coconut. Next time, just for grins, I will try sweetened.


Originally posted by lorilei
This is sinful -- and wonderful. Probably the most moist carrot cake I've ever eaten -- and it seems to turn out perfect every time. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Carrot Cake
from The Cracker Barrel Restaurant


3/4 C Finely chopped English walnuts
2 C Finely shredded carrots
1C Crushed pineapple (8oz can with juice)
1/2 C Finely shredded coconut
1/2 C Raisins that have been soaked in water until plump and then drained
1 1/4 C Vegetable oil
1 1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Brown sugar
3 Eggs
3 C Flour
2 tsp Baking powder
2 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 tsp Ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ground cloves
1/2 tsp Salt


Preparation:
Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and
cloves. Set aside. In a large bowl mix with beater oil, sugars, vanilla and
eggs until smooth and fluffy. Add pineapple, walnuts, coconut, carrots, and
raisins and blend well. Gradually add flour mixture a half at a time until
blended through.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9"x13" pan and bake at 350 for about
40-50 min. Test with toothpick for doneness. When cool frost with cream
cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8oz Cream cheese
1 Stick of butter room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
2 C Powder sugar
1/2 C Chopped pecans for garnish

Blend cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and a little
powder sugar at a time until all has been blend well. Turn mixer on high
and beat until frosting is light and fluffy. Spread frosting over the cooled
cake and sprinkle with pecans.

[kima]

I got home from my first day at the bookstore (it went well-very busy and alot to learn!!!). My lovely DH had dinner on the table-salad, tortellini and garlic bread. I caught up on the BB and reading about carrot cake gave me a strong desire to get into the kitchen!
i made Lorilei's carrot cake and it is sooo good-very moist indeed. don't care for cream cheese icing so just made a plain glaze-delicious. And boy it felt nice to mix and stir!:)

[KValley]

Originally posted by kima
I got home from my first day at the bookstore (it went well-very busy and alot to learn!!!). My lovely DH had dinner on the table-salad, tortenni and garlic bread. I caught up on the BB and reading about carrot cake gave me a strong desire to get into the kitchen!
i made Lorilei's carrot cake and it is sooo good-very moist indeed. don't care for cream cheese icing so just made a plain glaze-delicious. And boy it felt nice to mix and stir!:)

Maureen!! You just whipped this baby together at the last minute after a long day (first day even!) at work? :eek: Okay- I feel like such a ninny. I was so nervous - I fretted about the coconut (sweetened, unsweetened?), about the shredding of my carrots, were the raisins plump enough, what ARE English walnuts, what exactly does it mean "beat until fluffy"? What's fluffy cake batter? Is my butter really room temperature? I tiptoed around while this was baking, I paid homage to the Baking Gods when the layers slid out with nary a crumb stuck to the pan, in fact I greased and floured the pans TWICE because I thought the flour clumped up too much the first time- rewashed and tried again, I let the cake cool for an entire day and overnight before frosting. And here you come- oh- this sounds good, let's have it tonight for dessert. Sheesh.

:D :p Love you, babe. (and Congratulations on your first day!! :) )

[Linda in MO]

LOL! You're too funny, Julie! :D

[TLee4]

I'm laughing too!!

[kima]

What can I say? just call me Maurtha!!!!:D
And my walnuts said "eh?" alot so I think they were Canadian!

[lisas3575]

Originally posted by kima
And my walnuts said "eh?" alot so I think they were Canadian!

OMG, tea just shot out of my nose! Hahahahahahahaha! :D :D :D :D