Anyone willing to share with me an honest to goodness no fail carrot cake recipe?

Question

Tried two internet recipes which failed to please palate and only wasted time and money. Help make this third try a success for me.

Answer 1

My wife makes the best carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. It is out of this world. I can't give you recipe - it's locked down tighter than Fort Knox - but one of the secrets is to use extra carrots. At least one more cup than a traditional recipe calls for. Gives it that extra moistness.

OH, no! She's found me selling her secrets... no! stop! don't! ...
Aaaaaaaaaauuuuuugggghhhhhhh... ... ...

Answer 2

Simple Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS
2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound (6 to 7 medium) carrots, peeled
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup safflower, canola, or vegetable oil

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment and spray the parchment.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

In a food processor fitted with a large shredding disk, shred the carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer the carrots to a bowl and set aside.

Wipe out the food processor bowl and fit with the metal blade. Process the granulated and brown sugars and eggs until frothy and throughly combined, about 20 seconds. With the machine running, add the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process until the mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl.

Stir in the carrots and the dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Cool the cake to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours.

Run a paring knife around the edge of the cake to loosen from the pan. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, peel off the parchment, then invert again onto a serving platter. Using an icing spatula, spread the frosting evenly over the surface of the cake. Cut into squares and serve. (Cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 ounces cream cheese, softened but still cool
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

When the cake is cool, process the cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla in a clean food processor work bowl until combined, about 5 seconds, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the confectioners' sugar and process until smooth, about 10 seconds.

NOTE: If you like nuts in your cake, stir in 1-1/2 cups toasted chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter along with the carrots. Raisins are also a good addition - 1 cup can be added along with the carrots. If you add both nuts and raisins; the cake will need an additional 10 to 12 minutes of baking time.

SPICED CARROT CAKE WITH VANILLA BEAN-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Follow recipe for Simple Carrot Cake, substituting an equal amount of ground black pepper for the nutmeg, increasing cloves to 1/4 teaspoon, and adding 1 tablespoon ground cardamon along with the spices.

FOR THE FROSTING: Using a paring knife, halve and scrape the seeds from 2 vanilla beans and add the seeds to the processor along with the vanilla extract.

Answer 3

This recipe has 431 reviews and it's a 5 star recipe hope this will work for you.


Carrot Cake III
Submitted by: Tammy Elliott
"I've tried many carrot cakes, and this is my favorite recipe. If you don't like pecans, feel free to leave them out."
Original recipe yield: 1 - 9x13 inch cake.
Prep Time:30 MinutesCook Time:1 Hour Ready In:2 Hours Servings:18 (change)

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INGREDIENTS:
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

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DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

Answer 4

This is absolutely the best. Vanessa William's personal recipe

Vanessa William’s Carrot Cake

2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups salad oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
2 cups plain sifted flour
½ cup chopped nuts
2 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup raisins

Mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Add carrots, mix well, add flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon & salt, sifted together. Mix well. Fold raisins and nuts into batter and bake in 2 greased 9” round layer pans or 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 35 or 40 minutes.

Icing
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla
¼ cup margarine
1 cup chopped nuts
1 box (1 lb) confectioners sugar

Work cheese until soft, add softened margarine, beat in sugar gradually, add flavoring and nuts, mix & spread.

Answer 5

Carrot Cake III
Submitted by: Tammy Elliott
"I've tried many carrot cakes, and this is my favorite recipe. If you don't like pecans, feel free to leave them out."
Original recipe yield: 1 - 9x13 inch cake.
Prep Time:30 MinutesCook Time:1 Hour Ready In:2 Hours Servings:18 (change)

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INGREDIENTS:
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

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DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

**I've made this myself and people have always like this one :)

Answer 6

I, like you, have only found Carrot Cake recipes that succeed in failing!

Answer 7

Everyone has seemed to have given you great recipes, especially Psychebella,
But please remember the cream cheese topping. It is the key to pleasing that pallate of yours...
Enjoy.......