Moist and Delicious Carrot Cake Recipe Review

Not all carrot cakes are created equal!

Many times I have heard people say they did not like carrot cake.  They tried a layered carrot cake from a grocery store or in a coffee shop that, while beautifully decorated, tasted dry and yucky.  Let me encourage all of you to try again, but make the cake yourself.  This recipe will change your opinion of carrot cake and totally rock your world of desserts.  You will never think of carrot cake the same way again.  

For many years, I have been making this carrot cake recipe.  Everyone loves it.  Even I, who normally hate nuts in anything, love this cake and the nuts don't bother me one bit.  Of course, I chop them up very fine with my nut chopper.  Therefore, we get the nut flavor without having to contend with chomping or choking on larger nuts. 

As for the "dry cake" issue, this single layer carrot cake is quite moist and delicious.  Plus, it has a glaze icing that soaks into the cake, as well as a cream cheese frosting.  We like to heat each individual slice in the microwave for 20 seconds before serving so the cream cheese icing melts slightly.  If it has been refrigerated for more than a day, the microwave heating takes about 5 seconds longer.  

 

Moist Carrot Cake Recipe 

This cake recipe takes longer to make than most cake recipes that I bake, but it is worth it!  The cake is baked, of course, but the glaze icing is cooked on the stove top.  The cream cheese frosting is spread on top of the cake after it is refrigerated for 2 hours or more.  So, it isn't quick, but as I said, it is well worth the extra time and attention.

One big tip I like to share, when using a hand mixer, I set my mixing bowl in my kitchen sink to eliminate the splatter across my counter tops.  It definitely makes for a faster clean-up.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups & 4 Tablespoons Swans Down Cake Flour (or all purpose flour: 2 cups)
• 1 Tablespoon baking soda
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup canola oil (plus more for pan)
• ¾ cup buttermilk 
• 3 large eggs  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained  
• 1 cup shredded coconut (I use Angel Flake shredded coconut)
• 1 cup finely chopped pecan pieces
• 2 cups grated carrots (4-6 carrots needed)
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• Ingredients for the Cake syrup (made separately - see recipe below)
  ½ cup buttermilk
  1½ sticks Unsalted butter  (6 ounces)
  1 cup sugar
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Ingredients for the Cream cheese frosting (made separately - see recipe below)
  8 oz cream cheese
  1½ sticks Unsalted butter 
  2 cups confectioners sugar

 

Directions

 

1. Set out 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter to heat to room temperature even though it won't be needed until you make the syrup recipe
 
2.  Generously grease a 9x13-inch cake pan 
3.  Preheat oven to 325°  (Convection Bake 300°) 
4.  Grate Carrots & Chop pecans
5.  Combine cake flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl & stir together 
6.  In a separate bowl & using a mixer, mix canola oil, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, crushed pineapple, shredded coconut, chopped pecans and grated carrots
7.  Combine the wet ingredients with the flour mixture, mixing well 
8.  Pour batter into oiled pan 
9.  Bake approximately 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean  

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Start the syrup recipe (see below) 10 minutes BEFORE cake is out of oven so it will be ready when the cake is removed from the oven

 

Cake Syrup Recipe

• 1 cup sugar 
• ½ cup buttermilk 
• 1½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Using a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. – Takes about 5 min. in my *Magnalite pan

1. While the cake is still hot, poke holes all over the top with a large fork
2. Pour the cake syrup over the top, allowing cake to soak up the syrup.  Use a spoon if needed to redistribute the syrup that gathers at the sides 
3. Refrigerate cake until completely cool (minimum of 2 hrs)
4. Set out 1½  sticks unsalted butter & Cream Cheese to heat to room temperature for frosting recipe below  

 

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

• 1½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 
• 2 cups confectioners sugar 

Combine ingredients - Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix until smooth and free of lumps.  

Then frost the cooled cake

 

In the directions above, I mentioned using my *Magnalite pan to cook the syrup.  Wagnerware Sidney Magnalite (produced in the 1930's and only available through secondary markets like eBay or antique stores) is my preferred pan for cooking candy & glazes.  It is heavy and has superior heat conductivity.  Current day Magnalite is not the same as the Wagnerware Magnalite of the past that was made in Sidney, Ohio.  While I highly recommend Wagnerware Magnalite, any heavy stainless steel saucepan should work fine to make this simple glaze.  

 

 

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Carrot Cake Recipe Written by: