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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Best Carrot Cake Ever!

This really is the Best Carrot Cake you will ever eat! ....and believe me, I've tried a bunch!

I only make cakes for special occasions at our house.  If it's your Birthday, you get a cake of your choice....Valentines Day, it'll be a chocolate cake of sorts...Christmas, I sometimes make a Birthday cake for Jesus...and for Easter, it's always a 
CARROT CAKE!  

I adapted this cake from Saint Louis Days Saint Louis Nights Cookbook.  I made a few changes from the original recipe...omitted the pecans in the batter and the pineapple in the icing.  I also love the toasted pecan flavor, so I toast my chopped pecans in 1 T. butter @ 350 for 10 minutes or until brown, and you'll only find them in the ICING!

 I lived in St. Louis for 5 years, before moving back to Texas.  
Love this cookbook and you can find it here.


CARROT CAKE 

2 c. flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups grated carrots
1 8oz. can crushed pineapple with juice

ICING
8 oz. + 4 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
3 sticks of butter, softened
24 oz. powdered sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 c. chopped pecans (toasted and cooled)

*Sift all dry ingredients together and set aside.
*In a large mixing bowl, mix oil, sugar, and eggs, beating after each egg.
*Add dry ingredients to mixture.  Mix well.
*Add carrots and pineapple
*Grease, wax paper, grease, and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
*Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  (If using dark non-stick pans, check at 30 min.)

Icing:
*Beat all ingredients well, spread on cooled cake.

I usually always 1 1/2 the recipe for the icing, especially for a layer cake, because who wants to run low on icing, right?  I already did that for you, in the recipe above...so that's why the measurements are the way they are for the icing!

I also learned through trial and error....IF YOU DON'T WANT YOUR CAKES TO STICK, THEN LINE THE BOTTOMS OF THE PANS WITH WAX PAPER.
Go ahead and grease the wax paper and flour it.  I've never had one stick using this method!

The only other tip I have, is that when using those dark non-stick cake pans...
they really do cook faster, so when I follow a recipe, I always check 10 minutes before what the recipe says.  (I already adjusted the time for you in the recipe above)

Just stick a toothpick in the center of the cake and if the toothpick comes out without any gooey cake batter on it, then the cake is done.  

There's nothing worse than a DRY cake!  I think most of the time, they are simply cooked tooooooo long.  You'll also notice the cake pulling away from the edge of the pan, as well.
Let the cake cool in the pans on a rack, for 10 minutes, then revert onto the cooling rack.

When the cakes are no longer warm to the touch, you are ready 
to slather those babies with icing!

So, the dilemma...do we eat it now, tomorrow, or wait til Sunday?  Hmmmm.....
after all, I did sacrifice this piece for the pictures!

18 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am a HUGE fan of carrot cake and can't wait to try it out. Love your blog! :-)

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    1. Thanks Karla! Let me know what you think...I've tried lots of carrot cakes, and the crushed pineapple sure makes it moist!! Appreciate your lovely comment!!

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  2. Carrot Cake is one of my favorites!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

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  3. Thank you for stopping by my blog and saying such sweet things! I thought I'd stop over and check yours out. My husbands favorite is carrot cake and he so scored when I saw this! I'm making it for him for Fathers Day! He'll love it! Happily following you right back!

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    1. Oh yea!! I know he will LOVE it!! Thanks for the follow!!

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  4. This looks absolutely divine! Carrot cake is one of my faves! So moist and delish. That bottom pic with all of the gooey icing has my mouth watering! Thanks for the wax paper trick. I'll use it!

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    1. I kept that bottom pic just for that reason, even though the coloring was a little weird, since it was at night! But, yes....gooey icing is the BEST!

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  5. I am a sucker for some yummy carrot cake....yours looks delicious!!

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  6. looks delicious and will make a change from all the chocolate we have been eating x

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    1. hmmmm....I'm craving chocolate now! Lol....thanks so much Grace for your sweet comment!

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  7. What a beautiful cake. I love the pecans in it. I grew up with pecan trees in the back yard and my mother put pecans in a lot of things.

    Hope you had a blessed Easter. I know your family must have loved your carrot cake.
    Sam

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    1. Sam, we ate the last pieces of it last night....I love pecans too! How fortunate to have pecan trees in your yard! I bet you've shelled a few too!! Thank you for your sweet comment!
      Blessings,
      Janis

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  8. Yum!! This makes my mouth water just looking at it. Carrot cake is one of my favorites! I'm a new follower and added your button to my blog. I'll enjoy reading your posts!

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    1. Well, thank you so much!! Thrilled to have you as a follower and so tickled you got my button too!...Woo Hoo!! Appreciate you giving my blog a read!!

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  9. I am pinning right now and totally trying this! I love carrot cake but don't know why I never make it. Time to add this one to the line-up! Looks so good.

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    1. Thanks so much Jennifer!! Let me know what cha think! We ate the last piece last night...:(

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  10. SO trying! And I see there are no raisans in it, perfect!!!

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