Friday, May 25, 2012

Just Carrot Carrot Cake !

I have always loved carrot cake. With raisins or without, with pineapple or without, nuts of all sorts, and any other digestible ingredient that would blend in the rich batter with reasonable success of the end product.
Until I came across this little gem of a recipe !
This is a pure, unadulterated, 'just carrot, carrot cake'.It always thrills me when a recipe has simple ingredients, easily and effortlessly blending together and resulting in a show-stopper mouthwatering creation such as this !


JUST CARROT CARROT CAKE



2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp allspice
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 egg whites
3 cups peeled, grated carrots

Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Spread in 2 greased 8" round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Cool, then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting (see below).

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter or margarine, softened
powdered sugar [ 2 and a half to 3 and a half cups, depending on how stiff you want your frosting to be ]
2 tsp vanilla.

Blend cream cheese and butter well. Add vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar until desired thickness. Beat until smooth.
ENJOY !

Adapted from : iwannatalkaboutbrooke.blogspot.com
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56 comments:

  1. My mom makes a very similar carrot cake

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    1. Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment ! Your Mum must know a good thing when she sees it ! I hope you keep her recipe, Mom's baking is always the best.

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  2. This sounds so easy! I can't wait to try. Can you ballpark the amount of powdered sugar?

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    1. This is a very easy cake to make once you have all the ingredients together. I should have at least put in a ball park amount for the powdered sugar....my apologies ! I would work with two and a half to three and a half cups of sugar, depending on how stiff you like your icing. The more sugar you add, the stiffer the icing will be. Good luck, I hope this helps. Thank you so much for pointing this out. I will amend the recipe to include this. ENJOY !

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  3. Would I use whole all spice?

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    1. No, use ground all spice. Please also accept my apology for not replying to you sooner. I so love to hear from my readers, they [and you] are what my posts are all about ! I have been 'under construction' for a few days now, and my comment feeds did not come through to me in a timely manner. I do hope you enjoy making this delicious cake....it is so easy and 'user friendly'. I would love to hear how it turns out for you. Thank you so much for stopping by !!

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  4. Every year my mom would make me homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for my birthday. She has been gone for 10 years now and I miss it so much. It just isn't the same when I make it for me. :) After the kiddo's are in bed tonight I am going to try this one out. Thank you for sharing.

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  5. Hi Wendy, I so understand your loss. My Mum passed 2 years ago at the grand age of 94. There is nothing quite like Mum's cooking, and actually my Mum is one of the reasons I started this blog. I now have all her recipe books and her handwritten World War 11 recipes when rationing was enforced in Scotland. She was quite a baker, and would sell out her cakes for Church functions before they even got there ! I do hope you enjoy this Carrot Cake but I'm sure it will not hold a candle to your Mum's...Mum's baking will always be the best, what a treasure ! I plan to recreate my Mum's recipes here and I hope you will stop back and maybe try out a few more. Enjoy your evening baking !

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  6. Can I use a 9x12 pan? I dont have the 8" round pans. Thanks!

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  7. I would imagine that would be fine....with the larger dimensions, I might be inclined to bake the whole recipe in this one pan [bake a few minutes longer, check the center is cooked by inserting a toothpick which should come out clean], and either frost just the top or if you still want to have the layers, I would recommend lining the pan with parchment paper to be on the safe side when turning it out. You would then be able to slice through to give you two layers. I'd be interested to hear how it turns out for you....let me know, good luck !

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  8. Found your recipe on pinterest, I'm wondering why there aren't any egg yolks in the recipe. Egg whites tend to dry out a cake so I'm worried about it being dry with all egg whites (and 6 of them!) in it. Does it still turn out moist?

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  9. Hi Jennifer, I can understand your concern. I thought the same when I first baked it, but the apple sauce and natural moisture from the carrots take care of that ! And what to do with those egg yolks ?....here is a link to a great article with recipes for 1 to 12 egg yolks and even how to freeze them for future use ! http://www.fortysomething.ca/2010/04/recipes_to_use_up_extra_egg_yo.php Hope you enjoy baking this cake, and even more....eating it ! <3

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  10. Im going to try it today for Hubby's birthday cake. Thanks!

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  11. Hope you both enjoy this delicious recipe.....Happy Birthday Hubby !!!!

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  12. How much is a stick of butter?

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  13. Ha ha...I'm in America now and sometimes forget about the different food references...I would have had to ask the same question several years back !! A 'stick' of butter is a 1/4 pound. I don't know where you are from, but I was very surprised when I started cooking here in the USA to find that a Pound of Butter is broken up into 4 individually wrapped quarters !!

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  14. Today is my daughter's birthday and she requested carrot cake. This is the recipe I'm going to use! It looks wonderful and so simple! Thank you!

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  15. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your daughter !! I'm sure she is going to love it ! Thank you for letting me know....hope you have a wonderful day !! Mary

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  16. Mary, how long does this process take approximately? Thanks!

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    1. Hi Ji Yoon Noh, how nice of you to stop by !! Gathering your ingredients together, measuring, and grating the carrots, should be approx 15/20 minutes. Baking time is 35 minutes, and the mixing of the frosting 5/10 minutes. I hope this helps, but everyone has their own speed of working, and if you use a food processor to grate the carrots, you could cut the prep time down.....but more washing up !! haha Mary

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  17. Hi there,

    I made this cake for the first time tonight... initially I tried cup cakes, after 35 minutes they were still incredibly raw :( I now have two loaf tins on the go... Is it because the cake is relatively liquid-y and it needs to be cooked in a thin pan?

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    1. My apologies for not replying to you sooner ! I'm trying to work out glitches in my notifications of comments. I do hope the loaves turned out for you. I have not come upon this problem but I'm thinking it may have to do with the amount of surface area. When baked in 2 x8 inch cake pans there is a larger surface area, therefore the batter cooks more evenly and quickly. I'd love to know how your loaves turned out....it always helps to get feedback ! Thanks so much for sending me your comment. Mary

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  18. I just ran out of apple sauce, would I be able to use finely grated apple instead?

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    1. I think the grated apple might be too raw and affect the balance of ingredients. But if you happen to try it, I would be greatly interested to know how it turned out ! Mary

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  19. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it looks fantastic. My son's birthday is next month and every year he requests Carrot Cake. This is the recipe I will use. Thanks again!

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    1. Hi Silly Bean ! A few readers have used this recipe for Birthday Cakes. Hope your son has great birthday ! Mary

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  20. I made this cake today. It is very delicious and moist and yummy! Thank you Mary, for sharing! This will for sure be a staple in my house. My hubby's fav cake is carrot :) Thank you, thank you, thank you! :)

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    1. I am soo glad you enjoyed it Heather ! It makes my heart sing when I get positive reviews from people like your self who have baked it and really enjoyed it ! Thanks for the compliment....keep on baking !! ha ha Maryx

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  21. I made this today as well. I used the left over carrots from juicing and it turned out fantastic. I am not a baker by any means. Thank you for such an easy recipe! I just know it will be a hit tonight at our dinner party!

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    1. Good Morning Cara !! Thank you sooo much for trying my recipe !! Love that you were able to use your 'juiced' carrots ! Hope your cake was a hit ! Mary

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  22. Hello. I just wanted to stop in and tell you this cake is Wonderful. It came out perfect and moist. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

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  23. You have made my night !! I love to hear success stories....thank you so much for letting me know how well it turned out for you !! Mary

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  24. THANK U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    The best, realmente el mejor, gracias por compartir esta super receta :)
    desde Guatemala
    Pichi M.

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    1. Thank you so much Pichi ! I love to hear from readers who enjoy my recipes ! Have a wonderful day....happy baking !! Mary

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  25. Do you think this recipe would make good cupcakes? Have you ever tried it? It sounds delicous, but I would prefer making cupcakes with it..

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  26. I have not made this recipe into cupcakes yet....I have thought about that option though ! The only recommendation that I can think of would be that the carrots would need to be finely grated in order for them to cook through....the baking time may also need to be adjusted [less]...check the center with a tooth-pick if it comes out clean, then they are ready ! Good luck ! I would be very interested in how they work out for you....let me know, and thank you for trying the recipe !! Mary

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  27. I never thought I liked carrot cake but recently discovered that is delicious. I searched for recipes and found this one through pintrest and loved the idea of just using carrots. I made this recipe a couple weeks ago and we devoured it! I was moist and delicious and I keep thinking about making it again. I just hate using 6 egg whites and I'm thinking about trying it with 3 whole eggs instead. We'll see. I'll let you know how it turns out if I go through with the idea.

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    1. Sorry I didn't reply to you sooner...wee family sickness taking time to control, but we are on the mend !
      I will be soo interested with your attempt to use 3 whole eggs...please let me know how it turns out !!
      By the way, i have a link for what to do with those egg yolks that you are left with...even how to freeze them....
      http://www.fortysomething.ca/2010/04/recipes_to_use_up_extra_egg_yo.php
      enjoy !!

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  28. I've just made it... It's absolutely delicious!!!

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    1. Tanja....how kind of you to let me know !! Feedback is the only way to find out if a recipe really works for people !! So glad you enjoyed it !! Mary<3

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  29. Would you think if I wanted to add some raisins and walnuts that it would mess up this recipe? How much of each would you suggest I add in? Thank you for sharing this recipe.

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    1. Hi Christie, nice to meet you ! There is plenty of room in this recipe for a few 'tweaks'. I would soak my raisins first in boiling water to reconstitute them [plump them up and make them juicier].The Walnuts I would chop very small to avoid heaviness and sinking. A way to avoid this is once they are chopped toss them in a little flour which will help distribute them throughout the cake !
      Rough estimate on quantities.....a small hand-full of each to start...you don't want to overpower the cake, then go from there with your next one....it's all experience !!!- I'd love to know how it turns out !!! Mary xx

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  30. Can't wait to bake this cake for my sister's birthday! Would it be OK to stir in some raisins and walnuts into the batter? I was thinking maybe 1/4 cup of each...? Just wanted your thoughts before I attempt so i don't ruin the cake!!
    THANKS!

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  31. Wow I read so many reviews and as soon as I posted my question, I see the exact same question about raisins and walnuts! Sorry for the repeat and thanks for the prior reply!

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  32. I know you answered this up above but I still didn't understand :) Please excuse my ignorance ;)
    How much is a 1/2 stick of butter? 1/8 of a cup? 1/4 cup?

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  33. Hi Pamela, Measurements can be so confusing sometimes I know ! A 1/2 stick of butter is 4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup....hope this helps you out ! Happy baking ! Mary

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  34. I wanted to make this cake tues for my husbands birthday which we will be celebrating Saturday. I wish I could make it Friday but because of work and such Tuesday is the only day that will work for me! Do you know if this cake freezes well? Or what's the best way to freeze it so it stays moist and not stale tasting for Saturday. Thanks!!!

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  35. If your cake layers are well sealed in freezer quality wrap, there is no reason that they should not be fine. I would, however, make the frosting on the Friday....it's really quick to make, just have all your ingredients all set out to put together. I do hope this works out for you, but it is a very 'forgiving' recipe !! Happy Birthday to your Husband too....I'm sure he will love it !

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  36. I have 9 inch cake pans will they work instead of 8 inch/

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    1. There really shouldn't be a problem. They may be slightly thinner when baked, but who is to know, right ? There have been readers who have used the recipe in sheet pans, square pans and cup cakes !! Just watch for them being ready a few minutes sooner [possibly]....check for readiness with a tooth pick or skewer in the center....should come out clean. Happy baking !! Mary

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  37. Would it be okay to substitute the flour with cake flour?

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    1. Absolutely ! In-fact, because cake flour is more finely milled, it makes it possible for the cake structure to support more sugar, butter and heavier particles such as chopped nuts and of-course carrot. I hope it turns out beautifully for you ! Mary

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  38. Tasty!!!! just made it for my boyfriends dad, thanks for the recipe!

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  39. So kind of you to let me know that you enjoyed it ! It means a lot to get feedback after someone has tried a recipe !

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  40. I love this recipe! It's so delicious and moist and even my boyfriend was skeptical at first he loves the recipe too! :)
    Thanks a lot! <3

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    1. So glad you enjoyed it !! Thank you so much for letting me know. It means a lot to get feedback....especially when it's positive !! LOL

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