The Best-Ever Carrot Cake Recipe

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 38 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #141 in Food, #2,423 overall

Carrot Cake Counts As A Serving of Vegetables!

Carrot Cake. WOW. Why should you eat carrot cake? How about because they are a great source of fiber, vitamins, nuts and other nutrients? How about just because they are delicious!!!

I didn't know I loved carrot cake until I made this delicious recipe from Fulton's Pancake House in Ottawa, Ontario. I am not a professional baker, so mine is not always as pretty as the one shown in this picture but it is always delicious, and nutritious and devoured by my family.

Does carrot cake really count as a serving of vegetables? I have no idea; let's just agree to think that it does! You should, however, be aware of the carrots you use when you make your cake. Use either large carrots (they are the most economical) or if you use baby carrots, make sure that are not cut-baby carrots. For all the details on the Baby Carrot controversy, be sure to read Baby Carrots ~~ When Is A Carrot Not A Carrot. If you love carrots, you might also enjoy the page I created called Carrot Jokes ~~ A Bright Orange Lensography or the one called The Carrots Had A Photo Fight Tonight which contains a bit more information about the carrot and a host of gorgeous photos of this humble but versatile vegetable.

"Vegetables are a must in a diet.
I suggest carrot cake,
zucchini bread
and pumpkin pie."

-- Jim Davis

Do you like carrot cake? 

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Fulton's Best-Ever Carrot Cake With Maple Icing 

You're going to love this one!

Fulton's Pancake House & Sugar Bush is a maple syrup farm located just outside of Ottawa, Ontario in Canada. Every year they have activities available during the spring running of the sap. The sap harvested from the Maple tree, in case you do not know it, is what they use to make maple syrup.

They also have a pancake house where you can buy pancakes and other related items. The pancakes are always delicious so I was thrilled to find this recipe printed in the Ottawa Citizen one year. Since then, it has become 'my' carrot cake recipe. We love it!

This cake serves 10 to 12 people.

Cake Ingredients:
  • Oil and flour to grease a 10-inch tube or angel food cake pan
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached if possible
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated maple sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup sour milk
  • 2 cups grated carrots
  • 1 1/2 cups crushed, well-drained pineapple
  • 1 cup grated coconut (optional)

 

Ingredients For The Maple Icing:
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 8 ounces or 225 grams of cream cheese
  • 2 teaspoons of maple syrup
  • 3 cups of icing sugar

 

For The Garnish:
  • Granulated maple sugar.

 

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush oil on tube pan; sprinkle with flour, knocking out excess.
  2. In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda and salt.
  3. In another large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, maple sugar, oil and sour milk. With a rubber scraper, stir in carrots, pineapple and coconut; fold in dry ingredients until well combined.
  4. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake 1 hour. Test for doneness using a toothpick inserted into the centre, which should come out clean. Remove from oven and leave cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes Use a table knife to separate cake from pan; invert onto a plate. Cool completely before spreading maple icing on the cake.
  5. For the icing, in the bowl of an electric mixer combine icing ingredients and beat until smooth and thick enough to spread on the cake. To garnish, sprinkle iced cake with maple sugar.

Tricks To Boost The Nutrition Value Of Your Carrot Cake

To give carrot cake an extra nutrition boost, use mild extra-virgin olive oil instead of vegetable oil. You can also use whole-wheat flour instead of white flour since carrot cake is a lot denser and moister than most cakes. The flour will also add a nutty flavor.

"Instead of icing it, I just spread some cream cheese on a slice. Less sugar, and just as yummy as it is sweet enough without extra icing in my opinion."

-- Cat Can Cook

Carrot cake is a great opportunity to feed your children this bright-orange, nutrition-packed vegetable! The idea of carrot cake is off putting to some children but once they have tasted it, they usually love it!

While enjoying a playdate at a friend's house, my son Ian was served up a muffin. He enjoyed it thoroughly and politely asked for another and loved it, too. When the Mom of the house asked, "Would you like another carrot muffin" he almost fell off his chair!

Only Real Vanilla Extract Will Do When You Are Making This Amazing Carrot Cake 

However, vanilla comes in several price points -- I have included an affordable one and an extravagant one! Which one is for you?



Madagascar vanilla



Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla Extract by J.R. Mushrooms and Specialties is Amazon's bestselling vanilla and purchasers give this product 5 stars and enthusiastic reviews. It is a genuine Madagascar vanilla extract that has a wonderful smell, amber color and is free of sugar or chemical sweeteners.

Click here to buy pure
Bourbon Madagascar vanilla extract from Amazon

$9.50

pure Tahitian vanilla extract



One quart of pure Tahitian Vanilla Extract double fold or double strength. This pure extract does not contain any sugar or additives and is not manufactured from grain, gluten or corn. It is 100 percent Tahitian Vanilla extract; not a blend.

Click here to buy
Pure Tahitian Vanilla Extract Double Fold from Amazon
.
$149

Maple Products are a Healthy Sugar Option 

Pure Canadian maple syrup is good for 3 years, if unopened and 1 year in the refrigerator once it is opened. Maple products can be used in cooking or baking, in coffee or tea, with hot or cold cereal, on pancakes, waffles and French toast. You can substitute it anywhere you would use sugar.

Maple products, in Canada, are available at health food stores, at the sugar bush and sometimes at stalls at farmers' markets. If you do not have access locally to maple products, you can order them directly from Amazon.



Click here to buy
Highland Sugarworks
100 percent organic, grade A dark amber maple syrup
from Amazon.

$23.18



maple sugar

Click here to buy
Brown Family Farm pure maple sugar
.
$20.68

Make The Job Easier With These Carrot Peelers And The Presto Professional SaladShooter Electric Slicer/Shredder! 

carrot peeler

Click here to buy
World Cuisine's Unusual Upright Carrot Peeler
from Amazon

$32.50


This is Amazon's top selling carrot peeler. I assume, therefore, that it is a very good one! I know that Oxo is a reliable brand.

Click here to buy the
Oxo Good Grips i-Series Swivel Peeler from Amazon
carrot peeler
$11.99

grater


My cousin Willie introduced me to the Presto SaladShooter. Every time we have to grate cheese for a recipe at his house, he pulls out this great tool. Whenever we use it to grate cheese for supper, Willie makes us grate extra for his freezer...thanks, Willie!

Anyway, I highly recommend it. I broke parts of my food processor several times when grating cheese before Willie introduced me to this item. He says that it is possible to break it but that the replacement parts are readily available from the manufacturer. Having said that, I have not managed to break mine yet! It is still going strong!

Click here to buy the
Presto Professional SaladShooter Electric Slicer/Shredder from Amazon

$43.70

Wow! Carrot Cake ~~ A YouTube Video 

This young man's carrot cake recipe has been in the family for 100 years!

 

Carrot Cake Recipe

 

powered by YouTube

Orange KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer 

These mixers are available in a wide range of colors so go ahead, match your kitchen or your carrot cake!

kitchenaid mixer



Now here is a fun mixer! This one is a bright orange, carrot-colored Kitchenaid unit. Of course you know that this mixer comes in an assortment of colors and that it is a phenomenal piece of kitchen equipment. People who have this mixer rave about its quality and durability. If you buy one, I am sure you will have no regrets as this one should last a lifetime.

To read more about the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer click here. This model, the Artisan, is one of the more expensive Kitchenaid mixers and reatils for $282.51. There are, however, less expensive versions available.

Chicago Professional 2-Piece Angel Food Cake Pan 

Is your angel food pan worthy of this carrot cake?

carrot cake angelfood cake pan



Chicago metallic professional 2-piece angel food cake pan with feet. It is heavy weight for durability and strength, features superior heat conduction and has a resist-plus non-stick coating for easy release and quick clean-up. Dishwasher safe. To buy this great Chicago pan for $20.99 from Amazon, click here.

If You Want To Take The Easy Way Out, Use These To Decorate Your Carrot Cake 

You can click on any of the following pictures to purchase these decorations for your carrot cake directly from Amazon.

carrot cake decorations
$2.49

carrot cake decorations
$6.48

carrot cake decorations
$2.49

My Carrot Writings ~~ Baby Carrots came first, then Carrot Cake and finally, the Carrot Photo Fight! 

Fulton's Pancake House 

Fulton's - 4 Season Destination in Pakenham, near Ottawa, Ontario
The recipe on this page is from Fulton's. They produce maple products like those used on this page in the Maple Syrup capital of Ontario on the fringe of Ottawa, Canada's captital city.

Carrot Cake Recipes in the News! 

Looking For
The recipe was published in the April 22 column. Jessy Rutz of Bethlehem is looking for a recipe for Carrot Cake Roll. ''The same as a pumpkin roll but made ...
Two South Shore women answer the call for tasty, gluten-free baked ...
Her favorite recipe is for gluten-free, dairy-free carrot cake. ?When I give that cake to people who are not on a gluten-free diet, they say it's the best ...
Wonderful carrot cake
I strongly suggest giving a go at carrot cake the next time you have an itch to try something new. The recipes go together very easy and the payoff is well ...

Of Course, You Can Always Take A Shortcut and Order Your Carrot Cake From Grandma Olesen Through Amazon! 

Or Buy a Carrot Cake Mix! 

carrot cake
Clever Carrot Cake Mix comes wrapped in a beautiful flour sack towel. A lovely gift!
Click here to order it from Amazon!
$19

People are blogging about their carrot cake! 

Couture Cupcakes: Contender for best carrot cake recipe ever
I can not recommend this carrot cake recipe that I stumbled upon in this issue of Coles Magazine enough. Everyone I know who has tasted it has helped themselves to at least 2 slice whenever I have baked it. Here is the recipe from the ...
Upside-Down Pineapple-Raisin-Carrot Cake | The Online Recipe Book
Upside-Down Pineapple-Raisin-Carrot Cake. ... Upside-Down Pineapple-Raisin-Carrot Cake. July 4th, 2009. Goto comments Leave a comment. 1 c Raisins,seedless. 1 cn Pineapple,sliced; 20 oz. 1/2 c Brown sugar; packed. 1/2 c Margarine ...
bakebakebake: Carrot Cake!!
Yummy Carrot Cake that makes you feel so so so healthy in all its nuttiness! I baked this for my mum for Mother's Day. And to all you mums out there! Happy Mother's Day! Cooking up a Dream: For more pictures and other recipes ...

How About A Little Carrot Cake Murder??? 

Sounds tasty...

carrot cake murder



Or perhaps a little Carrot Cake Murder sounds good to you? Click here to buy Carrot Cake Murder, a Hannah Swensen Mystery, from Amazon. Wouldn't this book make a great gift combined with a carrot cake or a carrot cake mix?

A Quick and Easy Way To Scent Your Home With Carrot Cake... 

carrot cake melts



"An unbelievably scrumptious and mouth-watering fresh from the oven smell! You'll want to run out and buy the real thing!" These Carrot Cake Melts by Mia Melt are great for simmering and scenting your home. To purchase them from Amazon, click here.

What's your favorite kind of cake? 

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Yes, You Can Even Shower With The Scent of Carrot Cake... 

Although I am not sure how I feel about smelling like a cake.

carrot cake shower gel



Apparently this shower gel was inspired by an award-winning entry into a Good Housekeeping Magazine contest, to create your own shower gel recipe. This product is a gel, shampoo and a bubble bath and Amazon says that it "is so true to the smell of a freshly baked carrot cake, you can actually smell the cream cheese frosting." and that "you need this product if: you want to start your day with a smile, you love a rich foaming lather and you want to indulge without the calories! Click here to check out Philosophy Carrot Cake Shower Gel.

Carrot Cake Bunny, By Gund 

carrot cake rabbit bunny



Soft and cuddly, Carrot Cake Bunny is about 17 inches tall and has a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting recipe on the tag! Click here to buy Carrot Cake from Amazon.

A Couple of Carrot Links To Follow For More Information 

Carrot Recipes
A collection of recipes with Carrot Recipes as the primary ingredient.
Healthy Carrot Cake
So, do try your hand at making a carrot cake as the recipes are a dime a dozen in cookbooks and you can also source recipes online.
Martha Stewart.com
John Barricelli's Carrot Cake at Martha Stewart's website.
The Joy of Baking
Moist and flavorful with grated carrots and apples it is frosted with a delicious cream cheese frosting.
BBC Good Food
The lightest and most enticingly moist carrot cake you will ever come across - just find a good hiding place for it!
Paul Deen's Carrot Cake on The Food Network
Paula Deen's Sweet Baby Jack Carrot Cake from the Food Network and Paula's Party.
Giada De Laurentiis's Carrot Cake on The Food Network
Giada De Laurentiis's Parma-style Carrot Cake from the Food Network and Everyday Italian.
Barefoot Contessa's Carrot Cake on The Food Network
Barefoot Contessa's Carrot Cake Cupcakes from Barefoot Contessa's Parties on The Food Network.
Healthy Cakes - How to Adapt Recipes and Enjoy Healthy Cakes
Here is an excellent blog about making healthy cakes. If you do not make them yourself, you just never know what might be in them...including unhealthy fats and additives. Elizabeth Martyn gives a great number of suggestions to make your cakes healthy.

'Carrot Cake Counts As A Serving of Vegetables' T-Shirts For The Carrot Cake Lover In Your Life 

The Best-Ever Carrot Cake Recipe was thrilled to be featured on Cabaret Squidoo in November, 2008!

Follow These Links To My Other 'Best-Ever' Recipe Pages! 

Or This One To See My ALL of My Best-Ever Recipes  

Or This Link To My Complete Easter Dinner Menu Plan 

(Yes, it includes The Best-Ever Carrot Cake!)

 

Photobucket

Enjoying Your Carrot Cake? 

Thanks for reading my page! I'm so glad we had this time for a cup of tea and a piece of cake...let me know what you think of my page; I'll be thrilled to hear from you!

mbgphoto wrote...

I love carrot cake but I've never made it. I'll have to give this recipe a try. 5*
Thanks for sharing.

ReplyPosted June 29, 2009

Heather426 wrote...

My husband loves, loves, loves carrot cake so I will make it for him...5*

ReplyPosted May 04, 2009

annetteghallowell wrote...

Carrot Cake is my all time favorite! I will have to try this out soon!

ReplyPosted May 04, 2009

C-Joy wrote...

I really like carrot cake - but alas, I'm allergic to tree nuts so I'm not always able to enjoy a slice! Tasty lens :)

ReplyPosted May 02, 2009

ottoblotto wrote...

The last time my daughter and I made a carrot cake, it was so heavy we almost needed a dolly to get it to the table. I'll have to try your recipe next time. 5*

And grateful thanks for the blessing.

ReplyPosted April 28, 2009

 
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Now Here Is A Unique Way To Slice Your Carrots From WMF Grand Gourmet's Knife Advertising Campaign 

Create a Lens!