Carrot Cake recipes from the CLBB? (3,963 views)

I am still looking and I hope other folks will, too. As I understand it, Valchemist also posted recipes at the Southern Living forum using the name Frosty. Could the thing Val was doing testing carrot cake recipes have been over at the So Liv forum? I'm hoping somebody finds those carrot cakes!!

I saved the entire thread on a pdf files. I can try to attach them if allowed. I thought I saved all those recipes in MasterCook, but I am not seeing them right now. They could be on my other laptop, but I have a dentist appt soon so I can try to find them later on.

I can post the recipes here from the pdf files.   I will post her intro and then the recipes and notes in separate posts.   If anyone wants the entire pdf, I can send it via email


Just note there are weird symbols that appear her are in the pdf files. I think the are mainly subs for an ' (apostrophe).  I am just cutting and pasting, so any typos or other errors were there from the original.

Posted by valchemist, May 17, 2003

The Great Carrot Cake Experiment

Get ready for a long post. Grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable. This is going to take a while.
I tried 13 different carrot cakes over the course of quite a long period of time. I did side by side tests for some, but for others I just kept notes. This
isn􀬛t a scientific study since my notes aren􀬛t as detailed as they could have been, and since my memory isn􀬛t perfect, and since taste is such a
subjective thing.

One note before getting started: I left out the nuts and raisins in any recipe that called for them since my goal here was to try to compare the
flavor/texture of the carrot cakes themselves. I didn􀬛t want the nuts and raisins to get in the way of that. I also tasted all of the cakes without frosting
for the same reason.

The Grand Prize went to Mrs. Field􀬛s Carrot Cake posted by Anna on the BB. I thought the taste and texture of this cake were top notch. (You
will be able to read my notes at the end of each recipe posted below.)

The First Prize winner was Paul􀬛s Carrot Cake posted by Peggy on the BB. This Cake was very similar to the Cracker Barrel Cake, but
better overall. Better taste and texture.

There was a three way tie for Second Prize the
Best Carrot Cake Ever (from allrecipes.com) and the Cook􀬛s Illustrated Carrot Cake from
1998 were very similar in that they used a lot more carrots than all the other recipes. They also called for letting the shredded carrots sit in sugar for
a while before being added to the batter which I thought was interesting. Also winning Second Prize was the Canadian Living Carrot Cake (posted
by Erika). This one was different from the two other second prize winners in texture and taste. It had a bit of a tighter crumb, but it wasn􀬛t too dense. It
had a great level of spices, I though. A bit better than the other two Second Prize winners.

There was a tie for Third Prize, too. The Cook􀬛s Illustrated Simple Carrot Cake from 2003 and the Darling Carrot Cake from Joy of Cooking
were very similar in taste and texture. I liked the texture of both, but the taste could have been better with more spices and/or carrots or pineapple.
They were very good though.

Jim Fobel􀬛s Carrot Cake (from Classic Home Desserts) seemed interesting enough for me to try since it had both butter and oil in the batter. But
this combination didn􀬛t seem to make the cake any better than the others. It was good, but not quite as moist as I like my carrot cakes to be.

Sam􀬛s Famous Carrot Cake was also similar to one that is on the Souther Living website. It is lower in fat because it uses buttermilk. I thought it
was good, but too moist and too dense, overall.

I also tried three very good carrot cakes which were a little bit too different to even be compared with the standard carrot cakes. I loved a Bourbon
Carrot Cake recipe that I found, but the taste and texture were not nearly the same as a standard carrot cake. I also really enjoyed the Wheat
Germ Carrot Cake I tried. It had a great wholesome taste and texture 􀬛 it didn􀬛t taste like wheat germ and it didn􀬛t taste 􀬛healthy􀬛 in a bad
sense. It was yummy 􀬛 almost more like a breakfast bread/cake rather than a dessert. Finally, I tried the Cake Mix Doctor version of Carrot
Cake. It was very good. it was sweeter and definitely had a cakemixy
taste. I like cake mixes, though, so that wasn't a problem for me.

My mom and dad and my sister helped in part of the side by side test. They only tasted 6 kinds, though. They tasted the following: the Best Ever, the
1998 Cook􀬛s Illustrated, the Darling Cake, Paul􀬛s Carrot Cake, the Wheat Germ Cake, and the Cake Mix Doctor Cake. Mom liked the Best Ever one
the best with Cook's Illustrated coming in as a very close second. She like Paul's a lot too, though. She thinks the Best Ever cake would have been
even better if I had made it with the pineapple, as directed. I agree with her. Lisa and Dad liked Paul􀬛s carrot cake the best.

So that􀬛s it. There were no losers. They were all good. Some better than others and some just plain different. Here are all the recipes with individual
notes for each one.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Cracker Barrel Carrot Cake
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts
Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation
Method
3/4 c Finely chopped English walnuts
2 c Finely shredded carrots
1 c Crushed pineapple (8oz can with juice)
1/2 c Finely shredded coconut
1/2 c Raisins that have been soaked in water
until plump and then drained
1 1/4 c Vegetable oil
1 1/2 c Sugar
1/2 c Brown sugar
3 Eggs
3 c Flour
2 tsp Baking powder
2 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 tsp Ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ground cloves
1/2 tsp Salt
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz Cream cheese
1/2 c butter at
room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
2 c Powdered sugar
1/2 c Chopped pecans for garnish

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and
cloves. Set aside. In a large bowl mix with beater oil, sugars, vanilla and
eggs until smooth and fluffy. Add pineapple, walnuts, coconut, carrots, and
raisins and blend well. Gradually add flour mixture a half at a time until
blended through.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 9"x13" pan and bake at 350 for about
4050
min. Test with toothpick for doneness. When cool frost with cream
cheese frosting.
Blend cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and a little
powder sugar at a time until all has been blend well. Turn mixer on high
and beat until frosting is light and fluffy. Spread frosting over the cooled
cake and sprinkle with pecans.
Per
Serving (excluding unknown items): 511 Calories; 29g Fat (50.7% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 59g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 59mg
Cholesterol; 360mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 5 1/2 Fat; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : Very similar to Paul􀬛s Carrot Cake, but I think Paul􀬛s is a bit better overall. I really liked the spice level in this cake (similar to Paul􀬛s).
The texture was very good. there was a nice crumb to it and it wasn't too moist. I liked the texture/taste of the Mrs. Fields carrot cake a little better, I
think. I left out the nuts and raisins and I used one full cup of coconut.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Best Carrot Cake Ever
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cakes Desserts
Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation
Method
6 cups grated carrots
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup crushed pineapple drained
3 cups allpurpose
flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 In a medium bowl, combine grated carrots and brown sugar. Set aside for 60 minutes, then stir in raisins.
2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 10 inch cake pans.
3 In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Gradually beat in the white sugar, oil and vanilla. Stir in the pineapple. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and
cinnamon, stir into the wet mixture until absorbed. Finally stir in the carrot mixture and the walnuts. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
4 Bake for 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. When
completely cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting.
Source:
"allrecipes.com"
NOTES : a similar recipe to the Cooks Illustrated one (jan/feb 1998). I made the two of them side by side and they were indeed quite similar. I liked that
both of the recipes had lots of carrots. It wasn't an overwhelming amount tastewise, but it was a nice amount. The cakes were quite dense, but not too
moist. Similar to the Canadian living recipe in texture. Just had more carrots. I think the canadian living one seemed to have a bigger cinnamon taste. I
would add nutmeg and maybe allspice or cloves to this. I left out the pineapple, nuts, and raisins because I wanted to really compare it to the similar
Cook's Illustrated recipe and I thought that throwing the pineapple in wouldn't allow me to really compare the taste of the two. The main difference
between the Cook's recipe and this one was that the Cook's recipe had butter. But even in a side by side test, the butter taste was barely (if at all)
detectable. Both cakes were great, but I think this one might have been best. This was mom's favorite of the 6 she tasted. (She treid the wheat germ,
the cake mix doctor, paul's, and the Darling carrot cakes in addition to these two.) I baked this in two 9inch
pans and that worked fine. The cakes were
done in about 40 minutes, so watch the time well. I liked the mrs. field's cake texture/taste best of all. But this cake was very good and I would make it
again if I wanted a dense version.
" A moist and flavorful recipe that makes a large quantity of cake. I have been hounded to make this cake time and time again. "

* Exported from MasterCook *
Darling Carrot Cake
Recipe By :Renny Darling
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cake Desserts
Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation
Method
4 eggs
1 1/2 c oil
8 ozs cream cheese softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
2 c sugar
2 tsps baking powder
2 tsps cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 c grated carrots
1 c chopped walnuts
Beat eggs, oil, cream cheese, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat until well mixed. Add nuts and carrots and mix. Pour batter into a greased and
floured 9x13 pan or into 2 9inch
round cake pans. Bake at 350 for 4045
minutes (for 9x13 pan) or 3540
minutes (for round pans). Check with toothpick
for doneness.
Source:
"The Joy of Eating"
NOTES : this had a wonderful decadent texture. it was very moist without being wet. I could really tell this cake's texture was different from those made
with oil or butter. it had a cake like crumb but it wasn't at all dry or rubbery. the taste was very good, too, but I like a bit more spice. next time I would
cream the sugar with the cream cheese until well blended. (there were little clumps of cream cheese that didn't get blended in.) well, after tasting this
side by side with the Cook's Illustrated cake and the Best Ever cake, I have to say the texture wasn't all that different. And I liked the Cook's Illustrated
and the Best Ever a bit better due to the higher amount of carrots.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Jim Fobel's Carrot Cake
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cakes Desserts
Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation
Method
2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/2 c firmly packed dark or light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter softened
1 cup vegetable oil
5 eggs
3 cups coarsely shredded peeled raw carrots
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese softened
1/4 cup butter softened
3 cups confectioners sugar sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x13x2 inch baking pan. Set aside
2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, soda and cinnamon. Set aside also.
3. Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter in large mixer bowl at medium speed until wellblended.
Add oil and beat until smooth. Add eggs one
at a time.
4. Add sifted dry ingredients and beat just enough to blend. By hand, mix in carrots and walnuts. Batter will be thick.
5. Spoon batter into pan, smooth to edges. Bake 50 to 60 minutes until springy to touch.
6. Cool cake in pan. Frost
Source:
"Classic Home Desserts"
NOTES : the texture wasn't moist enough for me. a bit too cakey
and not dense enough. anyway, the taste of this cake was very good, but nothing
special.

Exported from MasterCook *
Wheat Germ Carrot Cake
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cake Desserts
Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation
Method
1 1/2 c oil
2 c packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp orange peel
1 1/2 tsps vanilla
3 c grated carrots
1 1/2 c wheat germ
2 c flour
3 tsps baking powder
1 1/2 tsps salt
1 1/2 tsps cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 c raisins
3/4 c chopped pecans
Beat oil, sugar, and eggs until smooth. Add in the orange peel and vanilla. Combine wheat germ, flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a separate
bowl. Add to egg mixture and stir until combined. fold in carrots, nuts, and raisins. Turn into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 to 6070
minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove cake to a rack to finish cooling.
Per
Serving (excluding unknown items): 421 Calories; 24g Fat (49.2% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 42mg
Cholesterol; 290mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 4 1/2 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : This has a nice moist cake texture. I love the depth provided by the wheat germ. It isn't grainy at all. You can't even tell it is there by looking
at it or by the texture. You can taste a difference in the cake, but it would be hard to tell it was wheat germ. Maybe a more whole wheat type flavor. But
it doesn't taste "healthy" in a bad way. Very good cake!! But it just wasn't enough like a real carrot cake to compete with the others.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Cake Mix Doctor Carrot Cake
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cakes Desserts
Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation
Method
18 1/4 ozs yellow cake mix Duncan
Hines (no pudding in the mix)
3 3/8 ozs instant vanilla pudding mix
2/3 c fresh orange juice
1/2 c vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 tsps ground cinnamon
3 c grated carrots
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ozs cream cheese at
room temperature
8 tbsps butter at
room temperature
3 c confectioner's sugar sifted
2 tbsps fresh orange juice
1 tbsp grated orange peel
Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, cinnamon, and OJ with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue
mixing for another 2 minutes. Fold in the carrots, nuts, and raisins. Pour into 2 9inch
cake rounds that have been greased and floured. Bake 3035
minutes or until ckae starts to pull away from the edges of the pan and the cake springs back in the center when lightly touched.
For Frosting: Combine cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar, a little at a time, mixing well. Beat one minute. Add
orange juice and zest and increase the mixer speed and beat until the frosting lightens and is fluffy, 1 minute more. Use at once.
Frost the cake with the Orange Cream Cheese Icing.
Place cake in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. Cover the cake with wax paper and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Source:
"Cake Mix Doctor"
Per
Serving (excluding unknown items): 7047 Calories; 361g Fat (45.3% calories from fat); 73g Protein; 910g Carbohydrate; 23g Dietary Fiber; 1261mg
Cholesterol; 5647mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 5 1/2 Lean Meat; 7 1/2 Vegetable; 5 Fruit; 69 Fat; 52 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : this did have a box cake mix taste to it, but that wasn't a problem for me! faint orange taste. I wouldn't have known it was in there if I hadn't
been the one to make it. I thought the taste was very good. The texture was excellent, too. Similar to the Darling Cake (with cream cheese). Cakelike.
Very moist but not dense. it wasn't like a traditional carrot cake in taste. it was sweeter and definitely had a cakemixy
taste. I like cake mixes, though,
so that wasn't a problem for me. (mom thought it tasted like coconut, but that was just the cake mix that she was tasting.)

I wished I had time to copy recipes before they close the CLBB forum.SaveSave

I will for sure try some of these recipes. I love carrot cake. SaveSave

After I posted recipes from the pdf file since I couldn't find them in MC, I checked the cookbook file on my computer (not through the program) and opened up MC that way and the recipes were there. I knew I had saved them, but the actual file in MC wasn't updated for some reason. Weird.

Do you mean that the book should show up when Mastercook is open but it doesn't? Probably means that you haven't told MC to 'see' it. Try keying F5 or go to top of screen TOOLS tab...and at bottom of list that opens is Refresh File List--press that.

When we place a 'cookbook' into MC, Refresh is how we make MC 'take it in' or see it. Otherwise, like you did, you can still open cookbooks from outside the program (as we can do with any cookbook) but it's not really incorporated into MC--so it's invisible to MC otherwise.

Catbatty

wallycat, I don't have baking expertise, but I do frequently substitute maple sugar 1:1 for regular sugar in baking recipes with good results.