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I have been neglecting this blog. With winter coming, there’s a ton to do and not nearly enough time to get it done. I have been cooking away, but I’ve taken very few pictures of my foodstuffs. A few end product pictures here and there [I will get those up soon!], but first I wanted to post this cake. This beautiful, sweet [but not too sweet!], moist, decadent, delicious carrot cake. Everyone in the house loves it, even the picky few who proclaim their hatred for carrot cake. This cake is so good that you’ll wonder why you ever wasted your time making any other cake. This cake will bring tears to your eyes. Okay, maybe not, but it is good. Really good. I use honey in this recipe, but you can use sugar if you like, some people don’t like honey. I love it so I use it as often as I can. This is my current favorite. This honey is glorious!
I am including measurements for both here.
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour [You can use whole wheat if you like. I have. It’s delicious]
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 cup honey or 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar or maple sugar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil [You can use vegetable oil or olive oil if you like] or 3/4 cups if you’re using sugar instead of honey
1/2 cup buttermilk or 3/4 cups if using sugar instead of honey
2 1/2 cups grated carrots [Igrate mine into a colander lined with paper towels, and then wrap them up and let them sit for about a half hour to absorb some of the moisture]
1 and 1/2 cups very well drained crushed pineapple
1 cup grated coconut [optional]
1 cup chopped walnuts [optional]
1 cup raisins [soaked to plump and well drained]
Frosting recipe:
8 ounces cream cheese
5 Tbsp. butter [room temp.]
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is the desired consistency. Some people like their frosting a little looser, some more on the stiff side. Make it to your liking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. butter and flour your cake pans [i used 2 8 inch round]. you can use whichever pan you like, baking times for a bundt or tube pan will obviously be longer and if you make cupcakes, cut baking time accordingly.
Process:
combine dry ingredients into a bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together eggs, sugars [honey too if using], oil and buttermilk.
With a rubber spatula stir carrots, pineapple, and coconut into wet mixture.
Fold in dry ingredients. DO NOT OVERMIX! I cannot stress this enough. I will never understand why people want to beat the hell out of cake batter. Anywhoo, fold in the dry stuff, then stir in the nuts and raisins.
Pour into your prepared pans and bake for about an hour [I had to bake mine about 15 minutes longer, my oven just doesn’t seem to get as hot as my old one] or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If it takes longer, don’t get frustrated. This is a dense cake with a lot going on, it takes time! Don’t despair! I promise you, it is worth it. Once cake is cool, frost with cream cheese frosting and enjoy!
I hope you try it and I hope that you love it as much as we do.