Carrot Cake Bake Off Recipes

Entered by Lisa Voge
Terry’s Carrot Cake (adapted from Cooking Light)
Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup grated apple

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 (8-oz) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract

Shredded carrots and pecans for decoration. Preheat oven to 350F.

To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, pecans, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. combine oil and eggs; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated carrot, pineapple, and apple into flour mixture. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan (or 12-in round pan) coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 35 mins or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Spread frosting over the top of cake. Garnish with shredded carrot and pecans if desired.


Entered by Emelina Logan
Spiced Chocolate Carrot Cake
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tablespoons finely grated orange peel
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot, about 2 medium carrots
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, 1 tablespoon of grated orange peel, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg, vegetable oil, eggs, orange juice, and chocolate. With mixer at low speed, beat just until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes longer. Stir in grated carrots, raisins, and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on rack. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with Cream Cheese Glaze, below.

Cream Cheese Glaze:
(Use this glaze for carrot cake, pound cake, or similar desserts.)
1 package (3 ounces)
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until smooth, adding a little more milk or powdered sugar, if necessary.


Entered by Michelle Cavanna
Last year for Christmas, I received this really great Baker’s Assortment Box from Penzeys Spices. Included in the box are a couple of whole nutmeg and cinnamon sticks, a bottle of Double Strength Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract, and jars of Sweet China Cassia Cinnamon, Natural High Fat Cocoa Powder, and a unique Baking spice blend of Cinnamon, Mace, Sweet Anise, and Cardamom. While this might sound like an ad for Penzeys Spices – the box is available here: http://www.penzeys.com/scstore/giftboxes/new/bakersAssortment4jar.html, by the way -- I use them in almost all of my baking now and this recipe is the perfect showcase!

Michelle’s Carrot Cake
Cake:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon (I prefer to use 2 tsp. Penzeys Spices Baking Spice + ½ tsp Penzey’s Sweet China Cassia Cinnamon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
9 oz. crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
3 1/2 oz. coconut (I used about 6oz.)
2 cups grated carrots

Beat together sugar and eggs in large bowl. Combine dry ingredients. Combine buttermilk and oil. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to eggs alternately (begin and end with dry). Beat until well combined. Stir in carrots, pineapple, nuts, and coconut.
Bake 350 degrees in 9 X 12 greased and floured pan for 40-45 minutes

Cream Cheese Icing:
8 oz. cream cheese
½ cup (1 stick) margarine
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat all ingredients together until smooth.


Entered by Margaret Hwang
Carrot Cupcakes
(by Judy Laumets with adaptations by Margaret Travis and Margaret Hwang)
Cake
2 cups sifted all-purpose unbleached flour
2 cups extra fine bakers' sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1½ cups Wesson Oil
4 beaten extra large organic eggs
3 cups grated organic carrots

Mix dry ingredients together. Add oil and beaten eggs. Fold in the grated carrots. Divide batter into 24 individually lined muffin tins. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Filling and Frosting
½ cup softened butter
8 ounce package softened cream cheese
1 cup chopped pecans (toasted first to bring out flavor)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 vanilla bean (scrape out seeds from bean)
3/4 box of powdered sugar, sifted (to taste)

Beat butter and cream cheese together. Add other ingredients and mix. If too thick, soften with a little half and half or milk so the frosting does not tear the cupcakes. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled otherwise you will have a cream cheese milkshake on your hands!


Entered by Jennifer Trotter
This carrot cake is vegan and contains no commercial egg replacer. I’ve refrained from adding nuts or dried fruits but a half cup each of walnuts and raisins, or coconut flake and macadamia, or pecans and dried cranberries would be interesting additions. This is my first foray into vegan baking and overall I’m pleased with how it turned out – even more so because it didn’t require egg replacer. I was not as pleased with the frosting – not sure how to improve the texture, it might require some research and test batches, um. . . yeah, testing –THAT’s why there are 14 batches of frosting in the kitchen.

Simple (Vegan) Carrot Cake
Cake:
2 cups finely shredded carrot
1 ¾ turbinado sugar
1 cup crushed pineapple drained
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup molasses
2 teaspoons each cinnamon and nutmeg
½ teaspoon cardamom
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 13x9 baking pan.
Combine carrot, sugar, pineapple, oil, molasses, spices, and vanilla. Beat until well combined.
In a separate bowl stir together flours, baking soda and baking powder. Add flour mixture to carrot mixture and beat until well combined. Batter should be thick but pourable. Add extra pineapple juice if to dry.
Pour into prepared baking pan and bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Cool completely and ice with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
½ cup Earth Balance margarine
6 oz Tofutti Cream Cheese
3 cups powdered sugar (recommend
1-2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon vinegar

Beat together all ingredients. Adjust for desired consistency – more sugar to thicken, non-dairy milk to thin.