Carrot Cake (Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed., pg. 176).
My father's favorite cake was Carrot Cake and my mother made it often and always on his birthday. I could not find my mother's recipe. While searching, I kept coming across recipes that had pineapple and hers did not have that. Maida to the rescue! She actually has several different Carrot Cake recipes but this is the one that I remember.
I decided to make this as a loaf cake so that it would be easy to share. I don't believe it made any difference in taste and it made two loaves. I also used pecans instead of walnuts. The cake is very, very moist and delicious. Of course, the icing is arguably the best thing about the cake!
The recipe calls for corn oil but you can use vegetable or saffron oil.
Cake
1 cup dark raisins
4 cups shredded carrots, firmly packed
2 cups minus 2 TBS. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/4 cups corn oil
1 1/2 cups walnuts, cut into medium-sized pieces
Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare three 9 inch cake pans (or you can use 2 loaf pans like I did) by buttering them and lining them with parchment paper. Dust with fine bread crumbs.
Steam the raisins (or you can let them soak in warm water for 5-10 minutes). Dry them on a paper towel.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder. Set aside.
Place the eggs in a mixing bowl and mix or whisk just enough to mix. Beat in the vanilla, both sugars and the oil. On low speed, add the dry ingredients. Stir in the carrots and the nuts.
Divide the batter among the pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Remove from the oven and let it stand for about 2-3 minutes before turning them out. Allow the cake to cool completely. Freeze the cake for at least one hour or overnight before frosting it.
Cream Cheese Icing
16 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese (at room temperature)
4 ounces unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
Beat the cream cheese and the butter until soft and smooth. Beat in the vanilla and sugar until smooth.
If you making a layer cake, apply the frosting between the layers as well as around the sides.
This frosting is one of the best things on earth!
(She also recommends decorating the cake with marzipan carrots and provides a recipe for them but I have not done this.)
5 comments:
Phillip, this looks so moist and delicious, I must make it. I have a couple of questions:
1. Were the two pans you used 9x5x3 inches?
2. Does the baking time of 35-40 minutes refer to the 9-in. round cake pans or to the loaf pans you used?
Thanks very much. I love your blog.
Yes, they were 9 x 5 x 3 pans. The baking time is for the round cake pans and it took a few minutes longer (45-50 minutes) for the loaf pans.
Phillip:
How long will Maida Heatter's Pecan Squares Americana keep? How to store them?
Thank you for replying.
Will this work without nuts? Could it be too moist? Should l add something? It's a great cake...but now someone's allergic to nuts and l really want to make it.
The nuts will add texture. I don't believe their absence would affect the moisture of the cake. I've read that oatmeal or granola could be used instead of nuts. Let me know how it turns out.
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