This is the second time in 3 weeks I've had people try samples of my carrot cake, (Sylvia Weinstock's carrot cake, actually--and I'd say SHE's a pretty good authority!), and both of them have been like, "eh, I don't really care for it."



What?

The gal who ordered the last sample for a friend said it was the most perfect carrot cake she's ever had, but her friend said "eh, no thanks".

whatEVER

If you have a good scratch recipe for carrot cake, I'd love to hear it. I've looked at the recipes on here already and might try one, but I'd like to hear other ideas.

Thanks. ( )

Here is the one that I use all the time, LOVE IT!

http://cake.allrecipes.com/az/BstCrrtCkEvr.asp

Mrs Missey, I have this recipe too but haven't had the chance to try it yet. I have seen the reviews from the site and it's positive. I just want your input 'cause I want to pull out this recipe for my next carrot cake.

Southern Livings recipe is rather famously good.

http://food.southernliving.com/southern/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=426338

Below is my recipe, which has won local awards repeatedly. But it is very sweet and rich. I wouldn't reccomeend serving it with a sugary crusting buttercream, only the tangy creamcheese icing below.

1. c toasted pecans
3 C. AP flour
3C. sugar
1 T. Baking Soda
1 t. salt
1 T ground cinnamon
1/2 nutmeg
1 1/2 c. sweetened coconut
4 large eggs
2 T. Vanilla
11/2 c. canola (or vegetable) oil
11/2 c. shredded carrots
11/2c. crushed canned pineapple in its own juice drained
1/2 c. Coco Lopez.

blend dry ingreidents together in KA. Add wet ingredients beat for 2 minutes until combined Bake at 350 ( 325 for larger pans)



icing

3 pkg cream cheese

11/3 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c coco lopez
1/2 t. salt


beat until fluffy

I also use a recipe from allrecipes.com, but it is called Carrot Cake Deluxe. It is to die for.

King arthurs website has a great one. Go to Kingarthurflour.com and you should be able to find it under their recipes.

I really like the Carrot Cake X in the recipe section. It is very dense but was a well blended flavor

great info

Thanks everyone. I'll have to try some of these ideas.

Unfortunately I need one with no coconut, pineapple or nuts, too, so that limits me a bit...

I'll save your info and try them.

Grr I HATE when I feel like "back to the drawing table", especially when I'm using a recipe that *I* love--I think Weinstock's carrot is just about perfect...! But they've both actually used the words "I don't care for it"...

Carrot cake with not nutd, coconut or pineapple is just glorified spice cake.

Is there any way to tactfully ask them what about the cake they disliked? I know that when I use my family and friends (granted, not customers...) I always force them to give me a detailed review! I know you can't really do that with a customer but what about saying..."Hmmmm.... may I ask what is was the you didn't care for so I can blah, blah, blah"? Whatever sounds good...

Or maybe that is really unprofessional - cripes, I have no idea.

I would be curious to know if they were all saying the same thing like no flavor ( may you bought a new jar of cinnamon and it was stale ) or not moist enough... I would just like to see how to fix it since it's odd for such a popular recipes to all of a sudden have an ick factor.

no idea.

Even the gal who called to tell me about it (who loved it, but her friend--whose baby shower she's planning--didn't like it), said she was stumped about it. She said she'd asked her friend to be specific, and she couldn't get more than just "Oh I don't know, I just don't care for it." She said her friend didn't like super sweet stuff, and she thought this would be perfect because it's not super sweet but is moist. She mentioned that her friend had another bakery do her wedding cake (carrot cake), and that her friend had loved that one, but that she thought it was awful (maybe just to make me feel better?). So she was like, "I feel really bad. I don't know what her problem is."

Maybe they both didn't like it. Or maybe they got cold feet about price, or who knows.

My only honest critic has been my DH (who I should mention HATES cake). He said it's good but sort of "tasteless", whatever THAT means... bland? It's got several spices in it. hmm

whatever, I guess...

Don't take it personally...... it's Sylvia Weinstocks fault!!

I have a really good carrot cake recipe that I have tweaked to give the right amount of....shoot, I just remember about the no pineapple thing. I never put nuts or raisins in my cakes but this one has crushed pineapples and applesauce. I have no idea if you could just use an additional 1/4 c. of applesauce in place of the pineapples to compensate for the moisture....I wish I understood the components of cake. Like chemistry for baking! I guess if I went to culinary school I would

This is the recipe that I've had tons of compliments on. It's Emeril's. I don't like the nuts on it, so I just omit them. I make this with a butterscotch drizzle. mmmm is it yummy.

One of the most popular recipes with our family is the easiest, but it's box. We mix one spice cake mix with a carrot cake mix, add the total amout of eggs, water, etc, no adjusting. Add either a cream cheese or cinnamon frosting (though plain bc is good). Even the scraps stay moist for days, and it has a good carrot flavor, but the spice adds a lot.

My fiance came up with this during his "let me help with the cakes" phase. He's now official taster, frosting maker, and dishwasher, and those are his permanent positions. Crumb-coating is a sometimes thing, but decorating - ALL MINE! Oh, yeah, and he gets to tell me how pretty the ugly ones are.

guess i forgot to add the recipe:

3 sticks, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
Pecan Cream Cheese Icing:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped toasted pecans


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter 3 (9-inch) cake pans with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, and beat. In a medium bowl or on a piece of parchment, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating well after the addition of each. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts. Divide between the 3 cake pans and bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool.

For the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and pecans.