I often see recipes that say "best carrot cake recipe". I'm not sure there is really a 'best" recipe, however depending on what you add to the recipe I've tasted many variations of carrot cake.
Some folks grate the carrots. I do not like carrot pieces in carrot cake and so I run the carrots through the food processor, which leaves me tiny pieces of carrot. You don't want to puree the carrots, but tiny pieces is what I've found offers the best texture when making carrot cake.
The amount of carrots you put into a carrot cake will affect both the texture and the taste of the cake. I've seen recipes calling for as little as 2 cups of grated carrots and I've seen recipes calling for as much as 6 cups of grated carrots. The recipe I use most often calls for 3 cups of carrots.
If you add raisins, this too will give your cake a different flavor. Raisins add an additional sweetness to the cake. My kids do not care for raisins, so I always use the maximum amount of sugar called for.
Here is a very basic carrot cake recipe:
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sift together in a large bowl the sugar, flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the oil and mix well. Add the eggs, one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add carrots, nuts and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Pour into a floured and greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch cake pan. Bake in a 350º oven for 30 minutes. Cool in pan. Frost when cooled.
Here is a very different recipe, adding pineapple and coconut to your basic carrot cake recipe. These two additions give the cake a very unique flavor:
2 ¾ cups grated carrots
2 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
1 ½ cups oil
1 cup flaked coconut
¾ cup chopped walnuts (I always say nuts are optional)
4 eggs
1 - 8 ounce can crushed pineapple (drain)
2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Mix together, in a small bowl, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, mix together, the sugar, oil and eggs. Add in flour mixture, mixing well. Add in carrots, pineapple, nuts and coconut and mix thoroughly. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 cake pan. Bake in a 325º oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until middle is done. Allow to cool before frosting.
Try different recipes until you find a texture and flavor you and your family enjoy. Bon Appetite!!
