Carrot cake recipe without cream cheese

[Susanwusan]

Hi, I'm having difficulty finding a yummy carrot cake that is not layered with cream cheese (on what planet did that start?), or layered at all.  I'm sure that years ago, in the UK anyway, a carrot cake was a cake, possibly with a topping, but no layers.  I've never taken to the vegetable and cheese sandwich version. 

[liuzhou]

Delia is somewhat out of fashion, but still reliable and British.

 

https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/waist-watchers/low-fat-moist-carrot-cake

[AAQuesada]

36 minutes ago, Susanwusan said:

layered with cream cheese (on what planet did that start?),

 

lol, I'm guessing that came from on of your former colonies (not naming names

[pastrygirl]

It's totally acceptable to use a different or no frosting/icing.  You do you.  Except for raisins, don't do raisins.  😜😂

[Pete Fred]

The last time I made a carrot cake it was a Stella Parks recipe...

 

 

I have no idea why it's so dark. I don't remember changing anything in the recipe. Anyway, it was good. I also tried steaming one, which was more moist, if that floats your boat...

 

 

I like Pierre Hermé's take on carrot cake. It works well without a frosting. Like a lot of French cakes he uses plenty of ground (powdered) nuts for a soft, moist texture. Hit me up if you have translation issues.

 

I also like the Rose Bakery carrot cake. It's not as heavy as a lot of recipes. They make it individual moulds in the shop, which looks cute.

 

No matter which carrot cake I make, I always use the Rose Bakery topping. It's really good. I'm not sure if it will make a convert of you, but maybe whip up a small amount and have a taste. It's not achingly sweet like most.

[Alex]

Here's a really good gluten-free recipe; just omit the frosting. I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 flour, which already contains xanthan gum.

 

https://theloopywhisk.com/2023/03/19/easy-gluten-free-carrot-cake/

[Susanwusan]

Thanks.  I'll try the large Rose Bakery one first. Anna Olson does individual steamed carrot cakes.  Has anybody tried making carrot cake in a kugelhopf/bundt tin?

[JeanneCake]

The silver palate cookbook  has an excellent carrot cake recipe; it uses cooked, pureed carrots instead of grated/shredded carrots. We have won awards and first place finishes in competitions with this recipe.  You can leave out the nuts (there's no raisins/sultanas, those don't belong in carrot cake LOL!!) but there is crushed, well drained pineapple in it.  The pineapple isn't noticeable, it lends more moisture to the cake.  It also has shredded coconut in it, which you can grind a little more finely in a food processor if you want, or leave it out. Don't use desiccated coconut (sometimes called macaroon coconut), it's too dry.

 

edited to add: yes, if your recipe doesn't include things like nuts, raisins, using a bundt pan is fine.  Take care to grease it well, so the cake doesn't stick in the grooves.

Edited January 21 by JeanneCake (log)

[Pete Fred]

On 1/21/2024 at 2:35 PM, JeanneCake said:

The silver palate cookbook  has an excellent carrot cake recipe; it uses cooked, pureed carrots.

 

In her latest podcast (around 19m20s), Nancy Silverton talks about "revolutionizing" carrot cakes by, errrrr, using this exact method. I don't have her book so can't comment on whether the revolution also includes pineapple and coconut. 😉