How To Make the Best Carrot Cake (2024)

FAQs

Is butter or oil better for carrot cake? ›

Is it better to use butter oil in carrot cake? Normally I'm all about the butter, baby. But when it comes to homemade cakes, oil is typically the better choice. Vegetable oil produces a more moist, tender cake than butter.

It's true that carrots are the star of the show, but aim for finely grated pieces rather than chunky. The finer you grate the carrots, the more evenly they will be distributed throughout the cake (for the perfect texture), and the more evenly the cake and the carrots will bake.

With its mellow carrot sweetness, warm notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, and rich, tangy frosting, carrot cake is simply irresistible. This traditional carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is one of our favorites.

Carrot cake is oil-based, rather than butter-based. This keeps it moist and helps it last for days.

Why does oil give cake superior texture? Butter is 18% water, so when the batter is baked, some of its liquid evaporates. Replacing the water from the butter with oil means there's more fat left in the cakes to ensure tenderness.

The best way to grate carrots for carrot cake is using the small shredding side of a box grater. This will produce small shreds of carrot, which is perfect for baking. Bonus: this method uses basic kitchen tools that you probably already have on hand and doesn't require you to wash a ton of equipment.

When a cake is wet in the middle it is because the edges have cooked faster than the centre. This happens because of the way the cake cooks naturally in the tin – the sides of the cake tin heat up first.

and you'll want to trim off the stems and then peel them using a vegetable peeler. then using the fine shred side of your box grader. scrape the carrot down the box grader. to get nice fine moist little shavings that are perfect for baking. alternatively you can use the small shredding side of your food processor.

Pecans are the Southern choice, but walnuts are delicious, too. Whichever you use, make sure to toast the nuts before adding them into the batter to maximize their flavor. Flour: All-purpose flour provides the right texture and density. Baking soda: This leavener helps the cake layers to rise into a fluffy cake.

Pecans and Raisins: These add texture, but they are optional.

What is the green stuff in carrot cake? ›

Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking, explains that carrots turn green when the batter “contains too much baking soda, or when the soda isn't evenly mixed in the batter.” Carrots contain pigments that are sensitive to changes in pH balance.

Refrigerator: If you have cream cheese frosting on your homemade carrot cake, it's best to refrigerate it. A carrot cake with cream cheese frosting can last in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Make sure to keep it in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap to maintain its quality.

Carrot cake (also known as passion cake) is cake that contains carrots mixed into the batter.

Freshly made carrot cake explodes with flavor. It's bursting with an array of flavorful nuts and delicious crunch. All that rich, moist and chewy goodness is topped off with soft gooey cream cheese frosting bursting with vanilla and maybe a hint of rum.

Butter substitute for baking

Most cake mixes call for oil, but butter will bring in amazing flavor. To substitute butter for oil in baking just melt the butter, measure it, let it cool, and add it as you would the oil. Compared to oil, butter will create a cake with a firmer, cakeier texture.

It depends on the recipe. Oil can result in a moister cake, it makes better salad dressing and works best in marinades. Anyhoo, I noticed on the back of the new Betty Crocker cake mixes that there is an option to make them with oil and water, instead of the butter and milk.

If your carrots are turning green every time you make the recipe, the ratio of baking soda in the recipe is probably off. Try reducing the amount by a quarter teaspoon next time you make the recipe.

Home bakers, too, increasingly are foregoing the butter and baking cakes, tortes, brownies and more with olive oil. Swapping olive oil for butter cuts saturated fat. Plus, good olive oil adds a wonderful, nuanced flavor to baked goods and keeps them moist.