We need this so we're all on the same page. A friend often brings me back either Berry Berry pie or a whole Carrot Cake from Whites Farm Flea Market over in Brookville, Indiana. Amish baked by golly. Today is Carrot Cake day and I am armed with a whole one. So I'm thinking, too much, as I'm enjoying a piece, there needs to be a National Standard for Carrot Cake thickness and, how much cream cheese frosting a baker should slab on top.. . This stuff cant be good for you. If you only have a Suzy Homemaker oven and produce a 1/2" thick cake, apply 1/2" thick cream cheese frosting. A 1" Thick cake should be topped again, 1/2" thick frosting. If the cake bakes up to 2" thickness, now we're looking at 3/4" thick frosting. And if for some unknown reason, the cake comes out thick as a loaf, you can have all the cream cheese frosting you wish.. . I do believe 1/2" would be my limit.

I dont think Ive ever had a bad piece of carrot cake-just some better than others

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Originally posted by triggertreat:
I dont think Ive ever had a bad piece of carrot cake-just some better than others

Agreed.
Carrot Cake = My #1 for cakes.

My wife's isn't overly frosting-heavy, for me.

More importantly, cake must not be dry.

Every carrot cake I've had from a bakery, restaurant or store has been lousy. Most of them are spice cakes masquerading as "carrot" cake with a few token flecks of carrot in what is otherwise a spice cake. BLECH.

I make a super-moist carrot cake that my family and relatives LOVE. The secret, along with a shit-ton of grated (not chopped, never chopped!) carrot is crushed pineapple, flaked coconut and golden and black raisins that have been plumped in hot rum. It's crazy good!

Agree with above - I like carrot cake and haven't had any variation from a reasonable bakery that I didn't like. I'll eat no matter how thick the cake or the frosting - I'll eat it all.

Now, Key Lime Pie is a different story. Standards wouldn't hurt there as more often than not, the pie is left wanting.

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raisins that have been plumped in hot rum

WTH??? We will need more specifics for the whole thing but most ESPECIALLY this.

My wife makes the best carrot cake with the best cream cheese frosting that I've ever tasted. I feel the need for some carrot cake now.

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raisins that have been plumped in hot rum

Not no, but FUCK NO. Raisins ruin everything that they are put in. Raisins should be declared as unfit for human consumption.

Grand Ma used to bake a very heavy and moist spice cake with huge muskats. No frosting needed on that.

Ina Garten(Barefoot Contessa) has a great recipe for carrot cake. You can find a video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtk2EswfROA

quote:

Originally posted by houndawg:

quote:

raisins that have been plumped in hot rum

Not no, but FUCK NO. Raisins ruin everything that they are put in. Raisins should be declared as unfit for human consumption.

THIS, the only thing they're good for is baiting rat traps with them!!!!!!!!

Re: raisins. I think it’s a “texture” issue rather than a taste/flavor issue. I can tolerate just a few imbedded in baked goods/treats if they’re offset by pecans, peanuts, or walnuts by a ratio of 4:1 or greater.

As for carrot cake, it’s too rich for me...a little goes a loooong way.

quote:

Originally posted by houndawg:

quote:

raisins that have been plumped in hot rum

Not no, but FUCK NO. Raisins ruin everything that they are put in. Raisins should be declared as unfit for human consumption.

Heathen...

Reuban sandwiches need this also, there are people out there making them with ham or turkey, using weird breads, and using everything but Russian dressing. Makes a guy want to hurl.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
Every carrot cake I've had from a bakery, restaurant or store has been lousy. Most of them are spice cakes masquerading as "carrot" cake with a few token flecks of carrot in what is otherwise a spice cake. BLECH.

I make a super-moist carrot cake that my family and relatives LOVE. The secret, along with a shit-ton of grated (not chopped, never chopped!) carrot is crushed pineapple, flaked coconut and golden and black raisins that have been plumped in hot rum. It's crazy good!

YES. It should be a law or something that carrot cake should include pineapple and coconut. You can't taste it (if you're doing it right) but it really enhances the overall flavor profile of the cake.

You need actual grated carrots in the cake. Carrot flavoring will not do it.

Absolute best Carrot Cake is made by Bakers Square. Weighs about 20 lbs. very moist and keeps for awhile. If you’ve never had it, try it.

Hmm, I wonder - the receipt I got at Subway today says they have, for a limited time, carrot cake cookies!

Alton Bown has a great recipe: Carrot Cake

No raisins naturally ('cause raisins are angel turds, and not in a good way)

quote:

Originally posted by ChicagoSigMan:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
Every carrot cake I've had from a bakery, restaurant or store has been lousy. Most of them are spice cakes masquerading as "carrot" cake with a few token flecks of carrot in what is otherwise a spice cake. BLECH.

I make a super-moist carrot cake that my family and relatives LOVE. The secret, along with a shit-ton of grated (not chopped, never chopped!) carrot is crushed pineapple, flaked coconut and golden and black raisins that have been plumped in hot rum. It's crazy good!

YES. It should be a law or something that carrot cake should include pineapple and coconut.

Saw this thread, mentioned to my wife she hadn't made a carrot cake in a while. She agreed. So now she's making a carrot cake

There won't be coconut in it, because she can't eat coconut. But there will be pineapple in it. Instead of raisins, there'll be chopped dates. She substitutes yogurt for much of the butter in the recipe. She's done that before and it comes out really moist that way, and just a bit healthier.

And, yes: A metric boat-load of shredded carrot