Grannie Carrot Cake Recipe is picture perfect for every day or a BIG HOLIDAY! Bon Appetit!
On the Menu today!
Vintage Carrot Cake
Morning…rise and shine it’s Monday!!!! All Mondays need a little sweetening so today on Meatless Monday I bring you my Grandma’s recipe for Carrot Cake with a few alternations : ) (this is my Grandma on my Dad’s side) Now I have to tell you something about all of my Grandma’s recipes and I am sure you will laugh but first…flashback to childhood…sitting around the kitchen table…Daddy taking a bite of something my Mom prepared from grandma’s recipe book…dad “this tastes almost just like mom’s”…those were NOT the words my Mom wanted to hear…no way!!!! I remember seeing that look in her eyes and let’s just say she wasn’t thrilled! Well long story short…my Mom mentioned this a few times to my Dads sister and then we came to find out that my dear Grandma LEFT OUT 1 thing from all of her recipes that she gave to people…so of course…it tasted ALMOST like hers! My poor Mom, she was an EXCELLENT cook (my Mom and Dad were sent to the heavens way too early) but my Mom ROCKED Italian cooking let me tell you! Well this is my Grandma’s recipe for Carrot Cake and I have to tell you it is the BEST that I ever had but for the 1 ingredient she left out…I added MORE so this one’s for you MOM and just know that you were the best cook in the world…love you!
Well as you can see…this little recipe has been around the block a few times! It sure does have a charm about it!
Now here are a few things that will make this cake even better!
We increased the oil by adding an additional 1/4 cup so it is now 1 3/4 cups of oil
When you place your oil into the mixer…add each egg one at a time and really beat it…your mixture when you are done should resemble mayonnaise…this is very important for increased moisture in the cake. I combined 1/2 chopped walnuts and 1/2 chopped hazlenuts which truly compliment the flavor.
Then instead of 1 tsp. of cinnamon…I added 1 1/2 teaspoons. I have to tell you this is one of the things that I love about this cake…it has a real cinnamon taste…I am not a lover of all of the traditional spices in a spiced cake and just having cinnamon in this creation just lets all of the other flavors shine through…nothing is over powered!
I increased the carrots to 3 1/2 cups!
All of the other instructions are just perfect!
(PLEASE NOTE: check your layers after 20 minutes…every oven is different as you all well know and the worse thing you can do is over bake these : )
I do however butter my pans…flower them and tap the excess flour off and then I add a circle piece of parchment paper to the bottom and butter that and flour it…the result is a picture perfect layer!
Now let’s talk about the icing! The one change in the icing is that I use 2 8 oz bars of cream cheese…yes I know it is decadent but you don’t have it often…it is a special treat and it is worth it!
Now for a touch of something special that just might have made Daddy say…mmmmm…this is even better than Moms : )
your choice of condensed milk or caramel sauce…yes I hear those calories racking up but again…this is like a once a year cake!
Place your first layer on your cake plate and before you ice it…spread a coating of either condensed milk or your favorite recipe for caramel sauce over the whole layer and then apply your icing…repeat this process for the next layer and then finish icing the entire cake. OH WOW what a subtle but incredible flavor!
Now the final touch is sprinkling coconut around the whole cake…you can toast it if you like!
Then a little touch of pink just compliments Mom’s pink milk glass cake plate nicely!
Serve with your favorite cup of… and ENJOY!!!!! Just like Granny use to make…ALMOST!!
Faux Pearls dress up any occassion!!!
My version:
Ingredients:
2 cups of flour (King Arthur is my favorite)
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups of sugar
1 3/4 cups of vegetable oil
4 large free range eggs (remember when it is all possible to help our chicken friends and give back to them for the fabulous gift of eggs!)
3 1/2 cups of grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup of coconut (sweetened)
Sift the dry ingredients together and place to the side. Add your oil to the mixer and add 1 egg at a time…beating each time really well…your final result should be like a light mayonnaise. Then slowly add and mix the dry ingredients. A the end fold in the carrots, coconut and nuts thoroughly and pour into the prepared layer pans and bake for 30 minutes (once again you know your oven…just make sure you don’t over cook them : )
now either use condensed milk or your favorite caramel sauce recipe for the layers
Icing Ingredients:
2 eight ounce softened cream cheese bars
1 full box plus 1 cup of confectioners sugar
1 stick of butter
2 tsp of good vanilla
coconut and or nuts for topping
Blend the cream cheese and butter till creamy and smooth and then the vanilla and now add the confectioners sugar slowly creaming after every addition (remember…slowly or you will look like a ghost : ) and now it is ready to adorn your cake!!!! YUMMMMMMMY!
I hope you enjoy and I hope you dream up a healthy and yummy vegetarian meal tonight…I will be back with the healthy meatless alternatives next Monday…every day is Meatless here in my house and believe me…it is truly delicious!!! : ) Hope you give one day a week a try…it is good for you…the environment and most of all our animal friends! hugs…
Remember to THINK PINK!
Courtesy of the PROJECT QUEEN and her 31 Days of Pink!
