Hunting for the PERFECT Carrot Cake Recipe

For about three years I have been hunting for a good carrot cake recipe.   I love carrot cake and so does my husband but to find a good recipe has proven to be a challenge.   I like a recipe filled with nuts and raisins…I like to it super moist and I must be able to see carrot flecks and don’t forget, cream cheese frosting is a MUST too!

Here is my latest attempt at carrot cake…it uses applesauce in the recipe which is great because my daughter Kayla and I made LOTS of applesauce last year.   It’s just sitting on my basement shelves waiting to be used.   It will be a great recipe to have baking in your oven this fall as lots of good nutmeg and cinnamon smells are abound.   Here’s the recipe it you want to give it a try…

3/4 c butter or margarine softened
1 c sugar
1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2  c shredded carrots
2 1/4 c applesauce
4  1/2  c flour
1 T baking soda
1 1/2 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t allspice
1 c chopped walnuts
1 c raisins
Cream butter, add sugars and eggs making sure to beat well.   Combine flour, soda and spices.   Add dry ingredients and applesauce alternately.   Add carrots, walnuts and raisins mixing well after each addition.   Pour batter into a 10 inch tube pan that has been sprayed and floured.   The batter will seem like it will over flow during cooking but it won’t.   Bake on 350 for 1 hour and 20 minutes.   Use a cake tester to check for doneness.   Cool.   Invert and frost with cream cheese frosting.

This may  be my PERFECT carrot cake recipe  as it definately meets my qualifications.   I am making it today to feed to my supper guests…if it passes their qualifications then my hunt may be over.