For about three years I have been hunting for a good carrot cake recipe. Â I love carrot cake and so does my husband but to find a good recipe has proven to be a challenge. Â 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. Â It’s just sitting on my basement shelves waiting to be used. Â It will be a great recipe to have baking in your oven this fall as lots of good nutmeg and cinnamon smells are abound. Â 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 Â c shredded carrots
2 1/4 c applesauce
4 Â 1/2 Â 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. Â Combine flour, soda and spices. Â Add dry ingredients and applesauce alternately. Â Add carrots, walnuts and raisins mixing well after each addition. Â Pour batter into a 10 inch tube pan that has been sprayed and floured. Â The batter will seem like it will over flow during cooking but it won’t. Â Bake on 350 for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Â Use a cake tester to check for doneness. Â Cool. Â 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.
Question: Does this carrot cake have to be made in a tube pan? Can the raisins be left o u t?