Carrot Cake

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Food is a total love language. Whenever something happens to someone or I want to show them I love them, I use food. It might be a bad habit or it might be just the thing that someone needs. Either way, I don’t foresee it ending anytime soon. I take a lot  of pride in my cooking but especially in my baking. If I truly want to do something for someone, I bake them something. For this precise reason I’m usually the one that makes dessert for holidays and birthdays. I love making my mom’s favorite angel food cake for her birthday. For Father’s Day I decided to try my hand at my dad’s favorite carrot cake recipe. 

The Recipe

This recipe is one that I inherited from my gram. Gram would make it for my dad and then when my dad was older he used to make it himself. I never realized that most guys didn’t cook or bake as much as my dad. When he was younger he made a ton of food and that just carried into his adulthood. There was always food in the house when he was growing up but he had to learn how to make it. 

There are so many foods that are “different” that dad makes but they are some of my favorites. Toast with jello powder on it. Smokey links on a slice of bread with some mustard. Dad’s famous peanut butter chocolate frosting, the best frosting on this earth!! I figured if he could make this cake when he was younger then I could definitely do it too. 

Carrot Cake Ingredients & Directions

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 1 ¼ cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup grated carrots
• ½ cup nuts

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 for 55 min.

Make sure you chop your nuts. I use walnuts because that’s just typically what is paired with carrot cakes but you can use whatever your heart desires. The easiest way to grate your carrots is to use the Ninja food processor too. Done in minutes!

Topping Options

There are two topping options for this cake.The first time I made this cake, I didn’t realize that they were separate options so I added both! Of course it was the time I made it for Father’s Day so I was worried it would ruin the cake but my dad was very pleasantly surprised with how wonderful it was. So, I guess you could use either topping or you can also put both on like I did. Using both of them definitely makes it super decadent and much more sweet than using just one. 

Topping Option #1 & Directions

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup oatmeal
• 2 Tbsp margarine

Melt margarine and mix in the other ingredients. Spread the topping on the cake and broil for 1 minute.

Topping Option #2 & Directions

• 6 Tbsp butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 6 tsp milk
• ¾ cup nuts (chopped)
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Melt margarine and mix in the other ingredients. Spread the topping on the cake and broil for 1 minute.

My dad prefers the 2nd topping option. I mentioned, though, that he did love it when I put both of them together too. However, if he had to choose between the two of these, the 2nd one is what he would prefer. The first topping gives the cake more of a crisp (like apple crisp) flavor, taste, and texture. The 2nd topping is pretty unique and gives it more of a summer vibe. It makes the cake super moist, too. 

A lot of people put cream cheese frosting on their carrot cake. In my personal opinion, this is good too. I do love me some cream cheese frosting. However, it is really rich and can overtake the carrot flavor in the cake. The 2nd topping is kind of like a glaze that allows the carrot flavor of the cake to shine through and it makes this cake really delicious. Plus, it will set your carrot cake apart from any others that are out there.

In Summary: Carrot Cake

One of the best parts of testing this recipe was actually making it incorrectly. It lead us to a new recipe that was also really good. It’s really odd for me to get that lucky. Normally, if I make something wrong it’s really wrong and doesn’t taste nearly as good as it should. My dad and I were both pleasantly surprised with this screw up. I don’t know that I’ll intentionally make it with both toppings again, simply because dad just prefers the 2nd topping so much more. I don’t do a lot of baking for myself so I’m usually making something to someone else’s preference and I also don’t mind that at all either. 

What did your dad teach you to make while you were growing up? That toast with jello powder on it will forever be one of my favorite things. As a kid, I ate it often but as an adult I keep it as a special treat. Everyone thinks I’m a little bit crazy for it but it’s a delicious treat that will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Carrot Cake

Old fashioned carrot cake with NO cream cheese frosting.

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup nuts chopped walnuts work best

Topping Option #1

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 2 Tbsp margarine or butter (melted)

Topping Option #2

• 6 Tbsp margarine or butter (melted)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 6 tsp milk
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

 

• Mix all cake ingredients together.
• Bake at 350 for 55 min.
• Pick a topping and mix all ingredients.
• Spread topping on top of the baked cake.
• Broil for 1 minute.

Notes

If you are doing both toppings spread one and broil for a minute then add the second and broil for another minute. 

Keyword Cake, Carrot