This is my version of one that a lot of people have had for many years:

BEST CARROT CAKE
Serves 16

Ingredients

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups oil
4 large eggs
3 cups carrot -- grated
½ cup almonds -- chopped, toasted
1 can crushed pineapple -- 30 oz, well-drained
½ cup raisins

Frosting (optional; the cakes is so moist, you really donÂt need this)

8 ounces cream cheese -- softened
1 stick butter -- softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar
1 pinch salt

Directions

Sift together first five dry ingredients. Add sugar, oil, and eggs and mix well.

Add nuts, pineapple, carrots, raisins, and mix well.

Pour mixture into three 9-inch round layer pans or two 8 by 12" pans.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes.

Frosting:

Mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla, sugar, and salt until well blended. Spread on cooled cake. Refrigerate.

Among some possible other minor tweaks, my version is made with toasted almonds instead of walnuts, which are more commonly used. I've also made this with macadamia nuts, chopped dried mangoes (instead of the raisins) and toasted coconut in the frosting; a restaurant in Hawaii now uses this latter version of my recipe on their menu.

Joe

There is a recipe on the Fine Cooking website, maybe it's called Ultimate Carrot Cake, that is my all time favorite. It uses a pound of fresh carrots, some walnut oil along with canola oil and has a cream cheese frosting. It's fantastic. I always use 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour and 1/2 white flour when I make it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ultimate Carrot Cake

Hre's the one I use....never EVER had a better one nor one nearly as good.
Note the buttermilk and the lower amount of oil than is usual in a carrot cake....and the glaze! Oh my! the Glaze!

Carrot cake Julie TÂs
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tsps cinnamon
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins chopped with 1 Tablespoon of flour
Buttermilk glaze
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter
1 Tblsp light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup softened butter
4 oz softened cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp orange juice
1 tsp grated orange rind
Preheat oven to 350
With a mixer Beat eggs, add oil and buttermilk, sugar and vanilla. beat to combine. Stir together flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder and stir into batter. stir in pineapple, carrots and raisins.
Pour into a greased 8 by 13 pan or 2 greased round 9 inch cake pans. Bake 35 to 45 minutes until set in the middle. Remove from the oven and immediatly spread with the buttermilk glaze. Cool completely and frost with the cream cheese frosting.
Buttermilk glaze:
In a medium sauce pan ( don't use a small pan) combine all ingredients but vanilla. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes stirring often...it will bubble a lot. It should be a light caramel color, stir in vanilla and pour over the cake
Cream cheese frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter until light add vanilla powd. sugar and juice and rind...beat until smooth and frost the cooled cake.

Ive made Linda's several times and it is delicious!

Thanks, I'm going to give these a try.
Everyone here is so helpful.
My family will be so happy and excited.

again thanks Patti

Carrot Cake

Combine:

1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
½ cup soy flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp kosher salt

Mix Separately:

2 cups grated carrots
1 cup crushed pineapple drained
½ cup chopped nuts (any variety)
½ cup sesame seeds
½ cup coconut (optional)

Beat in large bowl:

3 large eggs
¾ cup canola oil
¾ cup buttermilk
2 cups turbinado sugar (unrefined)
1 tsp vanilla

Sauce:

½ cup buttermilk
1 cups turbinado sugar (unrefined)
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp corn syrup
½ cup butter unsalted (whole stick)
½ cup coconut (optional)
½ cup chopped nuts (any variety)

Add carrot mixture to the egg mixture, and then add the flour and spices. Pour into a 13" x 9" cake pan and back at 350 ° for 55 to 60 minutes. Cook sauce for 5 minutes, almost to boiling. Remove cake from pan (or you can leave it in the pan), punch small holes into it and pour the sauce over the cake while it is still hot. Can serve either serve hot or cold.

This is a health food recipe that is high in protein. However, if you wish, you can use just plain old unbleached flour, just plain old refined sugar, and just plain old salt.