Carrot Cake from "The Silver Palate" --it's the best!

Submitted by: jej
Last Updated: 11/19/2008

Two recipes are posted below for the same cake; they simply fit different-sized pans. Either version will make one of the BEST CARROT CAKES you will ever chance to eat! One recipe comes from "The Silver Palate Cook Book," by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, and the other from "The New Basics Cookbook," by the same authors (as indicated in the recipe titles, below).

The basic recipe for this cake was developed by Berta, mother of Sheila Lukins. The "Silver Palate CookBook" says that, "In the beginning, Sheila's mother drove her famous carrot cakes down to Manhattan daily from her Connecticut kitchen." "The New Basics Cookbook" adds, "Carrot cakes abound, but there's still none better than the one created by Sheila's mother. It has just the right texture and taste--and not too sweet. Try it unfrosted for breakfast."

My family loves this carrot cake -- and years ago, when I lost my original recipe (which was clipped from a magazine), I bought these cookbooks containing the recipes. Berta's recipes are so super easy: if you choose, you may use the two jars of junior baby food carrots instead of beginning with raw carrots. Once you've tried either version, you will always keep two jars on hand.

The "Basics" recipe (2 cups of flour) is for a 9x13-inch cake pan. Its Cream-Cheese Frosting recipe is sufficient to frost the top (and sides, if removed from its pan, as suggested). This recipe can be baked in layers, also. "The Silver Palate Cookbook" offers a larger version (3 cups of flour) for two 9-inch springform pans--which make a tall two-layer cake. The accompanying Cream-Cheese Frosting recipe for this larger recipe is sufficient to totally frost that gloriously high cake. Each of the cake recipes requires 1-1/3 cups of pureed carrots, which is exactly equal to two junior jars of carrots.*

*RE THE JARS OF BABY FOOD: The junior food bottles were 6 oz. ea. So two of them were 12 oz. It is very disappointing that they have been discontinued. When I shop, I usually find some variety now. I can usually find a 4 oz. size, whereupon I get three of them. Sometimes they will vary in sizes, and to be honest, I will get an 'approximate' amount, if necessary. Depends on how much time I have, occasionally. But I usually keep three 4-oz. bottles in my pantry now.

NOTE: If you don't care for cream-cheese frosting, you might try my "Miracle Frosting" (posted in my recipes) on the loaf-pan version. An especially nice finish is to sprinkle a few chopped walnuts over the top. Then place the cake pan cover over the frosting to ensure the best keeping qualities. It doesn't require refrigeration.

I. CARROT CAKE from 'The Silver Palate Cookbook': Makes 2 9-inch springform layers.

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1-1/2 cups corn oil -- (I use only canola oil--and it is fine)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped
1-1/2 cups shredded coconut
1-1/3 cups pureed cooked carrots -OR- 2 jars of junior baby food*
3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
confectioner's sugar for dusting top -- (I omit this)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch springform pans. (I usually use my 9x12-in. cake pan, or sometimes 2 or 3 regular layer pans.)

2. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Add oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in walnuts, coconut, carrots, and pineapple.

3. Pour batter into the prepared pans. Set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 50 minutes, until edges have pulled away from sides and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

4. Cool on a cake rack for 3 hours. Fill cake and frost sides with cream-cheese frosting. Dust top with confectioners' sugar.

Makes 10 to 12 portions.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING for Springform Carrot Cake layers:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons sweet butter, at room temperature.
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

1. Cream together cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl.

2. Slowly sift in confectioners' sugar and continue beating until fully incorporated. Mixture should be free of lumps.

3. Stir in vanilla, and lemon juice if you use it.

4. This is frosting for a 2-layer cake.

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II. BERTA'S CARROT CAKE -- from 'The New Basics Cookbook' - for 9x13-inch cake pan. Although the above recipe calls for salt, none is mentioned in this recipe. (When I see 2 teaspoons of baking soda, I can see where none is really needed, too.)

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup corn oil (I always use canola oil)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups pureed carrots (2 junior jars carrots)*
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup shredded coconut
3/4 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained
Cream-Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9-inch cake papn with waxed paper, and grease the paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla, and beat well. Then fold in the carrots, walnuts, coconut, and pineapple.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place it on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour.

4. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Then invert it over a cake rack and unmold, remove the waxed paper, and continue to cool for 1 hour. (I often leave the cake in the pan, particularly if it is going somewhere.)

5. Frost the top and sides of the cooled cake with the cream cheese frosting, and then dust the top with confectioners' sugar.

12 portions

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING for 9x13-inch cake

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of 1/4 lemon

1. Cream the cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl.

2. Slowly sift in the confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until fully incorporated (there should be no lumps). Stir in the vanilla and lemon juice.