100% Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Recipe That Everyone Loves

Why do people put everything that is edible in their carrot cake?  Pineapple, nuts, raisins.... I dislike both pineapple and raisins and am highly allergic to nuts, so maybe I am a bit biased, but I think carrot cake should have carrots and nothing else.  Well, maybe a bit of coconut, but that's it.  (I know a bit hypocritical, but the coconut gives a nice flavor to the cake without overwhelming it.)  

My parents would disagree with me as they love the raisins and nuts and maybe you do to so I have included the amounts for both, but I draw the line at pineapple.  This recipe does not have pineapple.  And I think that is why so many of my family and friends, even those who hate carrot cake, love this recipe. Give it a try.  You may be surprised at how good it is.

Ingredients

2 C Flour (I use whole wheat)

1 t Soda

1 t Baking Powder or 2 t. Cream of Tartar

3 t Cinnamon (I know 3 t equals a T, but use heaping teaspoons)

2 C Sugar

1 1/2 C Oil (may use 1/2 applesauce)

4 eggs

3 C Grated Carrots - Packed

1 C Coconut

1 C Raisins (optional)

1 C Nuts (optional)

First.  Peel the carrots and grate them in your food processor.  You can do it by hand, but that would take forever.  Then pack the grated carrots into your measuring cup.  And I mean pack them in.  Remember this is carrot cake and, therefore, you want lots and lots of carrots.  Plus you will feel less guilty when you have your third slice after your meal or even eat it for breakfast.





Mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon.  Then add the oil and stir until well combined.  Once it is mixed, add the eggs one at a time and mix the batter thoroughly between the addition of each egg.

Your batter should be extremely dark due to the cinnamon.

Finally, add the grated carrots and coconut.  Also, add the nuts and raisins if you must.  Stir.

Grease your pans and pour in the batter.  I never use 9x13 cake pans as the sides begin to burn before the center gets done.  This cake is extremely dense and even a square or round pan will take 35 minutes or more to bake.

Bake for 35 or 40 minutes at 350 and then test with a toothpick.  Keep baking until the toothpick comes out clean.

Once cool you need to frost your yummy cake.  Cream cheese frosting is a must.  I apologize for not knowing how much powdered sugar I use.  I just keep adding the sugar until I get the consistency I want.

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• 1 Stick Butter
• Vanilla - about a teaspoon
• Powdered Sugar

Whip the cream cheese and butter.  Add the vanilla.  Slowly add some powdered sugar and mix. Continue until you get the frosting the consistency you want.  If it gets too thick, add a tablespoon of milk.

As you can see from the picture I can never wait
for my cake to cool - the frosting is a bit melted.