13 Ingredients That Will Elevate Your Carrot Cake
Ah, carrot cake — a little bit of sugar and spice with some colorful veggies thrown into the mix. While carrot cake has a long history and plenty of variations, modern carrot cakes commonly contain usual cake ingredients (sugar, flour, eggs, etc.) with the addition of shredded carrots and spices. Many times, walnuts and raisins also make an appearance. The classic version uses cream cheese frosting, a rich, sweet icing with a faint tanginess that makes all your problems fade away.
Carrot cake, in its most basic form, is a hit at any party, but there are certainly ways to develop it further. Luckily, the woody spices and the earthy carrots set a foundation that is welcoming for all sorts of flavors. It's hard to go wrong regarding mix-ins, but these specific options stand out from the rest. Whether you want to switch up your flour, add crunchy elements, or include some fruit, look no further. With the involvement of these ingredients, your next carrot cake will be one for the books.
1. Rum-soaked raisins
Raisins in carrot cake are nothing new, but rum-soaked raisins give this classic addition a fun twist. To give this ingredient a shot, plan a day in advance. The raisins reach their full potential once you soak them overnight. Place them in a bowl with the rum, and stir it so that every raisin comes in contact with the liquid. Cover the bowl until you are ready to use them. If you are in a rush and can't do that, try to soak them for a few hours at least; it's better than nothing.
Use ½ cup of dark rum for every cup of raisins. Once you allow them to sit in the rum for a while, the raisins moisten up and turn juicy. When you make your rum raisin carrot cake, add the plump raisins in at the last minute with the carrots. Fold them gently until you fully incorporate them in — there is no need to over-mix the batter. The final result: Carrot cake with undertones of sweet rum, vanilla, and buttermilk.
2. Crushed pineapple
One of the absolute best fruits to add to carrot cake is pineapple — the sour taste of the pineapple pairs wonderfully with the sweet frosting and cake spices. Use fresh pineapple and chop it into tiny pieces, then partially mash it with a fork. Or, take advantage of canned crushed pineapple. To use this ingredient, add ½ cup of the pineapple bits to your favorite recipe or use an easy carrot cake recipe that utilizes both the pineapple and the juice, which reduces food waste.
Pineapple not only adds fruitiness to the confection but also has health benefits, according to Healthline. Specifically, pineapple carries vitamins and nutrients that positively impact your immune and digestive systems. Not to mention, they have antioxidants that are known to prevent specific diseases from forming in your body (like diabetes and heart disease). Ultimately, the fruit is healthy and tasty, so there's no reason you shouldn't include it in your next carrot cake recipe.
3. Almond flour
Whether you want to make an entirely grain-free carrot cake or you just want to experiment with new flour, almond flour is a phenomenal option. Don't get it twisted, though – there is a fundamental difference between almond meal and almond flour, so ensure you have the right one before you begin your baking journey. Almond flour is lighter than almond meal, but it is still somewhat grainy in texture. Companies make the flour with blanched almonds, and gluten-free bakers adore this flour because its starch levels are low and its protein levels are high. Not to mention, the almond flavor has a subtle sugary taste (no wonder why it works in desserts).
On the flip side, companies make almond meal by grinding up raw almonds, and the final product is much heavier. So, if you use it in a cake recipe, it turns out quite dense. Thus, you should stick with flour instead of ground meal. To use almond flour in a recipe, pair it with another flour that complements its taste. For example, the grain-free carrot cake recipe requires 1½ cups of almond flour with just a tiny amount of coconut flour. You can also use oat flour or brown rice flour. Either way, the almond flour enriches the dessert by giving it a unique mouthfeel and harmonizing with the other ingredients in the cake.
4. Citrus
There are many ways to incorporate citrus ingredients into your carrot cake. The most obvious is to use lemon or orange zest to give the cake a citrusy kick, but you can also use juice or even baking extract. For instance, make a lemony carrot cake and blend the zest into the batter with the carrots and raisins. You only need the zest from one lemon for the flavor to shine through. If you wish, put a splash of lemon juice in the frosting to make it extra lemony too.
Another option is to replace some of the liquid ingredients for the cake with orange juice. The combination of orange, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg is undoubtedly comforting. Or, if you have fresh oranges, make an orangey carrot cake with the zest of orange and add orange-flavored baking extract. The extract is more robust than orange juice, so you only need less than a teaspoon.
5. Candied ginger
Ginger is somewhat spicy and the candied version is slightly sugary, so it's optimal for desserts. Its flavor complements the cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla in carrot cake, and in fact, it's the exact way that Ina Garten elevates her own carrot cake recipe. When Garten makes her crystalized ginger carrot cake, she mixes ginger into the frosting portion of the sweet treat and uses it as a last-minute garnish. To try it yourself, make a carrot cake with candied ginger and toasted walnuts. Once you bake the cake, frost it with creamy icing. Then, scatter the crystalized ginger strips on top. You only need ½ cup at most.
However, that's not the only way to use ginger: You're welcome to put small bits in the cake itself too. Fortunately, companies often sell candied ginger in small pieces, so you don't need to prepare it in any way before you use it. That said, it sometimes comes in larger chunks that you'll need to break up first. If you want to mix it directly in the batter, ensure the pieces are about the size of a raisin first. The sugary ginger is chewy and gummy, which flawlessly offsets the crumbly consistency of the cake.
6. Mayonnaise
For bakers, the use of mayo in cakes is not anything out of the ordinary. However, it might be a bit of a shock to the home cook. The truth is that this is one of the best uses for mayonnaise that you need to know about (and no, you can't taste it in the final product). So, why use mayonnaise in a dessert recipe? The bottom line is that it makes the cake ultra-moist. Although people usually use mayonnaise in savory recipes, the product has a sweet and eggy undertone. So, the use of it in desserts is more appropriate than one might initially think.
To make a scrumptious carrot cake with mayonnaise, use about ¾ cup in your batter. Whichever recipe you use, you can certainly add the mayo, and it doesn't negatively affect the consistency of the batter. Then, bake the cake as you normally would. It should turn out super fluffy. When you use this trick, you'll no longer end up with dry carrot cake, so that's something to celebrate.
7. Currants
Include fresh or dried currants in your cake batter to give it some pizazz. If you're not familiar with what currants are and how they taste, they're a berry that you can find in all sorts of colors, like red, white, pink, and black. Fresh currants are only in season for a short period, so you might need to opt for dried currants, which are just as tasty. If you can't get ahold of the fresh ones and want the dried currants to be juicier, submerge them in hot water for about ten minutes, and they moisten wonderfully.
When you think of dried currants, you likely think of Zante currants, which have a similar texture to raisins. However, they have a stronger flavor than raisins because their tart essence catches your attention when you eat them. Dried currants are also tinier than raisins and are undoubtedly the easiest because you can pop them right in the batter if you enjoy their texture.
On the other hand, when using fresh currants, you should rinse and pat them dry first. Red currants will give your cake a nice pop of color when you cut into it, but any variety is fantastic. Fold the currants into the batter carefully before you transfer the mixture to the cake pan.
8. Nuts
Adding in nuts can instantly improve the texture and taste of your carrot cake. Use a food processor to break the nuts into smaller pieces before you fold them into the cake. If you don't have an appliance to help you, don't fret — just break out your handy knife and rough chop them. Pecans and walnuts have a nice bite, which is lovely when juxtaposed with the soft cake. Not to mention, their flavor is a perfect match for all the spices that carrot cake batter includes.
Deviating from the more popular varieties of nuts in favor of less common kinds is a great way to enhance your carrot cake. For example, slivered almonds are excellent for baking with, and companies blanch and slice them for you, which makes them quite convenient. Also, macadamia nuts are a stand-out option. They have a buttery flavor that is the ultimate accompaniment for cream cheese frosting. Whichever nut you choose, you can use them both in the batter and on top of the cake as a garnish, so you get the best of both worlds.
9. Whole wheat flour
To make carrot cake with a deep flavor profile, use whole wheat flour instead of plain all-purpose (AP) flour. This simple swap instantly takes carrot cake to the next level because the wheat brings out the best qualities in the baking spices. Whether you use cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or allspice, the flour's earthy notes will play off of them perfectly. Aside from flavor, wheat flour has other excellent attributes, too. For example, according to EatingWell, it is more nutrient-filled than white flour and has more fiber. Specifically, you'll want to keep your eye out for whole wheat pastry flour because it creates a lighter cake batter than its counterparts.
If you've never baked with this product, a good place to start is Fernanda Capobianco's vegan spicy carrot cake. The recipe utilizes mostly whole wheat flour with a smaller portion of AP flour. In addition, it has coconut oil, cardamom, pineapple, and golden raisins. If you don't prefer it to be vegan, simply substitute the dairy-free products with actual dairy. Then again, you can use whole wheat pastry flour in any cake recipe as an alternative to what the recipe initially calls for.
10. Cocoa powder
Use cocoa powder as a way to enhance the flavor of the spices in your carrot cake. Just so you know, we're talking a minuscule amount — not enough to make the cake taste like chocolate. For instance, for a three-layer 9-inch cake, you only need a tablespoon of cocoa powder to do the trick. For best results, use unsweetened cocoa powder. Incorporate it in with the dry ingredients and sift it if possible. It's assuredly tempting to skip out on the sifting process, but the outcome is worth it because the batter is silky smooth when you do so.
Even if your preferred recipe doesn't include cocoa powder, when you add only a tablespoon, it doesn't drastically change the consistency of the cake. But, if you want, you can always omit a tablespoon of flour to ensure the proportions remain even. Make cocoa powder your secret ingredient in carrot cake, and everyone will wonder what exactly makes the cake so rich and flavorful.
11. Applesauce
Applesauce is an unexpected ingredient that can elevate all sorts of different homemade cakes, and carrot cake is no exception. Applesauce is magnificent because it not only makes the cake airy but it's also naturally sweet in flavor. People often use it to replace butter, oil, or eggs in recipes, whether someone aims to make a vegan cake or just ran out of some ingredients. If you want to try it out yourself, substitute the whole amount of butter or oil in your recipe for the applesauce.
Similarly, when you use it as an egg substitute, use 4 tablespoons for every egg you need. Nevertheless, it doesn't need to just work as a replacement; it can also be an addition. Add a single serving cup of applesauce to the batter or scoop out a few ounces if you have a larger container of applesauce. Mix it into the batter with the wet components. Once you dig into the cake, you'll instantly notice how cloud-like its texture is.
12. Baby food purées
This ingredient choice might seem funky to some, but just hear us out. Baby food is the ultimate ingredient swap to make carrot cake so much easier – when you use it, you can omit the shredded carrots from the recipe altogether. If you use carrot baby food, essentially just carrot purée, it has an intense carrot flavor and a vivid orange color. Therefore, there is no need for carrot pieces. This means you don't have to take time and put carrots through a cheese grater to make them the perfect size.
Another benefit of using baby food is that, similar to the applesauce technique, it introduces a ton of moisture to the cake and makes it incredibly soft. If grated carrots are the main reason that you enjoy carrot cake, don't worry, you can always use both the vegetable purée and pieces in the cake; the more, the merrier! For the most decadent cake imaginable, use 8 ounces of carrot baby food, and blend it evenly throughout the batter before you bake it.
13. Shredded coconut
If you enjoy the slightly gritty texture of coconut, you'll love it in a moist carrot cake. You can buy unsweetened coconut shreds or flakes at the store, which are ready to use. For an average-sized cake, you only need ¼ cup to get the job done, but of course, you can always add more if you wish. When you include it inside the cake batter, the shreds are similar in look and texture to the grated carrots.
Coconut flakes taste lovely too and add a pop of contrast to the carrots with their uniquely sweet and summery flavor. Put some pineapple chunks in with the coconut, and you've got yourself a tropical carrot cake — maybe throw in some macadamia nuts, too! Additionally, use the coconut as a garnish on the cake by sprinkling it atop the icing; this gives the sweet treat a polished look. When you use it as a topping, toast it first, which gives it a golden-brown color.