Carrot Top Cake

By Molly O'Neill

Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes
Rating
4(114)
Comments
Read comments

Renee Allen Mancino, the owner of the Carrot Top Pastries with locations in Inwood and Washington Heights in Manhattan, gave The New York Times this recipe for her beloved carrot cake. Her tips: California carrots are best; carrots grated too far ahead of time won’t give a cake proper moisture; vegetable oil bakes more evenly in the batter than butter. Go to!

Featured in: DE GUSTIBUS; From Bitter Seeds, Carrot Cake Empire

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

    For the Cake

    • 1cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 2cups sugar
    • 3cups freshly ground carrots (about 7 medium carrots)
    • 1cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
    • 2cups flour
    • 3teaspoons baking powder
    • 1teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1teaspoon nutmeg
    • ½teaspoon salt
    • 4eggs

    For the Frosting

    • ¼cup ( ½ stick) butter, at room temperature
    • ¼cup solid vegetable shortening
    • 1½cups ( ¾ pound) cream cheese, at room temperature
    • 2tablespoons milk
    • 1tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 1½cups confectioners' sugar
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

1072 calories; 69 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 2 grams trans fat; 32 grams monounsaturated fat; 15 grams polyunsaturated fat; 107 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 77 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 487 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use one tablespoon of the vegetable oil to grease a 9- by 11-inch sheet pan.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, sugar, carrots, walnuts, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine, then add eggs and mix well. Pour the batter into the pan and cook for 45 minutes or until the cake is springy to the touch. Remove from oven and cool, in pan.

  3. Step 3

    To make the frosting, cream the butter, vegetable shortening and cream cheese with a wooden spoon or hand mixer. Add the milk and vanilla extract. Add the confectioners' sugar and stir until smooth. When cake is cooled, frost.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
114 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Melissa

Best carrot cake I’ve ever made! Fantastic! Followed recipe and freshly grated the carrots. Delicious.

Nick, Sarah, and Genesee

Do not add raisins.

Donna in CT

I've been making this carrot cake since I first read the story behind it in the Times in 1990, and giving the recipe to friends and family who have tasted it, for just as many years. And there is no better recipe for carrot cake, according to all of us! My only change is to use pecans instead of walnuts. I usually don't frost the cake, but dust it with powdered sugar, though it doesn't even need this to be perfect. Keeps for several days, or can be frozen.Often make it in 5 or 6 mini loaf pans.

Roger

The only one I ever make. There's nothing better.

Ola

A great, bullet-proof recipe. All in one bowl! I made this after throwing away yet *another* failed, stodgy ATK version. This is the one I'll be using from here on out. One minor thing to note– mine ballooned a bit more than it should have because I didn't have walnuts on hand.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.