I’ve always loved a good carrot cake – the moist, sweet layers of cake paired with the cream cheese icing is just heavenly. However, I’ve been on a quest to make my baking a little healthier, and that’s where this Whole Wheat Carrot Cake comes in. Made with whole wheat flour, the cake has a slightly nuttier flavor that pairs wonderfully with the sweetness of the carrots and the crunch of the walnuts. Moreover, by switching out all-purpose flour for whole wheat, we’re adding some extra fiber to our dessert, making it a slightly guilt-free pleasure. This recipe has become a staple in my kitchen and I’m excited to share it with you. It’s the perfect treat for any time of the year, but I find it especially comforting during the chillier months. I love serving it with a dusting of powdered sugar, but it’s equally delicious with a drizzle of glaze or a spread of cream cheese icing. So, let’s get baking this wholesome and tasty carrot cake!
Ingredients
- 1 c. oil
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/3 c. dry milk powder
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 c. chopped walnuts
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 c. whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 c. finely shredded carrots
Baking Instructions
- In large mixing bowl blend oil and sugars until mixed.
- Add vanilla and beat in eggs, one at a time.
- In another bowl blend dry ingredients.
- Add to egg mixture until well blended.
- By hand, stir in carrots and walnuts.
- pour into greased and floured tube or Bundt pan.
- Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes.
- Cool in pan; invert on serving plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Could use glaze or cream cheese icing.
Calorie: 350
Total cooking time: 1 hour
Difficulty level: Moderate
The Unintentional Carrot Cake Crusade
Who doesn’t love a good carrot cake, right? Well, this is a story about how I, a humble food blogger and self-proclaimed kitchen scientist, took on the mighty carrot cake. And not just any carrot cake, oh no! This was a whole wheat carrot cake. Get ready for a tale of oil, brown sugar, eggs, and carrots, of course.
The Not-So-Secret Ingredients
In any good recipe, there’s always that moment when you lay out all your ingredients and think, “I’m either about to create a culinary masterpiece or a disaster that will haunt me for weeks.” Today, I was faced with the usual suspects: 1 c. oil, 1 c. brown sugar, 4 eggs, 1/3 c. dry milk powder, 1 tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 c. chopped walnuts, 1 c. sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 c. whole wheat flour, 1 tsp. soda, 1 tsp. salt, and 3 c. finely shredded carrots.
The Great Mixing Bowl Showdown
First things first. In a large mixing bowl, I blended oil and sugars until mixed. Sounds simple, right? What they don’t tell you about this part is how the oil and sugar will fight each other, like two siblings in a backseat car fight. But with some perseverance, they eventually got along.
Add in some vanilla, and then the eggs, one at a time. As I cracked each egg, I couldn’t help but feel like a referee introducing the next contender into the ring.
A Tale of Two Powders
In another bowl, I had the task of blending dry ingredients. That’s whole wheat flour, dry milk powder, baking powder, soda, and salt. I won’t lie, I felt like an alchemist trying to create gold. Spoiler alert: no gold was made, but a delightful mixture was.
Then comes the tricky part, adding the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. If you think stirring flour into a wet mixture is easy, you haven’t lived my friend. But with some determination and a little elbow grease, I prevailed.
The Carrot and Walnut Tango
The final step before baking was to stir in the carrots and walnuts, by hand. Now, let me tell you, there’s something oddly satisfying about this step. It’s like watching a beautiful dance between the crunch of walnuts and the tenderness of shredded carrots.
Into the Oven and Beyond
Next, the batter made its way into a greased and floured tube pan. The whole thing was then popped into the oven preheated to 350° for a little under an hour.
While the cake was in the oven, I had a chance to reflect on my carrot cake journey. There were highs, there were lows, and there was a lot of batter on my ceiling. But, as I always say, “What’s a little drywall patching in the pursuit of culinary greatness?”
The Grand Finale
After what seemed like an eternity, the cake was finally done. I left it to cool in the pan, then performed the delicate operation of inverting it onto a serving plate. To finish up, I sprinkled it with powdered sugar. And voila! A beautiful, delicious, whole wheat carrot cake.
I won’t lie, dear readers, there were moments of doubt, moments of triumph, and moments of hysterical laughter. But in the end, I can proudly say, “I made a carrot cake!” And let me tell you, it was delicious!
