Canadian Living’s Best Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

First of all, a heartfelt apology for my blogging hiatus. I’m now 8 months pregnant and trying to be realistic about my priorities – baking has fallen by the wayside for now – just for now.

I made this cake ages ago and rather than waffle over blogging about it, so long after I made it, I’m just eager as ever to let my readers know how just right on the money it was. This is Canadian Living’s most popular recipe ever and it’s clear why.

When I was in Grade 7, our home ec teacher gave us some photocopies of recipes. She gave me a few extra ones that she didn’t cover in her class because I expressed to her – even then – my interest in baking. One of those recipes was one for carrot cake with cream cheese icing. I made it for years, but somehow it got lost in the shuffle and I never quite found another recipe that could compare – one that was as moist, as rich in flavour, with the right cream cheese frosting. I was looking for a recipe which included crushed pineapples like the old recipe did. And no raisins please. None at all.

My search was fruitless for nearly 20 years….

Until, that is, I discovered the perfectionists behind the Canadian Living test kitchen who test a recipe until it’s perfect. So when I’m looking for a classic recipe these days, it’s quite likely I’ll turn to Canadian Living.

Well I didn’t expect this blog to turn into such a hearty endorsement of the magazine, but there it is.

Let’s move on shall we? If I’ve convinced you to check out this recipe, here it is.

If I still haven’t convinced you, you probably don’t like carrot cake anyway, do you?

Substitutions: None. Just follow the recipe, will ya?

Would I make this again? Yes, this will be my go-to carrot cake recipe from now on. I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to creme brulee and carrot cake. And Harriet the Spy. But that’s another post, another blog, another rant.

Grade: Five stars out of five. If anything might deter amateurs from presenting this cake to company, it might be its presentation. Just keep the frosting smooth as possible, and strategically place some large nuts on top. Pecan or walnuts would work well. Your friends and family will be cutting into it within seconds anyway, and it’s really that deep orange-brown colour that will steal the show anyway.