World's Best Carrot Cake

I was doing the grocery shopping last week and stopped in the baking aisle to get walnuts. There was an elderly lady there, hem-hawing over which size bag of walnuts to buy, complaining about the cost. Most of you know I’m not a fan of old people. However, I find myself becoming more tolerant of them lately; maybe because I am joining their ranks. Regardless, I stood there chatting with her for several minutes and found out the following:

• She’s been told she makes the best carrot cake in the world.
• She has to settle for English walnuts now, because you just can’t find black walnuts anymore. Personally, I hate black walnuts, but played along in the hopes of finding out the world's best carrot cake recipe.
• She was raised on a farm in Michigan (which we all know is the greatest place on earth) where they had an abundance of black walnut and butternut trees.
• You have to give up a lot when your husband dies.

I was plotting how to sweet talk the cake recipe out of her, when that last tidbit stopped me in my tracks…Realllly? If my husband died I’d have to cut back on my walnut purchases?? That's it?? As you can imagine, that sent my imagination whirling in a different direction…





RELAX, PEOPLE. I AM JUST KIDDING. I LIKE WALNUTS TOO MUCH TO WISH HARM ON THE MAN...

Anyhoo, I didn’t get the recipe…but I did buy a magazine with a carrot cake recipe it claims is delicious and good for you. It is “bursting with iron-packed apricots and antioxidant-rich carrots, a delicious way to turn back the clock." I don’t buy that, but I’m willing to experiment for the sake of baking science. If you try it, let me know what you think.



½ cup dried apricots, finely chopped

1 pkg. (1 lb) poundcake mix

1 cup olive oil

3 eggs

1 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice

1 lb. carrots, grated; 3 ½ cups

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temp

½ cup unsalted butter, room temp

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup sliced almonds, toasted



Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat two 8” cake pans with cooking spray; sprinkle with flour. In microwave-safe bowl, microwave apricots and ¼ cup water on High for 1 minute; let stand. On medium speed, beat cake mix, oil, eggs, 1/3 cup water and spice until combined, one minute. Stir in carrots and apricot mixture. Divide batter between pans. Bake 28 minutes or until pick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes. Transfer from pans to racks; cool completely.


Beat cream cheese and butter until blended on medium speed. Gradually beat in sugar. Add vanilla; beat until fluffy, two minutes. Place one cake layer on plate; spread with 1 ½ cups frosting. Top with remaining layer. Spread cake with remaining frosting. Press almonds onto side.