Mumsnet Talk

Raisins are like soggy rabbit droppings.

And I like a bit of crunch.

YABU - carrot cake should have carrots in it.

I'd expect both <greedy>

YABU. I like raisins more than walnuts. I have to pick them out of carrot cake.

Well obviously carrots too. And I like those little carrot things on the top to show that it's carrot cake.

YABU, as it should be sultanas AND walnuts.

Raisins are awful, so on that YANBU.

YADNBU.

YANBU about the raisins, but YABU wanting it to have walnuts. HTH

Maybe they were sultanas that I had earlier. They all get classified as "dried fruit hell".

Are you sure it wasn't currants?

Nah, neither. I add mixed nuts!

Ewww currants

YANBU, I've just eaten a carrot cake with vanilla frosting and raisins. Was very odd and just a bit wrong

I prefer sultanas to raisins.

But definitely has to have nuts in.

Currants raisins and sultanas vile vile vile shouldn't be in any damn cake!!!

YABU. Carrot cake shouldn't have any fruit or nuts in at all, just carrots and the other ingredients that make up a cake.

Carrots , coconut, raisins and chopped walnuts on top of frosting IMHO

YABU.It should have neither. Raisins and walnuts are vile.

Yanbu. I dislike it when dried fruit has been added. Also pineapple, I'm surprised how often that seems to be present too.

I am about to make some chocolate brownie with cherries in that were previously used to make cherry vodka.

Thought you'd like to know

I have always put lightly toasted walnuts in the cream cheese frosting on top of mine but I leave the cakes plain, no raisins or anything else.

I've never got it about carrot cake. The topping / middle is always so sweet I end up feeling queasy.

I'd be upset if it didn't have walnuts on top at least. Sultanas are usual I think.

Hungry now

The best filling for carrot cake imo is canolli filling made with ricotta and just a little sugar. Otherwise you will OD on sugar. That is if you must make layers -- a sheet cake suits the rustic style of the carrot cake better.

May I take the opportunity to ask what the proper, biological difference is between sultanas, raisins and currents? I've always wondered

I love carrot cake. It's the best cake in the world.

YABU. Sultanas in carrot cake; walnuts in banana cake.

IMO the only place walnuts have in cake is coffee and walnut cake. I make a lovely Delia recipe one.

Please someone answer my dried fruit question! Pleeeeeeeease!

Arielnonbio this way please

And Christmas cake is the work of the devil.

Sultanas, raisins, and currants are all dried grapes. They are just different varieties of grape.

Thank you! How odd though, that both raisins and sultanas are from white grapes

<needs to get a life sharpish>

I think they are different white grapes... like tangerines and clementines and satsumas are all orange citrus fruits, but they are different don't ask me how they are different but they are.

Something to do with pips?

Yes but there are IIRC six varieties of grapes which can be dried successfully and do not suffer from must (like mould). And they all taste differently, just like all white wines don't taste the same.

How do you know so much about dried fruit? Are you a cook?

Ok hands up who though currents were from a bush called, er a current bush?
Reasonable, no?

Obviously I knew the difference. Just wanted to see if you do too...

thought

bloody dried fruit thread hijackers

Sorry <unrepentant>

I like dried apricot in my carrot cake

Yes, I thought I knew about dried fruit but was shocked and astounded by currants not being currants.

I do agree carrot cake is better without sultanas (and with walnuts), I like walnuts and they go so well.

I like sultanas, crushed pineapple and no icing personally

Yanb at all u. Raisins in carrot cake is all wrong. I must confess to feeling quite sulky when there are no walnuts in carrot cake. Not on AT ALL.

No icing? Fraek.

icing has to be either: your standard glace but made with orange juice (fresh) not water

or cream cheese frosting.

I also put orange zest in mine.

You've all got it wrong. Completely wrong.

Take out the walnuts
Take out the raisins (sultanas/currants/etc)
Take out the carrots

Replace with cocoa and make a scrummy chocolate cake instead. No point wasting calories on yukky carrot cake when you could have yummy chocolate instead

carrot cakes counts as a vegetable portion surely?

Must have: walmuts, cloves, mixed spice+cinnamon, sea salt

NO vine fruits, No Cream Cheese Frostings- bleurgh.

I make The Best carrot cake ever according my my DM and my DD .
So there

A maple flavoured glaze is also lovely with carrot cake, but ime that would demand a cake with walnuts in it.

YABVVVVVVU because I am trying to lose weight and now I am craving carrot cake with mountains of cream cheese icing.

YANBU about the walnuts, though. Carrot cake should definitely have walnuts. Almost all of them in aforementioned Himalayas of cream cheese icing. <sobs with lust>

On a side note - I had No Idea how bad carrot cake was for you until my friend spent her summer working in M&S cafe. She said a slice there would set you back 800 calories and contained God knows how much fat. I still would though

Yes walnuts and sultanas rather then raisins,
And icing is best made with obv. icing sugar, splash of rum or amaretto and mascarpone cheese.
Now that's the carrot cake.
But if you want real indulgence without as many calories, but not compromise on the taste, try Nigela's flour-less Venetian carrot cake, it is a beauty, also suitable for gluten free diet.

Walnuts, and if you must have dried fruit, then apricots.

Am intrigued by the Venetian cake - off to google!

Carrot cake should as bunbaker rightly said contain carrots and cake. Nothing else! It should then be topped with just the right thickness of just sweet enough cream cheese icing.

I bought carrot cake with hazelnuts.

It wasn't very nice.

It was £1.50 a slice.

I will not be making that mistake again.