NEED: boxed cake mix recipe for a great carrot cake (carrots, cake recipe)

[deeds]

looking for a carrot cake recipe made out of a boxed cake mix

[Beckerd]

I love carrot cake! I switch between these 2 recipes depending on what I have on hand and what I feel like doing.

When I don't feel like shredding all those carrots for homemade cake. Here is a recipe I use when I'm feeling lazy..

Ultimate Carrot Cake


1 package Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® carrot cake mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1 tub Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese ready-to-spread frosting


1. Heat oven to 350�F. Grease and flour bottoms only of 2 round pans, 8x1 1/2 or 9x1 1/2 inches.

2. Beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and pineapple in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in nuts, coconut and raisins. Pour into pans.

3. Bake 8-inch rounds 40 to 45 minutes, 9-inch rounds 28 to 32 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around side of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. Place 1 cake layer, rounded side down, on serving plate. Spread with about 1/3 cup frosting. Place other layer, rounded side up, on top. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Store covered in refrigerator.

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This recipe comes from the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook. I love all of her cake recipes. They are always moist and they don't have that cake mix taste.
Here is another of my favorites....


CARROT CAKE WITH FRESH ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pans
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix(not the kind with pudding added)
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots (5 medium carrots)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening. Dust with flour, then shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, orange juice, oil, eggs, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and well blended. Gently fold in the carrots, raisins, and nuts with a rubber spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.

3. Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert each again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting. (recipe follows)

5. Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with clean, smooth strokes.

Place this cake, uncovered, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. Cover the cake with waxed paper and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze it, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator before serving.


Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (from 1 medium orange)


1. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the confectioners' sugar, a bit at a time, blending with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well combined, 1 minute. Then add the orange juice and zest to the mixture. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting lightens and is fluffy, 1 minute more.

2. Use at once to frost the Carrot Cake