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Dessert

Carrot Cake I

A moist carrot cake made with yogurt, applesauce, and pineapple, flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 16 ingredients
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Why it works: Vanilla and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,287 recipes. Both carry 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, which smells sweet, anise. The science ↓

Carrot Cake I

Oven400°F
Time40 to 45 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, gas mark 6).

  2. Position the top rack in the center of the oven.

  3. Lightly coat a 9 inch (22.5 cm) bundt pan with cooking spray and dust with flour, tapping out excess.

Make the batter

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, yogurt, oil, applesauce, brown sugar, and vanilla.

  2. On a piece of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt (if using), cinnamon, and nutmeg.

  3. Gradually add the dry mixture to the egg-applesauce mixture, stirring until incorporated.

  4. Stir in the carrots.

  5. Drain and reserve the juice from the pineapple.

  6. Stir the drained pineapple and raisins into the cake batter.

Bake and serve

  1. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon.

  2. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

  3. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.

  4. Slide a thin knife around the edges and center of the cake to loosen it from the pan.

  5. Invert onto a rack to cool.

  6. When ready to serve, transfer cake to a serving platter.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1000Calories
39 gProtein
22 gFat
162 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Yogurt170g plain Greek100
Pineapple1 cup chunks (165g)82
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Grape1/2 cup (76g)62
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Carrot1 medium (61g)25
Vanilla1 tsp extract (4ml)12
Nutmeg1 tsp ground (2.2g)12
Cinnamon1 tsp ground (2.6g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Vanilla + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,287 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).

  2. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together35,032 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  3. Flour + cinnamontop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,341 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  4. Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together30,779 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  5. Yogurt + vanillatop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,191 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Egg whites
Provide structure and lift as they set in the batter during baking.
All-purpose flour
Forms the gluten network that gives the cake its structure.
Baking powder
Releases gas in the batter, helping the cake rise.
Baking soda
Reacts with acidic ingredients to add lift and help browning.
Applesauce
Adds moisture and tenderness without much fat.
Shredded carrots
Add moisture and sweetness to the crumb.

The step that matters

Folding in the dry ingredients. Stirring only until the flour is incorporated keeps gluten development low, so the cake stays tender rather than tough.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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