Unveiling the Irresistible: Carrot Cake J Alexander Recipe - Bakery Cook (2024)

FAQs

How many calories is the carrot cake at J Alexander's? ›

There are 520 calories in 1 slice of J. Alexander's Carrot Cake.

The carrot cake we know was originally published in L'art du cuisinier's second volume by Antoine Beauvilliers in 1814 in French before that recipe was translated in 1824. It would later see its biggest resurgence in popularity during the Second World War for very similar reasons.

Carrots add sweetness and moisture to a batter. Carrot cakes have been around for centuries, but the modern carrot cake can be traced back to World War II when carrots were suggested as a way to add sweetness to cakes when sugar was being rationed, according to the World Carrot Museum of Skipton, England.

Many food historians believe carrot cake originated from such carrot puddings eaten by Europeans in the Middle Ages, when sugar and sweeteners were expensive and many people used carrots as a substitute for sugar.

One generous slice of traditional carrot cake with cream cheese frosting has around 650 calories. But that doesn't mean you have to write it off. With a few easy substitutions, you can make a delicious carrot cake that is actually good for you.

Carrot cake usually contains more saturated fat than fruit cake thanks to the frosting, which is typically made from cream cheese. The higher fat content also means it's higher in calories. Carrot cake is lower in fibre, so may not be as filling.

Carrot cake is thought to have originated in England where housewives used sweet products (e.g carrots) to naturally sweeten their confections during World War II.

Homemade carrot cake can last for 2 to 3 days at room temperature, 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator, and up to 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Store-bought carrot cake typically has a longer shelf life due to preservatives and airtight packaging.

The world's oldest known cake, baked during the reign of Pepi II in Egypt between BCE 2251 and 2157. Alimentarium, Vevey, Switzerland. The Egyptians gave us the world's oldest known cake–and also the world's oldest Tupperware as it happens.

Seriously though, if using only natural carrots, it is hard to get a significant carroty taste in a cake, mainly because 1) carrots don't have a very strong taste, 2) some of the taste is lost with cooking, and 3) the native texture and taste of a cake overwhelm whatever taste is remaining in the carrots.

Why not use butter in carrot cake? ›

Carrot cake is oil-based, rather than butter-based. This keeps it moist and helps it last for days. Unfortunately, it also means you lose the leavening power that creaming butter and sugar would bring. (Creaming, or beating together the two ingredients on high speed, aerates the butter.)

Carrots contain pigments that are sensitive to changes in pH balance. When the shreds of carrot come into contact with the alkaline baking soda, a chemical reaction takes place that causes the pigments to change color.

Our answer. The green flecks are carrot but the colour has been changed by the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) in the mixture. Some pigments are sensitive to pH balances and will change colour if they are in a very acid or very alkaline environment.

The rumors are true — there are actual carrots in carrot cake. But don't let that scare you away; it's actually quite delicious! Carrot cake is typically made with the same ingredients you'd find in a lot of other cakes, like flour, oil, baking soda and vanilla extract.

This savoury carrot cake has no carrot, at least not of the orange variety. Instead, the core ingredients of the cake are rice flour and white radish, which some call white carrot.

The number of calories in a slice of carrot cake varies based on brand, the size of the slice and how it's made. However, commercial brands can range between 350 and 500 calories per 100-gram serving.

The Cheesecake Factory Specialty Desserts Carrot Cake (1 serving) contains 183g total carbs, 183g net carbs, 0g fat, 0g protein, and 1550 calories.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 311 calories, 17g fat (5g saturated fat), 45mg cholesterol, 193mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate (29g sugars, 1g fiber), 4g protein.