Mark Your Calendars for National Carrot Cake Day

Carrot cake lovers rejoice! Saturday, Feb. 3, is National Carrot Cake Day.

For those who have attended events at the University, you may have tried one of the Syracuse University Bakery’s specialties, their delicious carrot cake, which is loved by many and famous at the University.

How popular is it? In the past year the Bakery has made 200 of the 9-inch round versions of the cake, their most popular, and this doesn’t include their other various sizes, including a sheet cake and cupcakes.

Here is what 200 of those cakes looks like by the numbers:

For the cake:

• 675 pounds of carrots
• 400 pounds of granulated sugar
• 185 pounds of eggs
• 300 pounds of flour
• 150 pounds of raisins
• 40 gallons of soybean oil
• 3 pounds of cinnamon
• 10 pounds of salt
• 14 pounds of baking powder
• 10 pounds of baking soda

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 300 pounds of cream cheese
• 500 pounds of sugar
• 150 pounds of butter
• 100 pounds of icing shortening
• 1½ gallons of vanilla

Interested in making the carrot cake at home? You are in luck! Sharon Crosby, the originator of the recipe, shared it before she retired after over 30 years of service, under one condition: that it would be shared with those who wanted it. For those of you who love to bake, here is your chance to try your hand at the University’s tempting and tasty carrot cake!

Crosby’s Carrot Cake Recipe

Ingredients for the cake:

• 3 cups cooked and cooled carrots (sliced frozen)
• 2¼ cups sugar
• 4 large beaten eggs
• 2 cups of oil
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1½ cups of walnuts*
• 1½ cups of raisins

Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting:

• 3 ounces cream cheese
• ½ cup butter (softened)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups confectioners sugar

Directions for cake:

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, and set aside. In a mixer, beat carrots and sugar together until carrots are broken into small pieces. Add beaten eggs to carrot mixture until well blended. Add oil, raisins and walnuts until well blended. Slowly add flour mixture, continue mixing until all ingredients are wet. Do not over mix. Pour batter into two 9-inch greased cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until knife comes out clean. Be sure to cool completely before you frost the cakes.

Directions for frosting:

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar beating until smooth.

Frost cake as desired once cooled.

*Note: The University no longer includes walnuts in its recipe because the Bakery is a tree nut-free facility.