Chocolate Carrot Cake is a decadent chocolate version of everyone’s favourite classic cake. This luscious cake has a rich chocolate flavour and an incredibly moist crumb. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is so good, it might not even make it onto the cake!
Chocolate lovers rejoice! There are plenty of mouth watering recipes for you to try here on the blog. Satisfy your chocolate craving with these Easy Avocado Chocolate Truffles or bake up this beautiful Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon to share.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and get this post sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I’ll send you my weekly newsletter featuring the newest and best Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen recipes every week!
Chocolate Carrot Cake
I have been waiting exactly 20 years to share this Chocolate Carrot Cake recipe with you. The mere fact that I have this recipe at all is a miracle (more on that later!). Picture me in my university days. Money was tight for this busy new mom and going out for a bite was a real treat.
I love it with the accompanying chocolate cream cheese frosting but if you feel it’s too much chocolate, feel free to use the classic cream cheese frosting instead.
Alexander’s Restaurant
Enter Alexander’s restaurant. This spot’s convenient location right across from the university meant that it was the celebratory spot for triumphant celebrations and even some tragic failures. It was there that I had my first slice (of many) of their famous Chocolate Carrot Cake.
After I graduated and moved away, this cake became the hallmark of cakes; it left an imprint on my soul as good food often does. Each time we would pass through town, our family would stop in for a slice and I would sheepishly ask for the recipe. Each time I was denied.
Chocolate Carrot Cake Celebration
The year I turned 40, my daughter emailed the restaurant and explained my obsessive love affair with this cake. She mentioned how many times I had asked for the recipe and my upcoming birthday milestone. Would you believe after all those years, it took a 17 year old girl one email to obtain that recipe?
She baked this cake for me and the rest is history. By the way, Alexander’s closed down in March 2020 so I feel very lucky that I can share this recipe with you, especially if you’re from Saskatoon.
If you make this Chocolate Carrot Cake recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see what you guys are making! Thank you so much for reading my blog.
Chocolate Carrot Cake
Chocolate Carrot Cake is a decadent chocolate version of everyone's favourite classic cake. This luscious cake has a rich chocolate flavour and an incredibly moist crumb. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is so good, it might not even make it onto the cake!
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded carrots
- 1 1/2 cups canola oil
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup apple sauce
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
FOR THE CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 1 cup unsalted butter; softened
- 1 (8 oz) tub spreadable cream cheese; room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa
- 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 325 F. Lightly grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan* (16 cup capacity).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the carrots, oil, eggs, and apple sauce together with the paddle attachment..
- Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then stir until they are combined.
- With the stand mixer running on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients in the stand mixer bowl. Mix well.
- Bake the cake at 325 F for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Cream butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add cream cheese and combine well. Add vanilla extract.
- Sift cocoa and icing sugar into the bowl and combine well.
Notes
*Alternatively, use 3 - 6 inch round cake pans and line their bases with parchment paper. There will be enough batter left over to bake another cake in a loaf pan. Bake the smaller pans for 40-45 minutes.
OR use 3 8 inch round cake pans and bake for 50-60 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 997Total Fat: 57gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 38gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 402mgCarbohydrates: 114gFiber: 6gSugar: 72gProtein: 11g
Nutritional calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator.
Hi. I’m in the UK and have never used apple sauce in baking, it tends to be matched with a roast pork here! I’m not even sure if our sauce is the same as yours…. Do you know if it can be substituted with something else, just add more carrot/oil, or just leave out? I’m guessing it ticks both boxes of moisture and sweetness so not sure what to do here….. I’m more a cook than a baker but have found myself with an excess of carrots!!
Thanks very much
Kay
Hi, I’m not sure what UK apple sauce is like but Canadian applesauce is just cooked mashed apples, sometimes with cinnamon. I think you could peel, core, cook, and mash 2-3 apples depending on their size. I bet you could also use mashed banana as long as you are okay with bananas. In fact, next time I make this cake I’m going to use bananas!
I’d never heard of a chocolate carrot cake until now!! I am intrigued – and of course the cream cheese frosting, but chocolate-ized! That is so cute and thoughtful of your daughter … happy 40th!!!! (and generous of the restaurant to share the recipe!)
Yes, it was. I debated for 2 years if I should share it or not. So I am definitely not 40 anymore haha. I decided that sharing it without the restaurant name would be best.
Love the idea of a ‘cake stop’!!! These are beautiful photos of a yummy sounding cake 🙂
I could never resist when I was passing through town. It’s difficult to live 10 hours from your favourite cake!
Very. Cool. That was so sweet of your daughter. The cake looks magnificent!!!
It really was. I was so surprised!
I’m glad you finally got the recipe! The cake looks so tasty – but then I love carrot cake so I’m a bit biased lol.
Good things come to those who wait, right?
Cake with chocolate and carrots – wow! So it’s healthy right?
Of course! Haha.
Thank you so much for sharing! I’ve been wanting to make a Chocolate Carrot Cake for a while now. Recently found a few recipes to pick from, including yours. After reading your story, it’s going straight to the top! Good things come to those who wait … twenty years for a recipe!!!
I’m jealous! Been craving this cake again. Hope you really enjoy it Gayle, it’s such a treasure.
What a great story, Bernice! And how thoughtful of your daughter to email the restaurant for the recipe and make it for your birthday – so sweet! I would not be able to resist a request like that, either. I can’t wait to try the recipe. Chocolate Carrot Cake – it is so intriguing.
I hope you do. It’s the best chocolate cake…though it does make a lot of cake.