I tried it twice but my carrot cake just isn't fluffy and spongy. It is very dense with less volume.what am I doing wrong?

Carrot cakes are not supposed to be light and fluffy. They are usually dense because of the carrot bulk in them. It is just a different kind of cake.

Tick

Cakes do vary in density. Items that cause cakes to rise, hence adding more air and making them lighter include eggs, baking soda and baking powder. If you have time to experiment try doubling the baking soda/powder or adding an egg. Alternately, use the internet to compare carrot cake recipes to the recipe you use and see what comments are offered. Perhaps try a different recipe.

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Originally Posted by Kathy4051

Cakes do vary in density. Items that cause cakes to rise, hence adding more air and making them lighter include eggs, baking soda and baking powder. If you have time to experiment try doubling the baking soda/powder or adding an egg. Alternately, use the internet to compare carrot cake recipes to the recipe you use and see what comments are offered. Perhaps try a different recipe.

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Unless you can reduce the grated carrot (3 cups), no amount of baking powder or baking soda is going to make a carrot cake light and fluffy. This is a family favourite I make on a regular basis. There is already a couple of eggs in the standard carrot cake recipe as it is.

Yes, I agree, searching the net for another recipe for carrot cake that can be light and fluffy is an alternative, but then it would not be a proper carrot cake. The carrot cake recipe that is floating around with 3 cups of grated carrot was almost a dietary supplement years ago and is dense for the purpose of providing bulk in an otherwise bland diet in (almost) pioneer days. It probably would have been used for breakfast along with porridge, cooked with lard instead of our modern vegetable oil and steamed rather then baked. Unpalatable for our modern tastes so toned down as it is now.

Tick

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Tick

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Originally Posted by tickle

Unless you can reduce the grated carrot (3 cups), no amount of baking powder or baking soda is going to make a carrot cake light and fluffy. This is a family favourite I make on a regular basis. There is already a couple of eggs in the standard carrot cake recipe as it is.

Yes, I agree, searching the net for another recipe for carrot cake that can be light and fluffy is an alternative, but then it would not be a proper carrot cake. The carrot cake recipe that is floating around with 3 cups of of grated carrot was almost a dietary supplement years ago and is dense for the purpose of providing bulk in an otherwise bland diet in (almost) pioneer days. It probably would have been used for breakfast along with porridge, cooked with lard instead of our modern vegetable oil and steamed rather then baked. Unpalatable for our modern tastes so toned down as it is now.

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Can you share your recipe with us? There are many different variations I have found.

Carrot cake is dense because of the amount of flour, the carrots and pineapple and nuts. More so if you use whole wheat flour.

You're on the right track Kathy... baking powder/soda is what I've experienced works.