J Alexanders Carrot Cake Recipe (Full Copycat Version) (2024)

By Jaime Published in Recipes Last Updated on

J Alexanders carrot cake recipe — the full copycat version! Tastes just like what they serve warm to your table at J. Alexander’s restaurant: full of carrots and pineapple, soaked in a yummy buttermilk syrup, and topped with the best ever cream cheese frosting.

J Alexanders Carrot Cake Recipe (Full Copycat Version) (1)

A couple years ago, my husband traveled into the Chicago area for work and took a client to a popular restaurant called J. Alexanders. He always likes to ask new restaurants what their specialty is… what’s one of the best things on their menu?

His waiter didn’t hesitate to answer — it was the carrot cake.

J Alexanders Carrot Cake Recipe (Full Copycat Version) (2)

This has special significance to us, because carrot cake is one of our most favorite desserts ever.

Many years ago, there was a privately owned restaurant near where we lived in Northwest Indiana. They had an amazing carrot cake, and for long time it held our top spot as the best carrot cake ever, but this one… well, hold the phone. We have a new winner.

J Alexanders Carrot Cake Recipe (Full Copycat Version) (3)

J Alexanders Carrot Cake Recipe

After a bit of googling, I found an old article in the Sun Sentinel newspaper with the J Alexander carrot cake recipe. I’ve made a small tweak or two here and there to replicate what my husband remembers the cake actually tasting like during his visit, and it’s a hit.

I love that this luxurious cake can be made in a simple 9×13 pan. It doesn’t need anything fancy, but it tastes fancy. And it feeds a crowd (or large family) quite well. Caution: This cake is heavy! It’s filled with all kinds of yummy goodness.

J Alexanders Carrot Cake Recipe (Full Copycat Version) (4)

The Buttermilk Cake Syrup is What Takes the Cake

This cake is literally bathed in buttermilk; buttermilk cake syrup, that is. Think of a “poke cake” and that’s similar to what you do here. Poke large holes, then let the rich buttermilk syrup seep into the baked carrot cake.

J Alexanders Carrot Cake Recipe (Full Copycat Version) (5)

J Alexanders Carrot Cake Recipe (Full Copycat Version) (6)

Consider it a Special Occasion Cake

This copycat carrot cake quickly has become one of my most requested dishes over the past year or so. It was my husband’s number one request for father’s day and his birthday this year, with no other presents necessary. It’s true.

However, because of the buttermilk cake syrup and cream cheese frosting, a slice of this carrot cake might be delicious but it’s also high in calories. Because of this, our family considers it a “special occasion cake.” Who cares about calories on a special day like a birthday?

J Alexanders Carrot Cake Recipe (Full Copycat Version) (7)

Let me know if you try it! I think it will quickly become your most requested dish, too.

J Alexanders Carrot Cake Recipe (Full Copycat Version) (8)

Yield: 12-14

J Alexanders Carrot Cake Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes

J Alexanders carrot cake recipe -- the full copycat version! Tastes just like what they serve warm to your table at J. Alexander's restaurant: full of carrots and pineapple, soaked in a yummy buttermilk syrup, and topped with the best ever cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

Cake ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (in it's own syrup), drained
  • 2 cups julienned or matchstick carrots
  • 1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
  • 1 cup pecan pieces

Buttermilk cake syrup ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream cheese frosting ingredients

  • 6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Mix remaining cake batter ingredients in a separate medium bowl. Combine the wet ingredients with the flour mixture and mix well.
  4. Transfer batter to prepared baking dish. Bake approximately 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (It usually closer to 50 minutes in my oven, but this can vary).
  5. Near the end of baking, prepare the buttermilk cake syrup: Using a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cake syrup ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
  6. While the cake is still hot, poke holes all over the top with the end of a butter knife. Pour the buttermilk cake syrup over the top, allowing cake to soak up the syrup.
  7. Refrigerate cake until completely cool (about two hours), then prepare cream cheese frosting: Using the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed, combine frosting ingredients, mixing until smooth and free of lumps.
  8. Frost cake with the cream cheese frosting. Refrigerate cake to let frosting set.

Notes

If using a convection oven, reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Recipe adapted from J. Alexander's restaurant and the Sun Sentinel newspaper.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 890Total Fat: 56gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 507mgCarbohydrates: 95gFiber: 4gSugar: 75gProtein: 8g

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J Alexanders Carrot Cake Recipe (Full Copycat Version) (2024)

FAQs

What is the green ingredient in carrot cake? ›

Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking, explains that carrots turn green when the batter “contains too much baking soda, or when the soda isn't evenly mixed in the batter.” Carrots contain pigments that are sensitive to changes in pH balance.

How many calories are in J. Alexander's carrot cake? ›

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

Why does carrot cake split? ›

The batter contains too much raising agent. Too much baking powder will cause a cake to rise too quickly and too much, making it crack or spill over the sides of the tin. Reducing the amount of raising agent or using a combination of plain and self-raising flours will help produce a more even surface.

What is the name of the carrot cake? ›

Carrot cake (also known as passion cake) is cake that contains carrots mixed into the batter.

What are the black specks in carrot cake? ›

Well, you have yourself a really yummy carrot cake, and in my mind, that qualifies as a culinary masterpiece. Now, before we go much further, someone is bound to make a snarky comment about the “black spots” in the cake. THOSE ARE WALNUTS.

How to prevent carrots from turning green in carrot cake? ›

If it is a recipe that you have baked successfully before then it is likely that the bicarbonate of soda was not mixed into the cake batter properly. If this is the case then make sure the dry ingredients are either sifted or whisked together thoroughly before the carrot and liquid ingredients are added.

Why is Carrot Cake so calorie dense? ›

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.

Is Carrot Cake good for diet? ›

Now, traditional carrot cakes, while they may SEEM healthy, can actually lean more on the unhealthy side. Why? Because traditional carrot cakes are loaded with sugar, butter, and flour, making them taste delicious, but leaving us feeling tired and lethargic.

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.)

Why is my carrot cake dense and heavy? ›

Your cake is too dense A cake that is overly dense typically has too much liquid, too much sugar or too little leavening (not excess flour, as is commonly thought).

Why is my carrot cake not fluffy? ›

The key to a soft and fluffy carrot cake is to have the carrots bake into the crumb. If you coarsely grate the carrots, then they will not bake as quickly and will stay as threads through the cake which can get stuck in your teeth. For maximum flavor and the best texture, you'll need to grate them finely.

Should carrot cake have raisins? ›

It is a carrot cake, after all. Pecans and Raisins: These add texture, but they are optional. Reading through the comment section, it is clear that some people love nuts and raisins in carrot cake, while others cannot stand them.

What country invented carrot cake? ›

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.

What is a Jake cake? ›

A favorite from many years ago, named after Amy's son Jake. It's a pillowy, heavenly angel food cake made with fresh egg whites, cane sugar, a little flour, and lots of vanilla extract and beans.

What is the green in Christmas cake? ›

Aside from candied cherries, some Christmas cake recipes call for angelica for green colour. Coins were also occasionally added to Christmas cakes as well as Christmas puddings as good luck touch pieces.

What is the green in fruit cake? ›

Paradise Green Candied Cherries–also known as Glace Green Cherries–have been a part of candied fruit recipes for generations. Green candied cherries are sweet and chewy, and complement red candied cherries in a variety of recipes, making for a more colorful and tasty baked treat.

References

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