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? ›

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.

Why is carrot cake so good? ›

It's moist! Get used to it! The more you think about carrot cake, the less it makes sense. Like the name implies, it contains carrots, yet is not “carrot-y”—their subtle flavor is overpowered by the high caramel of brown sugar, the warm embrace of cinnamon and nutmeg and clove.

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

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

What is the name of the carrot cake? ›

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

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

If your carrots turn inexplicably green with a recipe you've used many times before, the likely culprit is that the baking soda didn't get fully dispersed throughout the batter. If your carrots are turning green every time you make the recipe, the ratio of baking soda in the recipe is probably off.

What is the difference between white and black carrot cake? ›

It comes in white and black versions. The only difference is that the “black” version is cooked with dark, sweet soy sauce giving it a different taste and appearance.

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 does my carrot cake not taste like carrot cake? ›

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.

Should carrot cake have coconut in it? ›

It needs other things, too, to be sure: Spices, like cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, to offset the earthiness of the carrots. Shredded coconut, with its savory edginess, adds another flavor dimension. (Walnuts are optional, and raisins do not belong in any cake that is not explicitly a fruitcake.)

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 white carrot cake healthy? ›

If you hunger for a plate of fragrant carrot cake or chye tau kueh, choose the plain white carrot cake (402 Calories) over the black, (556 Calories); it's just as delicious, but over 100 Calories lighter. Even better, share your carrot cake with a friend — and the calories saved will be even more!

Is carrot cake good for diet? ›

High in Dietary Fiber: Using whole wheat flour or oats in carrot cake can provide a good source of fiber, which helps maintain digestive health and supports weight management by promoting a feeling of fullness.

Is carrot cake healthier than regular cake? ›

Carrot cake isn't really any less healthy than a white cake or a chocolate cake. Arguably, it's slightly more healthy because of the addition of carrots and sometimes pineapple. However, it does contain a cup of oil and two cups of sugar, and that's just in the cake.

What ethnicity is carrot cake? ›

In 1827, carrot cake appeared for the first time in a French cookbook published in Britain, as reported by National Today, but there was a recipe for carrot pudding pie on record from "The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy" as early as 1747, per The Food of England Project.

What country did carrot cake originate from? ›

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 does a carrot cake contain? ›

Leavening — baking powder and baking soda help the cake rise, producing tender cake layers. Spices — ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg add the perfect spice that complements the sugar and carrots. You could also add a little ground ginger for extra warmth. Oil — adding oil will result in a perfectly moist cake.

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.

What are the ingredients in greens cake mix? ›

Ingredients. Sugar, wheat flour, Vegetable fat (emulsifiers (471,477), antioxidant(307)), raising agents (450, sodium bicarbonate), tapioca starch, salt, natural flavour, colour (annatto).

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