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Sugar rush

Ryan Loyd • December 28, 2024

Sweet treats are a weekly staple in our house.

ice cream cookie sandwiches on a cutting board

Cakes, cookies, pies and homemade ice cream are always on rotation. But I'm starting to think about the health factors while trying to still satisfy our sweet tooth.

My sweet tooth has become a consistent journey of culinary confections.

Each week, my meal plan takes shape sometimes based on loose themes. Recently, I had a bit of an Oktoberfest theme going on even though it was well past the true Oktoberfest timeframe. I might try to make a special treat coincide with the meal theme. But, other times, cravings take over and the mood strikes for a certain something.

But it seems that now, no matter the difficulty or ease of the main meal, I'm planning for one good dessert to make that'll last us the whole week.

Cakes.

Pies.

Cookies.

Pastries.

I have the perfect example of an confectionery inspiration - er, confectionery craving - well, both really - to share. A visit to J. Alexander's a few months back got me to thinking about how I could recreate the restaurant's signature dessert - carrot cake. I hopped online and found a copycat recipe that is so wonderfully moist, fluffy, sweet and all around amazing. It tasted just like the restaurant version! And rarely do I even order dessert at a restaurant. I am so glad I did. When the J. Alexander's carrot cake came to the table, it was delightfully warm with the cream cheese frosting noticeably slightly melted and practically sliding off the giant square piece of cake.

It was, by far, the absolute best dessert I'd ever had at a restaurant.

The copycat recipe resulted in tremendous success! It's packed full of deliciousness: shredded carrots, chopped pecans, shredded coconut, warm spices, and a secret ingredient - keep reading to find out what it is! This is really the best carrot cake recipe that's melt-in-your-mouth light, fluffy, and perfectly topped with a velvety cream cheese frosting. I enjoyed my pieces warmed up, of course, but it's also perfectly fine right out of the fridge.

Bake or make showstoppers at home.

man on a bike with a child in a seat on the front

I'm not calling anything I've made a "showstopper" by any stretch of the imagination, but I have been proud of many bakes and sweet creations.

Over the summer, I got really into anything made with citrus. Key lime, or any kind of lime, is the perfect summer treat simply because it is so refreshing and delicious. Key lime cupcakes (pictured above) made several appearances, and were a big hit at the summer pool party splashes!

There are some showstoppers that look pretty stunning, but fail to measure up in the taste category. Such was the case as this angel food cake with a Palm Springs vibe (pictured below) that I made for a work baking competition. I had the most fun decorating with a piping bag. I created little cactus plants, piped various ribbons down the side of the angel cake, and used real flowers for the topping.

But when it came to the actual cake, I royally messed up when whipping the egg whites and sugar. The mixture separated something terrible. The baked cake was dense and heavy rather than being light and fluffy. While I was immensely proud of the decorations, the cake just didn't turn out right.

I'm sure you've heard that no matter how it looks when it's done, it'll tase great. Might not be quite the case here, although it was fine.

The health part of all this sugar.

It's no secret that all this sugar might not be the best for one's health. Eating too much of these sweet treats might result in gaining weight, contributing to heart disease, developing type 2 diabetes, or even cause tooth decay.

But the good news is that desserts can be consumed by modifying a few things like eating smaller portions, saving desserts for more special occasions, making sweet treats at home rather than eating out, watching your overall diet and even selecting sweets that are made with sugar substitutes or are natural such as frozen yogurt and frozen fruit pops.

According to the CDC, added sugars are sugars added during the processing of foods. They are sugars from syrups and honey, fruit or vegetable juices. They are not naturally occurring types of sugars found in milk, fruits and vegetables. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 says that for a 2,000 calorie/day diet, no more than 200 calories should come from added sugars. 200 calories equal about 12 teaspoons of added sugar from both food and beverages. In 2017-2018, the average daily intake of added sugars was 17 teaspoons for adults aged 20 and over.

Sugar does do a lot of good, as well. It's job is to not merely sweeten, though that is one of the primary functions that we all notice. For example, sugar feeds yeast. It stabilizes egg whites. It caramelizes and makes the baked good golden brown.

Homemade treats will indeed contain fewer additives and preservatives, but that doesn't mean cookies and cakes made at home will contain less sugar. Still, it is probably safe to assume that homemade items will be healthier and even tastier than those bought from the store.

J. Alexander's Carrot Cake

from An Edible Mosaic

You know I just had to post the carrot cake recipe here. The secret ingredient is listed below!

Ingredients

For the Cake Syrup:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Carrot Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
SECRE T INGREDIENT: 8 ounce can crushed pineapple undrained
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup pecans chopped, and toasted if desired

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

For the Cake Syrup:

Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Let the syrup cool until it reaches room temperature or is just slightly warm.

For the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 325F. Butter and flour the inside of a 9 by 13-inch cake pan.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and crushed pineapple (with juices). Whisk in the shredded carrot. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just to combine, being careful not to over-mix. Stir in the coconut and pecans.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes.
While the cake is still hot, poke holes all over the top with a fork or wooden skewer. Pour the cooled cake syrup over the hot cake. Let the cake cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate to chill, about 2 hours.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

When the cake is almost fully cooled, make the frosting. Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Use a handheld electric beater to mix until light and fluffy.

To Frost the Cake:

Once the cake is cooled, spread the frosting on top.

Before serving, refrigerate for 30 minutes so the frosting can set.

Bake til your heart's content!

Try one of our Matzy Platzy curated desserts! These are the tried and true sweets that we love to make. They are the recipes that are family inspired, the ones that create comfy moments at home, ones that are a holiday must!

We'll keep adding to our dessert selections, bet your bottom dollar. Trust Matzy Platzy - you won't be sorry! And let us know what desserts are your favorite by filling out the Share Your Thoughts below!

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