Updated: Nov. 02, 2023
The best bakers take a key extra step—soaking raisins before folding them into the batter.
Raisins are fantastic in baked goods like oatmeal cookies and (of course) your Grandma’s famous carrot cake. Because they’re so dry, however, raisins tend to absorb the liquid from your baked goods, making the final dessert less moist. That’s almost never a good thing! The best bakers take a key extra step—soaking raisins before folding them into the batter.
How to Plump Raisins
Choose the Right Soaking Liquid
Water is the most common soaking liquid, but fruit juices (like pineapple for Aunt Murna’s Jam Cake), extracts and spirits (like rum and brandy) can also be used. Another liquid that many have never considered but is a natural choice is eggs. Most baked goods call for eggs anyway, so by soaking your fruit in the eggs before mixing them into your batter, you don’t have to worry about adding any extra liquid.
Pick a Tried-and-True Method
Different cooks all have different methods for soaking their dried fruit, each believing their technique yields a more plump product. There are at least four ways to achieve soaked fruit. Here are the best I’ve heard:
- Pour enough hot water over the raisins to cover them and let them sit for 10-15 minutes, then drain and use.
- Add both your liquid and the raisins to a saucepan and heat the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat and let sit for 10-15 minutes before draining and using.
- Place the raisins in a microwave-safe bowl and cover them with liquid; microwave for 2-3 minutes, then soak for 10-15 minutes before folding into batter.
- Cover the raisins with room temperature liquid and soak for 30 minutes. After that time has passed, they’re ready to use!
Pro Tip: Soaking longer isn’t necessarily better. Raisins will only plump so much, and they’ll do it pretty quickly.
Generally speaking, any method will work. You can simply make your choice based on how much time you have and how many dishes you want to wash! It’s worth noting that soaking raisins isn’t limited to baked goods—plump them for snacks and salad toppings.
Tasty Carrot Cake-Inspired Recipes
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Taste of Home
Carrot CakeMy family's best carrot cake recipe dates back to my great-grandmother! We bake up a few of these carrot cakes for special occasions to make sure there's enough to go around. You'll love the texture this pretty, moist treat gets from pineapple, coconut and, of course, carrots! —Debbie Terenzini-Wilkerson, Lusby, MarylandGet Recipe
Carrot CupcakesTo try to get my family to eat more vegetables, I often "hide" nutritional foods inside sweet treats. The shredded carrots add wonderful moistness to these cupcakes, which have a rich cream cheese frosting. Now we can have our cake and eat our vegetables, too! —Doreen Kelly, Rosyln, Pennsylvania
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Vertical Carrot CakeThis vertical spin on a cherished classic is packed with spices and sure to impress. The brown butter cream cheese frosting truly takes the vertical cake over the top! — Mark Neufang, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Taste of Home
Carrot Cake PancakesHere's a way for fans of carrot cake to have their favorite dessert for breakfast. These delicate, decadent pancakes are drizzled with sweet and spicy maple syrup that complements the sour cream and nut topping. —Leane Goering, Salem, Indiana
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Taste of Home
Wonderful Carrot CakeThis healthy carrot cake recipe is moist, tender and delicious. Kids will love it because it's sweet, and you'll love it because it's packed with good-for-you carrots. —Brenda Rankhorn, New Market, Alabama
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Carrot Blueberry CupcakesCarrots, blueberries, pineapple and zucchini make an interesting and delicious combination in these unique little treats.—Patricia Kile, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.
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TMB Studio
Pressure-Cooker Carrot Cake OatmealThis warm breakfast cereal made in the pressure cooker is a great way to add some veggies in the morning and keep a healthy diet! For extra crunch, I garnish individual servings with ground walnuts or pecans.—Debbie Kain, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Carrot Sheet CakeWe sold pieces of this to-die-for carrot cake at an art show. Before long, we sold all 10 cakes we had made! —Dottie Cosgrove South El Monte, California
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Taste of Home
Carrot Spice Thumbprint CookiesCarrot cake is a family favorite, and these delicious cookies taste just like it with shredded carrots, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, cinnamon and cloves. And they're topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. Who could resist? Each cookie is like eating a piece of carrot cake, but with no fork needed! —Susan Bickta, Kutztown, Pennsylvania
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Carrot Honey LoafAs a busy health-care professional and mom, one of the most meaningful gifts I give to the people I love is my time and skills in the kitchen. I have been baking since I was 7 years old and while I still am an avid baker, raising three children, caring for three dogs and working full-time leaves me with little energy! My family appreciates all my efforts and this is a favorite extra "gift" I give people for special events like a housewarming or welcoming a new baby. It is especially good toasted with butter. —Krystal Horudko, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
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Taste of Home
Pineapple Carrot CakeThis moist cake with cream cheese frosting is the best I've ever eaten. It's so simple, too, because it uses two jars of baby food instead of fresh carrots that need to be grated. —Jeanette McKenna, Vero Beach, Florida
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Carrot Dump CakeBecause our family adores carrot cake, I experimented to find an easy way to make it so we could enjoy it all the time. This super moist dump cake version makes my family smile when it suddenly appears on the table. —Bonnie Hawkins, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
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Spiced Carrot Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Spiced Carrot CakeMy mom made this cake for my birthday one year because carrot cake is her favorite. Turns out, it's my favorite, too! Now when I make it, I love it with lots of spice. The pumpkin pie spice is a perfect shortcut, but you could use a custom blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. —Jaris Dykas, Knoxville, Tennessee
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Carrot Cake Sandwich CookiesThis cookie's always been a favorite with my kids, and a best-seller at bake sales. If you want to gild the lily, you can add toasted chopped walnuts or pecans to the frosting. —Linda Ross, Williamsport, Pennsylvania
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Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese FrostingA pleasingly moist cake, this treat is the one I requested that my mom make each year for my birthday. It's dotted with sweet carrots and a hint of cinnamon. The fluffy buttery frosting is scrumptious with chopped walnuts stirred in. One piece of this carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is never enough—it's better than all the other carrot cakes I've tried! —Kim Orr, West Grove, Pennsylvania
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Taste of Home
Coconut Carrot MuffinsIf you like carrot cake, you'll probably like these muffins, too. They make a neat treat for an Easter get-together! I use canned carrots to save some extra time in the kitchen. —Brittany Carrington, Tehachapi, California
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Grandma's Carrot CakeMy grandma was very special to me. She had a big country kitchen that was full of wonderful aromas any time we visited. This was one of her prized cake recipes, and it continues to be a favorite from generation to generation. —Denise Strasz, Detroit, Michigan
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Carrot CheesecakeMy family loves this creamy make-ahead dessert. Unlike traditional cheesecake, I sprinkle a streusel topping over the filling. It needs to be refrigerated overnight and is well worth the wait. —Misty Wellman, Scottsdale, Arizona
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Carrot-Cranberry Spice CakeI love carrot cake and those made with cranberries. Using leftover cranberry sauce, I add carrots to make one marvelous cake that’s tangy and sweet. —Elizabeth King, Duluth, Minnesota
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Carrot Cake JamFor a change of pace from berry jams, try this unique option. Spread on a bagel with cream cheese, it tastes almost as good as real carrot cake! —Rachelle Stratton, Rock Springs, Wyoming
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Classic Carrot CakeI entered this yummy, moist cake in a Colorado Outfitters Association dessert contest. My carrot cake with pineapple earned first place! —Cheri Eby, Gunnison, Colorado
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Chocolate Carrot CakeFinely shredding the carrots gives this cake an extra-nice texture. The walnuts sprinkled on top add crunch, but you can leave them off if you prefer. —Pamela Brown, Williamsburg, Michigan
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Carrot Cookie BitesThis recipe is a longtime family favorite. The cookies are soft and delicious, and the aroma while baking is absolutely irresistible! I'm always being asked for the recipe. —Jeanie Petrik, Greensburg, Kentucky
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Maple Carrot CupcakesI come from a line of family cooks and have liked to cook and bake since I was young. Mother and Grandmom were always in the kitchen cooking up something delicious. These carrot cupcakes were Grandmom's specialty, and we always have them at family gatherings. —Lisa Ann Panzino DiNunzio, Vineland, New Jersey
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Carrot Cake with Pecan FrostingMy husband constantly requests this homey, old-fashioned version of carrot cake. The frosting is still tasty even without the pecans. —Adrian Badon, Denham Springs, Louisiana
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Taste of Home
Carrot FruitcakeEven those who don't care for fruitcake love this special holiday dessert. It's a fun way to dress up that old favorite, carrot cake. Try it—your friends and family will agree. —Ann Parden, Chunchula, Alabama
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Frosted Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Frosted Carrot Cake CookiesI took my favorite carrot cake recipe and slightly tweaked it to make cookies. Just like the cake, the yummy bites are filled with shredded carrot, pineapple and raisins—and topped with a homemade cream cheese frosting. —Lawrence Earl, Sumner, Michigan
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Cranberry-Carrot Layer Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Cranberry-Carrot Layer CakeThis moist cake smothered with rich cream cheese frosting makes any dinner festive. Every autumn, I go to a cranberry festival in Wisconsin and load up on fresh cranberries to freeze for year-round cooking. —Nellie Runne, Rockford, Illinois
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Surprise Carrot CakeA cousin gave me this carrot cake recipe. It's a wonderful potluck pleaser with its "surprise" cream cheese center. My husband and our two young children love it, too! —Lisa Bowen, Little Britian, Ontario
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Tropical Carrot CakeI look forward to August because our family reunion means fun and great food, like this classic cake with the special flair it gets from pineapple. My great-aunt gave me this recipe, and I always make it for the reunion.—Victoria Casey, Enterprise, Oregon
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Taste of Home
Carrot Cake ShortbreadI really love carrot cake and wanted to make a cookie that had the same flavors. These comforting cookies are just the ticket! Cinnamon, maple and vanilla make them perfect for the holidays. —Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, Utah
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Mrs. Thompson's Carrot CakeI received this recipe from the mother of a patient I cared for back in 1972 in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was, and is, the best carrot cake I have ever tasted. It’s requested for many family gatherings and celebrations. —Becky Wachob, Kelly, Wyoming
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