Hi,
I am making a cake for my husbands boss, for his daughters birthday. He has always enjoyed my carrot cake. I have included the recipe, I use, in my post. However, he took a slice home to have his wife try and the verdict came back it needs to be more firm, less sweet and less moist. Hmmmm... I will be honest. I am a decorator first and a baker last. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mind this is not my recipe. I want to give credit to whom it belongs. I found it on a website called cookie madness.

Thank you

Here is the recipe

Dense and Moist Carrot Cake

3 cups shredded carrots (I shredded mine myself this time, though I think pre-shredded would be okay)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple (about 1 cup before draining)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans

Frosting:
12 oz cream cheese, softened
6 ounces butter (12 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon vanilla
4-5 cups powdered sugar (taste as you go, dont just trust amount on paper)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 (8 inch) round cake pans with flour-added cooking spray or spray a 13×9 inch pan with cooking spray. If using 8 inch pans, you might want to line bottom with parchment because this cake is sticky.

In a large plastic bowl mixing bowl, stir together carrots and both sugars. Let sit for about 10 minutes; the sugar will form a juice. Stir in oil, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, pineapple and fresh ginger.

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir flour mixture and toasted nuts into carrot mixture. Pour into prepared pans or pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes (13×9 inch pan might take longer) or until tester comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn from pans if using 8 inch. The cake is fairly delicate, so be careful. Cool completely and prepare frosting.

Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Stir in sugar, then beat until fluffy and light. Beat in lemon juice to taste. Frost cake!

Sounds like she wants a box mix carrot cake. Carrot cakes are supposed to be moist so this is puzzling. The recipe I use doesn't call for pineapple, not everyone cares for it anyway. Perhaps omitting that, unless of course they want it, may help cake to be a little less moist. My recipe also uses only white sugar and no brown. Brown sugar seems to taste sweeter than white. HTH

Cut the pineapple for sure (or if you still really realty want the chunks, squeeze the crap out of them so they are mainly fibrous)

And cut down the sugar. Sugar adds sweetness but also moisture.

Thank you both so much for your response! I will give your suggestions a try.