Ever since the early 1980s when I first discovered carrot cake, I’ve been intrigued by the many iterations the little sweetie assumes. I thought about it again recently and dug out my carrot cake “file” filled with recipes shared by friends, neighbors, and chefs — no two were alike! I found that the only ingredients in common in all of my carrot cake recipes were these: flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs, nuts, raisins and, of course, carrots. Most cakes use oil for shortening, some use butter, and one recipe in my file uses coconut oil. Reduced-fat recipes substitute yogurt, applesauce, low-fat buttermilk and egg whites for the shortening, but almost every recipe tops the cake with cream cheese frosting, full-fat or reduced.
Cinnamon is common in most, but spices like ginger, cloves, allspice, or nutmeg are also suggested. In addition to raisins, the favorite being golden, a number of recipes call for candied ginger, dried cranberries, coconut, or crushed pineapple. One suggests a splash of rum, another a bit of orange juice. Even the way it’s baked — in two layers, three layers, in a springform, a Bundt, or sheet pan — is open to question. This is my first carrot cake. It received rave reviews at a PTA bake sale in the early 1980s and has been shared many times, including a variation of it in my cookbook Teatime in Ireland. Signed copies are available at irishcook.com.
CLASSIC CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING
SERVES 24
For the cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
For the icing
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Shredded coconut, for topping (optional)
Get your Wild Geese merch here ... shirts, hats, sweatshirts, mugs, and more at The Wild Geese Shop.
Extend your reach with The Wild Geese Irish Heritage Partnership.
© 2021 Created by Gerry Regan.
Powered by
Badges | Report an Issue | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
You need to be a member of The Wild Geese to add comments!
Join The Wild Geese