"carrot cake" news and stories

Happy National Carrot Cake Day!

Thought to have originated in Europe of the Middle Ages when sugars were expensive luxuries, carrot cake was largely popularized in World War II Britain, when the Ministry of Food distributed dessert recipes featuring carrots. The cake also garnered popularity in the late 20th century, when, according to the Oxford Companion to Food, they became increasingly "perceived as 'healthy' cakes, a perception fortified by the use of brown sugar and wholemeal flour and the inclusion of chopped nuts, and only slightly compromised by the cream cheese and sugar icing which appears on some versions."

Of course today we wouldn't purport to call carrot cake "healthy" -- we don't deny that the hefty cream cheese frosting negates the more healthful inclusion of nuts and carrots -- but with its moist, layered interior spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice, our tastebuds don't mind a waistline indulgence now and then.

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For months I have been itching to try Archana's Spiced Carrot Cake, a sweet treat that is pumped up with the addition of ground cardamom. I'd been leaning on my banana bread recipes for those moments when a sweet, but not sugar-saturated treat was in order, but it was time for a change.

When you have all the ingredients prepared, this is a great, simple recipe that yields solid, tasty results. The cardamom gives this nice, subtle push of flavor that sets this mix apart. But be warned -- it's a pain in the arse to grind it. I bought some over the summer, but this was the first time I used some. The shells are very stubborn, and a lot of effort will give you just a bit of appropriately ground spice. I heated it with my cast iron skillet and then used a mortar and pestle and my coffee grinder to get the powder. It took a while since the cardamom is so light that it flies above the blades. If you want speed, I suggest some pre-ground cardamom.

But the result is a treat. It was the middle of the night, and I was too impatient, so I just ripped chunks off and ate them warm, without a glaze or confectioners sugar -- both of which would really make this cake. But without, it's still nice and light, moist, and great for a quick nibble.

Hey, we've had bacon ice cream and bacon martinis and even bras made out of bacon. Why not a cake topped with it?

That's the question that a reader of cakehead.com asks. Specifically, she asks what type of cake is the best to top with bacon. Yellow cake was too sweet, and carrot cake didn't quite work either. Click on the link to find out what cake tastes great with bacon, and then try it yourself.

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In the winter months I think of comfort food, and when I think of comfort food three things immediately come to mind: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and carrot cake. Brilynn at Jumbo Empanadas is allowing me to satisfy one of those cravings vicariously with a 3-layer carrot cake she adapted from a Dorie Greenspan recipe. Certain substitutions were made after discovering she was either missing or short on a few ingredients, but I think the addition of dried cherries (to make up for a lack of raisins) would really enhance this dish.

Though she made the cake itself for a potluck lunch, the 6-layer sample shown in front was ingeniously prepared for her own tasting pleasure. I really need to remember that trick the next time I bake something.

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Even without tasting these, it is easy to see that they are going to be delicious, especially if you have any love for either carrot cake or cream cheese frosting. Much like Whoopie Pies, these Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches have a cake-like batter as a base, which bakes into a moist and tender cookie that is then sandwiched with a thick, sweet, satisfying filling. This batch was baked by JenJen, from Milk and Cookies, who reported that they were just as addictive as they look.

Because the batter for the cookies is quite wet, the texture is very similar to that of "real" carrot cake and this helps it to blend easily with the filling. The cookies themselves are flavored with cinnamon, brown sugar, walnuts and raisins. The filling is a simply sweetened mixture of cream cheese and honey that is beaten until fluffy, although a more traditional cream cheese frosting made with powdered sugar, vanilla and a bit of butter could be substituted to take this cookie from snack to dessert.

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