Carrot Cake
Fun fact: I was raised eating legendary Carrot Cake. That’s right: my mom (an excellent cook and baker) is known for her insanely good carrot cake, which quickly became her signature dessert when she developed the recipe back in the ‘90s. My mom’s carrot cake is made with the tropical additions of pineapple and sweetened coconut, plus baby carrots chopped in the food processor for convenience (she had three kids after all). It is intensely spice-y (freshly grated nutmeg contributes to this) with a double dose of vanilla extract, and has been a fixture at family birthdays over the years. I can't even count how many times I found one cooling on the counter when I was a kid, a home-baked congratulations/thank you/get well soon gift for friends, relatives, or even acquaintances. It was published in her Junior League’s Cookbook, where it got rave reviews.
This is not that carrot cake, though.
Much like a pair of snow boots or a minivan, my mom’s rendition of this American classic, is, well, kind of impractical here in Rome. Though many previously unavailable ingredients – like cheddar, buttermilk, and sweet potatoes, to name a few -- have appeared on the scene these past few years, sweetened, flaked coconut – a key ingredient in my mom’s recipe -- has yet to travel to Italy. The same goes for canned pineapple, an ingredient that adds extra flair to the carrot cake I grew up with, but is not exactly an often-used item in Italian cooking. What’s a blogger to do?!
As I’ve become a more confident and experienced cook and baker over the years, I’ve forged my own way in the kitchen. While I love the recipes I grew up with, I also very much enjoy following my own gastronomic path, so to speak. My nonna had her own ragu’ recipe, as does my mom, and now, so do I, one that differs from their versions and is mostly based on my experiences living in Bologna. The same goes for dishes like chicken pot pie, Thanksgiving stuffing, and even pesto, to name just a few. This brings me to the recipe for today’s carrot cake, which came about then partly out of practicality, partly out of my wish to have my own, Italy-friendly, legendary carrot cake to share with the people I love here, just like my mom did when I was growing up.
So! Here is my rendition of carrot cake, one that is Italy-accessible, ingredient-wise, and keeps things simple (the walnuts and raisins optional). I grate the carrots by hand – which makes them so fine they almost melt in to the cake – and opted for a mix of brown and white sugar, a touch of maple syrup, plus cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg for warmth and spice. The whole thing is finished off with tangy, addictive, not-to-sweet cream cheese frosting, or rather the-only-sort-of-frosting-that-should-ever-grace-a-carrot-cake, at least in my book. Bonus: this is a cake you can make a day or so in advance, as the cake becomes even moister and the spices settle nicely in to the cake in the days that follow.
The feedback from my friends – one of which wrote me just yesterday to say that she couldn’t stop thinking about that carrot cake suggests that I may have come up with a superb cake of my own, one that can peacefully co-exist in the Pantheon of Dessert alongside my mom’s version. Heads up: this cake would be perfect if you’re celebrating Easter this Sunday, or for any birthday, holiday, or heck, even Friday you have coming up this week, because Carrot Cake.
A couple of notes: Given the fact that we aren’t exactly allowed large gatherings lately and I wasn’t feeding twelve, I halved the recipe for these photos; feel free to do the same and bake in a 9 x 5 inch (22 x 12 cm) rectangular pan to make a one layer cake, and halve the frosting recipe too. This recipe would also work great for cupcakes. For the carrots — grate them on the largest grate of your box grater; it doesn’t take too long, and is preferable to processing the carrots in the food processor (where you get sturdier little pieces rather than fine, delicate pieces). This cake is better when made a day or two in advance — the flavor becomes spicier and the texture more moist. I like my carrot cake nut and raisin free, but I have included the quantities below if you would like to add one or both.
Looking for other cake recipes? Click here.
I’ve also got this Spring-y line here up to help you round out your Easter menu.
CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Makes 1 layer cake serving about 12, or 22-24 cupcakes. If the recipe is halved, it makes 1 rectangular cake serving about 10.
Ingredients:
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (9.5 grams) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (6 grams) salt
2 teaspoons (5.5 grams, roughly) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (2.5 grams) ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon (1.25 grams, to be very precise!) ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups (295 ml) canola, vegetable, or sunflower seed oil
1 cup (200 grams) white sugar
1 cup (200 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or good quality maple syrup
4 eggs
3 cups (300 grams, i.e 3 large or about 6 medium) peeled and grated carrots (see notes above about grating)
1 cup (100 grams) coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup (65 grams) raisins (optional)
Ingredients for the frosting:
8 ounces (225 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (125 grams) softened unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or you can put a little vanilla extract in here if you prefer)
Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176C). If making the full recipe as written above, grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. If making half the recipe as I did, grease a 9x5 inch rectangular pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, sugars, and vanilla or maple syrup. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts. When they are well incorporated, stir in the carrots, and then the nuts and/or raisins (if using the last two).
Divide the batter between the prepared cake pan(s). Bake until the top of the cake layers (or just the one rectangular cake) are springy when touched and when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 25-35 minutes. If making a layer cake, cool the cakes in pans for 15 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks, peel off parchment paper and cool completely. If you’ve made a smaller rectangular cake, just let it cool completely in the pan.
For the frosting: In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. Chill the frosting for 10 to 20 minutes, until it has set up enough to spread smoothly.
To assemble the layer cake, frost the top of one cake, place the other cake on top. Frost the sides and top, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set up frosting. If you’ve made a rectangular cake as I did, just frost the cake and serve it directly from the pan. Enjoy!
