As Carrot Cakes go, I haven’t met one I didn’t like. There are probably hundreds of recipes as no two taste the same. Some are the true carrot cake while others tend to lean toward a spice cake. All offer a taste explosion and deserve an honourable mention but I’m bias, I truly believe mine is one of the best, if not THE best!
Of course the frosting has to be Philly cheese and homemade; if not I’m afraid the effort is wasted on me. There is nothing to compare to that sweet, succulent flavour that enhances what lies beneath. I prefer my frosting thick; if I’m going down that road I want it to be memorable, I want enough to have a taste with every bite, not some skinny ass layer that barely adds anything to the sensation. I want to drown the cake in icing, if I’m going to lose a toe it better be worth it!
I’ve made two Carrot Cakes lately and I’ll admit the first one fell short of the mark. I had all the ingredients except for the veggie oil; it was late at night so I looked for a substitute and only had olive oil. It was a strong Virgin press, perfect for my salad dressings, but not conducive to a sweet cake. The carrots were grated, I had gone too far to go back so I dumped it in the mix but I could smell it over the other ingredients, its savory pong dominating even the pineapple.
I could smell the oil during the baking. Instead of a sweet aroma permeating the kitchen it was more like pizza dough. Even after the cake cooled I could still detect the olive oil and after it was sliced, I could taste it in every bite. I ate the entire cake knowing I had to do better. Sometimes when I’ve eaten something that doesn’t fit the memory, I have to do it right to erase the bad taste and put it back in proper standing. So last evening I made the second cake with vegetable oil and it was glorious! The smells that seeped from the oven tantalized me and after I’d taken it out to cool, I could barely sleep as the heavenly scent filled the house to the attic. Sugar in my blood at bedtime fights sleep and even inhaling the scent acted as if it was flowing through my veins. I tossed and turned until the wee hours of the morning.
I whipped up the frosting this morning, not daring to cut a slice and break the perfect cylindrical shape. The cake is for company this evening; I’m sharing this time so I don’t eat another whole cake on my own. The icing needs to firm in the fridge and that makes a cleaner slice as the knife glides through. I thought of nothing else and I fought the urge to rush to the fridge and sample my ware until 2:00 pm when I could stand it no longer. I justified my actions by telling myself a convincing lie. The cake should be tested before being sprung on guests. What if something wasn’t quite right? My guests deserve the best so I had to test to make sure the standard is high.
What a friggin dream cake! If only you could scratch, sniff and taste the screen! I give it a 11 out of 10, a second piece confirmed this rating. So the cake won’t be perfectly intact, someone had to do the dirty work of making sure it’s perfect for my guests. Didn’t kings have testers to ensure the safety and edibility of their food? I’m not saying I have blue blood friends, but their well being and enjoyment is my main concern.
As I mentioned above, I’ve eaten a lot of Carrot Cake. A couple of restaurants around here sell a mean slice but the best I’ve sampled is this past boyfriend’s mother’s version, the recipe came from her kitchen. The cake is light in both colour and taste. Filled with nuts, raisins, pineapple and a generous amount of shredded carrot, it is a perfect blend of flavours. The cake is not overly sweet with only a cup of sugar, the pineapple lends to the appeal. I can’t say much good came out of the relationship I had with this woman’s son, but her Carrot Cake recipe stands as the prize for putting up with his antics. She is long gone now but her cake lives on, always reminding me of our meeting.
Not all frosting tastes the same. This one hits the sweet spot in me and I slather it on several cakes I make. There is an Hawaiian Hummingbird cake recipe that sits under this frosting like a queen under a crown. Another share for another time.
CARROT CAKE
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup sugar
4 Eggs
2 Cups Flour
2 Teaspoons Soda
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
Mix together then add:
1 Cup Raisins
1 Cup Broken Walnut Pieces
14 oz. Can of Crushed Pineapple (drained but not pressed)
2 Cups Grated Carrot
Bake 1 Hour @ 325*
ICING
8 oz package Cream Cheese
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
½ Cup Butter
3 Cups Icing Sugar
Mix with electric beater
Frost cake and you can sprinkle more Walnut pieces on the top. Enjoy!
Of course the frosting has to be Philly cheese and homemade; if not I’m afraid the effort is wasted on me. There is nothing to compare to that sweet, succulent flavour that enhances what lies beneath. I prefer my frosting thick; if I’m going down that road I want it to be memorable, I want enough to have a taste with every bite, not some skinny ass layer that barely adds anything to the sensation. I want to drown the cake in icing, if I’m going to lose a toe it better be worth it!
I’ve made two Carrot Cakes lately and I’ll admit the first one fell short of the mark. I had all the ingredients except for the veggie oil; it was late at night so I looked for a substitute and only had olive oil. It was a strong Virgin press, perfect for my salad dressings, but not conducive to a sweet cake. The carrots were grated, I had gone too far to go back so I dumped it in the mix but I could smell it over the other ingredients, its savory pong dominating even the pineapple.
I could smell the oil during the baking. Instead of a sweet aroma permeating the kitchen it was more like pizza dough. Even after the cake cooled I could still detect the olive oil and after it was sliced, I could taste it in every bite. I ate the entire cake knowing I had to do better. Sometimes when I’ve eaten something that doesn’t fit the memory, I have to do it right to erase the bad taste and put it back in proper standing. So last evening I made the second cake with vegetable oil and it was glorious! The smells that seeped from the oven tantalized me and after I’d taken it out to cool, I could barely sleep as the heavenly scent filled the house to the attic. Sugar in my blood at bedtime fights sleep and even inhaling the scent acted as if it was flowing through my veins. I tossed and turned until the wee hours of the morning.
I whipped up the frosting this morning, not daring to cut a slice and break the perfect cylindrical shape. The cake is for company this evening; I’m sharing this time so I don’t eat another whole cake on my own. The icing needs to firm in the fridge and that makes a cleaner slice as the knife glides through. I thought of nothing else and I fought the urge to rush to the fridge and sample my ware until 2:00 pm when I could stand it no longer. I justified my actions by telling myself a convincing lie. The cake should be tested before being sprung on guests. What if something wasn’t quite right? My guests deserve the best so I had to test to make sure the standard is high.
What a friggin dream cake! If only you could scratch, sniff and taste the screen! I give it a 11 out of 10, a second piece confirmed this rating. So the cake won’t be perfectly intact, someone had to do the dirty work of making sure it’s perfect for my guests. Didn’t kings have testers to ensure the safety and edibility of their food? I’m not saying I have blue blood friends, but their well being and enjoyment is my main concern.
As I mentioned above, I’ve eaten a lot of Carrot Cake. A couple of restaurants around here sell a mean slice but the best I’ve sampled is this past boyfriend’s mother’s version, the recipe came from her kitchen. The cake is light in both colour and taste. Filled with nuts, raisins, pineapple and a generous amount of shredded carrot, it is a perfect blend of flavours. The cake is not overly sweet with only a cup of sugar, the pineapple lends to the appeal. I can’t say much good came out of the relationship I had with this woman’s son, but her Carrot Cake recipe stands as the prize for putting up with his antics. She is long gone now but her cake lives on, always reminding me of our meeting.
Not all frosting tastes the same. This one hits the sweet spot in me and I slather it on several cakes I make. There is an Hawaiian Hummingbird cake recipe that sits under this frosting like a queen under a crown. Another share for another time.
CARROT CAKE
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup sugar
4 Eggs
2 Cups Flour
2 Teaspoons Soda
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
Mix together then add:
1 Cup Raisins
1 Cup Broken Walnut Pieces
14 oz. Can of Crushed Pineapple (drained but not pressed)
2 Cups Grated Carrot
Bake 1 Hour @ 325*
ICING
8 oz package Cream Cheese
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
½ Cup Butter
3 Cups Icing Sugar
Mix with electric beater
Frost cake and you can sprinkle more Walnut pieces on the top. Enjoy!
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