April Foodie Must: Carrot Cake Recipe + Seasonal M&Ms

Momma Told Me: If you don't try it, you'll never know if you like it!

Few cakes create controversy like the seasonal Carrot Cake; seasonal, of course, not for it's crop availability, but the time of the year people will most tolerate it's presence. Let's face it, putting 3 cups of any vegetable into something and still passing it off as a cake is quite the accomplishment. I sometimes wonder who first thought of this alarming idea, and what on Earth would have lead to the strange addition. Believe it or not, carrots were used as sweeteners as far back as Medieval times, comparable to the Sweet Potato today. Much like the German habit of adding Sauerkraut to a batter, the carrots release moisture in cooking and help to create an especially dense, yet wonderfully moist cake. Of course this baked good is often dressed up with a rich Cream Cheese Frosting and decorative carrots to help win the skeptics over. But the simple fact remains, the initial reaction to this creation is usually, 'What?!"

I can still recall the first time I learned of this cake. It was a family function, and I couldn't have been more than 5. Reflecting; since, Carrot Cake has made annual appearances at our family events. Just as avid as the one person who always refuses a slice in a personal stance of 'That's not a cake,' the fans of this specialty seem to be equally passionate. That is to say, if you love carrot cake, you love it. Since carrots have long been one of my favorite vegetables, convincing me to try my first slice was rather easy, and I was instantly hooked. I recall it was somewhere between Easter and Mother's Day that the first bite of that fluffy spice cake met my mouth. One of the Aunts has made it from scratch and I was enthralled by the almost sticky density of this surprise. Like many traditional recipes there were walnuts crushed along the outer sides, and the shredded carrots inside occasionally peeked through in strands with a bite. My own preferred recipe is a little dryer and features twice minced carrots for bits, rather than strings, that chew even more assuming than it's classic counterpart.

No Fuss Carrot Cake

***click for Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

* 2 C Granulated Sugar

* 1 1/2 C Vegetable Oil

* 4 Eggs

* 2 C Flour

* 3 C Raw, Finely Ground Carrots

* 2 TSP Ground Cinnamon

* 1 TSP Salt

* 2 TSP Baking Soda

Instructions:

Preheat Oven to 300F

1.) In a Large Mixing Bowl combine Sugar, Vegetable Oil, and Eggs. In a separate bowl sift together Flour, Salt, Baking Soda, and Cinnamon. 

2.) Fold Dry Ingredients into wet mixture and mix well. Introduce Carrots gradually, folding into mixture. Batter will be gooey like caramel in appearance. Add crushed walnuts (3/4 C) if desired.

3.) Separate mixture evenly into 3 pre-greased 9" Round Pans. Bake 50-60 MINS, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

4.) Cool for a minimum of 1 hour before attempting to remove layers from pans. Layers can be stored, covered, in fridge overnight to assist in removal and assembly. Frost with Cream Cheese frosting an decorate with iced carrots or Marzipan carrots. (You can purchase a roll of Marzipan dough at your local grocer in the baking ingredients aisle, I find it at Fresh and Easy here. Simply dye and roll into carrot logs!)