From at least the Medieval era, carrots (and other vegetables) have been used as an alternative to expensive sugars and sweeteners in cakes.
In 1591, a ‘A Book of Cookrye’ was published that contained a recipe for a ‘Carret root pudding’
Take your Carret root and scrape it fair, then take a fine knife and cut out all the meat that is within the roote, and make it hollow, then make your pudding stuffe of the liver of a gooce or of a Pig, with grated bread, Corance, Cloves and mace, Dates, Pepper, Salt and Sugar, chop your Liver very small, and perboile it ere you chop it, so doon, put it in your hollow root. As for the broth, take mutton broth with corance, carets sliste, salt, whole Mace, sweet Butter, Vergious and grated bread, and so serve it forth upon sippets.
The popularity of carrot cake was revived in the UK because of the rationing during the Second World War and also because of the promotion of carrot consumption by the government.
Carrot cake may be your mother’s favorite…
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
The Cake:
230ml vegetable oil, plus extra for the tin
100g natural yogurt
4 large eggs
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 orange, zested
265g All Purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of Salt
335g light muscovado sugar
2½ tsp mixed spice or just cinnamon
265g carrots (about 3), grated*
100g sultanas or raisins
1 Tbsp rum (optional)
100g walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped (optional)
Mixed Spice – Ground:
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp coriander (optional)
1/4 tsp mace (optional)
For the icing:
100g slightly salted butter, softened
300g powdered sugar
100g soft cheese
TIPS
You can use the grating blade of your food processor to grate the carrots or just grate by hand.
Baking time may vary.
Adding the cream cheese bit bit by bit prevents the icing from splitting.
Will keep in the fridge for up to five days. Best eaten at room temperature.
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 180C. Oil and line the base and sides of two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment.
STEP 2
In a small bowl, add the sultanas and just enough boiling water to cover. Stir in the rum (if using). Let sit.
STEP 3
Place the grated carrot in a cheesecloth. Over the sink, twist as much the liquid as you can out of the carrots.
STEP 4
Whisk the oil, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and zest in a bowl.
STEP 5
Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and mixed spice with a good pinch of salt in a bowl. Squeeze any lumps of sugar through your fingers, shaking the bowl a few times to bring the lumps to the surface.
STEP 6
Drain the sultanas.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the carrots, raisins and half the nuts, if using. Mix well to combine, then divide between the tins.
STEP 7
Bake for 25-30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If any wet mixture clings to the skewer, return to the oven for 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool in the tins.
STEP 8 – MAKE THE ICING
To make the icing, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add half the soft cheese and beat again, then add the rest (adding it bit by bit prevents the icing from splitting). Remove the cakes from the tins and sandwich together with half the icing. Top with the remaining icing and scatter with the remaining walnuts.