Today is a very special day for my family because it would have been my mom’s 70th birthday. There is no doubt we miss her, but we are able to connect with her through a few favorite recipes. This week, I pay a special tribute to my mom and share what is quite possibly her most widely beloved recipe and how it has evolved.
Anyone who attends gatherings probably has a few “go-to” dishes they are known for. This was the case with mom and her carrot cake, which she was very proud of. When the family attended gatherings where we were on the list for dessert, mom usually baked her carrot cake. In fact, it was published in a cookbook called “Country Cooking … California Style,” which was compiled by the California Farm Bureau Women Committee. When the cookbook came out, many family members received it as gifts.
There is something special–dare I say magical–about the components of mom’s carrot cake and how they come together. It is the carrot cake on which I judge all others. The cake itself is not too sweet and is well balanced in flavor. Unlike many carrot cakes I have come across that have a paltry amount of carrots, there is a good quantity of carrots in this cake. Mom’s carrot cake never, ever had any raisins or pineapple. The walnuts in the cake are abundant and add to the pleasing texture. As a nice finishing touch, the cake is topped by a classic cream cheese frosting.
Since the recipe was published more than 30 years ago, there have been some changes in how it was made. The recipe I share today is the original that appeared in the cookbook, just with added instructions, which were not included. As long as I can remember, my mom baked her carrot cake in a tube pan. For this, she needed to increase the baking time to between 50 and 55 minutes.
When I make my mom’s carrot cake, I take some liberties. Instead of vegetable oil, I use 3/4 cup melted butter, which is a change in fat and reduction of quantity. I like walnuts, but they do not like me, so I use pecans instead. If I bake the cake in a tube pan, I only make half the frosting. I also made this recipe as cupcakes on one occasion, and reduced the cooking time to 25 to 27 minutes.
Nutty Carrot Cake
From Dede Mariani
Serves 16
Ingredients for the Cake
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup walnut pieces
For the Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, close to room temperature
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan.
Step 2: Stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl; set aside. Mix together the sugar and vegetable oil. Add one egg to the sugar and oil mixture, mixing thoroughly. Continue with the addition of each egg.
Step 3: Add 1/3 the flour mixture and incorporate, followed by half the carrots and incorporate. Continue with a 1/3 addition of the flour, the final half of the carrots and the final 1/3 flour mixture; incorporating after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and give the batter one final mix, incorporating the walnut pieces in this final step.
Step 4: Spread cake batter into baking pan, making sure it is even. Tap pan on a firm surface to make sure the batter is very even. Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan completely before frosting.
Step 5: Mix together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Cream in 1/3 of the powdered sugar along with the vanilla and scrape down the bowl. Follow with each additional 1/3 powdered sugar and bowl scraping. Frost the cooled cake evenly. Keep the finished caked refrigerated, but bring to room temperature before serving.
