Classic Carrot Cake

     What can I say about carrot cake?  Actually there is a lot that can be said for this classic dessert.  Did you know it dates back to Medieval Europe , when sugar was expensive and hard to come by. The sweetness of the carrots were found in many desserts of that time.  Carrot cake remained a popular dessert in Europe through WWII when sugar once again became a scarce and expensive commodity.  In the US, the first known carrot cake recipe was published in the  ” The 20th Century Bride’s Cookbook”  in 1929! Which is reminiscent of the classic cake we all grew up enjoying.   In the 1960’s the Philadelphia Cream Cheese company paired Cream Cheese frosting with carrot cake, and it was marketing genius!  The rest is History, lol… 

     As for me and my family, It’s my mom who has the most amazing recipe around! Her secret ingredient to this classic favorite is “crushed pineapple” yup, a little can of crushed pineapple keeps the cake moist and gives it another depth of flavor that is unexpected and so welcoming! YUM!  This is not grocery store carrot cake, oh no, those are awful! When someone says carrot cake, I never get my hopes up, unless my mom makes it or someone is using her recipe.  

     When my daughter and nieces were little, they loved to cook, and this is one of the recipes they asked to make, “Grammy’s Famous Carrot Cake”. We had a scrapbook / recipe book we made together when they were growing up, it was a fun way to teach them recipes, and it’s been a cherished keepsake, that they refer to even now. 

     The thought of vegetables in a cake to most kids is unappetizing, like my sweet grand niece, Audrey. She is 6 years old,  she recently and reluctantly tried a bite of the cake, and was unimpressed with the fact that there were vegetables in her cake! She could not get past the idea of vegetable cake. lol.. maybe one day she will come to love it and ask for the recipe too. I’m just proud of her for giving it a try! More for her Grandpa (My brother in law)  & her dad, who both enjoyed it very much. 

     Like most of the recipes from mid century, I do take the liberty to change it up just a bit, a little less sugar, a little less oil, and pecans instead of walnuts. But I promise it is just as good as the original, maybe just a little bit better for you.   Enjoy!