c l a s s i c /c l a s s i c u p daT E

Carrot Cake
In this corner, the all-American favorite, and in that corner, a fanciful
carrot-topped wonder. It’s going to be one delicious smackdown.
B Y A B I G A I L J O H N S O N D O D G E A N D J E H A N G I R M E H TA

the classic....
Back Story
Carrot cake came onto
the American cookbook
scene in 1929 in The
Twentieth Century
Bride’s Cookbook.

Top It Off
For a match made in heaven,
cream cheese frosting was
married with carrot cake in
the 1960s.

Usual Suspects
This cake is chock full of
shredded carrots, chopped
walnuts, and raisins, plus all
the expected spices (think
cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg,
and cloves).

Health Food?
With chopped nuts, dried
fruit, and Vitamin A-rich
carrots in the mix, is carrot
cake good for you? not if you
figure in the sugar, oil, and
cream cheese frosting.

70 fINe cOOKING • feb/mAR 2009 Photographs by Scott Phillips

COPYRIGHT 2008 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.
 EVERYONE LOVES CARROT CAKE. We like it so much we decided to track down
the best-ever classic version and the most innovative variation we’d come across,
and do a little comparison tasting. Abby Dodge, Fine Cooking contributing editor and
baker extraordinaire, gave us the ultimate recipe for the classic (she got it from her
mother). Jehangir Mehta, pastry chef and owner of Graffiti, a food and wine bar in
New York City, created an inspired update. Let the bake-off begin.

....the update
Carrot Top
Spiced candied
carrot ribbons add
a cool look and
exciting texture.

Think Again
no shredded carrots
or walnuts here. A
sweet carrot juice
reduction flavors
these little cakes, and
a pistachio garnish
brings color and
crunch to the party.

Got Sugar?
During lean times,
bakers sweetened des-
serts with carrots instead
of costly sugar. In a nod to
the past, our update uses
much less sugar.

Double Duty
After candying carrots in a
sweet syrup for the topping,
the cakes are dunked into
the syrup for an extra dose
of carrot goodness.

F I n e C o o K I n g .C o m 71
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 c l a s s i c /c l a s s i c u p dAT E

Make the cake

Position a rack in the center of the oven and
heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil and flour
the sides of two 9x2-inch round cake pans,
tapping out any excess flour. Line the bot-
toms of the pans with parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon,
baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. In a
large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand
mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix
the oil, eggs, carrots, brown sugar, walnuts,
raisins, and vanilla on medium speed until well
blended, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredi-
ents and mix on low speed until just blended,
about 30 seconds. Divide the batter evenly
between the prepared pans.
Bake until the tops of the cakes spring back
when lightly pressed and a cake tester in-
serted into the centers comes out clean,
28 to 30 minutes.
Let cool in the pans on a rack for 15 minutes.
classic carrot cake with Run a knife around the inside edge of the
pans to loosen the cakes, invert them onto
vanilla cream cheese the rack, remove the pans, and carefully peel
frosting away the parchment. Set the cakes aside to
cool completely before frosting.
The flavors of this moist cake only improve
Make the frosting
with time, so feel free to bake and frost the
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and
cake up to a few days ahead.
I’m all for change Yields one 9-inch layer cake;
butter with the mixer on medium speed until
very smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
when necessary, but Serves 12 to 14
Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt
don’t mess with my FOR THE CAKE
1 cup canola, corn, or vegetable oil;
and beat on medium high until blended and
fluffy, about 2 minutes. Cover the frosting and
mom’s carrot cake. more for the pans set aside at room temperature until the layers
It’s perfect just the 2 cups (9 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour;
more for the pans
are completely cool.

way it is. —Abby Dodge 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

13/4 tsp. baking soda
Assemble the cake
Carefully set one cake upside down on a
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg large, flat serving plate. Using a metal spatula,
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
evenly spread about 11/2 cups of the frosting
over the top of the cake. Top with the remain-
3/4 tsp. table salt
ing cake layer, upside down. Spread a thin
4 large eggs
layer (about 1/3 cup) of frosting over the entire
21/2 cups (8¾ oz.) lightly packed, finely grated
carrots
cake to seal in any crumbs and fill in any gaps
between layers. Refrigerate until the frosting
2 cups packed light brown sugar
is cold and firm, about 20 minutes. Spread
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
the entire cake with the remaining frosting.
1/2 cup raisins
For more tips on how to frost a layer cake, see
11/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract Test Kitchen, page 83.
FOR THE FROSTING Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours or
1 lb. cream cheese, softened up to 2 days. The cake is best served slightly
12 oz. (11/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened chilled or at room temperature.
1 lb. (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. table salt

72 february/march 2009
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 People’s tastes have changed—sugar
is out and spices are in. That’s change
spiced carrot cakes we can believe in. —Jehangir Mehta

with candied carrots

and pistachios
Candied carrots and a finer crumb set this
variation apart from traditional carrot cake.
Serves 8
FOR THE CAKEs
2 cups carrot juice
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and
finely grated
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened;
more for the molds
63/4 oz. (1 1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose
flour; more for the molds
11/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground star anise
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped unsalted pistachios
(for garnish)
FOR THE CANDIED CARROTS
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into long
julienne strands to yield 1 cup (see
Test Kitchen, p. 83)
1 cinnamon stick
1 whole star anise
Make the cakes
Combine the carrot juice and ginger in a me-
dium saucepan and bring to a boil over me-
dium heat. Boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, about
25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and
heat the oven to 325°F. Butter and flour
8 baba au rhum molds (21/4 to 21/2 inches tall;
see Where to Buy It, p. 92). Set aside on a
large rimmed baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, allspice,
cinnamon, star anise, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand
Cool the cakes on a rack for 10 minutes
mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,
and then carefully invert to remove from
cream the butter and brown sugar on medi-
the molds. Cool the cakes upright on the with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve
um speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
rack. The cakes may be served warm or at the syrup.
On medium-low speed, add one of the eggs,
room temperature. To serve, dip each cake in the syrup for about
mix until mostly blended, and then add the
3 seconds, put it on a dessert plate, and
second egg. On low speed, alternate adding Make the candied carrots
drizzle with about 1 tsp. syrup. Garnish with
the flour mixture and the carrot reduction in Bring the sugar and 2 cups of water to a boil in
the candied carrots and pistachios.
two additions each. Mix each addition until a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the
just combined. carrots, cinnamon stick, and star anise. Re- Make ahead: You can make the cakes up
Spoon the batter into the prepared molds, duce the heat to maintain a simmer; simmer to 1 day ahead and the candied carrots up
filling each a little more than half full. Swirl the gently, stirring occasionally, until the carrots to 2 hours ahead.
batter with a skewer to smooth the tops. Bake are translucent, soft, and slightly sticky to
the cakes until a cake tester inserted into the the touch, about 30 minutes. Discard the Abby Dodge lives in Southport, Connecticut,
centers comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. cinnamon and star anise. Remove the carrots and Jehangir Mehta, in New York City.

fi n e c o o ki n g . c o m 73
COPYRIGHT 2008 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.