Carrot cake

Carrot cake (also known as passion cake) is cake that contains carrots mixed into the batter.
History
The origins of carrot cake are disputed. Published in 1591, there is an English recipe for "pudding in a Carret root" that is essentially a stuffed carrot with meat, but it includes many elements common to the modern dessert: shortening, cream, eggs, raisins, sweetener (dates and sugar), spices (clove and mace), scraped carrot, and breadcrumbs (in place of flour). Many food historians believe carrot cake originated from such carrot puddings eaten by Europeans in the Middle Ages, when sugar and sweeteners were expensive and many people used carrots as a substitute for sugar.
Variations of the carrot pudding evolved to include baking with a crust (as pumpkin pie), steamed with a sauce, or molded in pans (as plum pudding) with icing.
In volume two of (1814), Antoine Beauvilliers, former chef to Louis XVI, included a recipe for a "Gâteau de Carottes", which was popular enough to be copied verbatim in competitors' cookbooks. In 1824, Beauvilliers had published in London an English version of his cookbook which includes a recipe for "Carrot Cakes" in a literal translation of his earlier recipe.
Another 19th-century recipe comes from the housekeeping school of Kaiseraugst (Canton of Aargau, Switzerland). According to the Culinary Heritage of Switzerland, it is one of the most popular cakes in Switzerland, especially for the birthdays of children.
The popularity of carrot cake was revived in the United Kingdom because of the rationing during the Second World War and also because of the promotion of carrots' consumption operated by the government.
Regional variations
Brazil
Brazilian is a fluffy and moist cake that is commonly served with a chocolate ganache topping. As opposed to other Brazilian desserts that originated with the Portuguese, is much more recent and only began appearing in Brazilian cookbooks in the 1960s. The inspiration behind comes from the American recipe for carrot cake.
February 3 is National carrot cake day in Brazil.
Switzerland
Swiss features almonds and hazelnuts and is often covered in glacé icing containing kirsch and topped with decorative carrots made from marzipan.
UK and US
Modern UK and US recipes typically feature a white cream cheese frosting. Sometimes nuts such as walnuts or pecans are added into the cake batter, as well as spices such as cinnamon, ginger and ground mixed spice. Toasting pecans and using brown sugar can add extra flavor and moisture. Fruit including pineapple, raisins and shredded coconut can also be used to add sweetness.
Gallery
See also
Carrot bread
Carrot cake cookie
List of carrot dishes
References
Bibliography
Alton Brown, I'm Just Here for More Food: Food × Mixing + Heat = Baking, New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2002.
Alan Davidson, Oxford Companion to Food, second edition, illustrations by Soun Vannithone, London: Oxford University Press, 2006.
External links
Dessert in the Land of Plenty: A History of Carrot Cake in America (Guernica Magazine)
British cakes
French cakes
Carrot dishes
Culinary Heritage of Switzerland
Danish cuisine
English cuisine
French cuisine
Swiss cuisine
Brazilian cuisine