Carrot Cake Recipe: A Healthy & Tasty Dessert

The dense and spicy texture of the cake endears it to one and all, whether it is a showy dessert or a simple, unfrosted loaf. It tastes even better in combination with pineapple chunks, with crisp tasted pine nuts, pecans, or even with shredded coconut. The versatile cake lends itself to all tastes, American taste buds like it with tangy cream cheese icing while more European tastes like it with a sugary, frosted top.

What makes it different from other fruit cakes is the fact that grated carrots release water when cooked, and also the fact that the good amount of oil that is used keeps the cake fresh and moist. In fact it was these properties of the cake that were the reason for its invention. During the Second World War, when butter, eggs and sugar were being rationed, some smart brains came up with the idea of adding fruits to the cake, to retain its moisture and also make it tastier as well as healthier. In addition, it used generous amounts of grease, which made to keep well, and gave an almost pound cake like texture without the butter quantities. In most cases, it is vegetable oil which may not carry too many calories or fat (but yes, cholesterol is still not cut out).

For a carrot cake, you will need:

500 grams carrots
1 and a ½ cup plain flour
4 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 and ¼ cup vegetable oil (or sunflower oil)
½ cup grain sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 tbsp raisins (cleaned)

Grate the carrots and set aside.
Grease and preheat an 11 inch X 8 inch rectangular baking tin, at 180 degrees C.

Sift together the flour, the baking powder and baking soda, with salt and the ground cinnamon. Beat the eggs till well blended and add vanilla, the sugars and oil, mixing in well. Add the carrots, walnuts and raisins and mix well again. Fold in the flour and make sure no lumps are formed in the batter, save the walnut and raisins variety.

Transfer the batter into the baking dish and bake until the cake is cooked and a skewer comes clean. Let it cool in the tin for about fifteen minutes, then unmould and leave to cool.

A great frosted icing on this cake will add glamour to the dish.
For the frosted icing, you will need 6 tbsp of unsalted butter, 3 cups of icing sugar and ¼ cup maple syrup. To make the frosting, cream the butter with half the sugar till the mixture is soft. Then add the syrup, beating well. Finally, add the remaining sugar blended well. This frosting spread over the rectangular cake lends a unique touch to the carrot cake.