Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

This week's thread is dessert - starting with:

Carrot Cake!

I first tasted Carrot Cake in the 1970's. I'm sure it was a standard recipe before then, but it seemed to gain a great popularity in the 'hip' 70's.

This recipe, which comes from an old friend's mother ca. 1975, is still the very best I've ever eaten, and is very easy to make.

Again: Grate The Carrots By Hand, on a box grater! Doing it in a food processor will probably release too much liquid, and the cake won't be the same.

The only difficulty you may have is with the baking time - see instructions toward the end of the cake recipe.

As time has gone on, I've thought that this recipe is also very good with a Cream Cheese frosting. (But it's so rich and satisfying, you could do it without any icing, or as muffins.)

Kirby’s Mom's Carrot Cake

1. Cream together: 1-1/2 C. canola oil, 2 C. sugar, and 4 Eggs.

2. Sift and add to above: 2 C. flour, 1 tsp. Salt, 2 tsps. Cinnamon, 3 tsps. Baking Soda (I do not sift the dry ingredients - bad me!)

3. Grate coarsely and add: 3 C. grated Carrots

4. Spray a tube pan with Pam Baking spray (When I first made this cake, I didn't know about Pam, even if it existed; and a good greasing with butter and a dusting of flour worked out fine.)

5. Spread batter into pan (I always use a regular tube pan for this)

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until done. (Know thine oven! This cake is sensitive to humidity, oven variations, etc. Bake it for 35 minutes, and test with a knife. If the knife comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, bake it further in five-minute increments until the knife comes out clean - the best one we’ve baked took 60 minutes exactly. Ovens Vary!

Then cool it in the pan on a rack for about 15 minutes; and turn it out. It helps to run a knife around the edge before de-panning.)

Butter Frosting:

½ C. Butter 1 tsp. vanilla or lemon 3 C. sifted Confectioners sugar 4 T. cream or evaporated milk

Or

Purchase 2 containers of prepared Cream Cheese Icing

Frost the cake with a thin crumb frosting to start; chill it for a little while, and then frost entirely. (Use the same instructions if using home-made icing.)

[V K Lee]

Make the chocolate wacky cake at least once a week. The choco sauce makes for great ice cream accompaniment. Also good with whipped cream/Cool Whip. Tho seen, there are other flavors, but don’t believe the Pineapple is familiar. Thanks for the tip/recipe. Will attempt that one soon,..Need the fruit