Australian Carrot Cake

It’s the gateway vegetable dessert for many. Having been a staple since medieval times, first in the form of pudding, then as pie, and then finally emerging in 1783 as a cake… it’s no wonder nobody bats an eyelid when they hear the words carrot and cake in the same sentence, we’re just used to it! Granted, the carrot cake recipe has evolved a little since 1783, but honestly… not much! The modern version IS more of a carrot and walnut cake in comparison, and the original version most definitely didn’t sport this gloriously silky cream cheese frosting! But still! It’s not a far cry.

Personally, carrot cake has always been a favourite; if it’s on the menu, I’ll have it! But when I was in England (where carrot cake is on everyone’s menu!) I realised that Australian carrot cake is made a little differently to that of our British friends. It seems that the British like their carrot cake more cake than carrot, and we like ours more carrot than cake. Now, with this recipe being of originally Viking heritage… the British version is probably more correct, but… well, to hell with being right, I just want it to be delicious! So I decided to create a carrot cake recipe just the way we Aussies like it! Heavily spiced, chunky, and with A LOT of carrots. Plus, carrots are a great source of vitamins and minerals, so the more carrots the better… right? Right? Don’t even give the copious amounts of sugar and refined white flour a thought, just focus on all those good vitamins and minerals while you chow down, and I promise you wont even feel guilty.

ALSO, Just a little bit of trivia, because my husband told me this once, and now I always think of it when I’m talking about carrots… which is more often that one may think. You know how it’s common knowledge that carrots improve eyesight? That’s actually untrue, I mean it can’t hurt your eyesight, but this was actually a rumour started in WWII by the British, because they had developed night vision goggles and didn’t want the enemy to find out, so claimed that their soldiers could see in the dark thanks to their consumption of carrots.

MY TOP TIPS FOR MASTERING THIS BAKE

1. The amount of carrot in this recipe may seem extreme, but trust me, once it’s all baked down, and the sugars in the carrots have caramelized *don’t mind me drooling over here* you will be glad you didn’t skimp!
2. To ensure that your eggs are mixed through your cake batter evenly (as it is such a thick batter), whisk them lightly with a fork before adding them to the batter! This way, you won't end up with streaks of egg white through your batter, and you avoid eggy chunks in your finished product.
3. To achieve the decorative look in this photo, firstly, ensure you're using organic carrots to prevent them leaching chemicals into your cake. Cut your carrot tops, insert a toothpick into the carrot, and then press it into the cake to hold it secure. For foliage without a carrot top attached, wrap masking tape around the cut end of the stems to both hold them together, and prevent any liquid (which could possibly contain pesticides and other chemicals) present in the foliage from leaking into the cake.
4. The skewer test can be a bit iffy for this recipe as it is such a moist cake, so in addition to testing your cake with a skewer, ensure you also press down lightly with your fingertips in the center of the cake. You want it to be bouncy and spring back when pushed on. If it doesn’t it needs to stay in the oven a little longer.