Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Today there is easy access to a variety of fresh vegetables throughout the year. Growing up in rural Alaska on a homestead in the l960s, we grew our own including carrots, potatoes, and cabbages.  We kept them fresh for longer because we had a root cellar.  My parents built this walk-in ‘room in the ground’ by digging out a space in a grassy hillside with large spruce and birch trees nearby.  It was not far from our cabin by the lake.  Roughly hewn logs were used to hold back the earth on the sides and rear wall.  After the roof was in place, we shovelled a mound of earth on top.  A door was placed in the front and, a narrow vestibule created.  An outside door was hung which opened facing the lake. Grass invaded with ferns and weeds, soon grew thickly around. Snow piled high on top in winter.  It was our walk-in refrigerator.  

After harvesting carrots from our garden, we cleaned and dipped them individually in melted paraffin.  They were ready for storage in one of the wooden bins in the root cellar.   These stores were frequently drawn from to make carrot/raisin salad, cook pot roast dinners, and  delicious carrot cake (recipe below).  Many other garden vegetables plus, eggs, homemade blueberry, strawberry, and red currant jams, cranberry sauce, canned salmon; and purchased case goods were kept there. 

On Good Friday,  27th March, 1964, my younger brothers, Jerry and Brent were in the root cellar gathering eggs to dye for Easter.  The ground started shaking and they rushed out.  There was a massive roar like a speeding freight train descending downhill, as ice broke up around the lake. Trees moved violently from one side to the other.  Brent shouted, “It is the end of the world!”  Jerry replied, “No it isn’t, you idiot, it is an earthquake.”  It was and registered 9.2 on the Richter scale--the second largest one recorded.  The root cellar was destroyed-but not my brothers.  

The carrot cake recipe I share originated in Tennessee but has been enjoyed for years not only with family and friends in Alaska, but also in my London cooking courses.  The cream cheese icing is a wonderful compliment to this dark orange famous American cake with pecans and sometimes, raisins.  Warn the kids to be cautious of their fingers when grating the carrots.  The cake is swiftly assembled following the steps below.

Oven temperature:  300F/150C 

Brush with oil, 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan or 2, 9 inch cake tins

Ingredients:

2 cups/9 oz/250g plain flour

2 cups/12 oz/40 g white granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 eggs, slightly beaten

3 cups/24 fl oz coarsely grated peeled carrots

1 1/2 cups/12 fl oz vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup/2 oz/50g, pecans, chopped (optional)

1 cup/4 oz/10 g raisins (optional)

1. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder; set aside.
2. Combine eggs, carrots, pecans, oil, raisins, and vanilla with a whisk, in a large mixing bowl.
3. Gradually add sifted flour mixture into liquids in large bowl.  Mix well.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan or pans.
5. Bake 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Remove cake from oven and cool before removing from pan/pans and icing.

Cream Cheese Icing: Select a large plate to hold iced cake

8 oz/225g cream cheese

1 pound/500g confectioners/icing sugar (more may be needed to achieve a spreading consistency)

1/2 cup/2 oz/50g, pecans, chopped (optional)

1/2 cup/2 oz/50g, pecans, whole or decoration on top of cake

1. Let cream cheese soften; mix with a wooden spoon until creamed.
2. Gradually add sugar and mix well.  Add more if needed to achieve a spreading consistency.
3. Stir in chopped pecans.
4. For a two layered Cake:  Using a thin spatula, spread icing onto top of one layer of 
    cake; place second layer on top and spread with icing.  
5. Finish by spreading the icing all around the sides of the layer cake.
6. Decorate with whole pecans if desired. 
7. Alternatively, if the cake was baked in one large pan, leave in the pan and spread icing 
    over the top.  Decorate with whole pecans if desired. 
8. Enjoy!

© Judy Labi 2013