National Carrot Cake Day 🥕 🍰

Many historians believe Carrot Cake originated in the Middle Ages when sugar and other sweeteners were scarce. (Carrots were used as a substitute.) The earliest known recipe for carrot cake can be found in a French cookbook published in 1827.

The popularity of carrot cake was revived in the United Kingdom because of rationing during World War II.

Here’s what you will need for the Carrot Cake batter

Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl until very well blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Add the eggs one at a time and whisk after each one

Switch to a large rubber spatula. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the dry ingredients in three parts, gently stirring until they disappear and the batter is smooth.

…and the nuts. I used a mixture of pecans and walnuts.

Divide the cake batter into two prepared cake pans: two greased 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper and then grease the top. Or grease and flour the bottom and sides of both pans.

Bake until the tops of the cake layers are springy when touched and when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.

Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes then carefully turn the cake layers out into cooking racks. Remove the parchment paper and cool completely. If you find that a cake layer is sticking to the bottom of a pan, leave the cake pan upside down and allow gravity to do its thing.

Now onto the frosting…

I used my own traditional recipe for cream cheese frosting (although the recipe from Inspired Taste sounds amazing!)

Cream Cheese Frosting (for a 2 layered cake)

1 cup of butter (2 sticks) softened

2 blocks (not the spreadable kind) of Cream Cheese softened to room temperature

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

32 oz Confectioners Sugar