Unlike the chocolate chip cookie or New York cheesecake that suggests decadence and excesses, which unfortunately characterize American desserts for many people, the carrot cake is down-to-earth yet full of surprises. I had rarely had carrot cake before coming to the US, but once I was exposed to it, I got hooked. It's not a fancy dessert for sure, but it so ingeniously incorporates a veggie into a dessert, and along with other ingredients such as walnuts, coconut, and crushed pineapple, the end-result is a delicious combination of textures and flavors that won't leave you with a sugar-high afterwards. I think carrot cake captures the American spirit because most people I've met in the US are simple and forthright, yet they may be passionate about something in such unexpected ways that not only lead to many interesting conversations, but you also can't help but admire them.
Enough of my rambling...this is a food blog after all. My favorite carrot cake recipe is from one of the most unlikely places - the packaging of my Bob's Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour. The recipe creator actually won a baking contest because of it, and the cake did not disappoint. It was smooth, moist, and infused with cinnamon flavor like any good carrot cake. A thin layer of cream cheese frosting (I used the vegan Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese) rounded out the cake perfectly.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
The next time I make a carrot cake, I want to try another of my favorite bloggers Heidi Swanson's recipe on her award-winning natural food blog 101 Cookbooks. It doesn't contain any processed sugars - always a plus for me since I eat way too much desserts and need to cut back on sugars!
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