Carrot Cake

My family is very big on tradition.  Especially when it comes to food traditions.  Once something is made once and everyone likes it for a specific occasion you cannot under any circumstances change that tradition.  We wouldn't for example around Christmas just 'try' a new sugar cookie recipe.  Oh no no... that would NOT go over well with our family.  Or try asking for a different pancake recipe, like the 'thick' ones everyone else's mom made as opposed to the Swedish ones my mom always made on Saturday mornings.  Nope, always the same pancake.  Nothing new, nothing different, traditions are just that.

It wasn't even just my mom initiating this 'rule'.  In fact it may not have been my mom at all.  I think with five kids and my dad to please once my mom found a formula that worked it was smart to just stick with that rather than risking a change and having someone be unhappy with the results.   I have at times tried to break recipes that selfishly aren't my favorite.  I'm not a big mashed potatoes fan so one time tried to put a different mashed potato recipe on the menu.  As in, one that did not involve gravy.  Let's just say my responsibilities of making this dish were removed.  Although I have to say I'm not much different; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  Once I find a recipe I really, really like I have absolutely zero interest in trying a new version of it.  Why for example would I ever make a different hummus or mac 'n cheese recipe when the one I currently make is so perfect?  I think I'm starting to understand my mom's reasoning.

Birthdays were no different although we did have free reign over our meal of choice but somehow traditions emerged there as my mom tended to make the same thing year after year, per the birthday boy/girl's request.  Somehow I guess we just assumed that's how it worked.  Our tradition as a kid was to have a birthday party with your friends a few days before or after your birthday, usually on the weekend and then on our actual birthdays we would have a family dinner with our grandparents and then would choose the meal and cake that my mom would make.  Oddly enough I can't remember what I usually would pick, probably marble as that seemed to be the perfect choice for an indecisive person like myself...

This carrot cake was my sister's choice.  Although this wasn't her 'birthday-cake-of-choice' until I had moved off to college so I never actually had my mom's version, but last year for my sisters birthday I made it for her.  Of course my mom had adapted it quite a bit from the original and La told me the modifications, albeit loosely.  She told me how my mom would open up the fridge and come back with buttermilk and sour cream and would make the cake with olive oil all the while, La telling her to follow the recipe, but my mom would just say "I know what I'm doing!" and she did.  I tried to recreate it last year and not surprisingly it was a bit off.  It's all a matter of preference and my mom and La prefer it very dense and moist and mine wasn't quite dense enough for La's preference.  This one is a much lighter version, especially compared to most carrot cake recipes, although there is a quick modification to make it more moist and dense if that is how you like it.

When we celebrated my dad and my uncle (his twin)'s birthday here in Chicago I suddenly became the cake maker asking them to choose their cakes.  (How else does one celebrate a birthday?)  My dad chose cheesecake and I have a hunch it may just be cheesecake for now until eternity.  It is oddly also my brother-in-law's and my brother's choice.  Looks like in my family we may be having that recipe at least three times a year, but no complaints here as it really is that good.  Since there would be 12 or so of us celebrating I figured two cakes were in order, and really, shouldn't both birthday boys (okay, more appropriately men) have their own separate choice of cake?  When my uncle requested carrot cake was I immediately knew which recipe I would make.

Luckily for me La wasn't here to celebrate (we missed you La!) as she would have been my toughest critic since I went for the lighter version sans sour cream.  Seeing as this is 'her' birthday cake she wouldn't have been happy with the lighter result.  Although there just may be room for both... two separate birthdays, two different cakes.... We're already on our second year of celebrating my dad and uncles birthday in Chicago so who knows, this may now be my uncle's birthday tradition as well.  Actually whether he chooses it or not, this may be his 'birthday-cake-of-choice'.  There could be some serious uproar if he tried to change it.  Traditions are hard to break in our family...

For some reason they aren't in front of their respective cakes.  That's my dad on the right with the carrot cake and my Uncle Fish on the left with the cheesecake.

Trish's Tips:  To make the moister version replace half the buttermilk with sour cream.  This was how I did it last year and it was much more moist than the version below but still not dense enough for La.  If I made it for her again I would do the same as I did last year but add an additional tablespoon of sour cream.  Also I would grate the carrots on the coarser side vs. the finer side for this version.  Walnuts would also be good here instead of the pecans if you prefer.  Did you know that you could make buttermilk?  That way you can make only what you need.  I no longer buy it because it would always go to waste.  Have you made a layer cake before?  I come from a family of 'delicious' cake bakers but not so much 'beautiful' cake bakers.  Although this is a Martha Stewart recipe, mine certainly doesn't look like Martha Stewart, although there are a couple of tips that I follow to make it both delicious and beautiful.  1.  Absolutely positively wait until the cake has cooled before you frost it and that the cake is at room temp.  2.  If you leave the house as I did while the cake is cooling just cover on the cooling rack with a clean towel.  3.  When frosting, put the cake over strips of wax paper (that can easily be pulled out after you are done frosting).  This will ensure that your cake stand won't look messy for presentation.  4.  There is this concept of a 'crumb layer'.  Frost one layer first, then let kind of dry before applying the second.  This is especially helpful for a chocolate cake with white frosting, but I didn't have a problem here.  5.  This cake makes an incredible amount of frosting and in hindsight I realized I skimped on the middle layer.  Be generous.  6.  I don't have any fancy cake tools and just used a knife to frost and a plastic bag to do the piping.  Be creative!  7.  If your powdered sugar is chunky as mine is usually, make sure to sift so you have nice creamy frosting.  Just a mesh strainer will work, a bit of a tedious process but worth it.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
Unsalted butter, for pans
3 Cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 cup pecan pieces
1 lb large carrots, peeled
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 tsp pure vanilla
2 Cups sugar
1 1/2 Cups canola oil
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:
Heat oven to 300 degrees.  Butter two 8 by 2 inch round cake pans.  Dust pans with flour and tap out any access.  Set pans aside  Spread pecans in a dry skillet and toast until fragrant and slightly golden, about 5 minutes.  Finely chop pecans and set aside.

Using the smallest holes of a box grater, grate carrots, yielding 2 1/2 cups.  Place carrots, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar and canola oil in a large bowl; whisk until well combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until combined.  Fold in the toasted pecans.

Divide batter between the two cake pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean about 1 hour.  (Start checking at 40 minutes.)  Remove pans from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool, 15 minutes.  Turn cakes out onto rack; let stand until completely cool.

Place bottom layer on cake stand, frost put top layer on top and finish frosting.

Frosting

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 (8-oz each) cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Directions:
Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add cream cheese and beat until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes more.  Add the remaining ingredients and beat for 5 minutes more.  Use immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days.