Old Fashioned Carrot Cake

If someone told me a couple of years ago, that I’d be making a carrot cake at home and polishing it off with joy, I would have guffawed. First of all Carrots Cakes are so old fashioned. It reminds me of somebody’s grandmother baking it and inviting her bridge friends over for tea. I don’t really remember ever ordering it myself at the local bakery or even trying to make it at home. If I was offered Carrot Cake at a friend’s place I would vehemently refuse a slice. A Cake with veggies in it was clearly not my idea of dessert. 

But I rolled out of bed one day and suddenly I was on the other side of thirty (ok, that was some years ago) and everything changed. Nostalgia was suddenly cool in my books and traditional and quaint always scored marks over new age and funky. I was constantly looking for things that reminded me of the yesteryear's, things that will anchor me to my childhood and not let me get swept away with this crazy changing world. So again, why Carrot Cake? Because we must not let traditions die and Gajar Ka Halwa has been done to death :P 

This recipe is as old fashioned as they come – eggs, butter, sugar and carrots. Just a sprinkle of sugar on top and it’s good to go. The cake stayed moist for three days outside the fridge – so it’s definitely a lovely addition to your tea time routine. 

Carrot Cake

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Makes: 8” x 8” Cake / 9” Round

What you need:

1 cup Carrots, grated

80 gms Butter, unsalted, softened

1 cup Sugar

¼ cup refined vegetable oil

2 Eggs

¾ cup Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Milk

2 tsps raisins, cut in half

1 Tbsp Walnuts, chopped

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and cooking oil. I use an electric beater for 5-7 mins. When the mixture is soft, add in one egg. Beat till incorporated. Add in the other egg and beat again. You should have a nice fluffy lemon yellow mixture. 

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Gently fold into the egg and butter mixture. Now add the milk and mix.

Add in the carrots, raisins and walnuts and fold again. 

Grease your cake pan or easier still, line it with butter paper. Gently pour in the mixture into the pan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. 

Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake to check for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake tin from the oven and let it rest on a wire rack. 

When cool, dust with icing sugar (optional) or serve with some whipped cream and ice cream. I had some lovely custard in the fridge, so served it with that. And play some bridge and have some tea while you’re at it!