My Carrot Cake Memories

Inspired by yesterday’s Slice by Erika Victor, I will write about carrot cake memories today.

It seems like I grew up eating this recipe of carrot cake, but I’m not sure when my mom’s cousin Lorraine first found the recipe. It might have been when I was a teen, possibly somewhere in the 1970’s.

Here is my recipe card that I copied from the family cookbook sometime in the 80’s.

This is the only picture I have of the recipe card. I took a blurry image when I digitized my recipe collection before moving overseas. Oops, should have focused better.

This recipe holds so many memories. Too many to name, but a few include enjoying it with my family as a young person, introducing it to my future husband, and then helping my mom bake it for our wedding cake in 1983. We baked it for our daughters’ first birthday cakes, their baptism celebrations, my husband’s 40th birthday, graduations, and so many more that we have lost track.

When I told my husband about this post, he reminded me of the time we were at a fifth grade track meet with my youngest daughter on his birthday. My oldest daughter stayed home and baked him a surprise carrot cake. It was her first attempt, and although a bit crooked, it was delicious and full of love.

We’ll be making more memories when it comes time for my daughter’s wedding in May. The tentative plan is they will have a variety of cupcakes, and surely this will be one of them.

Over the last 40 years, we’ve made some 21st century adaptations, and we like it just as well. The adapted recipe below with reduced fat and sugar is by no means a healthy cake now, but it’s a little better than it used to be.

I hope you will take either the recipe above or below and adapt it for your purposes, making it even better.

Carrot Cake

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Sift together:

  •         2 cups flour
  •         1 t. baking soda
  •         ½ t. salt
  •         1 ½ t. baking powder
  •         2 t. cinnamon
  •         1 ½ cups sugar

Add and beat well:

  •         1 cup oil
  •         4 eggs

Add and beat again:

  •         3 cups grated raw carrots

Optional, fold in 1 cup walnut pieces

Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Bake at 180 degrees C for 25-30 minutes (convection oven) or maybe 30-40 minutes in a regular oven. Check it at 25 minutes to see if a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream together 250 grams of cream cheese and 50 grams of butter.

Add 1 t. vanilla and a pinch of salt.

Gradually add about 500 grams of powdered sugar and beat until creamy.

Thank you, Erika, for your memories, which sparked my memories.

What recipe holds special memories for you?

9 thoughts on “My Carrot Cake Memories

    1. Ah, thanks for sharing that, Brian. I had not read Dimestore, but I am curious to check it out now. I enjoyed reading the recipe excerpt.

      Denise

  1. It’s amazing that our carrot cake recipes both hold so many memories for us! It is fun to hear your stories and see your variations.

    1. Thanks, Erika. It was a serendipity post I didn’t expect, but I was glad to think about those memories today. One of the last times I made it was for my future son-in-law’s college graduation. Hmmm, maybe I’ll add that photo to this post. (Actually, I made it and sent a picture, as I was 8000 miles away. I made it again when we saw him last summer.)

      Denise

  2. Carrot cake is one of our family favorites– 3-layer carrot version. The grandkids request it for BD celebrations. I will need to pull out my recipe to compare with yours. A favorite recipe or dish is a great idea for a post … food and fun and family and friends connect.

    1. Thanks, Alice. Carrot cake is a great way to eat one’s vegetables! Food is one of those great connectors we have with each other.

      Denise

  3. Each Christmas my neighbor bakes us his Carrot cake – he uses a bundt pan and the cake is massive and equally delicious! Of course it is a favorite of ours. Thank you for sharing your recipe! I might even be daring enough to try one on my own! Hope you are well Denise & congratulations to your daughter! 🙂

    1. Nancy,
      It’s good to “see” you! Thanks for the comment and good wishes. I am well, and looking forward to the wedding.

      I’m sure you won’t be disappointed in your own carrot cake! Blessings on you and yours.

      Warmly,
      Denise

  4. I have been inspired to write from so many others’ posts. This one is great for so many reasons – we all benefit from your post.

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