The following carrot cake perfectly illustrates the evolution of baking techniques over the last hundred years. Prior to 1850 in Europe, the leavening of baked goods depended on yeast or sour milk and baking soda. Cream of tartar was another possibility but was imported from Italy. With the invention of baking powder or monocalcium phosphate in the United States in 1869, immigrant Eastern European women quickly learned new ways to make cakes. Prior to the advent of baking powder, this particular cake was probably denser than it is today. The eggs may have been separated and the whites beaten stiff, with cream of tartar added, to make the cake rise a bit higher. The cream cheese frosting is certainly a twentieth-century addition.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8-10
Ingredients
Cake:
3
2
2
1
2
2
1
3
4
1
Frosting:
3
4
2
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Cake:
Step 1
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.
Step 2
2. Sift the flour together with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Step 3
3. In another bowl, combine the sugar and oil and mix thoroughly. Add the carrots and blend well.
Step 4
4. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, to the carrot mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in the nuts. Then gradually add the flour mixture, blending well.
Step 5
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before frosting.
Frosting:
Step 6
When the cake is cool, blend together the frosting ingredients and frost.