Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: February 3rd, 2022. Today is National Carrot Cake Day which Charlie says he will take a slice of if he could, and David said he would as well. While I will sit this Holiday out unless I can have the Frosting on the Cake without the Carrot Cake. How about you. Do you like Carrot Cake?
National Carrot Cake Day
People might even be dancing in their seats just waiting to learn more about this culinary celebration. Not to worry because the following offers everything anyone might need to know about the history and celebration of Carrot Cake Day.
When was Carrot Cake invented? While discrepancies exist, the origins of Carrot Cake can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Europe. When Sugars were hard to source, sweeter Vegetables were often used to create Cakes and Puddings, and Carrots were used in one version of this.
When was the first Carrot Cake recipe created? One of the first recorded recipes that is similar to today’s version of Carrot Cake hails from France. Antoine Beauvilliers, who had been a Chef to Louis XIV, included a recipe for “Gâteau de Carottes” in his second volume of L’art du cuisinier which was published in 1814. Then in 1824, an English version of that same cookbook was published in London.
Is Carrot Cake good for you? Although Carrot Cakes still contains quite a bit of Sugar and Carbohydrate, Carrot Cake may offer more nutritional value than other types of Cakes, including Chocolate, because it contains vitamins from the Carrots.
Does Carrot Cake have carrots? Carrot Cake is a Cake that is made with shredded Carrots mixed into the batter. Traditionally, modern versions of Carrot Cake will include sweet Cream Cheese frosting.
What does Carrot Cake taste like? Carrot Cake tastes like a sweet version of Spice Cake. Carrot Cake is made with Caramelized Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Ginger and, of course, Carrots. Many people think it has the flavor of Apple Cake or Pumpkin Cake. Recipes also include Nuts such as Pecans or Walnuts.
History of National Carrot Cake Day
Carrot cake is a unique dessert that seems to have evolved out of a favorite from the Medieval times that was called Carrot Pudding. At the time it seems that Carrot Pudding was made from a hollowed-out Carrot, similar to the way that stuffed Peppers might be made today, then filled with Breadcrumbs, Cream and other ingredients.
Through times in history when access to Sugar was non-existent, expensive, or very hard to come by, people have used sweet Vegetables to make their desserts sweet. In fact, this practice has been used as recent in history as during World War II.
During this difficult time around the globe, and especially in Europe, the government of Britain needed to ration food and luxury items to their population. That provided the opportunity for Carrot Cake to be made from grated Carrots to experience a surge in popularity. During the war, the Ministry of Food in Britain encouraged people to try many different recipes that used Carrots as a sweetener. They suggested Carrot Cakes, and Carrot filled Pies!
It is also something to note that some people believe Carrot sweetened confections may be healthier for people, since Carrots may contain extra vitamins. However, today’s version of the recipes contains enough Sugar that it probably still should not be considered a daily serving of Vegetables!
How to Celebrate National Carrot Cake Day
Enjoy a Slice of Carrot Cake
Whether it is just a slice or a whole Carrot Cake, this is the Holiday to indulge without guilt! Some people might even consider Carrot Cake to be a healthy treat. Yes, of course, even healthy treats should be enjoyed in moderation. But Carrot Cake Day only comes around once a year. On this Holiday, it’s okay to splurge!
Visit Bakeries for National Carrot Cake Day
Most Bakeries will know that it’s a great day to celebrate Carrot Cake! In fact, they may even have discounts in honor of the Holiday. To avoid missing out, it might be worth ordering up a Carrot Cake in advance of the day.
Make a Carrot Cake
Use National Carrot Cake Day to impress family by baking up a Carrot Cake in honor of the Holiday. If you’re not good at baking, it might be fun to visit a Bakery and purchase a Carrot Cake then come home and see if you can find their version of the recipe and make your own version of the Cake and see how your creation tastes compared to theirs.
Host a National Carrot Cake Day Event
Get into the spirit of the Holiday by gathering family and holding a party in celebration of Carrot Cake. Invite people over in the evening and serve Carrot Cake and Carrot themed beverages. For those that don’t care for a Carrot Beverage you can also have Coffee and Tea.
If you’re working today host an event in the break room during lunch time. Invite your co-workers in the office to choose their favorite Carrot Cake recipe and bring it to share with everyone. Host a contest with judges to see which Carrot Cake is best. Once the judging is over you can auction the Cakes off to the highest bidder and use the proceeds to make a donation to a charity.
Discover an Old Family Recipe for Carrot Cake
If your parents or grandparents are still alive visit them and ask them if there a Family recipe for Carrot Cake, they can share with you. As your talking to them ask them if Grandma or Great- Grandma was the baker in the family.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
