Carrot cake has been around for centuries—most likely dating back to the Middle Ages, according to the Oxford Companion to Food. It’s said that President George Washington served it at parties he hosted in the 1700s, and in 1814, a former chef to King Louis XVI published a recipe for “Gâteau de Carottes” in volume two of a cookbook called L’art du cuisinier.
Carrot cake recipes began cropping up in the U.S. as early as the 1930s, shares Anne Byrn in American Cake, but the dessert truly came into its own in the 1970s. Somewhere along the way, it became synonymous with Easter celebrations. Why? Rabbits love carrots, and what dessert is better able to capture the essence of the longstanding holiday mascot, the Easter bunny?
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of carrot cake recipes on the internet, which range from chewy pineapple-, raisin- and nut-studded creations to more simplistic, less textured versions. All have their dedicated fans, so long as they’re not dry—a far too common carrot cake conundrum. Given Wine Enthusiast’s love of adult beverages, we think the best carrot cakes are the ones made with booze.
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That’s why we tapped Ana Rusu, author of New Vegan Baking, for her vegan carrot cake recipe. We like the inclusivity of this dairy-free rendition, which will satisfy even the vegans and lactose-intolerant at your Easter table.
It’s enhanced with aged rum—although the alcohol cooks off during baking, the spirit helps the cake remain moist throughout the cooking process and infuses the batter with richer aromas than your typical booze-less rendition. When selecting an aged rum, Wine Enthusiast Spirits Reviewer Kara Newman suggests seeking out “something with enough brown sugar tones to complement the other ingredients, but not too funky/ester-y, not too precious,” she says.
Her top pick is Appleton Estate Signature Blend. And word to the wise: Make sure to save enough to serve a few nips alongside your dessert spread.
Vegan Carrot Cake with Homemade Carrot Jam
Recipe courtesy of New Vegan Baking: A Modern Approach to Creating Irresistible Sweets for Every Occasion by Ana Rusu.
The post This Rum-Spiked Vegan Carrot Cake Is an Easter Must appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.
