American Cake - Cake #14: Fraunces Tavern Carrot Tea Cake

Time Period: 1650-1799

Back in the days of colonial America, sugar could be prohibitively expensive. So, taking a note from their English ancestors, early Americans turned to cheaper ways to sweeten their baked goods, such as using cooked carrots. This recipe appeared on the Fraunces Tavern menu as early as 1783, and Byrn notes in the book that other cookbooks have modernized carrot cake with the use of vegetable oil and/or baking soda, but in order to stay closer to its roots (so to speak), this recipe leaves those on the shelf. That means there isn't much leavening agent in the cake, so it turns out a pretty dense, almost bread-like texture.

Modern carrot cakes also rely on cream cheese frostings to add some sweetness, which this recipe also eschews, suggesting instead to serve with whipped cream. Colonial bakers would have mashed the cooked carrots and strained their juices, but I went with the alternate method; cooking the carrots briefly, allowing them to cool, and then grating them to get the necessary amount.

I have a complicated history with carrot cakes, in that I tend not to like them. Still, two factors drove me forward. First, it's a necessary component of the American Cake Project. Secondly, I like to try foods I dislike every five years or so to see if they still repel me or if I've changed my mind. Several foods have actually been able to redeem themselves this way.

I'm happy to report that carrot cake is now among them, because I enjoyed this cake quite a bit. It doesn't rank among my favorites or anything, but I really liked its chewy texture and the fact that it didn't punch me in the taste buds with overwhelming sweetness. Consider my horizons broadened.