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01/11/2017 11:01 PMI needed a cake and I needed it quickly.
After the holidays, during which there were way too many cookies and brownies and candy, I decided to forswear sweets. As if it were the few days before Passover, I scoured my pantry to get rid of sweets. Away went a half a bag of mini M&Ms, two lonely Butterfingers (left over from Halloween), and half a sleeve of Girl Scout Thin Mints from the freezer. It wasn’t really a New Year’s resolution, but I could pretend it was.
Then I was asked to a party. “Can I bring something?” I asked. As is usually the case, she wondered if I could do a dessert. I agreed and asked how many people the dessert would feed. She said around 30 people. I decided to make a big carrot cake. A long-ago friend in Massachusetts had given me that recipe and she called it a dump cake. It was in the ’70s, and I didn’t know what a dump cake was. Now we all know we can make that recipe not only in one bowl but even in one pan. It is delicious. It will feed 20 easily. It freezes beautifully. And, best of all it uses baby food carrots. No peeling and cooking at all.
By the way, I ate one of those Butterfingers before I threw away all the sweets.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Serves 10-16 people, easily
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Lightly butter a 9- by 13-inch (or larger; I have a 10- by 15-inch) baking dish.
Cake
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 jars (small) baby food carrots
1 ⅓ cups oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together with a wooden spoon. Pour ingredients into prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until middle is set. Cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
6 ounces cream cheese
⅓ cup butter, softened
2 to 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix all ingredients together with electric mixture. Add 1 to 3 tablespoons water, if necessary.