My fiance’s mom made a carrot cake for her wedding back in 1975, and to continue the tradition, she’ll make us a small carrot cake to use for our cake cutting (alongside the cupcake tower we are getting in lieu of a traditional cake). She made us a test version earlier this summer, but had to scale down the original recipe.
The Recipe
CARROT CAKE
2 c. (white) flour, all-purpose
2 c.(white) sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 eggs
1 c. cooking oil
4 c. grated raw carrots
½ c. chopped pecans
Beat eggs ‘til frothy, beat in oil, add flour mixture, add carrots and pecans. Pour into 3 greased and floured (and waxed paper lined) eight-inch round cake pans. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 min. or until done (when wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out cleanly). Cool in pans 10 min.; remove from pans and cool completely. Fill and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
4 tbs. butter (softened)
2 three-oz. pkg. cream cheese (softened)
4 and 1/3 c. sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. maple flavoring (a bit more, if maple syrup)
Blend ingredients until fairly stiff, smooth, and satiny. Add tiny amounts of water as you blend, if needed.
The Math Problem: How do you adapt this recipe for one 6″ round pan (same height as the 8″ round pans)?
I would love to have students bake an actual cake and then grade them on how good it tasted. After all, if the cake turned out well they did the math right. Another factor to consider in addition to the recipe proportions is the time in the oven–can that be changed in proportion to the volume or surface area of the cake?
Bonus: the original recipe cards, with some math!
The cake was delicious.
