My favorite cake ever since I was a kid has been carrot. I attribute it to the Saturday trips my family and I would take to the Sara Lee store, when I was growing up in the suburbs of Chicago. After payday, my parents would go there to stock up on bakery goods and let my brother and I pick out whatever we wanted. It was probably their version of giving us the American Dream, and for me, I always chose the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

My favorite cake ever since I was a kid has been carrot. I attribute it to the Saturday trips my family and I would take to the Sara Lee store, when I was growing up in the suburbs of Chicago. After payday, my parents would go there to stock up on bakery goods and let my brother and I pick out whatever we wanted. It was probably their version of giving us the American Dream, and for me, I always chose the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. You don’t find carrot cake in many places nowadays, but whenever it’s on a dessert menu, I break my no-sweets rule. I have such good memories of carrot cake, but nowadays, I prefer to go gluten and dairy free where possible. I made this the first time with the Minimalist Baker’s recipe, which while a great base, I found too sweet and the recipe didn’t work for standard 9-inch cake pans. So I modified the recipe and of course made it Galavante’s own; this isn’t vegan, as eggs make a moister cake with better consistency. Also, I reduced sugar significantly, as the beauty of carrot cake is when it isn’t so sweet and allows the carrots to shine. This recipe is easy, though at the same time, it requires focus and organization. Forgetting any of the ingredients or deviating significantly from proportions can impact the results, like with all baking. The major complexity is the amount of ingredients required and the measurements, so stay focused on the prize. The good news is you can make this in one bowl and as long as you pre-measure and organize, it’s fairly straightforward.