Cozy Carrot Cake
The Avon Park, Florida, native lends her talents to the Office of Communications & Marketing in the College of Agriculture, where one story shared was that of her Great Aunt Helen Albright’s carrot cake.
“I’ve grown up eating it my whole life,” Welch said. “She always made it for the monthly church potluck, and I remember it was always a race to see if you could get a slice because everyone loved it so much.”
The carrot cake recipe is one of dozens in the Welch Family Cookbook, compiling recipes from just about every Welch family member.
“It’s very simple with no pictures or anything, and my dad’s mom is the one who got with family and helped make it happen,” Welch said. “It was created long before I was born, but I thankfully have my own copy now because my grandmom had extras.
“In my opinion the coolest part though is the beginning of the book that includes a family history of the Welches, telling about how they first lived in Texas and how they ended up in a small Florida town.”
These are true family recipes, lovingly crafted by women like Great Aunt Helen.
“The cake is definitely a labor of love,” Welch said. “You have to grate your own carrots — she’s never let you use pre-shredded. You also absolutely have to use the brands she puts. Don’t ask me why. I think it’s just the law. She’d tell it wouldn’t come out right if you didn’t.”
Welch just recently got her hands on her own copy of the family cookbook, and her first attempt at the recipe marked her first taste of the cake in several years.
“Aunt Helen passed about a year ago now, so it’s so special that I get to share one of her many recipes with so many people,” she said. “I hope anyone who makes it enjoys it as much as my family does.”
Great Aunt Helen’s Carrot Cake
Great Aunt Helen’s Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups Swans Down cake flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups Crisco oil
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups grated carrots (roughly 1 lb. peeled)
For the toppings
- 1 8-oz. package of cream cheese
- 1 box of powdered sugar
- 1 stick of margarine
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 can Angel Flake coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
For the cake
- Sift flour, then measure again. Mix dry ingredients in sifter, then sift together three times.
- Add oil and blend into cake mixture.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well.
- Lastly, add carrots and blend well.
- Pour into two greased and floured 9” pans or a 9×13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes for layers, or until done, or 60 minutes for the single pan.
For the topping
- Blend cream cheese, powdered sugar, margarine and vanilla.
- Add coconut and nuts and mix well. Spread over top and sides of cake after it has cooled.
