My husband likes to say that he’s a simple man but I’ve never known anyone to have a more complicated relationship with carrots than he. Just try sneaking an orange sliver into a stew, pot pie or casserole. With the quick flick of his spoon the offending veg flies off his plate and onto mine. Forget about slipping raw, julienned carrots into a salad or slaw. The cat, who eats anything, ends up eating them. However, if you ask Sean what his favorite dessert is, his answer will be carrot cake.

If you like to cook and live with someone who has a favorite dish, chances are that you’ve tried to perfect it. Such is the case with me and carrot cake. After countless years and cakes I found perfection yesterday in the following recipe. I’d love to claim that I conjured up this winsome sweet on my own but I can’t; the recipe comes courtesy of my husband’s aunt, Nancy Haberberger. Sweet but not cloying, moist but not soggy, flavorful but not overly rich, it is, as my father-in-law states, the best carrot cake ever.

As I tend to tinker with recipes, I made a few minor changes to Nancy’s cake. To plump up the raisins, I placed them in a pan with enough water to cover and simmered them over medium heat for 5 minutes. I then took the pan off the burner and allowed the raisins to soften for 10 minutes. From there I drained, dried and added them to the batter. If you prefer chewier raisins, feel free to ignore this step.

Because I had used springform pans and made a layer cake, I doubled the ingredients for the icing; that way I had a generous amount of frosting to spread between and over the cakes. I also increased the amount of vanilla to 1 1/2 teaspoons or, as I’d doubled the recipe, 1 tablespoon. I likewise added 1 tablespoon of milk to the icing so that it would spread more smoothly.

AUNT NANCY’S CARROT CAKE
Serves 10 to 12

For the cake:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts (walnuts, roughly chopped)

For the icing:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound confectioner’s sugar

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or two 9-inch springform pans. If using springform pans, line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper before greasing and flouring.

Using an electric mixer and in a large bowl, beat together the sugars, oil and eggs.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the liquids, beating on low speed until incorporated and then beating on high until well-blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the carrots, nuts and raisins. Mix together either on low speed or by hand until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the cake pan(s) on a wire rack to cool. If using springform pans, after 10 minutes remove the cakes from the pans, invert them onto cooling racks and peel the parchment paper from the bottom. Cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. With an electric mixer beat until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat again to combine. Slowly add the confectioner’s sugar, mixing on low speed until incorporated and then beating on high speed until blended.

Using a knife or icing spatula, spread the icing evenly over the cake(s). Serve.