I do, however, often wonder what kind of cake the speaker had in mind. I am woefully ignorant of the kinds of cakes that are available in France, or in the 18th century for that matter. But one cake that I do know a lot about (and love) is carrot cake.
Most carrot cakes that we come across usually contain shredded carrots, nuts, and raisins all mixed into a cake batter that are baked into soft and fluffy mouthfuls of deliciousness. But that was not always the case. If we step back in time to a few centuries ago, sweet carrot desserts actually appeared in a bread pudding, pie, or pancake form. For example, here is a recipe for a “pudding of carrots” from Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets by John Evelyn (London: 1699):
“Pare off some of the crust of the manchet-bread, and grate off half as much of the rest as there is of the root, which must also be grated: then take half a pint of fresh cream or new milk, half a pound of fresh butter, six new laid eggs (taking out three of the whites) mash and mingle them well with the cream and butter: then put in the grated bread and carrot with near half a pound of sugar, and a little salt, some grated nutmeg and beaten spice; and pour all into a convenient dish or pan, butter’d, to keep the ingredients from sticking and burning; set it in a quick oven for about an hour, and so have you a composition for any root-pudding.”
Here is another early carrot pudding recipe from American Cookery by Amelia Simmons (Albany: 1796):
“A coffee cup full of boiled and strained carrots, 5 eggs, sugar and butter of each 2 oz. cinnamon and rose water to your taste, baked in a deep dish without paste [pastry], 1 hour.”
Over time, these carrot puddings evolved into the familiar sturdy cakes that we see today. The evolution of carrot cake preparation is what fascinates me the most. Centuries ago, carrot desserts were commonly prepared as bread puddings that were cooked for a long time. In contrast, the rising trend now seems to be recipes for raw carrot cakes, such as this one from Gimme Some Oven. I wonder how great cooks of centuries past would have thought about recent carrot cake developments!
To add my humble contribution to the rich history of carrot cakes, I decided to make some carrot cake snack bites, inspired by the raw carrot cake recipe from Gimme Some Oven.
I added a little fun to the snack bites by rolling some of them in sesame seeds, shredded coconut, and chopped almonds.
Let Them Eat Carrot Cake Bites!
Ingredients
Snack Bites
- 2 1/4 cup shredded carrots
- 3/4 cup medjool dates, about 10 large dates
- 2/3 cup coconut, shredded or flaked
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Optional Ingredients for Toppings
- 1/8 cup toasted sesame seeds, enough for 6 bites
- 1/8 cup shredded coconut, enough for 4 bites
- 1/8 cup chopped almonds, enough for 5 bites
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend all the snack bite ingredients together.
- Scoop out tablespoons full of the batter and roll it into a ball.
- Roll the balls in sesame seeds, coconut, or chopped almonds for additional crunch. Use the listed optional ingredients to determine the amount of sesame seeds, coconut, or almonds you need.
- Store refrigerated.
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
Those Medjool dates really get around! I have been seeing them EVERYWHERE lately!!! I don’t like dates and cannot eat fruit, but I wish I could because I want to taste what all the rage is about! 😉
These look so good! You could sell them!
Lisa says
Thanks, GiGi!! I know, medjool dates have been getting a ton of internet time lately. They are just so good for making raw sweets. Love your haunted house 2 post!
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
🙂 Thank You!
spiffykermscom says
Ooh! I like your site! Adding it to my reader. I found your blog totally randomly. My husband and I just moved to the bay area from Canada a little over a month ago. 🙂
Lisa says
Welcome to the Bay Area, and I am so glad that you like my blog!! I took a quick gander at your site, and I have to say–thanks for reviewing the Dior fluid lipstick! I never know whether or not I should invest in pricier lip color. If the color doesn’t bleed, I’m sold!
spiffykermscom says
Let me know what colour you end up getting – if you do buy one!!
Welcome to Mommyhood says
Oh my gosh! I’m so, so excited for this! I’ve been having a hard time finding paleo friendly desserts and I cannot wait to try this out 🙂 Can I just say again how much I love your recipes – so easy and healthy, too!
Pinning and sharing on google+
Lisa says
Thanks, Yuliya!!! I’m so glad that you like my recipes!
myfitfocusedlife says
These look like a great treat without breaking the bank. I love carrot cake so this will be a perfect substitution! Thanks!
Lisa says
Thanks for stopping by my blog, Tracy! Hope you enjoy this!
Rachel @LittleChefBigAppetite says
I LOOOOOOOOVE carrot cake! I am definitely going to try these!
Lisa says
Thanks, Rachel! Carrot cake is one of my favorites, too! I see from your most recent post that you bought some 0% Wallaby Greek yogurt!!! That is, hands down, the best non-fat Greek yogurt I’ve tried so far!
Ellie says
Just made them – they are great. Nice to have some raw balls that dont just use dried fruit and nuts. A bit lower on the GI scale hopefully. NIce work!
Lisa says
Thanks, Ellie! Glad you liked them!
Janet Russell says
These look fantastic!
Could you please send or post the nutritional values. I have to watch my mothers fat intake. Plus make sure all recipes have a decent amount of fiber.
Thank you!!!!