CARROT CAKE REVIEW No 1 ~ Is this a banana cake in disguise?

Blakeney, Norfolk.

At first glance, the cake itself had a good tan colour, with shards of walnut distributed through it fairly evenly. The butter cream, if indeed it was such a thing, was a little stingy, with an appearance of being thin in consistency, and hence no stiffness. That said there were no marzipan carrots on top ~ thankfully, and it was a decent wedge of cake, sometimes you can feel a bit cheated by the slither like size of a portion, but not here.

On taking my first bite, wait, what's this taste, its not remotely carroty, no, its bananary. The first taste to assail my buds, was of ripe banana. Quite a lot of banana, so much I handed it to Hubby for his first impression, 'its as if they've served you a banana cake by mistake' said he. So, mucho mucho banana! You can tell from its visual texture that it does have carrot in it, but the banana completely overpowers it, and any flavour from the walnuts is swamped and reduced to a textural highlight. In a lot of Carrot Cakes the addition of mixed spice or something similar, can be a mixed blessing. Very similar to banana, its very easy to put in a dollop too much. In this Carrot Cake there appeared to be little or no discernible spice flavourings at all.

The cake had a moist texture, but with a peculiar after taste that left a dry powdery sensation lingering on the palate, as if you've accidentally swallowed medicinal chalk. Hubby thinks this after effect and the banana, could be a sign the cake had no egg in it. The dry powdery sensation probably arising out of an excess of bicarb. If it was, apparently, a Vegan Carrot Cake, that was trying to keep very quiet about it. If you don't inform people, you are effectively saying there will be no discernible difference in experience between a traditional and your vegan carrot cake. If there is a discernible difference in experience then the consumer has every right to feel disappointed or short changed.  A well made, tasty Vegan Carrot Cake is more than a theoretical possibility, but 'Hey! careful with that banana & bicarb Eugene.'   I find I'm experiencing this floury after taste quite frequently these days, and its not pleasant ~ and avoidable.

The frosting, that all too suspicious butter cream, that most likely wasn't butter cream? Well, it tasted overpoweringly sweet, and not a natural sucra either. After the banana, this cream successfully stamps on any natural carroty sweetness there might have been, Though perhaps there was a not enough carrot in this Carrot Cake right from the start, which in my book is close to being an original sin.

CARROT CAKE SCORE  4/8



 Note to self ~ take a photo of the cake next time. 


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