Carrot Cake Not Your Thing? Just Add Bourbon.

I never really understood carrot cake. Cake is cake and carrots are, well, a vegetable. I like them separately, but they just didn’t go together to me. Why wouldn’t you just have a salad and then eat a piece of cake?
 
But it was Easter, and I like that whole bunny and carrot connection. When I came across a carrot cake recipe that had bourbon in both the cake and the frosting, I thought worth a try. It will at least taste better than a carrot cake without bourbon in it. 

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​This recipe comes from a new favorite food blog – Bourbon and Honey. Once I saw the line in the instructions justifying adding bourbon by reasoning that “Bourbon makes everything better,” I was like, yup, she gets it. I added even more bourbon than recommended to the frosting to cut through the tartness of the cream cheese.   
 
I didn't have two cake pans - Brooklyn apartment cupboards and all - so I did one 9-inch layer instead of two 8-inch layers. Slathered on that frosting, and the ratio worked out. 

And bourbon really does make everything better. I can now say I am a fan of carrot cake - or at least this carrot cake. It was full without being dense; had just enough spice to be interesting, but not so much it took over; and while I didn't think the carrots added much flavor, I did get how they played into the texture. I left out the nuts this time, but might try those next time and maybe some raisins to make it more like a good morning muffin. 

I'm not saying I will abandon chocolate cake any time soon, but I now see a purpose to carrot cake that I didn't appreciate before. 

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