PrintSugar Rush: Happy National Carrot Cake Day
Happy National Carrot Cake Day! For some reason, February 3 has been deemed the day to celebrate the moist and spiced root vegetable-enhanced cake covered with cream cheese frosting. While many carrot cakes may look like the glowing specimen above, I'm going to use this holiday as an opportunity to point out my favorite carrot cake in the world (so far).
It make look like a boring, brownish-orangish lump, but the carrot cake from M&I International Food in the Russian community of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, is easily the best chunk of carrot-enhanced cake I've ever eaten. Frosting is my least favorite part of the typical carrot cake since it sometimes seems excessive and if it's bad, it has the ability to destroy what could be a perfectly good cake. M&I's version is naked, preventing any potential harm by way of overly sweet frosting. Even better than the crust being unadorned is that it has a crisp texture when fresh—cracking through reveals the main star of moist, tender cake beneath.
Serious Eats New York dessert goddess Kathy YL Chan describes it best in her review of the cake:
A thin, super crisp crusty surface and innards that will blow your mind if nothing else. Thick forests of shredded carrots (not the thin shredded carrots you find in American carrot cakes, but thiiiick shredded), handfuls of walnut chunks and tons of raisins, of both the dark and golden breed. The cake itself? Incredibly moist with soft tender crumbs.
Kathy also said on at least one occasion that she'd want to serve this cake at her wedding. It's good stuff. We just wish it wasn't so far out on Brighton Beach. Any other favorites?
M&I International Food
249 Brighton Beach Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11235 (map)
718-615-1011
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13 Comments:
OMG. The M&I Carrot Cake. I love, I love, I love :D
Kathy YL Chan at 4:16PM on 02/03/09
Well how's that for kismet. Ever since I was a kid I always wanted carrot cake for my birthday (obviously its today). Happy Carrot Cake Day!
christopher at 4:17PM on 02/03/09
Oh, Happy Day!
lambowner at 4:40PM on 02/03/09
Lloyd's near Van Cortlandt Park is really great, *and* it has a spectacular neon carrot sign, which you can see on its myspace: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=167913117
coleslaw at 4:55PM on 02/03/09
well happy carrot cake day! my fav would have to be my mums as its so moist or the cupcake from Primrose bakery in London
Edwardkimuk at 5:01PM on 02/03/09
If there's anyone in Baltimore reading this, the best carrot cake I've ever had is at the Berger's Bakery stall at Lexington Market. Amazing.
I haven't had the brighton beach carrot cake. The description sounds great, though. I have had the above-mentioned Lloyd's, which is pretty good, though a bit on the sweet side.
BigAl72 at 5:49PM on 02/03/09
I adore carrot cake. I actually stood there for 15 minutes last night staring at a carrot cake cupcake (vegan) lusting after it. In fact, I probably had been thinking about one for 3 days straight. Oh sooooo tasty. Today is a happy day indeed.
fastfoodie at 6:47PM on 02/03/09
The best carrot cake I ever had was from my university bookstore cafe. It was dark, just like what you pictured, with about an inch of wonderful not-sweet cream cheese icing and walnuts and pecans. I always say I love carrot cake, but get served strange, neon creations of orange.
A good carrot cake with great spicing and great icing--nothing better! When it it is good, it is so very, very good...
HeartofGlass at 6:59PM on 02/03/09
Robyn: PLEASE see if you could get me the recipe for that Brighton Beach carrot cake! Seriously. I have been jonesing for it ever since you first wrote about it!
lurquizo at 4:28AM on 02/04/09
Happy birthday a day late, Christopher - that's also the birthday of Mr. Meatloaf and Felix Mendelssohn, so obviously all the greats! (Just think...Mendelssohn was born before carrot cake, poor man.)
lemons at 10:15AM on 02/04/09
I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE CARROTTTTTTTTTTTTT CAKEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy!! But I missed its national day! oh pooh!
Lvn4life at 11:28AM on 02/04/09
the main reason i eat cake is to save myself the embarrassment of eating the frosting straight.
deedee at 4:38PM on 02/10/09
I FINALLY made it to Brighton Beach JUST TO GET THIS CAKE. I'm on 200 St. in Manhattan, so it was a hike and it was a hike worth taking. The cake's best surprise are the pieces of pinapple hidden throughout. This cake is unique. Glad I made the trek. I will say, however, the true hidden jem of this Russian fiesta of a neighborhood is the Turkist Delight sold in bulk. I highly HIGHLY recomend searching for the pistachio Turkish Delight ($2.99 / lb.) at the GOURMET MARKET a couple blocks down from M+I. (It's on the same side of the street. You'll pass it on the way.) Oh my goodness... it's heaven. Dare I say, better than the cake?
rockinTACO at 7:30PM on 03/07/09