Carrot Cake from the Tyrol

By Gina DePalma

Trentino Alto-Adige is Italy’s most northern region, a combination of two provinces, Alto Adige to the north, and Trentino in the south. Collectively they are part of a general geographic area called the Tyrol, which shares the German language and deep cultural traditions with neighboring Austria.

The cuisine is heavily influenced by Alpine cooking, yet somehow manages to encompass many elements of sun-drenched Mediterranean traditions. Yes, there are ravioli, but here you will find them made with rye flour. The local Val di Non apples, the finest grown in Italy, meet their ultimate destiny rolled into a strudel. The story of how this unique food culture came about is tied to one of the most significant ecumenical shifts in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.

Trentino is anchored by the provincial capital of Trento, and it was in this city in the 16 th century that the dramatic shift occurred in Tyrolean cuisine. From 1545 through 1563, the Council of Trent was convened in the city by the order of Pope Paul III, reforming and defining the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. Before the Council of Trent, the city’s cuisine differed little from that of the poorer countryside surrounding it; porridge made from polenta, potatoes and buckwheat was the dietary mainstay, supplemented in small quantities with cabbage, turnips, mushrooms and bacon. The tables of the nobility were enriched by the meats, cheese and eggs produced by the poorer classes.

The Council of Trent brought a cavalcade of wealthy prelates, bishops and cardinals to Trento, and with them came the cooking and chefs of the royal courts. The finest products from all over Italy and other parts of Europe traveled to the region, leaving an indelible mark upon the local cuisine that developed over centuries to form today’s rich culinary tapestry.

Carrots were cultivated around the northern shores of Lake Garda around this time, and it was a chef for Bernardo Clesio, the Prince Bishop of Trent, who made the first carrot cake for his lord. Bishop Clesio was instrumental in bringing the Council to his hometown, and in that sense, he inadvertently became one of the founding fathers of Trentino’s cuisine.

I love this Tyrolean version of carrot cake. It is lighter and far more delicate than its American, super-sweet, cream cheese-slathered counterpart. The secret is to grate the carrots very finely before folding them into the sponge-type batter. Lemon zest, a hint of ginger and nutmeg, and the rich flavor of extra virgin olive oil make the flavor of this cake subtly seductive. It needs nothing more than a dusting of confectioner’s sugar to embellish it, although at Babbo we like to serve it with a scoop of olive oil gelato.

Carrot Cake from the Tyrol

Torta di Carote

1 ½ cups unbleached flour
½ cup almond flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup orange juice
Freshly grated zest of ½ a large lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch square pan by greasing and flouring it.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking soda and baking powder, salt and spices.

Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat them on medium speed until they are very light in color and tripled in volume, about two minutes. Beat in the orange juice, lemon zest and vanilla, then beat for another full minute. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it is all fully incorporated.

Beat in the dry ingredients halfway, then add the grated carrot and beat well, until the dry ingredients have disappeared, about 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the machine and run a spatula through the batter and around the sides of the bowl several times to ensure that all the ingredients are fully combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, turning the cake halfway through the baking time to ensure it cooks evenly.

The cake is done when it is golden brown, springs lightly back when touched, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for ten minutes, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely. Dust the cake generously with confectioner’s sugar before serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Makes 9 to 12 servings, depending on size

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