Carrots are a wonderfully versatile veggie! Great eaten raw as a satisfying, healthy snack, cooked they make a colourful, tender yet creamy addition to meals, and they can be incorporated into many different dishes adding texture, colour and a nutrient boost. Carrots come in a variety of colours: yellow, orange, white, red and purple – each colour providing slight nutrient variations.

Carrot Cake tops the list of favourite cakes in our house. My husband refers to it as health cake (because it contains carrots ☺) and it never lasts long before being gobbled up. This month I am sharing my Quick n Easy Carrot Cake recipe, one of the many carrot cake recipes that my family enjoy. Keep reading to find this delicious, easy recipe.

Were you told as a child that if you eat carrots you will see better at night?

During World War 2, Britain experienced food blockades which resulted in food shortages throughout England. In order to help empower their citizens, the Ministry of Agriculture spear-headed a huge publicity campaign to encourage kitchen gardens – the planting of easy to grow vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, to supplement rationed food. This “Dig for Victory” campaign was so successful, and the harvests of carrots and potatoes so good, that by 1942 Britain had an enormous surplus of carrots! Fictional characters like Dr Carrot and others, were created to promote the consumption of carrots and other vegetables in an attempt to use up the enormous excess supply. Interestingly, vegetables were never rationed in Britain during WW2.

Interesting fact: Bugs Bunny was also created towards the end of WW2 (in the USA) and he was always munching on …..Carrots!

The Agricultural Ministry’s “War Cookery Leaflet 4” was filled with recipes for carrot cake, carrot pudding, carrot flan and carrot marmalade!

I think it’s safe to say they got a little ‘carrot away’ ☺.

On the military front, Britain was suffering under the barrage of bombs being dropped on their country by Germany. The Air Ministry realized that they had to limit the number of enemy bombers that reached their shores. The key to this was the RAF’s newfound secret – the onboard radar – which was resulting in astonishingly accurate night kills. John Cunningham, a British pilot, quickly racked up an impressive 19 night kills using onboard radar thus preventing enemy bombers reaching the English Channel, and his success was widely publicized. This however, created a new problem: how to explain this sudden improvement in reduced numbers of bombers reaching British shores and still keep the onboard radar a secret from the Germans?

The British Intelligence Ministry wasted no time in using the press to spread the rumour that RAF pilots were consuming large quantities of carrots (which thanks to the “Dig for Victory” campaign were available in abundance), resulting in a major improvement in their night vision – thus providing a ‘plausible’ explanation for their newly improved night vision and subsequent accuracy in the air .

The public latched onto this idea! The blackout in London and other cities made traversing the dark city at night a risky business – better night sight would be welcomed by the general public and so they began to incorporate carrots in just about everything!

This myth was so well publicized, that it persists even today!

One does have to wonder if the scientifically minded Germans increased their supply of carrots to their troups in response or went on a wild goose chase researching the effects of carrots on night vision!

Carrots are nutrient dense root vegetables. They contain significant quantities of Beta Carotene which the body converts to Vitamin A. This vitamin is important for eye health (reducing age related macular degeneration), provides protection to mucous membranes, promotes a healthy immune response, promotes healthy skin and can aid in protection against sunburn. Just 1 large carrot provides 100% of an adult’s daily Vitamin A needs

Carrots are high in fibre which helps lower the absorption of cholesterol from the digestive tract, helps regulate blood sugar by slowing the digestion of starch and sugar, and regulates bowl movements.
Carrots also contain notable quantities of Vitamin B6 (which aids in converting food into energy), Vitamin K1 (promoted coagulation of blood in wound healing) and Potassium (plays a role in regulating blood pressure, supports cardiovascular health).
Low in calories, while high in water content (86 – 95%), carrots make an ideal, satisfying, healthy snack.

Those of you who have attended my classes know that I seldom peel carrots. Wherever possible, I include them in meals and recipes – well washed/scrubbed, but with the skin on. The reason for this is that carrot skin contains valuable nutrients including fibre, antioxidants and vitamins. I really love getting value for money in all aspects of life, so I just can’t bear to throw away a nutritious part of a vegetable I have paid for. Ultimately, whether you peel carrots or not is a personal preference, but it’s worth considering giving them a good scrub rather than throwing a very viable part of this veg away.

Carrots are high in fibre which helps lower the absorption of cholesterol from the digestive tract, helps regulate blood sugar by slowing the digestion of starch and sugar, and regulates bowl movements.
Carrots also contain notable quantities of Vitamin B6 (which aids in converting food into energy), Vitamin K1 (promoted coagulation of blood in wound healing) and Potassium (plays a role in regulating blood pressure, supports cardiovascular health).
Low in calories, while high in water content (86 – 95%), carrots make an ideal, satisfying, healthy snack.

Simple to make, this light, delicious cake works well in a loaf tin, ring tin or in muffin tins – just remember that the shape and size baking tin you use will affect the cooking time. I hope you will try this recipe and let me know how it works out!