A Reddit post from a month ago is going viral for its blunt delivery and dedication to deliciousness. A user, Elizabeth, shared a recipe for carrot cake that her mother developed in the '70s that she then had to pass on to her father...20-plus years after the parents went their separate ways.
Titled "Divorce Carrot Cake," the post was accompanied simply by a photo of a recipe card and a very quick backstory: "This was my mom’s recipe. Named so because my dad sheepishly asked me to make [it] for his birthday, despite the fact they've been divorced for over 20 years."
What's making the cake go so viral, though, is the twist of adding pineapple to the recipe, which makes drying it out nearly impossible. The internet loves this cake, with nary a baker finding any fault with it as of yet -- at least as far as the Reddit comments are concerned.
"It's a very moist cake from the crushed pineapple -- and the balance from the cream cheese frosting gives it a nice tang!" Elizabeth continued. She went ahead and shared that recipe, too, further down in the comments, noting its secret ingredient: lemon juice. Who knew!
Later on in the post, Elizabeth wrote that she once likely "roped in a boyfriend" by making him this cake, and someone else wants to make a rom-com about it. Elizabeth's on board: "Title could be 'Slice of Life.' My dad looks like a cross between Dennis Quaid and John Travolta. My mom has a square/heart-shaped face and is very confident and kooky. But can't think of someone who looks like her -- maybe a cross between Susan Sarandon and Shirley MacLaine."
So, actually, the Divorce Carrot Cake is a recipe for love.
Want to make it yourself? Here's the recipe in its glorious entirety for easy reference:
Ingredients
CARROT CAKE
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup honey
3 eggs
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups carrots, grated (about 2 large carrots)
1 cup coconut, shredded
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 to 1 cup raisins
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
2 (8-ounce) packages softened cream cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup softened butter, cut into cubes
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
CARROT CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Grease and flour two cake pans.
- Combine flour, cinnamon and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- Combine oil, honey, eggs and drained pineapple in a large bowl.
- Mix dry ingredients, plus carrots, coconut, walnuts and raisins together into the wet ingredients until well-combined.
- Pour into cake pans and bake for 45 minutes.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- In a bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add vanilla, then slowly incorporate powdered sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to prevent lumps.
- Once smooth, taste and adjust as needed with lemon juice.
Turns out, love can fade, but taste bud impressions never do.