Carrot Ring

Occupying the space between a tender carrot cake and a spoonable carrot pudding, lightly sweet carrot ring is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish side dish. Most commonly on the table during weekly Shabbat, this simple dish features grated carrots, flour, fat (typically dairy-free, like shortening or margarine), sugar, egg, and leavening agents. During Passover, carrot ring is often made with matzo meal instead of all-purpose flour, which is not permitted by Jewish dietary rule during the holiday.

Often a rather dense and oily cake, I personally do not find most carrot rings to be a delightful foil to other meaty dishes on the dinner table, like fatty brisket or roast chicken (which, in the Ashkenazi tradition, also often tend to slant sweet). The carrot ring of my dreams is slightly less rich, but still somewhat custardy. That means the traditional shortening or margarine is replaced with vegetable oil, which bakes up a similarly moist, yet non-greasy, cake.

My ideal carrot ring is also one that requires no adaptation to accommodate different holidays, and uses ingredients that are available year-round. To achieve this, instead of using only all-purpose flour (not permissible during Passover) or matzo meal (hard to find at the supermarket outside of the Passover season), I use a mixture of almond and coconut flours, which contributes to the cake’s tender crumb and adds a light sweetness. Plus, because these flours are naturally wheat- and legume-free, they are considered kosher for Passover.

This carrot ring is kosher because it’s made with pareve ingredients, which means it does not contain meat or dairy (eggs are not considered dairy), and therefore can be served alongside dishes containing either meat or dairy — but not both. It is also kosher for Passover, as it does not call for leavened grains, known as chametz. And the cake is free of legumes, or kitniyot, as some abstain from this group during Passover as well. 

A carrot ring is often served as a side dish during Jewish holidays alongside the main meal, including meats and vegetables — some people even fill the inside of their carrot ring with cooked peas (I personally cannot endorse this). Although less traditional, I also find carrot ring to be a nice addition to the dessert table, particularly during Passover, as it’s not as cloying as many other typical holiday treats.

• Hold off on greasing your Bundt pan. Wait until the batter is ready to go before greasing your pan. Greasing too early can encourage oil to pool at the bottom of the pan and encourage sticking. 
• Cool your cake in the pan before removing. To minimize stickage, let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping the cake and removing the pan.