Recipe: Snacking carrot cake – The Japan Times

When I was young, I had more of a sweet tooth. These days, I still sometimes like a little something small to end meals but tend not to actually eat in-between. Luckily, there exists a cake as adaptable as you need it to be, whether with morning coffee, afternoon tea, a casual occasion or just part of a workday bento.

The term “snacking cake” has an adorable je ne sais quoi. This is a simple cake made with common ingredients, lightly adorned (if at all), made as a single layer, usually square and most often cut likewise. Brooklyn food stylist Yossy Arefi claims to have not coined the phrase but has an entire cookbook devoted to the subject.

Joining in the fun, what follows is my take on the sort of moist cake I wish was more widely available in Japan, just pared back to basics.