麻豆约拍

Baker, cookbook author and former GBBO star Benjamina Ebuehi is sharing her One Dish with Andi Oliver. And she鈥檚 gone for a classic - carrot cake. Benjamina鈥檚 brought a spectacular cake made to her own recipe and Andi鈥檚 wondering if there鈥檚 nutmeg in it, but in fact it鈥檚 spiced instead with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, as well as one more - slightly unexpected - ingredient.

This cake holds lots of memories for Benjamina after she started out baking in her teens. Carrot cake seemed so much more sophisticated than cupcakes, and became a firm favourite at her family functions. Its origins more broadly can be traced back to 10th century Middle Eastern puddings, with some surprising twists and turns along the way.

While the cake is now considered to be an US import in the UK due to its use of oil rather than the more traditional butter, that cross-Atlantic relationship is more complex than you might think.

And Kimberley Wilson talks about the relationship between sugar and stress, explaining why so many of our comfort foods are sweet.

Food Scientist: Kimberley Wilson
Food Historian: Neil Buttery
Producer: Lucy Dearlove
Executive Producer: Hannah Marshall
Sound Design: Charlie Brandon-King
Assistant Producer: Bukky Fadipe

A Storyglass production for 麻豆约拍 Radio 4