RECIPE: Apple syrup is key to moist carrot cake

A couple of weeks ago, carrot cake happened to be the dessert course for a prix-fixe takeout dinner I ordered from fledgling Mercer Street Meals, a business that chef Lance Gummere launched with his wife, Gracie.

I’ve long associated Gummere with chicken, not cake. After all, he co-founded local chain Bantam & Biddy. But one bite of that fresh, from-scratch cake revealed quite a knack for sweet endings. The cake, inspired by a recipe Gummere ran across in Saveur, was remarkably moist. The secret, it turns out, is an apple syrup slicked on top of each layer prior to frosting.

If you’re counting calories, just lighten up on the cream cheese frosting. The mini version that Gummere tucked into my meal was not frosted on the sides, yet still plenty rich and satisfying.