Your baking instincts are right on, Ann. Usually baking soda is only called for in recipes that have something acidic to balance out the metallic flavor. However, baking soda acts as the principal contributor to Maillard browning in carrot cake. This process is a chemical reaction that occurs between amino acids and sugars, which gives "browned foods" their desirable flavor. The browned foods in this case are the carrots, and the browning comes from the caramelization process of the natural sugars. If you are interested in learning more about food science, you can read more about these processes using this link here: http://bit.ly/1bBfaFl We hope you give the carrot cake recipe a try! Happy baking! Kye@KAF

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