Carrot Cake Loaf

Carrot cake loaf somehow seems like a guilty free way of enjoying a slice of cake; with or without the icing, however it still comes with all the sweet spicy indulgence. The maple glaze icing alleviates some heaviness that a cream cheese icing has; making it an acceptable sweet touch and the crushed pecans heighten the maple flavour.         

Carrot Cake Loaf

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1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon chai seeds

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon British mixed spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons maple flavouring

2 cups grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 9x5' loaf tin and line the bottom with baking parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, chia seeds, cinnamon, British mixed spice and salt. 

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, milk, both sugars, maple flavouring and grated carrot; then stir into the flour mixture until just combined.

Scape the batter into the prepared tin and bake until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the baking tin for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool the loaf may be iced with an icing of your choice, or the maple glaze provided below and sprinkled with crushed pecans.  

Maple Glaze

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1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cups powdered icing sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons of milk

1 teaspoon maple flavouring

Melt the butter and add the icing sugar, milk and maple flavouring. Mix until creamy. 

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Hot temperatures are here for a couple of days. - JD 

Carrot Cake

I feel that an abundant carrot cake may be enjoyed anytime however for those that feel they will be in chocolate overload this coming weekend, I suggest serving this sweet but non chocolate dessert; although I have made a chocolate carrot cake before.

Carrot Cake

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1 1/2 cups caster sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon maple extract

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups shredded carrots

1 cup coarsely chopped nuts

1/2 cup flaked coconut, optional

1/2 cup raisins, optional 

Preheat oven tp 350ºF. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a rectangle (13 x 9 x 2 inch) cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. Set aside.  

In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil and eggs with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Stir in the maple extract. Add the flour mixture into the sugar mixture stirring with a wooden spoon, until combined. Then fold in the carrots, nuts and coconut and raisins, if using, and pour the now formed cake batter into the prepared baking cake pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the rectangle cake pan on a wire rack.

When completely cool frost with the cream cheese icing, see recipe below, and keep the iced cake in the refrigerator because cream cheese will spoil if left out at room temperature.   

Cream Cheese Icing

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1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter

2 to 3 teaspoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered icing sugar

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth.

Gradually beat in the powdered icing sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. Ice cake and store any remaining icing in the refrigerator. 

Despite the current news events... hope everyone had a lovely weekend. - JD 

Let Them Eat Cake!

I have a couple of little souls who need cheering up so I made this delicious carrot cake. It was only intended to be one layer however I cut it in half, sandwiched the cream cheese icing between the layer and made this a double decker cream cheese carrot cake! I didn't want to carry the icing all the way around. I quite enjoy the raw, roughness of the cake with loose lashings of icing. Sometimes there can be a heavy hand where icing is concerned. Where ultimately the cake becomes forgotten. With a simple sweet icing such as this, less is more.

Cream cheese icing may be a bit tricky. I have tried many recipes only to have them look and taste less desirable than imagined. Here is the recipe I stumbled upon...

Cream Cheese Icing

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1/4 cup (60ml) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (60ml) butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) vanilla

1 - 1/2 (375ml) icing sugar

In a bowl beat the cream cheese with the butter; beat in the vanilla. Beat in the icing sugar in two additions until smooth.  

Have a good weekend everyone! - JW