Most of the time, instead of shredding carrots I use the left over pulp from making fresh carrot juice. Shredded carrots / carrot pulp, they’re interchangeable in this recipe. Sometimes I freeze the extra carrot pulp in 3 cup amounts – just for this recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare a bundt pan (or a 9x 13 cake pan, or two 8×8 baking pans) by buttering or oiling it. Wipe lightly with paper towel to remove any clumps of butter or puddles of oil. Lightly dust with flour, shaking out the excess. Set aside.
*hint: my preferred pan is a large bundt pan. I like the look of the cake when I serve it.
Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable oil of your own choice
5 large eggs
1+1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup liquid: milk or kefir or juice
2 cups unbleached flour (can substitute 1 cup whole wheat flour if desired)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each nutmeg, allspice, ginger (if you don’t have one of these spices, don’t worry about it)
3 cups grated carrots (or carrot pulp left over from juicing)
*optional: toasted nuts like almonds, walnuts and pecans chopped. Pumpkin seeds or raisins too.
- In large mixing bowl, sift together: flour, baking soda and powder, with all spices. Set aside.
- I like to stir the carrots into the dry ingredients till thoroughly incorporated, but you can also fold in at the end if you prefer.
- In a separate bowl, beat the 5 eggs, add sugar and continue to beat till thoroughly combined. Add the 1/2 cup of liquid, and mix in to incorporate well.
- When both bowls are prepared, pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and gently fold together till all are equally moistened. If you feel you need a little more moisture, go ahead and add a little more.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pans (my favourite is a large bundt pan). If the pan is more than 2/3 full of batter, remove a few tablespoons of it to a smaller (prepared) pan and bake separately. This will prevent it from rising too much and overflowing your bundt pan.
- Set in the centre of your heated oven and set the timer for 35 minutes. Start checking every five minutes after then. Depending on the size of pan you’re using, you can expect it to take between 45-60 minutes. The bundt pan takes the longest because it’s deeper. Don’t undercook.
Test by lightly tapping with your finger. If the cake bounces back, test further with a toothpick. When it comes out clean, remove the cake from oven and set aside to cool about half an hour. - Lightly loosen with spatula then turn upside down onto serving plate. Allow to finish cooling before fully removing. *I leave the square or rectangle cakes in their pans to serve, only removing the cake in the bundt pan.
Icing:
1/3 cup butter – room temperature
1/2 cup cream cheese – room temperature
1 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 T cream or milk
*optional: toasted nuts like almonds, walnuts and pecans chopped. Pumpkin seeds too.
In medium bowl, beat butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed till completely smooth. (1 or 2 minutes)
Gradually add icing sugar, then vanilla and cream – beating till fluffy.
Lightly pour over top of the cake and smooth out with spatula. I like a drizzled look on the bundt cake. If you’d like it iced completely, double the recipe.
Sprinkle chopped nuts over top of the icing.
Enjoy
Cindy Suelzle