We had such a craving for a rich dessert one afternoon that I decided to browse through the America's Test Kitchen cookbook. The recipes here are always dependable and tasty. There, I found a recipe for a carrot cake with a cream cheese icing that would be perfect as a dessert to complement our chicken on a roll sandwhich. What a nice combination and I added a California Reisling for an added punch. Well everything turned out quite well for a lazy late summer afternoon lunch. It wasn't too bad to make since I had many of the ingredients on hand and made the cake the day before and then just added the icing the next day. What could be better than carrot cake and wine... Ingredients Batter - 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powdwer
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs- room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 pound carrots - peeled & grated
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup raisins
Cream cheese icing
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 5 tablespoons softened butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
We like alot of gooey icing so I increased the sugar to 2 cups and I sifted it, added another tablespoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and left out the sour cream. It was delicious
Method I heated the oven to 350 degrees and lightly coated a 13 X 9 inch baking pan with pam & then I cut a parchment paper to fit and then also sprayed that with pam.
Whisking the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt in a large bowl and then whisking the eggs and sugars in another bowl until foamy. Adding the oil a little at a time, then the flour, carrots, walnuts and raisins ( The orginal recipe didin't call for raisins & carrots - but what's a carrot cake without all the good stuff! )
Pour into baking dish and bake about 35 to 40 minutes - rotating the pan midway
Cool, spread with icing and enjoy
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