Carrot cake
Ingredients:
| For mold | Butter, margarine or oil |
| 1/4 cup | Poppy seeds (optional) |
| 1 ½ | Butter or margarine, softened |
| 1 3/4 cups | Brown sugar (packed) |
| 4 | Eggs |
| 3 tsp | Vanilla essence |
| 1 tsp | Lemon zest |
| 4 cups | Flour |
| 1 tsp | Salt |
| 1/2 tsp. | Baking soda |
| 1 tbsp | Baking powder |
| 1 tsp | All-spice |
| 2. tsp | Cinnamon |
| 2 1/2 cups | Finely grated carrots combined with 1/4 cup lemon juice |
Optional ingredients:
| 3/4 cup | Dried currants or raisins |
| 3/4 cup | Pecans or walnuts trenches |
| 1/2 cup | Unsweetened shredded coconut |
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Greas generously two regular size loaf pans, or an elongated mold (9 x 13 or 10 x 14). Sprinkle with poppy seeds; tilt and shake the mold to properly distribute the seeds; they should easily stick to the molds.
- Beat together the butter or margarine and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after adding each egg. When the mixture is homogeneous and light, add the vanilla and lemon zest.
- Sift the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add previously mixed ingredients and carrots alternately, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix only enough to combine the ingredients. Finally, add the optional ingredients with the remainder of the flour.
- Evenly pour into the molds and bake 40 to 50 minutes (bread mold), or 35 minutes if you use an oblong mold (or until a fork inserted into the cake comes out clean) . For bread pans: cool 10 minutes in pan, then quickly turn them over and remove the cakes. Transfer to a rack to cool at least 1 hour before cutting.
Makes 12 to 16 servings.
Katzen, Mollie. Moosewood Cookbook, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, 1992, p.192.
