dayrecipe.com

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2cups sugar
• 1cup canola oil
• 4large eggs
• 2cups all purpose flour
• 2teaspoons baking soda
• 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 4cups finely grated peeled carrots
• 1cup walnuts, toasted, chopped maple-cream cheese icing

DIRECTIONS Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt; beat until blended. Stir in carrots and walnuts. Divide batter between pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run small knife between pan sides and cakes to loosen. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate cake 1 hour or up to 1 day. Serve at room temperature.

When you’re cooking with veggies, don’t overlook dessert! This cake has great texture, thanks to both pureed and grated carrots. It’s delicious with or without frosting and great for parties.

Makes 12 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium-sized carrots, peeled
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup corn oil
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened variety)
• 3/4 cup canned crushed pineapple, drainedcream cheese frosting:
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS 1. Cut 2 carrots into 1-inch dice; place in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and puree in a food processor or blender. Set aside.

2. Grate the remaining carrot; reserve.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Line the bottom with waxed paper and grease the paper.

4. Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the oil, eggs and vanilla; beat well. Fold in the carrot puree,grated carrot, walnuts, coconut and pineapple.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

6. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding it onto a rack, then let the cake cool completely.

7. Prepare the frosting: Mix the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Stir in the vanilla and lemon juice. Frost the cake.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min

Makes about 13 cookies.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/8cups all-purpose flour
• 1teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 1stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1/3cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1large egg
• 1/2teaspoon vanilla
• 1cup coarsely grated carrots (2 medium)
• 1scant cup walnuts (3 oz), chopped
• 1/2cup raisins (2 1/2 oz)
• 8oz cream cheese
• 1/4cup honey

DIRECTIONS Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 2 baking sheets.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

Beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in carrots, nuts, and raisins at low speed, then add flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons batter per cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are lightly browned and springy to the touch, 12 to 16 minutes total. Cool cookies on sheets on racks 1 minute, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

While cookies are baking, blend cream cheese and honey in a food processor until smooth.

Sandwich flat sides of cookies together with a generous tablespoon of cream cheese filling in between.

After making this flavorful dressing
in the processor, we give it a whirl
in the blender for the smoothest texture. Crisp iceberg lettuce stands up best
to this thick dressing.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 15 min

Makes about 1 3/4 cups.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2lb carrots (3 medium), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4cup chopped shallot (1 large)
• 1/4cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1tablespoon soy sauce
• 1tablespoon asian sesame oil
• 1/2cup peanut or vegetable oil
• 1/4cup water

DIRECTIONS Pulse carrots in a food processor until finely ground (almost puréed). Add ginger, shallot, vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil and pulse until ginger and shallot are minced.

With motor running, add peanut oil in a stream.

Transfer to a blender. Add water and blend until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.

  I made this for my son’s birthday today, I couldn’t decide between a coconut or a carrot cake so I combined the two by adding coconut to the carrot cake in place of the walnuts, I had to take the pix before cutting as there wouldn’t have been enough left to to make a photograph with, lol.

SERVES: 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 coconut extract
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon mace
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut (plus a 1/2 cup to go on the icing)

(You’ll also need a batch of plain buttercream frosting to which you have added 1 teaspoon, or more, of coconut extract)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, combine grated carrots and brown sugar.
2. Set aside for 60 minutes, then stir in raisins.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Grease a 10 inch spring form cake pan, cut parchment to fit on bottom of pan, grease parchment as well as the pan sides and flour entire pan.
5. Can be made in three 8 inch pans for a really tall cake.
6. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light, gradually beat in the white sugar, oil,vanilla and coconut extracts.
7. Stir in the pineapple.
8. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, stir into the wet mixture until no more dry flour may be seen.
9. Finally stir in the carrot mixture and the coconut.
10. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
11. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake tests done with a toothpick.
12. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
13. When completely cooled frost with butter cream frosting to which you have added the 1 teaspoon of coconut extract. Press the reserved coconut lightly into the sides of the frosted cake.