Zingy Carrot Cake

Carrot cake usually conjures a lot of adjectives, but zingy has never struck me as one of them until I decided to soak the carrots in lemon juice before adding them to the cake. I also added the lemon juice they were soaking in to the batter along with some oat bran to make up for the added liquid. I really liked the zing, especially along with some shredded citrus zest in the rich cream cheese glaze I topped it with.

Zingy Carrot Cake Recipe

1 lb baby carrots (any carrots will do, but the extra sweetness in the baby carrots plays nicely off the lemon), finely grated and soaked in 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice while assembling the other ingredients

dry ingredients:
9 ounces (2 cups) whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup oat bran
2 Tbsp wheat germ
2 Tbsp nonfat dry milk
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp (about 2 sticks) freshly ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp (4 - 6 whole) freshly ground cloves

wet ingredients:
3/4 cups honey
1 tsp molasses
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

2 cups pecans

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter and flour a 8" round pan.

In a large mixing bowl stir together dry ingredients until well blended.

In a separate bowl beat beat wet ingredients until well combined and lightly frothed. Add to dry ingredients and stir only until just combined. Fold in carrots (along with lemon juice) and walnuts stir until combined. If lemon juice doesn't readily incorporate, add more oat bran by the teaspoon until batter is smooth. Bake 45-50 minutes; until it tests done. Cool in pan.

When ready to serve, garnish with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or top with cream cheese glaze (recipe below). For best results store covered, in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Glaze Recipe

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup Nufchatel cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup white powdered sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat together until mostly smooth and creamy. Pour on completely cooled cake and gently stir in the center so it drains fairly even over the sides of the cake. Garnish with orange, lemon and/or lime zest.