Carrot Cake Loaf

 

Make Haste not Waste 

Gather up your carrots for Carrot Cake Quick Bread Loaf before Peter gets them!

Cook's Notes: This carrot cake loaf is dense, yet ultra-soft and flavored with brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. It's Peter Approved with a good dose of carrots.

 Serve the loaf plain or spruce it up with walnuts or pecans, raisins, and/or top with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

I like to use whole wheat flour for baking so I exchanged 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour for 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. I also added in 1/2 cup each raisins and walnuts.  I used coconut oil for a more neutral taste. 

Recipe adapted from sallysbakingaddiction.com

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spoon, and level
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground Saigon cinnamon or 2 teaspoons regular ground cinnamon  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce or yogurt, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded carrots (about 3 large carrots)
• Optional add-ins: 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, raisins, or dried cranberries

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting 

• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened 
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch salt

Carrot Loaf Directions: 

• Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. 
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg together in a large bowl until combined. Set aside. 
• In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, applesauce, vanilla, and carrots together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk until just combined. Fold in the nuts/add-in. The batter will be semi-thick.
• Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes. (I like to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent heavy browning on top.) Baking times vary so keep an eye on yours. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Remove the bread from the oven.
• Cool in the pan 15 minutes, remove and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Frosting: 

• Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. 
• Beat in the butter until combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, and then beat on low speed until smooth and creamy and tasty. Add more cinnamon and/or salt if desired. Frost-cooled bread, slice, and serve.
  
  More Peter-approved breakfast/brunch ideas
  

Bunny Fruit Platter

Bunny Oatmeal

Pancake Bunny

Scrambled Egg Bunny