Carrot Cake

 

Carrot Cake doesn't call for any special occasion to be made. Whether you like it plain or want to fancy it some more with a delicious cream cheese frosting, this dense moist treat gets a warm welcome  everywhere and is a great way to get a good portion of carrots in your diet.

Prep Time: 1 hour
Ingredients

All purpose flour: 1 1/2 cups

Sugar: 1 cup (1/2 for caramelizing, 1/2 for batter)

Grated Carrot: 1/2 cup

Butter: 1 stick /8 tablespoons

Eggs: 2

Vanilla essence: 1 teaspoon

Baking powder: 1 1/2 teaspoons

Walnuts/ Almonds: handful

* Spice powder (powder the following with a teaspoon of sugar in your coffee bean grinder)

4 cloves +1 cardamom + 1/2 spoon cinnamon powder + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg grated

Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well until ivory. Add the vanilla essence. Sieve the all purpose flour, baking powder and the spice powder. Fold this into the batter. Meanwhile caramelize the sugar until golden brown. Pour this into the batter and beat well. Finally add the grated carrot and give a thorough mix using a  spatula.

Butter a baking dish  and pour the batter into it.Add walnuts/ almonds  and give a gentle mix. Meanwhile preheat the oven at 350 F. Bake for about 40 mins or until the centre comes out clean when poked with a knife. Cool and cut into slices.

* For those who like some frosting, heres the recipe

Cream Cheese(softened at room temperature) : 1/4 cup

Vanilla essence/extarct : 2 drops

Sugar: 2-3 tablespoons

Butter: 1 tablespoon

First combine  the butter and cream cheese with a spoon or a hand mixer. Slowly add the vanilla essence and the sugar and beat until smooth.

Spread on the cake evenly after the cake has completely cooled.

Bon Apetit!!