My Favorite Carrot Cake

Walnuts, vegetables and spices make a wonderful combination and give this cake an unforgettable taste, texture and make for a light and healthy breakfast.

The Ingredients

1 cup extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil

1 cup soft brown sugar
3 medium eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup warm milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dry ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups grated carrots 
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins
For decoration
½ cup icing sugar
⅓ cup chopped walnuts
Or
Cream cheese frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups icing sugar

 Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F).
Grease with olive oil and flour bottom and sides of one 22 cm round baking pan.
2.  Mix in a bowl sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs.
3.  In another bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.

4.  Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture and blend well.
Fold in carrots, raisins and chopped nuts, until well blended. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

5.  Bake cake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
6.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack and cool completely.

7.  Dust with icing sugar and decorate with chopped walnuts.

To Make the Frosting

In a bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat the ingredients, until smooth and creamy mixture. Frost over the cake.