Carrot Snack Cake

With this little bit of cold weather, I decided to make a big pot of vegetable beef soup today and since one of our son's loves carrot cake I made this carrot snack cake.  I like carrot cake but it wouldn't be something I would order if I had other choices.  This little cake is fast and easy to make if you are wanting some carrot cake and you don't want to do the big layer cake.  The cake is very moist and tasty.  It has orange juice and orange zest but a 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple would be good in it.

4 eggs
1 cup olive oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
In a large bowl whisk together eggs, oil, brow sugar, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla until well combined.  Whisk in flours, baking powder, cinnamon, soda, salt, and nutmeg until combined.  Stir in carrots and walnuts.  Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack.  Spread with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with orange zest if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1-8 ounce cream cheese room
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)


Beat with electric mixer cream cheese and butter until mixed well and in vanilla and beat again.  Then add in powdered sugar one cup at a time until well combined. Stir in one teaspoon of orange zest.

( I didn't have whole wheat flour so I used 2 cups of regular flour and it turned out great.)