FOOD FRIDAY!

CARROT CAKE WITH MAPLE CREAM CHEESE ICING

What a difference a day can make. We finally got over a major hurdle yesterday: we closed on the line of credit that will make the purchase of the North Carolina land possible. This means all the things we've planning for the weekend of the 27th of March will really happen. We'll close on the land, we'll meet with all the builders--things will start moving. Suddenly the future isn't as foggy as it was just yesterday. Amazing (and selfish) how bright the whole world can seem when your own place in it makes some sense!

This is a repeat of a great favorite. I had every intention of giving you a new recipe today, but the one I had in mind definitely needs work. It was an old recipe for a meat and potato casserole, written to the standards of the 1950s, and it left a lot of things out. All the added veggies gave off their juices and there was no place for them to go, and the potatoes never cooked through, even after 1 1/2 hours in the oven. It's got potential as a cozy and delicious meal, but not now.

So without further ado:

Cake :

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated, peeled carrots
1/2 cup white raisins
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained completely
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger

Icing:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon maple flavoring, or 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, preferably dark

For the cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Oil bottom and sides of a large (approximately 8” x 12") rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to blend. In larger bowl, whisk sugars, oil and buttermilk to blend. Whisk eggs into sugar mixture 1 at a time. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just blended. Stir in carrots, raisins, pineapple and ginger. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Cool cake on rack completely.

For the icing: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed until creamy. Beat in maple syrup. Spread on cake.