Carrot Cake

This delicious, flavorful cake can be iced with Honey Cream Cheese Icing (below) and decorated with a few walnuts.

1/4 cup (2 oz/55 g) butter, softened
1/2 cup (4 fl oz/114 ml) mild oil
3/4 cup (9 oz/263 g) honey
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 oz/178 g) unbleached flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
1 teaspoon (5 ml) cinnamon
1 1/2 cups (6 oz/170 g) grated carrots
1/2 cup (1 1/4 oz/35 g) shredded coconut
1/2 (2 oz/57 g) walnuts

With an electric mixer, blend the butter and oil. Slowly pour in the honey and eggs (one at a time) while mixing. Combine the flour and baking soda and sift into the liquid. Add the cinnamon. Stir in the grated carrots, then the coconut, and finally the chopped nuts. Pour the batter into a well-greased 8-inch-square (20-cm-square) pan and bake in a 350° F (177° C) oven for 35 minutes. Ice the cake when cool, if desired.

Honey Cream Cheese Icing
2 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz/43 g) honey
8 ounces (226 g) softened cream cheese

Beat the honey into the softened cream cheese until smooth and well blended. Spread on cooled cake.

Refrigerate cake if icing is used.

Yield: 9 servings