Carrot Cake 红萝卜蛋糕

这是从电脑档案里挖出来三个月前做的蛋糕，配方来自Nancie McDermott的Southern Cakes。这是参考这本书所做的第三个蛋糕，之前有Chocolate Wet Cake 和 Shenandoah Valley Blueberry Cake。书里头还有很多蛋糕我都想尝试做，但要慢慢来，因为有太多to-do list 了。

我很喜欢吃carrot cake，特别是咖啡豆的（虽然我觉得很甜） 但这却是我第一次尝试做，原因无他，就是懒得刨萝卜（多希望有现成的）。

也因为懒和没耐性（我觉得很费时费力），食谱写用六到八条萝卜，我只用了两条。:P （其实我想我可能错了工具，想请问大家是用什么来刨萝卜的？）

这个配方是类似muffin的拌法，除去刨萝卜的时间，其实蛋糕很快就可以完成了。

成品很松软，但没有太大的惊喜（我还要什么惊喜啊？！），就是预料中的味道。如果加上cream cheese frosting会更棒。我省略了cream cheese frosting因为家里没有cream cheese，即使有我也应该不会弄，因为家里就只有我一人喜欢吃cheese。

Ingredients:
(A)
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
(B)
1 cup sugar (I used ¾ cup)
1 cup light brown sugar (I used ¾ cup)
1 cup vegetable oil
(C)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
(D)
2 cups grated or finely shredded carrots (6 to 8 medium carrots)(I used only 2)
1¼ cups coarsely chopped walnuts or pecan (I replaced with almond and used lesser)

*I also added some raisins which are not in the original recipe.

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 180C, grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pan (use 2 pans is for frosting purpose) (I used muffin cups instead).
2) Combine (A) and stir with a fork to mix well.
3) Combine (B) and stir well with a wooden spoon or beat with a mixer at low speed, to mix them together well. Add (C) in 3 batches, mixing well after each addition.
4) Stir in flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing only until the flour disappears into the batter.
5) Fold in (D) and stir gently just to combine everything.
6) Bake at 180C for 30 - 35 mins until the cakes are golden brown, spring back when touched lightly in the center, and being to pull away from the sides of the pans. (If using muffin cups, fill the cups till about 80% full and bake for about 20 mins.)
7) Cool in the pans on wire racks or on folded kitchen towels for 15 mins, and then turns the cake out onto cake racks or plates to cool completely.

Note:
1) I omitted the cream cheese frosting which is in the original recipe.
2) The cup and teaspoon used here, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml.

(Recipe source: Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott)