Banana Cake, zucchini bread, and now carrot loaf. Though I haven’t posted them, I’ve gone through a slew of recipes for these sweet loaves of bread that are more of a loaf-shaped cake than they are any sort of actual bread. My theory is that calling these sweet treats bread rather than cake lends them a speciously healthy air which legitimizes their enjoyment at any hour of the day. Which is fine by me. Though to avoid any further confusion I’m calling my toasted version a loaf. A Carrot Loaf with Walnuts and Crystallized Ginger to be exact. However, if anyone has any information on the dividing line between bread and cake, please pass it along.
In the meantime let me tell you about this carrot loaf. It’s not at all like its spongy cousin – the sweet treat most of us call carrot cake. First, there’s no cream cheese frosting. Though I suppose you could add some. I didn’t because I was looking for a carrot loaf that was more of a breakfast with coffee or an afternoon snack with tea kind of carrot cake. The kind of carrot cake that you can carve out in thick slices, slide into a toaster, then slather with salty European butter. It has to be firm, moist, and fragrant but not so sweet that it scorches the toaster. The kind of carrot cake that’s better called carrot loaf, don’t you agree? GREG
Ingredients
- ½ pound unsalted butter (at room temperature) plus more for loaf pan
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cup grated carrots
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup chopped crystallized ginger
Directions
With the rack in the middle position, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 9‑inch loaf pan (preferably a straight-sided Pullman pan, do not use the lid). Line the pan with a piece of parchment sized to fit edge to edge and extend over the two long sides by a couple of inches on each side. Butter the parchment and set the pan aside.
In a large bowl use an electric mixer to cream butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in three additions, mixing well between additions. Fold in carrots, walnuts, and ginger.
Dollop the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. It will be quite thick. Spread the batter evenly around the pan taking care to get it into the corners and remove any air pockets.
Bake in the heated oven about 1 hour and 20 minutes (depending on the type of pan) or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on rack, then remove from pan and peel away parchment.
Once cool you can optionally cut the loaf into thick slices and toast them in the toaster. Serve with good butter.
Wow. Found your blog just now and happy to hear you are still loving cooking! THis looks delcious! Hope to hear from you.
Are you kidding? Please serve this for breakfast and invite me over!
I love loaves like this, they are so European. You can dunk slice into your coffee or tea,
Like that top picture! And the recipe. And would like some of this right now, please. 🙂
I think I could add crystalized ginger to just about anything baked. LOVE it! And love this carrot loaf. So pretty and no doubt delicious. Perfect with afternoon tea 🙂
This loaf is everything carrot cake should be! I’m glad you left off the frosting, because that is the first step to ruining carrot cake. It’s too sweet, and not at all necessary. The second thing that you’ve done that I like is make it more firm and bread-like rather than spongy cake.
This is so my kind of bread. Can’t wait to try it when I get home.
The candied ginger was a total surprise and a welcome on at that! The warming spice of cinnamon would make this totasted loaf incredibly tasty. I just love the unexpected thick slices too.
Forget the loaf. Or the cake. Or the bread. You had me at toasted!
Wonderful. I’d much rather enjoy this over carrot cake any day! I quit making quick breads when my kids left home, but now with a 3 year old grand daughter, I need to get her in the kitchen and make this!