Carrot and pecan loaf
I’ve been wanting to bake a carrot loaf for a while (or it was suggested to me multiple times by my very good friend Ralph 🙂 ). I based this recipe on a classic carrot cake recipe, modifying it a little, among other things by adding fresh orange juice to make it more moist and add a pop of flavor, and by lowering the amount of butter and sugar. The result is a super flavorful and soft loaf, with a slightly caramelized crust. This recipe is packet with carrots (rich in antioxidants, fibers, and many vitamins), pecans (good source of zinc, magnesium and antioxidants, to name a few), and spices that give a boost to the immune system. And if you have doubts about having veggies in a dessert, don’t fear, this loaf is a really tasty and sweet treat. Carrots bring a plus in texture and taste, without bringing any weird taste at all. Like my brother said, it is the best way to make kids eat their carrots (tested and approved by my niece Loulou, almost 3 and really hard to trick when it comes to making her eat veggies 😉 ). This loaf is great as a large cake cut in slices, but also makes great muffins. There are a few variations I’d like to try the next times I’ll make it, such as adding orange zest, raisins, substitute pecan with walnuts, or add a frosting; I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Makes 2 loaves (I made 1 large loaf and 12 muffins with one batch of batter)
- 1 ½ cup (350gr) butter, melted
- 2 cups (400gr) brown sugar
- 3 ⅓ cups (400gr) whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 to 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 5 eggs
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1lb 5oz (600gr) carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 ½ cups (200gr) pecans, finely chopped
In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking powder and spices. Add in melted butter and eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the orange juice. Stir in grated carrots and chopped pecans, mix with a spatula. Pour batter into 2 loaf pans or in muffin paper cups. Bake in preheated oven (180°C/360°F) for about 25′ for muffins/1h to 1h10 for a loaf, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a cooling rack and enjoy!
