Carrot Cake ~ February 3rd is National Carrot Cake Day ~ what a fun way to eat your veggies!

Spiced Carrot Cake
Today, February 3rd, is National Carrot Cake Day.  So, in honor of today's special vegetable playing dress-up as a cake, I am going to share my Spiced Carrot Cake recipe.  I created it one evening last year, when I had A LOT of carrot pulp left over from a day of juicing, a quiet night to myself & a late night case of the munchies

I surfed around the net & found a recipe, that with some changes, would fit the bill.  I had to change it up some to work with the ingredients I had available.  I added some additional things to add more flavor & replaced some of the oil, with applesauce, to make it a bit lower in fat.

It was a great success & I make it when ever I juice carrots. I just hate to waste the pulp, it is so good for you.  It is such a creative way to use up something that still has so much flavor, vitamins & goodness to share.  Bugs Bunny would be so pleased!

Spiced Carrot Cake
(using carrot pulp from your juicer)

5 to 8 carrots, or enough to produce 1-1/2 cups carrot pulp and 1/2 cup carrot juice 
1 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1/2 cup flaked coconut (optional)
3/4 cup raisins
2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

Directions
:
Preheat Oven to 350

Process carrots in juice extractor to produce pulp and carrot juice.

Mix flour, baking powder, spices and salt together and set aside. Toss raisins in a little of the flour mixture, coat thoroughly and set aside.  Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, applesauce and oil in medium bowl. Add flour mixture alternately with pulp and carrot juice. Add chopped nuts, coconut & raisins; stir to combine. Pour into well-greased bundt pan; bake 35-40 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Let cake cool a few minutes, than turn out to cool on a cake rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

** I originally posted this recipe on 12/9/11, not realizing there was a National Carrot Cake Day.  Oops, took the cake out of the oven too soon, so to speak, should have left it for today.  So, I thought I would post it again, with a new text.  Since that was one of my first blog posts, I didn't really realize how important the title of a post was. Waste Not, Want Not ~ sounded great in theory, horrible choice in practice. Live & learn.  :)