Spiced Brown Sugar Carrot Bread

 

from Beth Hensperger, Food & Wine Magazine

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon crushed ground cardamom
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  
• Grated zest of 1 orange
  
• 2 1/2 cups shredded carrots (about 14 ounces)

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat two 8-by-4-inch loaf pans with cooking spray or grease and lightly flour the pans.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the oil in a thin stream, beating at high speed until the batter has doubled in volume, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, orange zest and ginger. Fold in the shredded carrots. Beat in the dry ingredients at low speed in 3 batches, mixing well between additions.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, filling them two-thirds full. Bake in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 8-by-4-inch loaves