Cranberry Carrot Cake
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For convenience, we use whole-berry cranberry sauce in this recipe; but if you have fresh berries on hand, you can easily make your own. Simply boil 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Add 2 heaping cups cranberries, cover, and simmer 5 to 7 minutes, or until cranberries burst. Chill till ready to use.
Cake
2 1/2 cups (10 5/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) vegetable oil
1 can (16 ounces) whole cranberry sauce, or 2 cups homemade sauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (5 1/4 ounces) finely shredded carrots (about 3 medium-to-large carrots)
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) flaked coconut
1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Drizzle
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla, or 1/4 teaspoon orange oil
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-cup bundt-style or tube pan.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, beat the eggs and sugar, on high speed of an electric mixer, till light and lemon-colored. Beat in the oil, 2/3 cup of cranberry sauce, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, stirring to mix well. Gently stir in the carrots, coconut and walnuts.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the remaining cranberry sauce atop batter, then use a table knife to gently "marble" it into the batter with a swirling motion. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it tests done. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a rack before turning out of its pan onto a serving plate.
Cream Cheese Drizzle: Beat together the cream cheese and sugar till well combined and fluffy. Add the vanilla. and just enough milk for the mixture to be drizzled thickly. Spoon drizzle mixture over cake in any pattern you wish. Yield: 1 large cake, 16 servings.
