A Friar Who’s a Baker — and a Recipe for Carrot Cake

[Michie]

“For me, cooking was always fun, creative and life giving,” says New York’s Franciscan Father Nicholas Spano

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Recipe: Carrot Cake

Serves 6 to 8

Cake

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil, such as Wesson or Crisco
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease and flour three 8 1/2-inch round pans.

Mix the flour and the sugar, cinnamon, and baking soda by hand until well combined. Stir in the oil and mix well. Stir in the eggs and mix well. Add the carrots and mix well. Add the raisins and pecans and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the pans.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes — test for doneness with a toothpick. Remove from the oven and cool before icing.

Icing

• One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• One 8-ounce stick butter or margarine, softened
• 1 pound confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar, pecans and vanilla extract. Mix well by hand.

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A Friar Who’s a Baker — and a Recipe for Carrot Cake