Cake for Breakfast?

by Jeannette Ordas of Everybody likes Sandwiches

Cake for breakfast? Why not! It's just a large loaf shaped muffin, really. It feels a bit naughty to scarf down a slice a cake before 9am, but it's something I'm all for. This cake is packed with all kinds of healthy good things like carrots, yogurt, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon and coconut so go on and indulge. It's delicious and it's kind of almost good for you too!

These can easily be made into muffins so you can easily take them on the run. In fact, the original recipe from Dorie Greenspan did call out for muffins, but I was feeling lazy and didn't want to oil up 18 muffin cups when oiling up a loaf pan seemed considerably easier. So make muffins or make a cake, it's up to you.

Carrot Spice Muffins
(adapted from Baking: My Home to Yours)
2 c flour
1 T baking powder
1 ½ t ground cinnamon
½ t ground ginger
¼ t ground cardamom
pinch ground nutmeg
¼ t baking soda
¼ t salt
½ c sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
2/3 c canola oil
2 large eggs
¾ c plain yogurt
1 t vanilla extract
1 c shredded carrots
½ c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 c raisins
1/3 c walnuts

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a bowl, mix together the first 8 ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the sugars, oil, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla together. Slowly add in the flour mixture and blend until just combined. Gently stir in the carrots, coconut, raisins and walnuts. Add batter to greased muffin cups or loaf tin. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes and if going with the loaf pan option, it will take about 50 minutes to 1 hour. When cake tester inserted into centre comes clean, the loaf will be done. Cool on wire rack.