Yields 12-15 servings

Ingredients

2 cups self rising flour

1/2 tsp sodium bicarbonate

1 tsp salt

2 cups shredded carrot (1/4 kilo carrots, washed, peeled, grated on coarse)

2 cups sugar (1/2 cup brown +1.5 cups castor sugar)

1/2 cup corn oil

75 gm butter

5 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 heaped tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp molasses

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground clove

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground ginger

Frosting:  (optional)

225 gm white cream cheese (softened to room temperature)

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

100 gm softened butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

Beat cream cheese with sugar, vanilla and salt on high speed, until creamy and frothy.  Spread evenly on top of completely cooled cake.  Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Method:

Lightly grease and dust with flour, a 12-cup bundt or a loaf baking tin, a round or squared baking tray; equivalent.  Beat butter and sugar together, until fluffy and pale in colour.  Then add eggs; one by one while beating.  Add vanilla, oil, sour cream and molasses.  Continue beating to mix well and integrate.  Add carrot and beat on low speed; replacing egg beaters with dough hooks.  When mixed well and incorporated; sift flour, salt, bicarbonate, ginger, cardamom, clove  and cinnamon mixture over carrot mixture; beating on low speed until batter is well incorporated.

Pour into prepared bundt or pan and bake in a preheated oven at 160-170 degrees C; until cake is done and firm to the touch; (approximately 55 to 65 minutes).  Remove.  Allow to completely cool.  Remove cake into serving dish, then spread frosting on top (optional). Chill and serve. 

*A version of this article appears in print in the 1 September, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.