Carrot Cake

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

2 cups brown sugar

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp table salt

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp allspice

4 eggs, room temp.

1 cup neutral oil (canola or vegetable)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

5 large carrots, grated finely (you’ll need about 3 cups)

2 cups of walnuts, roasted

3 tbsps unsalted butter

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Line a pan with walnuts, and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 5-10 minutes

When you remove the walnuts from the oven, toss in the two tbsps of butter and 1/4 tsp of kosher salt

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately - then make a well in dry ingredients and slowly stir in wet until combined

Gently fold in shredded carrots

Chop cooled nuts, then fold into batter as well

Grease two 9 inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, then lightly coat with more butter/oil

Add cake batter evenly to both pans

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean

Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then pop out of pans and continue cooling on baking racks for an additional hour until completely cool

Makes one two-layer cake or 16-18 cupcakes