Carrot Pound Cake Loaf

This is a pound cake batter of creamed butter, white and brown sugar and three eggs, with sour cream and finely grated carrot folded in with the spiced flour.

It bakes in a loaf pan for about an hour and is finished with a thin glaze of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla once completely cool.

How to Make It

1. Pan lined

   Heat oven to 350°F and line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

2. Spiced flour

   Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and fine salt.

3. Creamed

   Beat softened unsalted butter with granulated sugar and packed brown sugar. Beat in large eggs one at a time and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

4. Carrot folded in

   Mix in sour cream, then fold in the dry ingredients and finely grated carrots.

5. Baked

   Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until a tester comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely.

6. Glazed

   Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and drizzle over the loaf.

Ingredient Notes

Carrots

One and a half cups, finely grated.

Sour cream

A third of a cup, mixed in before the flour.

Powdered sugar

One cup, whisked with milk and vanilla for the glaze.

Success Tips

• Grate the carrots on the fine side of the grater.
• Tent the loaf with foil if the top browns before the center is done.
• Drizzle the glaze from a spoon in thin lines.

Why This Recipe Works

• Finely grated carrot melts into the crumb instead of sitting in strands.
• Creaming the butter with both sugars gives a fine, tight crumb.
• Sour cream keeps the dense loaf moist.
• Glazing a cool cake keeps the glaze white and set.

Serving Ideas

Slice thickly and serve with coffee or tea.

Storage and Reheating