Carrot Ring Cake

This recipe is one that I adapted from The Silver Spoon cookbook. I have enjoyed perusing the pages and since I had a request for a carrot cake, this became my first try at a recipe from the new cookbook(new to me). I made some changes but if you want the original recipe it appears on page 1045. I enjoyed the cake's texture and not being "too" sweet. The frosting was added, as it is a favorite on any carrot cake at our house--the original is sprinkled with confectioner's sugar.

The Ingredients****

Butter (2 Tablespoons--melted)
AP Flour (1 1/4 Cups)
Soft Brown Sugar (2/3 Cup)
Baking Powder (2 Teaspoons)
Ground Ginger (pinch)
Freshly Grated Nutmeg (pinch)
Milk (2 Tablespoons)
Canola Oil (5 Tablespoons)
Eggs (1 whole & 2 egg whites lightly beaten)
Raisins (Generous 1/3 Cup & enough fresh orange juice to soak raisins until soft)
Pecans (1/2 cup chopped)
Carrots (2 finely chopped)
Salt (pinch)

Frosting Ingredients

Apricot Preserves (1/2 cup melted)
Cream Cheese (8 ounce package--room temperature)
Honey(2 Tablespoons--spray the spoon with non-stick coating 1st--easy release)
Powdered Sugar (5 Tablespoons)
Fresh Lemon Juice & Peel(1 Tablespoon of juice and finely zested peel of 1 lemon)
Salt (pinch)
Vanilla (the best you have--just a splash)

Procedure***

I used a small ceramic bundt pan. Spray pan with non-stick coating. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together all dry ingredients. Add milk, oil, butter, eggs & mix well. Stir in raisins (with OJ from soaking) & pecans and then the carrots. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. Ovens vary so check accordingly. Remove from oven & cool in the pan. Turn out on plate and coat with the melted apricot preserves. I unmolded while still slightly warm and the preserves were warm as this helps the cake soak up the apricot flavor. When cake is completely cooled, frost (or not). For frosting--put the room temp cream cheese in a sandwich size resealable plastic bag with powdered sugar, honey, vanilla, salt, a bit of lemon zest and lemon juice. Press the sandwich bag closed and mash the ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. If you are good at decorating you can snip the corner of the bag and pipe the frosting onto the cake. I'm not that talented, so I frosted the entire cake and sprinkled the remaining lemon zest over the top.

Notes--The original used walnuts, 2 whole eggs, did not soak the raisins, no frosting or lemon & zest or oj and used either olive oil or sunflower oil instead of canola. I'm sure the original is delicious but I adapted it to use the ingredients I like.
And there you have it--my version of--

"Ciambella Alle Carote"