Applesauce Carrot Date Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

The countdown to baby goats has begun. It seems that farms the world over have long since welcomed their lambs and kids, but my experience is that Maine is generally a month or two behind the times, considering its winter. The snow won’t melt until May, rhubarb and asparagus won’t peek out until June, and our baby goats are holding steady until...well, any second now, really. April finds me back here on the farm to finish what I started, that being helping goats knock hooves back in November in the name of springtime babies. I know things ‘round these parts have been a touch quiet as of late, but I hope to soon enough inundate you with photos of fluffy, tiny, tail-wagging kids. In the meantime, my final days down south(er) were a torrent of buddies, travel, and a rekindling of my lifelong love of Bundt cakes. There are a few more waiting in the wings, but this carrot cake is one of the handful of recipes that I’ve authored, so I’m pretty pumped to share it with you! It’s chock full of carrots and dates, and if nuts are your thing, well go ahead and add a cup of chopped pecans too. It might not be the quintessential seasonal dessert, but it’s perfectly delicious for sitting around waiting for kid goats and springtime to finally rear their heads.

Applesauce Carrot Date Bundt Cake

This makes a really tender cake. I enjoyed it best from the fridge with a mug of coffee, but still warm from the oven was mighty fine too. Serving carrot cake without cream cheese is practically sacrilege to many folks, including my main dude, but I prefer cinnamon and powdered sugar dusted on top. If you’re like that too, just sift a combo of the two with a pinch of salt over the cake; otherwise, get down with your cream cheesy self!

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

3 large eggs

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

2/3 cup safflower or vegetable oil

3 cups grated carrots

10 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

1.  Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan, and set oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, sift all the dry ingredients; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugars until fluffy and paler in color, about three or four minutes. (In my experience, this step is essential to getting the Bundt to crisp on the the outside, so don’t skimp.) Whisk in the applesauce and oil, followed by the carrots. Stir in the chopped dates, breaking them up with your fingers to spread them through the batter as much as you can.

2.  In two parts, mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Pour the batter into your prepared Bundt pan, and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and allow cake to cool mostly or all the way before glazing. This is a moist cake and will keep for about three days at room temperature, longer in the fridge.

Cream Cheese Glaze

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar, or more to taste, sifted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pinch salt

5 to 6 tablespoons milk

1.  Beat cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth and fluffy. Beat in sugar, followed by vanilla, and mix until smooth. Add the milk a tablespoon or so at a time until you have a thick but pourable glaze. Taste for flavor. I prefer my glaze on the less sweet side, but you can always add more sugar and thin it with more water as needed. Pour frosting along the top of cake, and use a knife to nudge it over the edge and down the sides. Voila!