9-By-13 Desserts -- Orange-Glazed Carrot Cake

Recipes on this page were developed or tested by CeCe Sullivan of The Times food staff and were evaluated by staff members.

ORANGE-GLAZED CARROT CAKE 12-15 servings; approximate preparation time 30 minutes

Cake:

1 1/2 cups sifted white flour

1/2 cup sifted whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

4 eggs

3 cups peeled and grated carrots

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots

Glaze:

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon grated orange rind

1. To prepare the cake: Sift together the white and whole wheat flours, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixture beat together the sugar and oil. Beat in the eggs, alternating with the dry ingredients; beat well after each addition. Fold in the grated carrots, nuts and apricots.

3. Transfer the batter to a greased and floured 9-by-13-by-2 1/2-inch pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the cake tests done. Cool the cake on a rack.

4. In a small saucepan combine the sugar, cornstarch, orange and lemon juices, butter and orange rind. Stir over medium-low heat to dissolve the sugar. Raise the heat to medium and cook until the glaze is thick and glossy. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and cool before spreading over the top of the cake. (The glaze will almost have an appearance of orange curd.)

Data per 15 servings Calories 444 Protein 5g Fat 26g Carbohydrates 51g Sodium 250mg Saturated fat 4g Monounsaturated fat 9g Polyunsaturated fat 12g Cholesterol 58mg

From "The Essential Root Vegetable Cookbook" by Sally and Martin Stone.