Carrot, raisin and olive oil cake bars with eggnog and almond icing

A nice and healthier twist on the classic carrot cake, using olive oil and lemon juice&zest, and some rum-soaked raisins. Yum. It was all finished with an impressive glaze based on eggnog and white chocolate and sliced almonds. These cake bars were very appreciated and enjoyed :).

Last year: Minty crème brûlée.

Two years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Ingredients (for a 20 X 30 cm baking pan):

• 3 medium carrots, coarsely grated
• 200 g flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 150 g sugar
• 125 ml olive oil
• 75 g raisins, soaked in rum
• zest from a lemon
• juice from half a lemon
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• a pinch of salt

For the glaze:

• 50 ml eggnog
• 100 g white chocolate
• 100 g sliced / crushed almonds

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line the baking tray with some baking paper. In a medium-large bowl, mix the sugar, vanilla and olive oil:

Also add the eggs, lemon juice and zest and mix well.

Mix the flour with the baking powder, salt and nutmeg and gradually add it to the egg mix. When it all seems even, add the grated carrot and the rum-soaked raisins.

Mix well and pour the resulting batter in the prepared baking tin.

Bake it in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted inside comes out clean. Take out and allow it to cool a bit:

Melt the white chocolate, broken into pieces, together with the eggnog, in a small saucepan over low heat. Mix and let it melt only until even, then remove it from the heat fast. Pour it over the cake (still placed inside the baking tin) and decorate with sliced almonds while the glaze is still gooey.

Allow it to harden up, then slice the cake into 12 squares and dig in! :)