Fall

Carrot Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze

by:
October 12, 2016
4
5 Ratings
Carrot Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze
Photo by James Ransom
  • Makes 2 loaves
Author Notes

This is one recipe I was sad to cut from Amanda and my new book, A New Way to Dinner. Du Jour is a favorite the neighborhood spot in Brooklyn that I stop into a couple times a week. The owners, Vera and TJ Obias, are both talented cooks who have also become friends. Muffins are usually pretty far down the list of things I'd choose at a bakery, but not theirs. Their oatmeal muffin made an appearance in the Food52 Baking book, and another standout is the carrot zucchini muffin; it's tender and just sweet enough, studded with plump golden raisins. I asked Vera for the recipe and then played with it a bit. Now, it's a loaf cake with a lemon glaze—just as good for dessert as it is for breakfast. Icing is a breakfast food, right? —Merrill Stubbs

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the cake:
  • 2 2/3 cups sugar
  • 4 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 1/4 cups canola oil
  • 7 large eggs
  • 4 cups shredded carrots
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
  • 1 1/2 cups golden raisins
  • For the lemon glaze:
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine all of the dry ingredients.
  2. Add oil and eggs and mix well, about 3 minutes.
  3. Using a spatula, fold in the carrots, zucchini, and raisins. Divide the batter into 2 greased and floured 9 x 5-inch loaf pans and bake until the cakes are golden and spring back when you touch them, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn onto racks to cool completely.
  4. To make the glaze, whisk together the lemon juice with the confectioners’ sugar until it reaches glaze consistency. Drizzle over the loaves. If you prefer, halve the glaze recipe and just ice one of the cakes. This way you’ll have a sweeter version and one that’s less sweet (if you’re not an icing for breakfast kind of person).
  5. The cakes will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days.
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10 Reviews

CAFett
CAFett August 16, 2018
Just tried this one...where have been for 2 years??? It is fantastic. Agree with other comments. I did tweak it a bit the second time I made it....added ginger and coconut. Wonderful! A keeper for sure!
 
Sophia H.
Sophia H. September 4, 2017
I have no idea what is up with this recipe, but I had to use my largest bowl just to mix the batter with the carrot, zucchini, and raisins. Also, while the amount of sugar is low for he amount of flour, this is a cake, and a huge one. It would not fit into my loaf pans, and only barley fit into a 9x19" casserole pan and could have been in two. Did I say, it is huge!
 
Susan
Susan November 20, 2016
I agree with Andy...ounces would be so very useful when using carrots, zucchini or many things where the outcome would be volume sensitive.
Thank you for the recipe, sounds nice and looks good too. 🍰
 
lizykat
lizykat November 1, 2016
made this yesterday. This is a cake in bread pan form. Delicious. I needed 6 fat but short carrots and 3 regular sized zucchini. It is a soft cake-like "bread". The lemon glaze adds a nice bright taste. I have sectioned off the second cake and frozen it for another day, because easily you can nibble this away.
 
andycooks
andycooks October 28, 2016
Why, in 2016, are you using volume measurements? Especially for the carrots and zucchini.
 
Scribbles
Scribbles October 28, 2016
I do love the carrot, zucchini, pumpkin breads - there is so much sugar and oil in them though.
 
Lauren B.
Lauren B. October 28, 2016
This looks like a really nice recipe since there is a lot of carrot and zucchini in it. Tell me, please, for whn zucchini are out of season and expensive, could I replace with apple? Or something else?
 
margie S.
margie S. October 28, 2016
About how many carrots and zucchini? 2 medium, I large-ish?
 
Danielle
Danielle October 28, 2016
This looks delicious and fairly nutritious... I don't have a stand mixer though; can I still make this?
 
KSR
KSR October 28, 2016
My mother was an incredible baker, and never owned a stand mixer. Just use an electric hand mixer, or if you don't have that, you could even mix by hand - it's an arm workout, though!