Sundae cooking

My grandfather celebrated his 81st birthday this week. In celebration, I created a lovely lactose-free variation of a 19th century Parisian recipe. The French have specific names for their cakes --you've probably heard of Clichy and L'Opera--

This one was simply called "Le Cake" because it was a French interpretation of a traditional English wedding cake which is similar to a modern white fruitcake. The one I made benefited from the addition of carrots --Dada loves carrot cake-- and a tropical dried-fruit medley.

Here's the recipe. Remember, since it's a French cake; it's small. One 10" pan.

Le Carrot Cake

325 degrees.

Ingredients:
1 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup vegetable oil
2 Eggs
1.5 C grated carrots (about a half pound)
1.5 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp grated or ground
1 C dried chopped fruit, plumped and drained.
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze:
1/2 C apricot or peach preserves, melted

Directions:
Grease a 10" cake pan, line bottom of pan with waxed paper, grease the paper and flour.

In small bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Set aside. In large bowl beat sugar and oil together until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Gently fold in dry ingredients, mixing until just blended and no streaks of white flour are visible. Stir in fruit, nuts and carrots.

Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown and springy-firm in the center. Turn onto cooling rack, remove waxed paper and brush with melted preserves. Top with a few pretty walnut halves.