Spiced Brown Sugar Carrot Bread

• MAKE-AHEAD
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
3. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
4. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
5. 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt
7. 4 large eggs
8. 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
9. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
10. 1 cup canola oil
11. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12. Grated zest of 1 lemon
13. 2 1/2 cups shredded carrots (about 14 ounces)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat two 8-by-4-inch loaf pans with cooking spray or grease and lightly flour the pans.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the oil in a thin stream, beating at high speed until the batter has doubled in volume, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest. Fold in the shredded carrots. Beat in the dry ingredients at low speed in 3 batches, mixing well between additions.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, filling them two-thirds full. Bake in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.