Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil cooking spray
  • 1 pound carrots, thickly sliced
  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350° and adjust the rack to the center position. Spray two 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the carrots and boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and mash the carrots with a potato masher. Let cool.
  • Meanwhile, toast the walnuts on a baking sheet until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and honey until pale yellow. Whisk in the oil and buttermilk. Stir in the carrots, then stir in the flour mixture just until blended. Fold in the walnuts with a rubber spatula.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until golden, springy to the touch and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let the loaves cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Store leftovers in plastic zipper-lock bag in the refrigerator.