Carrot Cake

4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
2 tsp. black walnut extract
1/4 cup butter (softened)
2 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
3 cups carrots (peeled & grated)
1 cup applesauce
1 cup walnuts (chopped) [optional]

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2) In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, both sugars, and vanilla & walnut extracts. Mix in the butter, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Next, mix in the carrots, applesauce and walnuts. Pour into the greased & floured pan.
3) Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Almond Cake Bread

Servings (10-14 mini loaves)

2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 pkg. (8 oz) Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
4 T. vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/4 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup soy milk (vanilla lite)
1 pkg. (2 oz) almond slices (semi-finely chopped) *see NOTES
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups flour

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Grease an 8-count mini loaf bread pan.
3) Cream together the sugar, butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until well blended.
4) Add the eggs, lemon juice, and soy milk to the mixture until well blended.
5) Finish adding in the semi-finely chopped almonds, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and flour, until the batter becomes creamy in appearance.
6) Pour 1/2 cup of the batter into each greased section.
7) For an added look, place an almond slice on top of each loaf, in the center.
8) Place oven rack on the 2nd tier from the bottom of the oven and place pan in the center.
9) Bake for 40-45 minutes or until done.

Notes:
1) Chop the almonds with a food processor into a semi-fine powder.
2) This recipe was adapted from a banana bread recipe that is found on "canigetyourrecipe.blogspot.com". I took out and added in some ingredients that have now made this a "hit" with some of my close friends. So I guess you could say this is a semi-original recipe.