I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond.

Fraunces Tavern Carrot Tea Cake

INGREDIENTS
4 medium carrots, trimmed and peeled
Butter and flour for prepping the pan
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
Whipped cream for serving

CAKE NOTE: You can cook the carrots until soft and then mash and strain them of juice as would have been done in the old days. Or you can cook the carrots until they just begin to soften, let them cool, and grate them using a cheese grater to get streaks of carrot throughout the cake.

PREPARATION
Place the peeled carrots in a saucepan with 1" of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and, when boiling, reduce the heat to medium and let the carrots simmer until they begin to soften, 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and drain off the water. Let the carrots cool in the pan.

Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10" springform pan, shake out the excess flour, and set the pan aside.

Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and beat until creamy, about 1 minute.

Add the eggs, one at a time, until they are smooth and satiny, 4 to 5 minutes of beating in total. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and fold into the batter with a wooden spoon. Set aside.

Grate the cooled carrots to yield 2 cups. Fold the carrots into the batter. Turn the batter into the prepared pan, and place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan, and unfasten the collar of the springform pan. Run a knife underneath the cake to free it from the bottom of the pan, and place it on a serving platter.

Slice and serve warm with the whipped cream.