Iced Carrot Cake Bread

It's a cake! No! It's bread! Well, whatever it is, it's mighty tasty, especially when toasted and topped with a brown sugar-sweetened cream cheese spread.

Recipe Ingredients:

Bread:
1 cup quick or old fashioned oats
1/2 cup milk
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup raisins

Icing:
4-ounces (or half of an 8 ounce package) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease the bottom only of 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
2. For bread: In a medium bowl, combine oats and milk, mixing well. Let stand 10 minutes. Add pineapple (including juice), eggs, oil and vanilla; mix well.
3. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Stir in carrots and raisins.
4. Add oat mixture to dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not overmix.) Pour batter into pan.
5. Bake 60 to 75 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and crust is golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely. Store tightly wrapped.
6. For Cream Cheese Spread: In a small bowl, beat together all ingredients until smooth. Spread over cooled bread. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

Makes 1 loaf.