Carrot-Apple-Raisin-Nut Cake

Notes from Jackie MacDonald, the recipe submitter:
(I don't remember where this came from - the newspaper I think.)
This is a great cake for snacking, especially on long bike rides. Every year the Ottawa Bicycle Club organizes an event called "The Rideau Lakes Tour." It's a ride from Ottawa to Kingston on Saturday (177 km for the 'tourist' route and 235 km for the 'sportif' route) with a return to Ottawa on Sunday. It is very popular and some years there have been 1300 riders. I have ridden on this tour quite a few times and almost always took some of this cake, cut into small pieces to give me energy along the way. When I take it on a cycling trip, I don't put the icing on it.

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1½ tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup salad oil
2 cups grated raw carrot
4 eggs
1½ cups grated raw apple
1½ cups white flour
1 cup golden raisins
1½ cups brown flour
½ cup chopped walnuts
1½ tsp baking soda

Directions

Blend together sugar, salt, salad oil and eggs.
Beat until slightly thickened.
Sift dry ingredients and combine with egg mixture.
Add carrots, apples, raisins and nuts and blend.
Turn into a greased and floured pan (9"x13"x2").
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350°F. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

(The frosting is optional - the cake is good without it.)

Ingredients

4 oz package cream cheese
¼ cup butter
1 cup icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla

Directions

Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
Beat in icing sugar and vanilla until well combined.
Spread over cake