JUNGLE JACK HANNA'S FAVORITE CARROT CAKE

In 2001, I started collecting recipes from Columbus (& Ohio) celebrities.  After the death of my Rottweiler, Fritzy, I needed a hobby - something that would involve writing and animals.  I contacted the local Pilot Dogs of Columbus and told them I wanted to put together a Celebrity Cookbook, with all funds going to their behalf.  It was alot of fun corresponding with various Columbus notables (Jack Nicklaus, Archie Griffin, Dave Thomas, Gail Hogan, Clark Kellogg and more).  I never launched the cookbook due to the high expense which I didn't anticipate; however, I want to share these recipes with Columbus.  My PayPal button is attached; please make a small donation to Pilot Dogs if you decide to use one of these delicious recipes.  They do good work, too.  Bringing together animals and people who need them.

Jack Hanna

Visit Jack Online

CHEF: Jack Hanna

INGREDIENTS:
4 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cups canola oil
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped pineapple, drained
2 or 3 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)
1/4 cup apricot nectar (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Mix eggs, sugars and oil. Separately sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and add to mixture. Add remaining ingredients. Grease and lightly flour a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees approximately one hour or until top springs back or you can toothpick test.


Icing: Combine 1 box confectioner's sugar, 1 8-ounce package Philly cream cheese, 1 stick butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon apricot nectar (optional for color).

**********************************************************************************
Jack Hanna, popular host of the hit television series, " Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures", is one of America's most beloved naturalists and adventurers. Jack Hanna is "every person's" television zoologist. Hanna received national attention after he became Director of the Columbus Zoo in 1978. He transformed our zoo into a model facility and through his media savvy, made the Columbus Zoo a household name. He is a regular guest on shows like "Good Morning America, " Larry King Live," "The Late Show With David Letterman" and "The Maury Povich Show." He also makes countless personal appearances and speeches throughout the U.S. The route to becoming a national celebrity began in his family's bathtub in Knoxville, Tennessee where he raised bluegills and quickly extended his menagerie to the backyard. After majoring in business in college, Hanna, with support from his wife, Suzi, started a pet shop and petting zoo, worked for a wildlife adventure company and directed a small Florida zoo. The couple's subsequent move to Columbus (with their three daughters) was the start of Hanna's rising media star. Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo since 1993, he still remains active in the zoo and his community.

Hanna is a Professional Fellow of the American Zoo & Aquarium Association and a member of the Explorer's Club. He is also an active supporter of Easter Seals and the Leukemia Society and serves on the boards of several educational institutions. While he takes all of his civic responsibilities seriously, he maintains that wildlife conservation is his true calling.