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Gas Prices Are Spiking Again — Here's How to Protect Your Wallet as the Iran Conflict Escalates

  Published July 20, 2026 If it feels like you're filling up more often for the same money lately, you're not imagining it. Oil markets jolted higher to start the week, and Canadian drivers are almost certain to see it at the pump in the next few days. What just happened Brent crude — the global benchmark that drives Canadian gas pricing — jumped nearly 4% on Monday to trade above US$90 a barrel, its highest level since mid-June, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate traded near US$84. The move came after the United States and Iran escalated hostilities over the weekend, including strikes on vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz and an attack on an oil facility in Kuwait. That strait matters enormously to your gas bill: roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply normally passes through it. When shipping through it slows or stalls, traders price in a "risk premium" almost immediately — and that shows up at Canadian pumps within days, not weeks. What it mea...
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Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 This cake is nicely spiced, ultra-moist, and topped with lavish swirls of cream cheese frosting.

Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup currants (soaked in hot water to plump them up, then drained)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 1 pound carrots (finely chopped in a food processor)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger), baking soda, and salt. Whisk to blend.
  3. Add 1/4 cup of the flour mixture to the drained currants and nuts. Toss well; coating the currants and nuts with flour will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
  4. Next, add the finely chopped carrots to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until they are the consistency of couscous.
  5. Transfer the carrots to a bowl and wipe the processor bowl clean.
  6. Add the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar to the processor. Process until smooth.
  7. With the machine running, slowly pour in the vegetable oil.
  8. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Add the carrots, currants, and nuts. The batter will look very orange!
  9. Transfer the batter to a greased and floured 9x13-inch cake pan.
  10. Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
  11. While the cake cools, make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
    • Combine 8 oz (225g) softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy.
    • Gradually add 2 cups confectioners’ sugar. Once all the sugar is added, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
  12. Use an offset spatula to frost the cake. Sprinkle nuts on top, if desired, and serve the cake directly from the pan.

Note: This cake can also be made as a 9-inch layer cake. You’ll have enough frosting for the middle and top of the cake; just leave the sides bare — it’s pretty that way.


 

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