Carrot Cake

I feel that an abundant carrot cake may be enjoyed anytime however for those that feel they will be in chocolate overload this coming weekend, I suggest serving this sweet but non chocolate dessert; although I have made a chocolate carrot cake before.

Carrot Cake

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1 1/2 cups caster sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon maple extract

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups shredded carrots

1 cup coarsely chopped nuts

1/2 cup flaked coconut, optional

1/2 cup raisins, optional 

Preheat oven tp 350ºF. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a rectangle (13 x 9 x 2 inch) cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. Set aside.  

In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil and eggs with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Stir in the maple extract. Add the flour mixture into the sugar mixture stirring with a wooden spoon, until combined. Then fold in the carrots, nuts and coconut and raisins, if using, and pour the now formed cake batter into the prepared baking cake pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the rectangle cake pan on a wire rack.

When completely cool frost with the cream cheese icing, see recipe below, and keep the iced cake in the refrigerator because cream cheese will spoil if left out at room temperature.   

Cream Cheese Icing

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1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter

2 to 3 teaspoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered icing sugar

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth.

Gradually beat in the powdered icing sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. Ice cake and store any remaining icing in the refrigerator. 

Despite the current news events... hope everyone had a lovely weekend. - JD 

Avocado Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

I diligently made these cupcakes this morning. I was very curious to see and mostly to taste, if using avocado in replace of butter was going to make that much of a difference. I can honestly say it does not. The batter... yes I had to sneak a taste because to me that is the true test. What the batter tastes like is a precurser to the end result. Remember licking the beaters, the wooden spoon and running your finger along the inside of the mixing bowl as a child? If there was baking to be done and when all was said and done then there certainly were beaters to be licked! 

The recipe came from Avocado Central. It is a great website that has many recipes dedicated to avocados. I urge you to give this recipe if for nothing else other than to see how easily avocados may replace butter. For this recipe, Avocado Red Velvet Cupcakes click *here*  They taste virtually the same as if made with butter or oil. 

This is what they looked like when they came out of the oven. A lovely reddy brown colour and spongy cake like texture.

All dressed up and ready to be eaten. I did not make the Honey Avocado Icing as suggested instead I made a Cream Cheese one.

Surprise dessert time! I am sure these will be gobbled up in no time. As I did with mine. 

- JW 

Let Them Eat Cake!

I have a couple of little souls who need cheering up so I made this delicious carrot cake. It was only intended to be one layer however I cut it in half, sandwiched the cream cheese icing between the layer and made this a double decker cream cheese carrot cake! I didn't want to carry the icing all the way around. I quite enjoy the raw, roughness of the cake with loose lashings of icing. Sometimes there can be a heavy hand where icing is concerned. Where ultimately the cake becomes forgotten. With a simple sweet icing such as this, less is more.

Cream cheese icing may be a bit tricky. I have tried many recipes only to have them look and taste less desirable than imagined. Here is the recipe I stumbled upon...

Cream Cheese Icing

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1/4 cup (60ml) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (60ml) butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) vanilla

1 - 1/2 (375ml) icing sugar

In a bowl beat the cream cheese with the butter; beat in the vanilla. Beat in the icing sugar in two additions until smooth.  

Have a good weekend everyone! - JW