The other day I was craving spice cake. I don't know why, I mean, it's almost 100 degrees outside and it doesn't look like we're getting anywhere near fall, but I wanted cinnamon-spice and I wanted it NOW. So I perused Foodgawker for a little bit and finally decided on a carrot cake even though I had no of the ingredients to make one.
I then took a short drive to the grocery store and picked up some shredded carrots (because I'm lazy), some cream cheese, brown sugar, and a bottle of wine (for me, not the cake). I cake home a started putting together the biggest batch of cake batter I've ever made, it almost didn't fit in the bowl. I finished it up, poured it in the pans and baked. Everything was going quite nicely until I took them out of the oven to let them cool. They began to sink in the middle, but I wasn't giving up! I leveled the cakes and continued in my pursuit of fall flavor deliciousness.
I put together some cream cheese frosting and began the tedious process of icing the cake. It was tedious because what I really wanted to do was hack off a piece of the cake, slap a dollop mound of icing on and call it a day. However, I refrained myself and continued until the entire cake was covered. By this time it was 10 o'clock and I was dead tired (I know, I'm an old person) so I covered the cake and went to bed.
The next day was the hurricane and we lost power around 6 o'clock. About 15 minutes later I got bored of being without power so I uncovered the carrot cake and dug in! It was AMAZING. It was dense and flavorful. The cream cheese frosting was the perfect compliment. The only thing I wanted more of was pecans, so I think next time I'll sprinkle them on the frosting in between the layers. Everybody else liked it too, and my mom, whose not a big cream cheese fan, ate almost all the frosting. I was very proud! So even if it's blazing hot make this cake in hopes that fall isn't too far away!
Carrot Cake (adapted from Burn Me Not)
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups veggie oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 3/4 cup shredded carrots
2 cups chopped pecans
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 3 8" cake pans with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl combine the eggs, vanilla, oil, and buttermilk, whisk until combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the wet. Stir with a spatula until just incorporated. Add the carrots and 1 cup of the pecans, folding to incorporate.
3. Divide batter between the 3 pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan.
Cream Cheese Frosting
2 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2-3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1. Beat the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. And the powdered sugar in slowly continuing to beat. Add the vanilla and beat. Refrigerate slightly before icing the cake.
Assembling Cake
1. Take your first layer and set it on a cake pedestal. Ice the top and then sprinkle 1/3 cup pecans over the icing. Place your second layer on top and repeat step. Ice the entire cake.
Carrot Cake (adapted from Burn Me Not)
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups veggie oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 3/4 cup shredded carrots
2 cups chopped pecans
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 3 8" cake pans with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl combine the eggs, vanilla, oil, and buttermilk, whisk until combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the wet. Stir with a spatula until just incorporated. Add the carrots and 1 cup of the pecans, folding to incorporate.
3. Divide batter between the 3 pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan.
Cream Cheese Frosting
2 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2-3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1. Beat the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. And the powdered sugar in slowly continuing to beat. Add the vanilla and beat. Refrigerate slightly before icing the cake.
Assembling Cake
1. Take your first layer and set it on a cake pedestal. Ice the top and then sprinkle 1/3 cup pecans over the icing. Place your second layer on top and repeat step. Ice the entire cake.
No comments:
Post a Comment