Just for you, mummy dearest...
Hi Mum. Thank you for 20 years of mothering, for your constant nagging (which really is for my own good), for the endless worrying, for all the encouragement you have given, and your belief in me, for enduring all my nonsense at home, for the holidays we shared, the cakes and desserts we ate, the fun we had.. For your teenage stories fraught with colour and drama, the endless days of dancing in funky weird clothes that were only too Cool then, juxtaposed with present day dancing in the living room shaking your booty to the Carpenters... Thank you mum for all your Love. Happy Mother's Day.
Carrot Cake (adapted from all recipes.com)
Ingredients:
4 eggs
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar (or 3/4 cup white sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar, apparently the taste comes out better)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 to 2 cups confectioners' sugar (depending on how sweet you like the frosting to be)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
Steps:
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan.
2) In a bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder.
3) In a large bowl, beat butter until soft and fluffy. Add in oil and sugar and beat till mixed.
4) Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and continue beating till well mixed.
5) Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon.
6) Stir in carrots. Fold in walnuts.
7) Pour into prepared pan.
8) Bake in preheated oven for about 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.
For the frosting:
1) In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioner's sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped walnuts. Frost the cake.
For today, I used smaller rectangular pans, perhaps slightly bigger than a pound cake so baked it for about 30 minutes.
For cupcakes: Bake for about 20 minutes.
Practicing the 1/3 rule in photo taking:
