(no subject)
It stopped raining long enough for me to get outside and do a sweep of the yard to see how things are doing. It's too wet to get anything done, but it was still nice to putter around outside.
My potatoes in tires experiment is going well! I'll be putting another couple inches of soil on top of this in the next few days. I'm so happy they lived through being dug up by raccoons.
I swear, it seems like I never make a dent in my carrots - there are still a ton in the ground. But, since i'm going to need that space soon, I figure it's time to actually put them to use instead of just digging up a few here and there for cooking. Please ignore my overgrown jungle of a yard. Our push mower is dead and i'm not allowed near the riding mower because Chris seems to think I would never get off of it. I don't know why he would think such a thing. >.>
Chris hasn't been home in three weeks, but he'll be home Friday. And since I have a crapload of carrots and his all time favorite dessert is my carrot cake, he'll be getting a surprise when he gets in. :D
Also, i'm in a good mood and feel like sharing, so i'm going to give you all my carrot cake recipe. I promise, i'm not trying to sound smug (ok, maybe just a little?), but i've been told by some of the best bakers in our area that this is the best carrot cake they've ever had. And these ladies have been baking for many, many years. I'm proud of most of my recipes, but this? This is my signature. If i'm only remembered for one thing, I would be totally ok with it being this cake. The recipe has evolved over time...I started with a very basic recipe years ago, and have tweaked it until I got it exactly like I wanted it.
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (yes, tablespoons) + 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon Vanilla (please use the good stuff if you have it...there IS a difference!)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 large eggs
3 1/2 cups grated carrots (Make sure you taste your carrots - you want nice sweet ones. Bitter carrots can ruin the cake.)
1 cup chopped walnuts
Optional - 2 cups sliced almonds, or chopped walnuts. Marzipan. Orange food coloring.
And if you don't like things as spicy as we do, you can totally adjust the spice quantities. The spices are really what makes this cake stand out, but I know not everyone is a spice freak.
Icing:
You can half this if you don't like a lot of icing, or if you don't plan to decorate the finished cake.
16 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
This is one cake I always get fancy with when I ice it. I can't help it. I start by making marzipan carrots - just gradually work a TINY dab of food foloring into the marzipan until it's the color you want. Pinch off a marble sized ball of the colored paste and roll it into a log in the palm of your hand, gradually lengthening one end to a slight point. Then just take a toothpick and draw little rings around your carrot. I tend to go overboard and use a sprig of parsley or, when I have them, a teeny bit of the carrot top to make it more realistic. But you're probably not insane like me, so you can skip it. :D
To ice the cake properly, you need flat surfaces. You can cheat and ice the cake upside down...put the rounded sides down and let the weight of the cake flatten it out for you, or you can very carefully slice off the rounded tops with a bread knife or cake splitter. Place a small dab of icing in the center of your cake server/decorator's circle/plate - you want something flat that you can turn easily. Place your first layer over the dab of icing. Apply a very thin coat of icing to the top of the layer and spread it evenly, but don't ice the sides yet - this is so you don't end up with crumbs or chunks of cake in your icing. Spread another layer of icing for filling. Center your top layer carefully over the bottom layer, and repeat the crumb coating, this time icing the sides as well. Then, starting on top, spread your thicker layer of icing, working excess icing down the sides and making sure your icing is smooth. Once you're done icing the cake, carefully press nuts into sides of cake, a small handfull at a time. Pipe a decorative border along top and bottom edges if desired, and nestle marzipan carrots artistically in a small dollop of icing in the center of the cake.
Or, you know, just ice the cake like a normal person, and not a crazy wannabe professional baker. :D It will taste just as good.
I might come back and add pictures detailing a few of the steps if anyone is interested.
My potatoes in tires experiment is going well! I'll be putting another couple inches of soil on top of this in the next few days. I'm so happy they lived through being dug up by raccoons.
I swear, it seems like I never make a dent in my carrots - there are still a ton in the ground. But, since i'm going to need that space soon, I figure it's time to actually put them to use instead of just digging up a few here and there for cooking. Please ignore my overgrown jungle of a yard. Our push mower is dead and i'm not allowed near the riding mower because Chris seems to think I would never get off of it. I don't know why he would think such a thing. >.>
Chris hasn't been home in three weeks, but he'll be home Friday. And since I have a crapload of carrots and his all time favorite dessert is my carrot cake, he'll be getting a surprise when he gets in. :D
Also, i'm in a good mood and feel like sharing, so i'm going to give you all my carrot cake recipe. I promise, i'm not trying to sound smug (ok, maybe just a little?), but i've been told by some of the best bakers in our area that this is the best carrot cake they've ever had. And these ladies have been baking for many, many years. I'm proud of most of my recipes, but this? This is my signature. If i'm only remembered for one thing, I would be totally ok with it being this cake. The recipe has evolved over time...I started with a very basic recipe years ago, and have tweaked it until I got it exactly like I wanted it.
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (yes, tablespoons) + 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon Vanilla (please use the good stuff if you have it...there IS a difference!)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 large eggs
3 1/2 cups grated carrots (Make sure you taste your carrots - you want nice sweet ones. Bitter carrots can ruin the cake.)
1 cup chopped walnuts
Optional - 2 cups sliced almonds, or chopped walnuts. Marzipan. Orange food coloring.
And if you don't like things as spicy as we do, you can totally adjust the spice quantities. The spices are really what makes this cake stand out, but I know not everyone is a spice freak.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 9" round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- Pour oil into a small mixing bowl. Slowly add in about 2/3 cup of sugar, beating well.
- In large mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat eggs until light - they should be a pale lemony color. Add remaining sugar.
- Slowly pour oil mixture into eggs, beat well until. Mixture should be very light and fluffy.
- If using a stand mixer, switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add dry ingredients, mixing lightly until just combined. Do NOT overmix.
- Slowly stir in carrots and walnuts.
- Pour into lined pans and bake 1 hour, or until golden brown and your cake tester comes out clean.
- Place pans on wire rack and let cool for 20-30 minutes before turning out. After turning out, let cool completely...do not attempt to ice cake while it's at all warm.
Icing:
You can half this if you don't like a lot of icing, or if you don't plan to decorate the finished cake.
16 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
- In large mixing bowl, beat cheese until light and fluffy.
- Add oil and vanilla, mixing well.
- With mixer running on LOW, very very very slowly (seriously, go at a snail's pace here - unless you want to redecorate your kitchen with white powder) add in sugar and salt. Once all sugar is added, raise your mixer speed to medium/medium high and beat icing until very smooth.
This is one cake I always get fancy with when I ice it. I can't help it. I start by making marzipan carrots - just gradually work a TINY dab of food foloring into the marzipan until it's the color you want. Pinch off a marble sized ball of the colored paste and roll it into a log in the palm of your hand, gradually lengthening one end to a slight point. Then just take a toothpick and draw little rings around your carrot. I tend to go overboard and use a sprig of parsley or, when I have them, a teeny bit of the carrot top to make it more realistic. But you're probably not insane like me, so you can skip it. :D
To ice the cake properly, you need flat surfaces. You can cheat and ice the cake upside down...put the rounded sides down and let the weight of the cake flatten it out for you, or you can very carefully slice off the rounded tops with a bread knife or cake splitter. Place a small dab of icing in the center of your cake server/decorator's circle/plate - you want something flat that you can turn easily. Place your first layer over the dab of icing. Apply a very thin coat of icing to the top of the layer and spread it evenly, but don't ice the sides yet - this is so you don't end up with crumbs or chunks of cake in your icing. Spread another layer of icing for filling. Center your top layer carefully over the bottom layer, and repeat the crumb coating, this time icing the sides as well. Then, starting on top, spread your thicker layer of icing, working excess icing down the sides and making sure your icing is smooth. Once you're done icing the cake, carefully press nuts into sides of cake, a small handfull at a time. Pipe a decorative border along top and bottom edges if desired, and nestle marzipan carrots artistically in a small dollop of icing in the center of the cake.
Or, you know, just ice the cake like a normal person, and not a crazy wannabe professional baker. :D It will taste just as good.
I might come back and add pictures detailing a few of the steps if anyone is interested.