Isn't it nice to get a vegetable serving in by eating a cake? I love carrot cake (I love alliteration too - maybe that's why). It's always been my favorite. My wedding cake was a carrot cake - all three layers. It was delicious and this recipe reminds me of it, so I have happy memories every time I eat it. And, in my opinion, if there is one type of cake that should never be made from a box, it's carrot cake. The dehydrated, shriveled carrots in a box mix just don't cut it.
Cake:
1 1/2 cups oil
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
3 cups grated raw carrots
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
Combine oil, eggs, and sugar. Mix well. Add carrots. Sift dry ingredients together and add. Pour into a cake pan and bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes.
Frosting:
1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz), softened
3/4 cube butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar (about 4 cups or half a bag)
1 tsp vanilla
Beat all ingredients together until smooth.
I'm not really a nut person, but if you are, go ahead and sprinkle some chopped nuts on top. It doesn't really matter if you use regular or baby carrots other than it is easier to grate the regular carrots (particularly if you are grating by hand - this cake became much easier to make once I got a Cuisinart).
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Sandtorte
I found this recipe a couple of years ago in a sunset magazine (I love their recipes!) They called it a "viennese-style" cake, whatever that is. It's a dense bundt cake, similar to a pound cake but with an almond flavor. I love it in strawberry shortcake with lots of REAL whipping cream, but it would also go well with ice cream, chocolate sauce, and any berry. It's also good all by itself, especially warm out of the oven.
3 1/2 Cups cake flour (yes, you really need to use cake flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 Cup butter, room temperature
3 Cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 Cup sour cream
2 teaspoon almond extract
1. Preheat oven to 325. Butter and flour a 12 cup bundt pan. (or use pam for baking or bakers joy no-stick cooking spray--I've had great luck with both of them) In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.
2. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each, then add sour cream and almond extract. Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing well after each addition.
3. Pour batter into bundt pan. Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 75-90 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely
3 1/2 Cups cake flour (yes, you really need to use cake flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 Cup butter, room temperature
3 Cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 Cup sour cream
2 teaspoon almond extract
1. Preheat oven to 325. Butter and flour a 12 cup bundt pan. (or use pam for baking or bakers joy no-stick cooking spray--I've had great luck with both of them) In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.
2. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each, then add sour cream and almond extract. Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing well after each addition.
3. Pour batter into bundt pan. Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 75-90 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Lemon Cake
I got this recipe from the March Family Circle magazine. I don't subscribe to this magazine, but I was starving at the grocery store and the muffins on the front looked delicious. I haven't tried the muffins yet, but found this recipe and love it. I love lemon - it has such a natural taste- and I think it's perfect for spring. This cake is really moist and quite dense. It's also quite pretty (particularly if you can frost better than me) and would be nice for an Easter lunch.
Cake:
1 lemon
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 container (6 oz) lemon yogurt (I've made it with both lemon & plain - there is little difference)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
Frosting:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 pound powdered sugar (about 4 cups, or half a bag)
2 Tbsp lemon juice reserved from cake
2 Tbsp water
Yellow food coloring
Directions:
Zest lemon peel (about 2 tsp) and set aside. Cut lemon in half and squeeze out juice. Reserve juice for frosting. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk, and vanilla. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. On low speed, beat flour mixture into butter mixture in three additions, alternating with milk mixture. Beat well after each addition. Fold in lemon zest. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. When cake is cool, prepare frosting by beating together butter, reserved lemon juice (2 Tbsp), water, and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Gradually add more sugar until frosting is a good consistency for spreading. Tint with yellow food coloring.
Cake:
1 lemon
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 container (6 oz) lemon yogurt (I've made it with both lemon & plain - there is little difference)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
Frosting:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 pound powdered sugar (about 4 cups, or half a bag)
2 Tbsp lemon juice reserved from cake
2 Tbsp water
Yellow food coloring
Directions:
Zest lemon peel (about 2 tsp) and set aside. Cut lemon in half and squeeze out juice. Reserve juice for frosting. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk, and vanilla. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. On low speed, beat flour mixture into butter mixture in three additions, alternating with milk mixture. Beat well after each addition. Fold in lemon zest. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. When cake is cool, prepare frosting by beating together butter, reserved lemon juice (2 Tbsp), water, and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Gradually add more sugar until frosting is a good consistency for spreading. Tint with yellow food coloring.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Apple Nut Cake with Butter Sauce
This is a recipe from Barry's childhood. It is his favorite cake, and he has passed his love for it on to Savannah--she requests it for everything!
1 Cup shortening
2 Cups sugar
3 eggs
4 Cups apples, peeled and grated (try to use a mixture of tart and sweet--granny smith and golden delicious, for example)
1 Cup chopped walnuts
3 Cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in apples. Sift together dry ingredients and stir in. Bake 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Butter Sauce
1 Cup sugar
1 cube butter (do not use margarine!)
1 can evaporated milk
Stir together over medium heat until thoroughly combined and bubbly. Serve warm over cake.
Left over cake should be refrigerated, and actually tastes better the next day! This cake freezes well.
1 Cup shortening
2 Cups sugar
3 eggs
4 Cups apples, peeled and grated (try to use a mixture of tart and sweet--granny smith and golden delicious, for example)
1 Cup chopped walnuts
3 Cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in apples. Sift together dry ingredients and stir in. Bake 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Butter Sauce
1 Cup sugar
1 cube butter (do not use margarine!)
1 can evaporated milk
Stir together over medium heat until thoroughly combined and bubbly. Serve warm over cake.
Left over cake should be refrigerated, and actually tastes better the next day! This cake freezes well.
Monday, March 16, 2009
It's Cake Week!
We decided that this week should be cake week. We have many good cake recipes to share, so each day this week (or until we run out of cake recipes), we will post a new cake recipe on the blog. These cakes are much, MUCH better than store-bought or from-a-box cakes, so enjoy.
Chocolate Cake with Almond Frosting
At my brother's wedding this month, several of us were enjoying the cake. We quickly decided that it wasn't really the cake itself that was so good - it was really quite ordinary. What made it good was the frosting. It was almond-flavored. So, last week I made this chocolate cake, which is very moist, and paired it with almond buttercream frosting. I really liked the results, as did the rest of my family. You can, of course, frost this cake with a different flavor of frosting, but I think this is a great combination.
Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
1 cup water
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, partially beaten
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional - my husband loves them but the cake is still good without them)
Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan, add butter and cocoa. Cook while stirring until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Mix the dry ingredients well in a large bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla and again, mix well. Add sour cream and chocolate chips and stir until just blended. Pour into greased pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Almond Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened but not melted
2 Tbsp milk
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract
Cream butter and shortening. Add almond extract and milk. Stir in sugar one cup at a time until frosting is the consistency you want.
Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
1 cup water
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, partially beaten
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional - my husband loves them but the cake is still good without them)
Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan, add butter and cocoa. Cook while stirring until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Mix the dry ingredients well in a large bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla and again, mix well. Add sour cream and chocolate chips and stir until just blended. Pour into greased pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Almond Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened but not melted
2 Tbsp milk
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract
Cream butter and shortening. Add almond extract and milk. Stir in sugar one cup at a time until frosting is the consistency you want.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Snickerdoodles
I love cookies. Snickerdoodles are one of my favorites, and this is my favorite snickerdoodle recipe (although I'm always open to trying new ones!)
3 Cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
1 Cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 Cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add in eggs. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until well incorporated.
3. Mix together the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls and dip in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Bake until light and golden.
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