Carrot Cake

I made a "healthy" carrot cake, but then I slathered it with cream cheese icing. Oops? 

Ingredients for cake

• 2 c whole wheat flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 c grated carrot
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 c apple sauce
• 1/2 c crushed pineapple with juice
• 1/4 c raisins
• 3 large eggs 
•  
• Ingredients for icing
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 2 T butter
• 1 c powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, apple sauce, and eggs. Add wet to dry, gently stir. Fold in raisins, carrots, and pineapple. Pour batter into a 9 by 9 inch baking dish, sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes, testing with a toothpick. 

Let all ingredients for icing come to room temperature. Combine in a food processor. 

When cake is completely cool, spread icing over the top. Slice and devour. 

New-York Style Crumb Cake

This is Jack, have you met him yet?

One of the first things I made when I went home for Winter break this year was a crumb cake. Like many of the things I bake, this is one of my mom's favorites. What I like most about this recipe is the size of the crumbs- they're huge! That's all Jack wanted- a crumb.

I might have dropped a crumb or two on the floor "on accident". This is really a great recipe. Keep it on hand for when you have a house full of family or friends. It works any hour of the day, as breakfast, a snack, or dessert.



New York-Style Crumb Cake
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

For crumb topping:

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, still warm
1 3/4 cups cake flour

For cake:

1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (I used sour cream)
Set an oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together all the ingredients for the crumb topping until they form a smooth dough. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the cake.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the cake flour, sugar, baking soda and salt at low speed. With the mixer running on low, add the butter chunks one at a time, letting each one incorporate into the dry ingredients before adding another. When the mixture resembles even, moist crumbs, add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and buttermilk, and increase the speed to medium. Beat until the batter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Break apart the crumb topping into large pea-sized pieces, rolling them slightly in between your fingertips to get them to hold their shape. Spread the crumbs in even layer over the batter. Bake until the crumbs are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Strawberry Cupcakes [w/ the Best Frosting Ever]

My little sister just turned 15 and entered her first year of high school. This year, she wanted strawberry cupcakes for her birthday. I played around with the decorations. Who can resist a cupcake covered in sprinkles?

Simply Delicious Strawberry Cake
Adapted from Paula Deen.Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 oz.) box white cake mix
• 1 (3 oz.) box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
• 1 (15 oz.) bag frozen strawberries, thawed and pureed (I used fresh)
  
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix and gelatin. Add the rest of your ingredients and beat at medium speed until smooth. Divide batter between the cake pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.

That's the Best Frosting I've Ever Had

Let me tell you that the title for this recipe is not an exaggeration. I was skeptical, but when I read review after review raving about it, I had to test it for myself. This was the creamiest, fluffiest frosting I've ever dealt with. Definitely a keeper.

Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar

In a small saucepan, whisk together flour and milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the cooled mixture and beat until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.