Carrot Cake

This carrot cake is a go-to for me around Easter time, but this time I remembered to take some pictures. That means that I could finally upload it onto the blog. The recipe has been slightly adapted from my BBFF Jinelle's co-worker's recipe which is quite famous around their office. It's really basic, which is right up my alley obviously. Therefore no nuts, raisins, etc., I mean come on now.



Yup, there are some crumbs in my frosting. Get over it.

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
5 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups grated carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 package cream cheese
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 cups confectioner's sugar


DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 300F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans (or line muffin pan if making 12 cupcakes). In stand-up mixer, combine the sugar, oil and eggs. Grate your carrots, or get a man slave to grate them for you.

2) In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to wet ingredients in your mixer, and beat until combined. Stir in the grated carrots.

3) Pour evenly into prepared cake pans. Bake for approximately 50 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from pan and transferring to wire racks. I never do this, so one of my cakes always breaks into several pieces. No one ever knows though because I just put it all back together and then frost it. I like this element of people thinking I'm all profesh, when really I crap the bed at baking like all of the time.

4) For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together in your mixer. Once fluffy, add the vanilla, and then the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time. Frost your cake (or cupcakes) as desired.

Chocolate Avocado Cake

Avocados are pretty much my favorite food.  Over time I have become a pseudo vegetarian. I define this as; I don't buy or cook meat for myself, and I don't eat meat when I'm out unless it's terribly inconvenient to avoid it. So, naturally when I found out that you could make a cake with avocados I was fairly excited.

There are so many awesome things about this cake. First of all, this cake is vegetarian by nature, but can easily be made vegan by substituting the milk for soy, or another non-dairy alternative. Substituting the dairy milk also makes this lactose free, as the avocado replaces the need for butter. The most impressive thing about this cake is that despite it lacking so many of your standard cake ingredients, it is actually the best chocolate cake I've ever had.


INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup of avocado, well mashed (about 1 avocado)
1 cup milk (dairy, soy. almond)
1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips


DIRECTIONS (for cake)

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 9x12 inch cake pan by greasing and flouring (or cocoa powdering) the bottom only. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

2) In another medium bowl combine the vegetable oil, avocado, milk, hot water, vinegar and vanilla extract. Stir in the sugar.

3) Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4) Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.

I chose not to add anything to the top of this cake as I felt it was rich enough (plus it keeps it lactose free/vegan that way). But you could definitely dress this up with either a ganache or a chocolate buttercream if you so desire. 


DIRECTIONS (for cupcakes)

Same as above except prepare a muffin tin with liners and bake for approximately 25 minutes. For my cupcakes I omitted the chocolate chips, and instead topped with chocolate frosting from  Extreme Chocolate Cake. These were a massive hit.

Pastel de Tres Leches

Tres Leches means "three milks" which is what is required for this cake. It's a lactose intolerant person's worst nightmare.

This recipe is dedicated to my recent trip to Mexico for my bestie's wedding (and also my 25th birthday). I sampled a little bit of baking - a tres leches cake, a very decadent chocolate dessert, a few bites of cheesecake, and I also indulged in a croissant every morning for breakfast.

In addition to food, I sampled copious amounts of tequila and corona and could not start my day until I had ingested a beer. I became a functioning alcoholic. Proud of me.

Weight gain = 0.5 pounds. Nailed it.

This a picture of me with my birthday cake and the best man. He's pretty darn good looking.



Hard to find a picture in which I'm not drinking some form of alcohol

To summarize, here's what I brought home from Mexico:

• The flu & severe digestive problems
• The best man
• Alcoholism
• A tattoo (sans hepatitis)
• Diminished work ethic
• No tan

Now, for my food observations:

Mexican butter is very different from butter here at home. I could pick out the butter in all the food, but especially in the desserts. I kept telling everyone how badly I wanted to bring a truck load of this butter home and try all of my favorite recipes with it, but unfortunately it would have been impossible.

I did however find some decently priced vanilla beans in Playa del Carmen. I find this hilarious after I slandered using real vanilla beans in my last post. Hypocrite. So I used said vanilla beans in this recipe. My brother was impressed with this and commented on how exciting it was to see the "black flecks" in the cake.


INGREDIENTS

Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or one Mexican vanilla bean in my case)
1/3 cup whole milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 heavy cream

Topping
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. You also want to separate your eggs at this time.

3. In the bowl of your stand-up mixer, add 3/4 cup of granulated sugar and the egg yolks. Whisk on medium-high speed until thick and a pale yellow color. Add the vanilla and whole milk and mix until combined. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and fold together until well combined.



Vanilla bean virginity taken

4. Wash out the mixer and whisk attachment. Add the egg whites and whisk on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold the eggs whites into the cake batter in three additions, until just combined. Pour batter into pan and smooth out the surface.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Allow cake to cool completely. Pierce the entire surface with a fork. Mix the "three milks" together (evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream) in something that you can easily pour out of. Reserve one cup of the liquid and dispose of it. This seems like a waste but you can't exactly use parts of a can I suppose. Don't ask, I didn't make the recipe. Pour the remaining mixture over the cake.

7. Whip the cream, vanilla and sugar together until thick with stiff peaks. Top the cake with the whipped cream and garnish with maraschino cherries if desired.

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Baileys Buttercream

I made this Irish themed beauty for my cousin Halie's St. Patrick's Day birthday dinner!

A dessert made with copious amounts of booze - what's not to like? FYI the buttercream definitely has some "kick" to it... Not to mention the recipe only calls for half a can of Guinness which means you should probably drink the balance. And, maybe the other three cans since I know you had to buy the four pack to make this.

The stars of the show

INGREDIENTS

Cake
1 cup of Guinness
1/2 cup & 2 tablespoons of butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda

Buttercream
1 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans by greasing and "flouring". But don't flour them, use cocoa powder so that the edges don't have a white residue.

I know, I just blew your mind.

2) Add Guinness to a medium sized sauce pan and turn heat to low-medium. Add the butter in small chunks until melted. Whisk in the cocoa and sugar until dissolved. Once it is well combined remove it from the heat.

3) In a separate bowl, beat together the sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Add this to the Guinness mixture once it is slightly cooled and mix until smooth. In another bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Whisk this into the Guinness mixture until completely smooth.

4) Pour evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in pans.

5) To make the buttercream, combine all the ingredients in stand-up mixer and beat until smooth. Frost the cake in any manner you prefer (top only, top and sides, etc.).



How to do a birthday candle

Cake portion of recipe is adapted from Nigella's Chocolate Stout Cake.

Extreme Chocolate Cake

In celebration of another depressing holiday spent alone, I am providing you with this wonderful recipe for chocolate cake. You may wish to indulge while you watch The Notebook, with several bottles of wine and the other independent women in your life. If you happen to be one of those blessed individuals that has a significant other, why not try making this recipe into cupcakes for a dessert that is sure to impress in all of its rich, chocolatey goodness.

Friends, I have also taken the time to write you a Valentine's Day limerick:

To conclude your meal please make this cake
Because men like a girl that can bake
I assure you that food
Puts a guy in the mood
Even so, you might still have to fake

The number one reason why I like this recipe is because the chocolate flavor is so extreme yet it only uses cocoa powder. So if you are cheap like me, this does not require you to buy expensive baking chocolate. Plus who wants to chop that chocolate, and melt it? Not me.


INGREDIENTS

Cake
2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Frosting
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
5 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. *Note: try using cocoa powder instead of flour to prepare your pans, there will be no white residue on the cake after baking!

2) In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. To your stand up mixer, add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and beat for approximately 3 minutes. Stir in the boiling water by hand. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.

3) Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Cool completely before attempting to frost.

4) In mixer, cream the butter. Stir in the cocoa and confectioners' sugar alternately with the milk and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.

5) Frost the top of one cake and stack second cake on top. Frost the outside of the cake.

Stolen from All Recipes

Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce

As I've previously mentioned, when invited over to someone's house for dinner, etc. I am often asked to provide the dessert. Sometimes the decision regarding what to bring is simple, and that's to go with a recipe tried and true. Other times I use it as an opportunity to experiment with something new. However, there is the rare occasion when I am provided with a dietary challenge. Bring it on! Said challenge; lactose intolerance. Then I discovered quickly how few recipes exist sans some form of milk (butter was at least doable).

Just when I was about to abandon my search and tell him to suck it up and get some lactaid it came to me - gingerbread! Freaking genius right? WRONG. My internal celebration was quickly put to an end when I remembered it was June. How could I possibly get away with serving gingerbread in June? HELLER put a lemon sauce on it, citrus transforms all into a summery delight!
 

INGREDIENTS

Cake
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot water

Sauce
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup water
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice


DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.

 

2) In mixer, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg. Mix in the molasses.

 

3) In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Add the dry ingredients to your mixer and blend. Stir in the hot water and then pour into your pan.

 

4) Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from the pan.

 

5) In a saucepan, mix the sugar and cornstarch with the cup of water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it boils and begins to thicken. Continue to boil for one minute and then remove from the heat. It should coat the back of the spoon at this point. Stir in the lemon peel and juice. Serve over the gingerbread. 

 

 

I have to admit I'd had a bottle of wine before it came time to eat this. But the bottom line is that this recipe is indeed a winner, and I did some winning of my own later that evening as a result. Was that my outside voice?

Butternut Squash Cake

This is a fall favorite for sure. The cake itself is awesome but the frosting makes it truly epic.

INGREDIENTS

Cake
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup buttermilk *

2 cups peeled and grated butternut squash (1 small)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

* Note my tip from the banana bread recipe. This year I actually used skim plain yogurt instead of buttermilk because that's just what I happened to have. Think of the calories saved as well! (Probably like 10, well whatever).

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons maple flavor
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


DIRECTIONS

1) Take all of your ingredients out of the fridge. You know how they say all of your ingredients should be at room temperature? That shit is for real. So while your waiting for everything to warm up, start grating your squash. It will take you about 7 hours, but it will be worth it.

2) Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour bottom of 13x9-inch pan.

3) In stand up mixer, beat 3/4 cup butter and the granulated sugar light and fluffy. Beat in eggs until fluffy. Beat in baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add flour alternately with buttermilk, scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat 1 minute. Stir in squash and 1/2 cup walnuts. Spread in pan.

4) Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before attempting to remove it from the pan.

5) In stand up mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and the maple flavor. Beat until smooth. You may want to add one extra cup of powdered sugar if you want the frosting to be a bit thicker. Frost the cake. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup walnuts.