Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

I can't believe I am saying this but I feel like I have made too many cakes over the last few months...go ahead and gasp in unison with me. The baker claiming she has made too made cakes. No, hell has not frozen over. Yet...

I never used to bake many cakes, instead I typically received my fair share of savory and healthy requests, breads, quiches, and whatnot. But since I've been living out east, I average at least one cake per month (many times more). My most recent addition to the baking cupboard - a new version of Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting.

I have previously conquered carrot cake muffins and carrot cake squares with great success, but found myself hesitant to repeat myself once I received another birthday baking request. Instead I opted for some online research and decided to see how I would do with modifying a cupcake recipe into a cake recipe (so far so good!).  The original recipe made more cupcakes than I had expected, so I was delightfully surprised when I was able to make a two-layer cake AND a dozen cupcakes from the same batter recipe. Score! Everyone who had a piece was raving about it. Bonus points for using garden fresh carrots!

And for those of you who haven't had their Bert fix for the month yet...here you go. He's pretty much telling me to put down the oven mits and love on him some. Or feed him. It's about the same in Bert-landia. Enjoy!

Carrot Cake (plus cupcakes!) with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from: Baked In

• 1 pound of carrots
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp (or a pinch) allspice
• Pinch of ground clove
• ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup milk plus 1 tsp vinegar (or you can use buttermilk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp maple flavor
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ¼ cup raisins

Frosting

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• ⅛ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp maple flavoring
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line one muffin pan with paper liners and set aside. Also prepare two 9" cake pans (butter, parchment, butter, flour is the best method). 

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl and set aside.

Peel the carrots, and finely grate them (food processor all the way for this!). Place the grated carrots in a large bowl.

Add the eggs, milk with vinegar, vanilla, maple flavoring, sugar, oil and lemon juice with the carrots and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Gently stir the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

Next mix in the pecans and raisins. Again, be cautious not to overmix. 

Scoop batter evenly into prepared liners, filling each ⅔ full. Evenly separate the remaining batter between the two 9" bake pans. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If baking all the pans together at once, make sure to rotate out positions in the oven and racks so as not to burn/undercook/etc. Cool for five minutes in pans, then remove to racks to cool completely.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add the butter and beat until well-incorporated and fluffy, another two minutes. Beat in the brown sugar, vanilla, maple flavoring, and cinnamon. Add the powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time until desired consistency is reached (3-4 cups total). Beat for an additional two minutes. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes (if spreading rather than piping, you can halve the frosting recipe).

Decorate as you see fit! Making candied carrot curls is a really stellar way to go. 

Carrot Cake Squares, Frosting For The Cause

*Quick Note: Many thanks to Paula and Frosting for the Cause for allowing me to contribute as well as Janel for letting me take a few moments to share her story! Check out the simultaneous post over at Frosting for the Cause.*

It took me years to discover my health and its importance in my life, even more so that I should take it seriously. One of the catalysts happened to be a work colleague and friend, Janel, whom I frequently crossed paths with at conferences around the country. She was in the most phenomenal shape, getting runs in before conference sessions, eating healthy even while out on the road. Observing her energy and zest for life led me to realize that I wanted to feel the same way too, and shortly thereafter I discovered I was a runner.

Janel (right) enjoying Race For The Cure with her friend Phyllis (left), also a survivor.

When I found out that Janel had been diagnosed with Stage I bilateral breast cancer last year, I had a reality check. How could this be, she was one of the healthiest folks I knew? This wasn't fair! It turned out Janel carried the gene, BRCA2 mutation, which put her at risk for several types of cancer. From the beginning she adopted the mindset that she would overcome the illness and fight, and she never wavered from this view. She opted for a nipple sparing bilateral mastectomy (both sides), with rounds of chemotherapy, and eventually reconstruction surgery earlier this year. It was a long and painful road, but she pushed through her pain and suffering. After being down for 6 months, she was able to go for her first run late this spring.

If you haven’t figured this out yet, I have a huge crush on Janel and consider her one of my heroes these days. Instead of letting her cancer take control of her life, Janel took control of it with grace and style. Her struggle brought her closer to her loving husband and supportive family, it allowed her to have greater empathy for others, especially seniors, and she became a lifelong spokesperson for cancer awareness. Her ‘incredible network of strength’ came from both her strong will to live a long and healthy life as well as her amazing group of friends, family, and loved ones.

If you ask Janel about her battle with cancer, you might be surprised to hear her speak so openly about it. The first lesson she says she walked away from the situation with is to let people help you. Cancer can be quite scary for the individual diagnosed, but it is just as scary for the people that care about that person. By letting others help it allows them the ability to work through the process of acceptance. The second lesson Janel says she learned from her struggle with cancer is how important exercise is in your life. She had always been an active person before cancer, which likely helped play into her solid recovery, however even more so now that she has experienced one of the greatest feats in her life. Being able to get outside for a daily walk during her recovery made all the difference for both her body and her mind.

  

Once I discovered Frosting for the Cause and its mission, I instantly signed up with Janel in mind. What better way to showcase a delightful person and her strength?! As per her request, a batch of Carrot Cake Squares was delivered to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society here in Eugene this week. Needless to say the office was overjoyed with the unexpected gifts and their hearts deeply touched by Janel’s story. Please feel free to share in our foodie joy by making a batch of these gems for yourself, enjoy! 

Carrot Cake Squares

 Squares

• 2 c flour
• ½ c flaxmeal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 carrots, shredded (roughly 2 cups)
• 1 – 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
• 4 eggs
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 ¼ c applesauce
• ¾ c brown sugar
• ¾ c white sugar
• ¼ c raisins
• ½ c walnuts

 Frosting

• 1 ½ packages of reduced cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 ½ sticks of butter, room temperature
• 1 c powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Zest of one lime

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9"x13" pan. 

Sift together the flour, flaxmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. If some of the flaxmeal seeds doing get easily sifted, add them back to the mix. 

In a separate bowl, mix together the applesauce and eggs. Next add the sugars, and oil, then mix well. Finally, add the pineapple and carrots and mix. 

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, until well incorporated. Then add the walnuts and raisins. When everything is well mixed, add the mix to the floured pan. 

Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. It doesn't hurt to check on the pan after about 30 minutes in the oven to ensure consistent cooking. Rotate the pan once halfway through baking. After baking, remove from the oven and let cool for half an hour. When ready, flip the pan over and remove the cake. Continue to let cool. 

To prepare the frosting, combine the butter and cream cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer. Beat for 3 or 4 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides, until well blended. Then add the powdered sugar, lime and lemon juices, and lime zest. Beat on high for at least a minute, scraping down the sides once. If the frosting is too thick, add a bit more juice. If the frosting is too thing, add more powdered sugar. Once the correct consistency has been reached, spread the frosting over the surface of the cake in one very thick layer. Using a sharp clean knife that gets wiped off in between each cut, cut the cake into small squares. Use paper cupcake liners to hold and present the squares. Decorate as your heart desires! 

Apple Cake

 

Time, oh where do you go? Sometimes you just slip away. Well, I am back and on top of my game. A few weeks of traveling left me with little time for sharing recipes. However, my arsenal is full and good posts are to come!

About a month ago I decided I should try a recipe that has been on my radar for a while - Jewish Apple Cake. After toying with the idea of doing some moderate catering again, I unearthed a recipe for Mom's Apple Cake from Smitten Kitchen. Breads, cakes, and sweets of Eastern Europe are one of the areas I am focusing more on. And this one was right up my alley!

My changes included using Braeburn and Fiji apples, brown sugar instead of white in the cinnamon mixture then half and half of each for the main recipe, applesauce instead of oil, adding 1 teaspoon of almond extract, and I completely forgot the orange juice (go me). Hence I am not sure I can call it a true Jewish Apple Cake, but it was damn good anyway. I was planning on adding an orange glaze, for which I have supplied the recipe below, but didn't end up using it. Enjoy!

PS - Figured you would love the view from my kitchen. A little feathered lady friend! 

Apple Cake

• 6 apples, Braeburn and Fiji work great 
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup applesauce
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extracdt 
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube pan. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together applesauce, sugar, almond extract, and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes or until the cake naturally separates from the pan. Finish cooling on a rack.

If you opt for an orange glaze to sweeten things up, mix 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup orange juice , and 1 teaspoon of vanilla together. Whisk until well incorporated and thickened. Add more powdered sugar if needed to thicken the consistency. Drizzle it over the completely cooled cake and allowed to set before serving.

Carrot Cake Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Baking requests are always welcome, and if the person gets lucky I will actually whip up a batch of whatever was requested pronto. This week I received a request for a healthy version of carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Sounds insanely delicious, right?

Upon digging around I unearthed a healthier version of carrot cake cupcakes from Healthy Food for Living. The lovely Lauren over there at Healthy Food for Living had taken a typical carrot cake cupcake recipe and toned down the amount of fat as well as sugar.

 
Now before you get all sore thinking we killed the sweetness of these little babies, just wait to taste a batch. You really won't notice much other than the taste of delicious in your mouth.

As this week's request is likely to end up as bribery in the local university office, I decided to make a double batch, mixing mini cupcakes with normal sized ones. As I ended up with a little extra left over, I had these mini bundt pans I recently picked up and decided to make a few for kicks.

One thing you will notice is that I call these muffins as opposed to cupcakes. To me, they taste and feel like muffins, especially with the lessened sweetness. However, the beauty of this recipe is that you can add more sugar to the batter or make the cream cheese frosting sweeter. My modifications to the recipe included adding walnuts, using olive oil as it was all I had on hand, using cinnamon applesauce as opposed to natural, using maple flavor as opposed to extract, and using more maple syrup for the cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!


Carrot Cake Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

yields about 12 normal muffins

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 2 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil, such as canola
• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (use 1/4 cup more for added sweetness)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp cinnamon applesauce
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup finely grated peeled carrots, about 2 medium (A microplane grater works best)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 
• 4 oz 1/3-less-fat neufchatel cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3-4 Tbsp pure maple syrup (personal taste)
• 1/8 tsp pure maple extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or coat with canola oil cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 7 ingredients (through ground ginger).

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, and eggs. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla extract.

Stir in the grated carrots.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir just until fully incorporated.

Using a large spoon, divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin  comes out clean.

 

Allow muffins to cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, maple syrup, and maple extract using an electric mixer, until smooth.

Frost muffins once they have completely cooled. Store any uneaten muffins in the fridge.