Carrot Cake

I haven't been really cooking that much lately because of being busy. Wednesday was our last community meeting with Scott County. Our project is finally wrapping up and our final book and products are being put together. They will soon be on the web!

A few photos from the meeting in Scott County:

Paul developed a comprehensive greenway

James studied the Horsey Hundred bicycle trail

Mike looked at a county wide land-use vision

This weekend is going to be pretty eventful. It looks like the weather isn't going to cooperate though, so some of the things we planned may not happen. Brad is coming down for the weekend because of all the things that are going on. I'm sure we'll have a blog post about the weekend! For the occasion, I'm fixing a two layer round cake, which I haven't done before. Since Easter is coming up soon, I decided that it should be a carrot cake. Here is my adapted recipe from Alton Brown's.

If you didn't want to use the round cake pans, I think a 9X13 pan would work well. If you do, you may want to cut the frosting recipe in a third since you will only be frosting the top! It was a little too much frosting as it was!

Mixing the white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt

Buttering the pans

Let's hope everyone likes it! 

Final cake!

I have a sugar rush just by making it!

CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
CAKE

• Unsalted butter for greasing the pan
•  2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour, plus extra for pan
• 3/4 cup grated carrots, medium grate, 4-6 medium carrots
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 6 ounces honey Greek yogurt
• 6 ounces Canola oil
• Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix together until smooth.  

Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Makes about 2 cups

DIRECTIONS

Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Grate the carrots and set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a bowl. 

Add the grated carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.

In another bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.

While mixing, drizzle in the oil. 

Add a third of the flour mix at a time to the wet mixture and fold in until just combined. 

Pour half into each of the cake pans and bake for 16-20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. 

After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. 

To Frost:

Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.

Frost only the top of one cake layer

Top with finely crushed toasted walnuts

Add second layer, then continue top and sides