What Shall We Bake Today?

Food 1 Minute

Today is National Carrot Cake Day, so let’s make one of those.  I have tried many recipes—some use jars of carrot baby food, some used pineapple and coconut, but this is my favorite.  I’ve included the recipe for cream cheese frosting even though I personally despise it.  (I just use my regular frosting for this cake.)

Cake

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 cups Gold Medal™ All-Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups shredded carrots (5 medium)

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 to 3 teaspoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Nutmeg, if desired

Steps

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of one 13×9-inch pan or two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans with shortening; lightly flour. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds or until blended. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla and the salt; beat on low speed 1 minute. Stir in carrots and nuts. Pour into pan(s).

Bake 13×9-inch pan 40 to 45 minutes, round pans 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool rectangle in pan on cooling rack. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. Frost 13×9-inch cake or fill and frost round layers with frosting. Sprinkle nutmeg on frosted cake, if desired. Store in refrigerator.

ENJOY!

Published by FJB

Published

208 thoughts on “What Shall We Bake Today?”

  7. BLACK FOREST CAKE – Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte

    From Time Life German Cookbook

    CAKE
    1 Tbsp butter, softened
    6 Tbsp flour
    10 Tbsp butter
    6 eggs at room temperature
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    1 cup sugar
    1/2 cup sifted flour
    1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

    SYRUP
    1/4 cup sugar
    1 cup cold water (and/or juice from canned or frozen dark sweet cherries)
    1/3 cup kirsch

    FILLING
    3 cups heavy cream – cold
    1/2 cup confectioners sugar
    1/4 cup kirsch

    1 cup poached pitted fresh sweet red cherries or 1 cup drained and rinsed canned red cherries

    GARNISH
    8 ounces semi-sweet bar chocolate – to make chocolate curls
    Fresh cherries with stems
    Or Maraschino cherries with stems, drained and rinsed and dried on paper towel

    DIRECTIONS
    Chocolate curls
    Shave the chocolate bar with vegetable peeler onto pan lined with parchment – peel the long side for big curls and short side for small ones. Refrigerate or freeze curls until ready to use.

    Preparation
    Pre-heat oven to 350º
    With pastry brush or paper towel, lightly butter 3 seven inch cake pans. Sprinkle 2 tbsp flour into each pan, shake and turn to spread flour evenly. Shake out extra flour.

    Cake
    – Clarify 10 tbsp butter in small sauce pan by melting it slowly over low heat. Let it rest for a minute off the heat and then skim off the foam. – Spoon butter into bowl, leaving the milky solids at the bottom of the pan.
    – In electric mixer bowl, beat eggs, vanilla, 1 cup sugar together at high speed for at least 10 minutes, or until mixture is thick and fluffy and has almost tripled in bulk.
    – Combine 1/2 cup of sifted flour and the unsweetened cocoa in a sifter.
    – A little at a time, sift the mixture over the eggs, folding it in gently with a rubber spatula.
    – Add the clarified butter 2 Tbsp at a time. Do not over mix.
    – Gently pour batter into prepared cake pans, dividing evenly.
    – Bake in the middle of the oven 10-15 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
    – Remove the cakes and let them cool in the pans about 5 minutes.
    – Turn out on racks to cool completely.

    Kirsch Syrup
    Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1 cup cold water in a small saucepan.
    Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring only until sugar dissolves. Boil briskly for 5 minutes, then remove the pan from heat and when syrup has cooled to lukewarm, stir in the kirsch.

    Transfer the cakes to a long strip of wax paper and prick each layer lightly with dines of a long fork. Sprinkle the layers evenly with the syrup and let them rest for at least 5 minutes.

    If you are using fresh cherries, pit them, then poach in 2 cups water and 3/4 cup sugar. Brin to boil, reduce heat to low, simmer 5 minutes or until cherries are tender. Drain well.

    Frosting
    In large chilled mixer bowl, beat the cream until it thickens slightly. Then sift 1/2 cup confectioners sugar over the cream and beat until stiff peaks form when beater is lifted from the bowl. Add 1/4 cup kirsch in a thin stream. Beat only until kirsch is dissolved.

    Assembling the cake:
    Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread top with 1/2 inch thick layer of whipped cream, and strew a cup of fresh cherries over it, leaving 1/2 inch around the edge.
    Gently set a second layer on top, repeat the cream and cherries.
    Top with final layer, frost the whole cake with whipped cream.
    Press chocolate curls onto sides of cake and arrange stemmed cherries and chocolate curls on top in preferred design.

    Store cake in air tight container in refrigerator until ready to serve. Best to serve same day, though you may make layers a day or so ahead of time and refrigerate, then finish by pouring syrup, frosting, and assembling the cake.

    This cake is Sally’s all time favorite – was frequently served for her Birthday. Will have to work on a diabetic version with almond flour, and some of those new natural sugar substitutes.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. thanks for this GA!
      I am not fond of cherries…but hubby is.

      did you see the news about stevia? it was on a natural website type thing. he said that stevia in africa is used to cause abortions–they make a tea out of it…

      Liked by 1 person

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