Thursday, July 22, 2010

Carrot Cake




Raw carrots are difficult for me to eat. Cooked carrots are hard for me to eat. Cooked carrots that have their flavors hidden are easier for me to eat. Call me crazy but I'm not crazy for carrots. I cringe at the thought of eating a raw carrot. Even drenched in ranch dressing, I just can't eat it. BTW, a little fun fact. So I was watching the Dr. Oz show and carrots actually don't help your eyesight as much as everyone say they do. It's actually a myth!! Instead, dark green leafy vegetables help more!! Anyway, once the carrot's flavor is disguised with something flavorful, I eat them with ease. That's why Carrot Cake is so delicious to me. Its flavor is disguised with spices and it's just so darn good! I'd like to think that this cake is healthy. I mean, it's a cake that uses VEGETABLES!! How can it be bad? This has to be another semi-healthy dessert!! Carrots already have a natural sweetness so we're just enhancing it here with more sugar! :D

Now, I can't give away the recipe for this carrot cake. Sorry I'm not sharing again!! (I'll explain later in this post). I'm probably getting on your nerves for not posting recipes, huh? Well, I'll talk about it later. But today, yes today, July 22nd, is one of my best friend's birthday! Happy Birthday to Michael Appelgate!! Woot Woot!! Happy Birthday bro!! I met Michael my freshmen year of high school. I don't think we started talking until we were both on our high school swim team. Let me tell you, that swim team was a doozy!! Waking up at 5:00 AM everyday to go to swim practice for about 2 hrs, go to school for another 6 hrs, then having land practice for another hour, was TOUGH!! Not to mention smelling like chlorine the whole day. It was through joining this team that enabled me to make great friends on that swimming team and even though I didn't enjoy the practices so much, it was all worth it. So once again, Happy Birthday Michael!! Oh, it's also my cousin, Jeremiah's birthday as well. Happy Birthday to him too!! haha.

So, why am I not going to post the recipe for my carrot cake? Like I said before I want to own a cupcake shop. But, this recipe is a serious secret as well. It's kind of hard to explain. My family wasn't supposed to have this recipe. In fact, I don't think anyone was supposed to have this recipe. My mom got it from a co-worker who got it from another co-worker somehow and I had to "drag" the recipe out of my mom. My mom specifically said not to share it. So, there you go. I did find a recipe that is similar to the one I use so here's the similar recipe. (Betty Crocker's Carrot Cake) P.S. I need to work on my piping skills.....

Carrot Cake
Ingredients
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
Ingredients
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

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of one 13x9-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 13x9-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 13x9-inch cake or fill and frost round layers with frosting. Store in refrigerator.

Carrot Cake on Foodista
-Aaron John
My Food Outings: AJ's Food Adventure
Facebook Fan Page

30 comments:

  1. Carrot cake - my favorite way to eat carrots by far! I also have a fantastic carrot cake recipe on my blog :)

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  2. haha those swim practices! that was a great freshman team!

    so now you have another secret recipe to go along with your Filipino bbq!

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  3. I'm with you with the carrots.As much as I loved watching Bugs munch on his carrots,I never took to carrots well until I had my first taste of carrot cake. You have a great food blog AJ and If you won't mind I'd love to guide Foodista readers to this post.Just click on the foodista widget and add it to the end of this post and it's all set, It will automatically add a link to your post on Foodista's carrot cake page.Thanks!

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  4. how can you not love carrots?! Mind you that's me with celery. i cannot eat it! Your cake looks great!

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  5. I have the same justification for cakes/bread/sweets that use vegetables, like zucchini bread/muffins, beetroot cake and of course, carrot cake. They must be good for you. :)

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  6. Jess: Same here! Practically the only way I'll eat carrots. lol. I'll take a look at your carrot cake! :)

    Michael: Probably the best freshmen team ever!! Haha. The filipino BBQ will forever remain a secret. lol.

    Alisa: Thanks for visiting!! I have posted the foodista widget. It's the first time I've heard of foodista so thanks for that!! :D

    Le: Me and carrots are like me and every other vegetables....I really don't like 'em. I hate celery as well!! It's gross to me!! lol.

    Michael Toa: Having that mindset really makes me feel better about eating it. haha.

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  7. I love carrot cake but the rest of my family doesn't..so i haven't had carrot cake for a long time;)

    Also, i can empathize w/ not sharing recipes i too have some that i can't share..just don't forget us when you open your shop=;)

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  8. Love the sound of this carrot cake!

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  9. Great carrot cake recipe. Thanks for visiting me today. I am now following you. Be sure to come back and visit as I am always posting new recipes and having giveaways. Kat

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  10. Taga Luto: You should make one. Then you can have it all to yourself!! Or just make some cupcakes! :D I def. won't forget you all when I have my own shop. When that happens, the recipes are coming out!! haha

    Anh: Thank you!! :DD

    Kat: Thanks!! I am now following you as well. I'll def, be coming back to your blog!! :D

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  11. Hey AJ,
    Congrats on breaking into Foodgawker! This cake looks amazing.
    ~Anne

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  12. Nice job on the frosting, :)
    I love baking and carrot cakes is like my official trademark, lol! Well, basically because my four kids love it. And of course, it's pretty simple to make. My kids would literally hang out in the kitchen when I'm baking one, they would bring along their coloring stuff and do their arts thing right on the dining table. As if somebody else would snatch the carrot cake from them!

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  13. AJ, that is a great looking cake. I've also been reading through your earlier posts. I love your recipes and will be back often to see what else you've been making. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  14. I feel almost exactly the same way about carrots. When I was a child, I really believed that the consumption of carrots contributed heavily to my nightmares. LOL!

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  15. Anne: Thanks!! I've been trying to get on it for the longest time. I kept getting rejected but I'm happy now!! :DD

    Cake Recipes: Thanks!! That's so cute about your kids!! Carrot cake is so good that they can't miss out on it. haha.

    Mary: Thank you!! :DD I'll def. be checking out your blog as well!!

    Memoria: HAHA. I know right?! Anyway to get out of eating carrots I'll take it. Unless in a cake.... lol

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  16. Carrot cake's one of my absolute favorites. :) Holy yum!

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  17. Hi AJ! Found this in Foodista . Nice blog. And on the contrary, I'm more into raw carrots than the cooked ones.. I don't mind carrot cake though, gotta love it :D Looking forward to your next posts

    PS: you should try to add widgets to your other posts as well, so we'll get to see them in Foodista as well! :) Keep it up! Cheers, Amy from Australia

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  18. Mary: It really is good!! :D

    Amy: Thanks! I never heard of Foodista until, well yesterday. haha. Glad I found out about it! Carrot cake is possible the bridge between carrot haters and lovers. lol. Who ever invented it is a genius! haha.
    I also added widgets to the rest of my blog. :)

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  19. I like carrots in pretty much any form, but carrot cake is always my favorite. Yum!

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  20. Yes! Carrot cake is my favorite. It feels slightly healthy. And orange food is always the best. Ever try Ina's recipe? It is outstanding.

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  21. Yum! The groom's cake I just made was carrot cake with coconut! And don't worry about your piping..it comes with practice! Plus it is ridiculously hard to do anything fantastic with cream cheese icing!

    ps. the wedding cake was a success! Check it out :)

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  22. that looks SO freaking amazing, I almost cant stand it! like really. i might just have to try this though I am not a a big cc fan since my young days :P

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  23. I LOVE carrot cake. It's probably one of my favorite cakes. I might even prefer it over a chocolate cake!

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  24. Baking.Serendipity: You are lucky!! haha. I just can't eat a carrot. lol.

    Rick: I actually haven't. I did look at her recipe though!! Sounds delicious!

    Evan: Thanks! Cream cheese frosting is definitely hard to work with. Your wedding cakes looks great!! :D

    La Lola: Thank you! haha. Carrot cake kind of grew on me. :)

    Garcon de Croissant: Oh my!! That's definitely love for carrot cake! haha

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  25. Thanks for checking out my blog! I'm looking forward to a Jess' mom's carrot cake tonight - she claims it is the best carrot cake ever!

    Yummmm, the best part might be the cream cheese frosting!

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  26. Your funny about carrots, can't eat them in anything but cake...I like that. I think your piping skills aren't bad at all, have you taken a class?

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  27. Carrot cake is awesome. I'm planning on making some soon. :)

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  28. Cooking Rookie: Thanks!!

    Mollie: Yum!!! Cream cheese frosting is soooo good!! :D

    DebbieL Haha. I actually haven't taken classes. I just watch the food network a lot and Ina Garten explained it really well when she was making meringue.

    Sarah: Thanks!! Carrot Cake is always delicious!

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  29. My to go cake whenever there is an occasion in the house. Everyone loves my carrot cake.

    Mariz
    Look at Powerstroke Injectors Ford

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Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! :)

-Aaron John

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