i love it when birthdays come around, it gives me a chance to bake cakes. i recently made some carrot cake cupcakes that were inspired by some local baby carrots...
...and a birthday. i had some leftover batter so i poured it into a bread pan and made a rustic cake. both were just as delicious!
enjoy! it is a great fall comfort cake.
ingredients
1 pound peeled carrots
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup water
1 cup local milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large free range eggs...local if you can!
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups organic sugar
3 cups organic unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 teashopoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cardamon, ground
1 1/2 cups local pecans
directions
-pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
-grate the carrots by hand or use a food processor
-melt butter in a cast iron pan, add the carrots and saute for a few minutes
-add the water and cook for 5 minutes to cook off some water
-add the milk and brown sugar and simmer for a few more minutes. cool mixture
-when cooled add the eggs, vanilla, sugar,oil and milk, mix
-in a different bowl mix together the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cardamon
-combine the wet mixture with the dry
-chop the pecans and add to mixture
-pour into a greased and floured cake pan, bread pan or a lined muffin pan
-bake for about 25 minutes for cupcakes and longer for cake....test with a toothpick
cream cheese frosting
ingredients
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup organic unsalted butter
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
4 cups (more or less to taste) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
directions
-pulse the pecans in a food processor, until finely ground
-beat the rest of the ingredients and add the pecans
-spread onto the cooled cake or cupcakes