Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Saturday was my father's 59th birthday so I decided to make his favorite cake as a surprise. His favorite cake happens to be Carrot Cake and of course I had never made one before which lead me to researching all different recipes. I found a ton of recipes until I came across one I thought would be perfect with the addition of one more ingredient. The extra ingredient I added was chopped walnut pieces because he loves just about every type of nut and I knew he would love the addition of them here. I have to admit throughout the baking I was worried that it wouldn't taste good but he reassured me in the end by being very surprised and saying he believes it is the best Carrot Cake he has ever had! I apologize for not taking more pictures but I wasn't even thinking about that at the time but if you need a great Carrot Cake recipe and Cream Cheese Frosting here you go!

 

Carrot Cake:

 

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

4 eggs

3/4 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots

1 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans. Set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. Mix together the eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla in a large electric mixing bowl.

4. Stir in the small bowl of dry ingredients then fold in carrots and walnuts.

5. Divide between your two 8 inch round pans.

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

 

 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

 

Ingredients:

16 oz. of cream cheese, softened

8 oz. of unsalted butter, room temperature

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

 

Directions:

1. In an electric mixing bowl cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.

2. Slowly add 2 cups of powdered sugar and vanilla extract while continuing to mix for 3 minutes.

3. Add last two cups of powdered sugar and mix for another 3 minutes or until smooth.

4. Frost cake and enjoy!

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie

 

 

 

Tacky Christmas Party

Sunday night was the Midtown Pilates work Christmas Party. We decided that we would make it tacky themed. I decided that I would go very tacky and of course our dates had to be tacky too so I supplied jay with plenty of things to complete his tacky outfit. I love themed parties because it is always fun to see what everyone ends up wearing. Along with having to dress tacky we were all assigned something different to bring and no surprise here but I was assigned the dessert. Since, the owner and my boss does not like peppermint I was supposed to make anything as long as it does not include peppermint. Well for this time of year Peppermint flavored desserts are everywhere. I decided that I would try something new but still festive for the holiday. The dessert that I ended up making was a Red Velvet Bundt Cake with a Cream Cheese Frosting Glaze. I hope you enjoy all the pictures below and don't worry the recipe for the cake is below also! Happy Tacky Tuesday!

 

 

Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Glaze:

Ingredients:

Duncan Hines Red Velvet Boxed Cake Mix (I was pressed for time so had to use the cake mix)

8 oz. Cream Cheese

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter

4 cups Confectioners' (powdered) Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

 

Directions:

1. Grease and flour your Bundt pan thoroughly. But when flouring use the dry cake mix so that the cake does not have white flour residue when it comes out of the pan.

2. Follow directions on the box to prepare the Bundt cake.

3. Set Cream Cheese and unsalted Butter in your mixing bowl to soften.

4. Once softened add the Confectioners' Sugar and Vanilla Extract. Mix until smooth like a frosting.

5. Once cake cools, warm up your frosting in the microwave so that it is able to be poured over your cake to create the Cream Cheese Frosting Glaze.

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie

 

 

 

Pumpkin Spiced Mini Bundt Cakes

Saturday I made these Pumpkin Spiced Mini Bundt Cakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting for a tailgate for the MSU vs. LSU game. These are the perfect fall treat. The smell that flows through the house when you make these is heavenly! Unfortunately, we lost the game but at least these treats were good!

 

Pumpkin Spiced Mini Bundt Cakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

 

Bundt Cakes:
1 box of Spiced Cake Mix

1 can of Pumpkin Puree

1 mashed Banana

1/2 cup of Applesauce

1 tbsp. of Cinnamon

 

Frosting:

8 oz. bar cream cheese (at room temp.)

1/2 stick unsalted butter (at room temp.)

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon table salt

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Make the cake: Mix all ingredients for the bundt cakes together in a big mixing bowl using an electric mixer until smooth.

3. Bake in the oven for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

4. Make the frosting: Using your electric mixer again, beat all ingredients on high until light and fluffy (3 to 5 minutes).

5. Let cakes cool then frost them.

 

 

P.S. Using the applesauce and mashed banana is a healthier alternative to the oil and eggs that they boxed cake mix calls for.

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie