Keeping up with the others

Ya know it isn't so easy keeping a food blog. I have the policy that what I put on my blog is really what I am doing and making. It is hard to make something new and exciting every day.



I am a woman of few words (unless you know me in person) and I have a hard time going on and on about the things that I am making. Sure I want to share, I just don't want to bore the pants off of you. So here ya have it. It is a Carrot Cake. I made it for a friends birthday and we all liked it a lot. I am posting the recipe so you can make it and like it too. No, this blog will never be my 15 minutes of fame. I already had that when I won a YEAR'S worth of groceries. Or maybe it was the time I won a trip to Italy on a radio station but I didn't take the trip. I think I had lots of 15 minutes so I will move on and here is the recipe:



Carrot Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Icing
Bon Appétit | September 1999

Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger

Icing
10 ounces cream cheese (such as Philadelphia), room temperature
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

12 walnut halves (for garnish)

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Butter and flour paper; tap out excess flour (I used a sheet pan). Whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, walnuts and ginger. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes (I baked for 50 minutes in sheetpan). Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper; cool cakes completely.

For icing:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed until well blended. Beat in maple syrup. Chill until just firm enough to spread, 30 minutes.

Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 3/4 cup icing. Top with second layer. Spread remaining icing over entire cake. Arrange walnut halves around top edge. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.)

This is well worth making (and easy) if you are into carrot cake. This is one of the better ones that I have had.