Well, time flies and so do posts! I can’t believe this is my hundredth post, and squashing 100 posts into a year filled with grad school, internships, and family devastation has been a bit of a whirlwind. I’ve loved almost every post, and am looking forward to 100 more! I was going to do a giveaway for this occasion but have to amass things to give away first, though I have some book-like ideas, but also I have NO activity in the comments, for all the lovely readers I have. Hmm. I must need to be more provocative in my posts, thought provoking rather. Still figuring out the engagement bit of all of this.
Tag Archives: frosting
Carrot Cake
I have to tell you something before you scroll down to the intro photo. There was not enough time for me to take a good photo of this cake. We made it Friday night and were so busy once the party got started that I didn’t have a chance to slip away and take nice shots of the cut cake. So… what you see below is all that is left, it is a broken, half-smooshed tiny piece. Also, I too have kitchen issues, I definitely grated my finger in the process (don’t worry, it didn’t get in with the carrots) and have been band-aided for two days. Sigh. In all, I hope you know that this means that this carrot cake was too good for photos. Don’t judge this delicious cake by the photo…
We made some of my dad’s favourite foods for his party and the desserts were no exception. Dad has always loved carrot cake, so of course it was on the menu. We also made Saskatoon Blueberry Pie and Saskatoon Blueberry Plum Apple Pie, so stay tuned for those on Thursday. This carrot cake was a big hit, I had many requests for it to be posted and rightfully so, it is moist, perfectly sweet and everything we’d hoped! Dad would’ve loved it, and that is exactly what we wanted.
Carrot Cake
Cake recipe adapted from here.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsps ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp cardamon
- 1 3/4 cups white sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 (14 oz) can pineapple tidbits (or crushed), drained
- 1 cup walnuts, crushed (optional)
Cream Cheese Icing
- 1 (250 g) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch pan.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cardamon, and cinnamon.
- Add sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir well, mixing until smooth.
- Stir in carrots, coconut, and pineapple. (add walnuts now too)
- Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. The centre might sink a bit, it didn’t for me, but don’t fear!
- Cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla, beat until creamy and fluffy, add more sugar as needed for the desired texture.
- Even better, frost with the mascarpone whipped cream frosting from the Guinness Cupcakes!
Guinness Cupcakes with a fluffy Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting “Head”
Oh my. OH MY. These are so frigging tasty. I already loved the Guinness chocolate cake recipe, as evidenced in this really early post, but this light, fluffy, erethreal frosting brings them to a new level. They are not weighed down by sweetness. Oh man, so delicious. Guinness brings a deep, dark, stouty note to the chocolate cake, and the whipped cream and mascarpone frosting is rich and lightly sweet, avoiding the too-tangy zip of cream cheese frostings. The fluffy, cloud of frosting becomes on the rich Guinness cupcake.
These cupcakes are part in honour of the Olympics in London… but truly they are in honour of my wonderful friend, Caelin who horribly left me to live in London, yesterday. She loves her a pint of Guinness, and I love me some Caelin. I think these would’ve been more appropriate an honour had I baked them in time for her to have one, but she can eyeball them from across the pond and weep at all the mistakes she’s made (ie. leaving me). Anyway, the cupcakes are the same that I used before, just halved, though it still made 22 (I made them smaller this time).
Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/5 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup room-temperature Guinness
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the rack in the middle, and prepare muffin tins by lining with papers.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Beat together butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one and at time, beating well. Beat in vanilla.
- Add flour mixture and beer alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing until just combined.
- Fill cups 2/3rds full and bake until the tops of the cupcakes are spongy to the touch, 18-20 minutes.
- Cool on a rack for at least 30 mins until cool before frosting.
- Feel free to eat one while still hot, sans frosting, these are DELICIOUS.
Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting
From justJENN.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
DIRECTIONS
- In a medium bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Stir together until smooth, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. Fold the mascarpone mixture into the whipped cream until combined.
- Keep refrigerated, this isn’t a frosting to stay out overnight. That said, it keeps on the counter for a few hours if you are setting them out for people to munch on. Also, fold in some nuts and/or coconut for a funky, fun fruit/cookie dip!
Guinness, cocoa powder, and flour. Ready to go!
Poured and ready to bake!
