Food is Love, Love is Food.

A blog devoted to the connection between meals, memories and the special moments in our lives.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Celebrating a Birthday at Work: Carrot Cake

If you are lucky, you get to work in a field that is rewarding and fulfilling, and if you are really lucky, you meet coworkers who are 'simpatico' and become true friends.  I am blessed on both counts. I am a middle school teacher, and I met my dear friend Jeri when I began teaching at my current school.  She is all the good things one would want in a teacher.  She is compassionate towards kids, passionate about the subject which she teaches, and she holds everyone, kids and teachers alike, to high standards.  She is a font of creative ideas and shares her ideas with everyone around her in the most helpful manner. She is a class act, full of positive energy, and she is celebrating a birthday this week.  I am a firm believer in the idea of finding any reason to celebrate, so today, we had carrot cake for Jeri's birthday.  It had to be the best carrot cake, worthy of Jeri, and I just so happen to have an awesome carrot cake recipe.  It produces an ultra moist cake, has a delicious carmely glaze that is absorbed by the cake, and is frosted with the most delicious cream cheese frosting.  I have made it in layers, but it is easier to make in a 9 X 13 pan because it is so moist. It also works well in cupcake form.   Make it for someone with whom you are fortunate to be friends, and they may even share!

Carrot Cake  (from Southern Living)

2 cups all- purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
1  8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Stir together the first 4 ingredients.  Beat eggs and the next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended.  Fold in carrots and next three ingredients.  Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 X 13 inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning, and bake 13 minutes more or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean.  Drizzle Buttermilk glaze (recipe follows) evenly over cake. 

Buttermilk Glaze:
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Bring sugar, baking soda, buttermilk and corn syrup to a boil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes or until mixture is golden brown.  Watch it closely because it will boil over easily.  Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.  Drizzle over carrot cake.  Once the cake is cool, frost with cream cheese frosting (recipe follows).

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 stick butter, softened
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1  16 oz. package confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add confectioners sugar gradually, beating just until mixed thoroughly.  Add vanilla extract and mix.  Spread over the carrot cake after it has completely cooled.

Note:  I made the cake and buttermilk glaze 2 days ahead, and put it in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap, and it kept nicely.  I then frosted it the night before I served it.

No comments:

Post a Comment