Monday, August 16, 2010

Tasty Tuesday!

I'm giving away our new favorite book - Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten here.

I have a new giveaway up for a Monopoly board game here.

***

I don't have a huge sweet tooth, but there are certain desserts I like. While chocolate isn't my favorite, I could snack on homemade Twix bars for awhile. Or granola.

I generally don't like cake either. When I go to a restaurant, I'd never order cake for dessert. And at birthday parties? I generally pass on cake, knowing that it will be ... ok but probably not worth the calories or the slightly sick feeling I'll have later.

But the carrot cake I make? Ohhhhh that's another one I could sit and just grab a tiny piece of every time I walked by the pan. It isn't the fancy seven layer one that you see in the "real" bakeries, and this is more of a spice cake than some of the ones I've had, but I adore it.

Uhhh shockingly, the cake is gone and I didn't manage to get any pictures of it. Sorry. Again.

Carrot Cake

Cake:
1 c. wheat germ
2/3 c. flour
1 c. granulated sugar
1 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg, fresh ground
1/2 t. cloves, fresh ground
1 t. allspice
1/2 t. salt
1 c raisins
25 baby carrots, grated
3 eggs
2/3 c. vegetable oil

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese (or neufchatel to lower fat -- it works fine)
5 T butter, unsalted
2 1/2 c powdered sugar
2 t vanilla


Directions:
Makes one 13x9 cake, cut into 28 pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 pan.

Add raisins to small saucepan and cover with water. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes while putting together the other ingredients.

Use food processors' grating blade to grate the baby carrots. This will make about 3 c of shredded carrots.

Mix together dry ingredients for cake. Add oil and eggs to a well in the center of dry ingredients. Stirring as little as possible, mix to combine. Add carrots and drained raisins and mix again. There will be just enough batter to hold together the carrots and raisins.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350 for 35 or so minutes (until cake tester comes out clean).

Let the cake cool thoroughly before frosting or the frosting will melt on the cake.

For the frosting, use a food processor for best results. Also, keep the cream cheese cold and the butter at room temp. Put all frosting ingredients into food processor and blend for about 10 seconds (pulsing) until creamy. Be careful not to overmix or it will break down. Use a spatula to combine the remaining bits of sugar, etc.

Frost the cake and enjoy!
Find recipes like this and more at Tempt My Tummy with Blessed with Grace!

11 comments:

Heather August 16, 2010 at 8:37 PM  

this sounds SO SUPER YUMMY! i love carrot cake, it's right up there with red velvet for me :)

Hyacynth August 16, 2010 at 10:04 PM  

Oh, Michelle, this looks SO good. But I cannot make another vegetable cake until I'm done with all the zucchini bread! I just can't. But I'm so weak. I love carrot cake.

Alison @ Hospitality Haven August 17, 2010 at 12:08 AM  

Finally, a carrot cake without pineapple!! YAY! :)

Tara R. August 17, 2010 at 6:54 AM  

Carrot cake is one of my favorites. Hmmm... I have a bag of carrots in the frig... baking time!!

Debbie August 17, 2010 at 8:12 AM  

I got mostly derailed thinking of homemade twix bars. And how many of those I could eat.

Pat August 17, 2010 at 12:31 PM  

Carrot cake is my favorite cake, too! I'll have to try adding wheat germ. That sounds very flavor-enhancing and delicious.

Claudya Martinez August 17, 2010 at 1:09 PM  

I'm not a big chocolate lover either.

Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet August 17, 2010 at 1:44 PM  

Oooh, love me some carrot cake! Could eat the frosting just by itself!! :D

Thanks for sharing!
Sherry

septembermom August 18, 2010 at 2:47 PM  

I needed a carrot cake recipe. Sounds good and easy! Thanks.

HoosierHomemade August 18, 2010 at 7:58 PM  

It's great to share with friends. I'd love for you to join us at my other blog, "Its A Blog Party". I host a different party everyday, Tuesdays are all about food. http://itsablogparty

-Liz

Michelle August 18, 2010 at 9:44 PM  

Heather - It is soooo yummy. But red velvet? I had my first bit when in NYC two weeks ago, and ... it didn't do anything for me. Shhhh.

Hyacynth - Ooooo I'll trade you some zucchini bread for some carrot cake. I LOVE zucchini bread.

Alison - Oh no, no pineapple. That just doesn't belong in carrot cake. Too sweet.

Tara - I think you need to bake. It's sooooo yummy.

Debbie - Oh, trust me. You could eat a lot of them. They're delish!

Pat - The wheat germ is great. I like it to help me ummm pretend I'm eating something somewhat healthy, and it adds a great taste, too.

Unknown Mami - So glad I'm not the only one.

Sherry - Eat the frosting by itself? I would *never* do that.

Kelly - Need. Yep, you always need one of those. Yum!

Liz - Thanks, I think? Then again, food is always good....

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