Carrot Cake (at Chuffy's request)

    • Gold Top Dog

    Carrot Cake (at Chuffy's request)

    This definitely comes under the heading of "fast & easy" or Joyce wouldn't have it in her little green box. Smile

    Beat together in a bowl:   3 eggs,  3/4 cup vegetable oil,  3/4 cup buttermilk (whole, low fat or skim),  2 cups sugar and 2 tsp. vanilla extract.

    In another bowl stir together:  2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsps. baking soda,  2 tsps. cinnamon & 1/2 tsp. salt

    Dump the wet stuff into the dry stuff and mix it together.  Then stir in 1 can crushed pineapple (8 oz.) well drained,  2 cups grated carrots,  1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional) and 3/4 cup shredded coconut.  In a lot of grocery stores now you can get a  bag of carrots already shredded. 

    Pour into a greased/floured 9 X 13 pan and bake at 350 for about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

    While cake is baking, make icing:

    Cream together 1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter or margarine & 1 block (8 oz.) cream cheese - both at room temperature.  Then add 1 tsp. vanilla extract,  2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp. orange juice and 1 tsp. grated orange peel.  Stir well. If frosting is too stiff or too runny, just add a bit more orange juice or powdered sugar.

    Frost when cake is completely cool.  

    Joyce                                                                                                                                               

     

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    Carrot cake is DH's favorite, so I've made a few different kinds. I believe I've made this one too and had the best results with it. The canned pineapple gives it a lot of moistness. This is definitely a great recipe.

     

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    Oooo thanks, I will probably make this at the weekend and I will come back and tell you how it went Smile 

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    Well I've ordered the ingredients in my next shop.  They will come on Monday.  I will probably make this on Monday or Tuesday... I will let you know how it goes... 

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    Help I have some questions!

    First does anyone know a site or something where I can get a good conversion table.  I can just about manage grams/ounces but I am not used to working with Am. "cups".  I want to make sure I get the quantities right cos I'll be SOOO disapointed if I fail tomorrow.

    Also, I just want to check the "translations"....

    I'massuming that "all purpose flour" is plain flour... right?  Cos it's got the baking soda in it as well, so it wouldn't be self raising would it....

    I have mascarpone cheese, which is a kind of cream cheese.  Is that ok?

    And is powdered sugar icing sugar? 

    I'm drooling just THINKING about this cake... 

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    I'm not sure about the conversion tables, but I know a cup is 8 ounces or 16 tablespoons ... if that helps. Liquids and solids are measured differently - solids are usually measured by weight.  I've always just used plain flour but I don't know if it's self rising or not because I take it out of the paper sack and dump it into a plastic container. Is mascarpone cheese about the same consistency as cream cheese but sweeter?  If so, you could probably use that and just use less sugar.  And yes, for icing use powdered sugar. I don't think using a bit more or less sugar would change the taste at all, and if it affects the consistency, just add more (or less) sugar or liquid. It should come out fine.

    Joyce

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     Oh man that sounds yummy!  Carrot cake was always a staple at Thanksgiving due to my SIL's birthday falling during that week and it's her favorite.  Now I know why my backside always grew 3 sizes during turkey week after reading the ingredients in that yummy icing!!!  LOL!

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    Chuffy, try this:  www.metric-conversions.org        

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    Thanks! I still havent made it Sad  It's on the cards for this weekends. 

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    At last - it is in the oven.  Smells nice.  Now how do I store it - will an air tight container be ok or do I need to put this baby in the fridge...? 

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    The fridge dries out cake, but on the other hand humid weather can make a moist cake (or cakes/bread) with fruits, nuts and veggies mold faster.

    So, to answer your question, it can stay out, covered, unless it is humid!

    Ohhh............and when do I get my piece?

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    It's cooling.  I did 2 halves and I'll put some frosting in the middle and some on top.  It's MILs birthday tomorrow and I haven't bought her anything, so I'll decorate it with "Happy Birthday Nan" and say it's from William Smile

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    I can almost smell from here...yum. If you used cream cheese in the frosting (not sure about marscapone), you should put in the frig though.

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    cakana

    I can almost smell from here...yum. If you used cream cheese in the frosting (not sure about marscapone), you should put in the frig though.

    Agreed!  Especially if it's hot where you are, the mixture of cream cheese and butter can get kind of melty.  What with the oil, eggs, buttermilk and crushed pineapple it's pretty moist, so covering it in the fridge shouldn't make it get dry.  Actually, here it doesn't last long enough to melt or dry out. Smile

    Joyce

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     Er yeah, melty is right!  It looks and smells yummy though, thanks!  It's half 11 here and we'll probably eat this mother tomorrow....