RECIPE FOR OUR FAVORITE CARROT CAKE
In middle school, I lived right across the street from my teacher. As you can expect, there are numerous instances of awkwardness, both imagined and actual.
Such an occurrence occurred one morning while I was rushing late to school. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, stared at my hair for a millisecond, grabbed my lunch from the fridge, and sprinted out the door with my sneakers half on, although I knew things couldn’t get any better. As if things couldn’t get any worse, the bus was already on its way. “WAITTTTT!” I shouted as I half-ran after it. But, as with many other mornings, it continued on its own.
A “GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD DAAAMMITTTT” replete with an annoyed jig and much air punching sounded like a good idea with my jacket half-on and my socks already soaked from the lawn’s early dew.
As the steam from my ears began dissipating, I heard someone behind me say, “Do you need a ride to school?”
She was holding a mug of coffee and the teacher’s handbag (the one that had to hold three classes’ worth of tests, books, and lunch) and gazing at me with concern.
“Oh, heh…heh…umm..” says the speaker. The awkwardness of driving up to school and stepping out of her old Lincoln weighed heavily on my mind for a while.
“Of course!” exclaimed the student.
Because Mrs. R offered us her family’s carrot cake recipe, she is one of the most important people in our lives. We were exposed to this cake at a neighborhood block party and were blown away by its beauty and simplicity. We instantly asked for the recipe for this cake, which was stuffed with almonds, coconut, and pineapple, moist, and topped with a rich cream cheese icing.
Regarding the original recipe (which calls for 2 cups of sugar and 1 1/2 cups of oil), I have to admit that preferences have changed with time, and our preference for a lighter cake has necessitated a few changes. However, if you like the original carrot cake recipe, feel free to do so. Our neighbor across the street declared the original the greatest she’s ever tasted.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CAKE:
- 2 cups of all purpose flour(sifted)
- 2 tsp. of baking powder
- 1½ tsp. of baking soda
- 1½ tsp. of salt
- 2 tsp. of cinnamon
- 1½ cups of sugar
- 1¼ cups of vegetable or canola oil
- 4 pcs. of eggs
- 2 cups of finely grated carrot
- 8 oz. of can of crushed pineapple (drained)
- ½ cup of finely chopped pecans (optional)
- 3½ oz. of flaked coconut (optional)
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- ½ cup of butter
- 8 oz. of cream cheese
- 1 tsp. of vanilla
- 1 lb. of confectioner’s sugar (sifted)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Prepare three 9-inch round cake pans by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and sprinkling each pan with flour—Flake the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon into a bowl and mix. Adding oil and eggs to the mixture is the next step. Next, add the carrots, pineapples, pecans, and coconuts to the dish. Mix thoroughly.
- Use a ladle to measure the batter and fill each pan one ladle at a time to guarantee a uniform distribution without needing a scale.
- Bake the cakes for around 35 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the cakes. Make sure you don’t overcook them! The borders of the cake can become very crisp because of the high sugar content and other ingredients. Wait until you’re ready to eat, or serve immediately in an airtight container.
- You can begin making your cream cheese icing as soon as the cakes have cooled down. In a mixing dish, combine the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract. Low to medium-speed whipping of the cream is the way to go. Add the confectioner’s sugar gradually, scraping the bowl as needed while the mixer is low. If it appears excessively thick, a dash of milk can be added. Add more confectioner’s sugar if it’s too runny.
- Spread a tiny layer of frosting between each layer of cake, reserving most of the frosting for the rest of the cake to cover.