Carrot Cake

What can i say about carrots?

1. Im not a big fan of carrots..bt not till the stage where i'll start picking out bits of carrots that are on my plate..
2. I can never understand why would ppl munch on raw carrots..thought that's rabbit food..?(no offense to carrot lovers)
3. Hated it when my mom made me drink carrot juice..though it s said to be good for vision..
4. Mashed carrots are meant for babies..

After all that have been said abt carrots..u may wonder why do i even bother baking carrot cake..

1. It was a cake order from my class (last tues)..My class celebrates birthdays for the birthday babies every once in 2 months..
2. I don't eat what i bake,or cook..even though it is said to be nice..not that i don't believe or appreciate the good comments given, i'm satisfied and happy enough when i see ppl enjoying what i bake and cook :) :) :)
   
3. Carrots actually go well in cake..

Usually when u use a fruit or vege as an ingredient in baking, the flavor of the fruit/veg is prominent..u will be able to taste the scent of citrus in lemon cake..orange, durian..etc..bt somehow in the case of carrot cake, u can't actually taste the "carroty-ness" in it..sometimes u may not even realize the presence of the humble carrot :p

If u r a beginner in baking and u wanna try a simple recipe fr stractch (not those premix cake fr the box)..u can try baking a carrot cake..it s really simple and straightforward..all that needs2b done s mixing the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and lastly add in the carrots and other chopped fruits and nuts together..the only hassle s grating the carrots..

After much that has been said, it s time to start the recipe..

CARROT CAKE RECIPE (simplified):
Ingredients

Cake:
Dry Ingredients--
3 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs baking soda
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients--
1 1/2 cups sunflower oil
4 eggs
1 Tbs vanilla essence
Other ingredients--
1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups dessicated coconut
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup canned pineapple, drained and sliced

Frosting:
250g cream cheese, room temperature
85g butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 Tbs lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175 C..Grease two 9 inch cake pans..
2. Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl..Add all the wet ingredients, beat well..Fold in the other ingredients..
3. Pour batter into 2 pans..bake in preheated oven for 50 mins or until baked..Cool on a cake rack..
4. Frosting: cream together the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl..Sift in icing sugar and beat until mixture is lump free..Stir in vanilla and lemon juice..
5. Frost after cake is cooled..

This is a great recipe..bt i find the icing a little too watery..will probably make cupcakes the next time round..
Enjoy!!!

Recipe source: adapted from Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes..
photo credits: not my sister. (though she did dish out some helpful tips) ;p *that was typed by rachel k*