Three reasons to eat this cake: My husband’s Birthday (DC), My Mom’s Birthday (Retro Rose), and her one year smoke free anniversary after smoking for 57 years.
This triple celebration deserved a choice cake and a dinner party. I made an old fashioned Italian meal for everyone, and a salad with oranges and walnuts and home baked bread. How anyone ate cake and gelato after this is a mystery, but they did!
This is a special cake because it comes from my friend, Kristina. We met studying kung fu in California, went to Paris together, and she made my bridal shower food, and stood at my wedding coordinating everyone’s steps, which included 5 children. Somehow we lost contact, as I moved to Nashville and she got married and moved to Seattle. Facebook brought us back together, and food and our dogs will keep us together. If anyone lives in Long Beach, we could be spotted at the Coffee Cup Cafe on Saturday mornings eating the best breakfast in the world. Out of all the restaurants I could miss in the LA area, I miss that one the most. This week Zoe, Kristina’s dog, had to have a leg amputated (due to cancer), so sending a big big hug and love to Seattle.
The Process
This is my very first carrot cake, and it delivered everything a good carrot cake should. Moist crumb, spicy flavor, nutty bites. We did NOT use raisins, but you could add those in. And, the lemony cream cheese frosting was just right, not too lemony but enough to know it’s there. And, my mom brought lemonade, which I loved because when I get on a flavor kick, I want it in everything.
In keeping with my citrus cravings, my contribution to the recipe was orange zest tossed throughout the sugar, ala Dorie Greenspan, and I made up my own cream cheese frosting, adding in lots of lemon because I’ve been in the most lemony mood.
DC, a serious carrot cake lover, claims it was the best carrot cake of his life. I think Retro Rose was hoping for my coconut cupcakes, but a guest brought coconut gelato, a great pairing, which was also served with cookies. The amount of cream cheese will be enough if you want to triple layer the cake.
Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 ½ cups grated carrots (pat to remove moisture)
- 1 ½ cups chopped toasted walnuts (dust with a little of the flour so nuts suspend better in the batter)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts for topping
- zest of one orange
Instructions
- Grease and flour two or three cake rounds (I used 2)
- Grate carrots (I used food processor)
- Sift together all dry ingredients
- Add zest to sugar, mix with hands
- Whip oil and sugar together until light
- Add eggs to sugar mixture
- Add flour to sugar mixture in batches, mix thoroughly
- Add carrots and walnuts
- Pour evenly in prepared cake rounds, bake immediately
- Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 12 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 5 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- lemon zest and juice of one lemon
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Mix lemon zest powdered sugar, set aside
- Mix cream cheese and butter
- Mix in powdered sugar
- Add juice of lemon
- Add 2 teaspoons vanilla
Cover with plastic, so that plastic is touching frosting, if you are not going to use immediately. Best if used within 30 minutes.
Personal Notes:
Happy Birthday to the best husband in the whole world, who has taught me the true meaning of love.
Happy Birthday to my mom who has taught me the meaning of redemption.
Congratulations for one smoke free year, as I learned about miracles
Hugs and love to Kristina, and Zoe and a prayer for a rapid recovery.
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Oh My Angela this looks divine… I can’t believe your so skinny cooking all of this beautiful food..Hats off to you!
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