Cake of the week: Carrot Cake
10.28.04 (8:33 pm) [edit]
I have a 70th Birthday Dinner to attend tomorrow and I volunteered to bake the cake. I must be a sucker for punishment, why else would I be up late at night baking and calling the people to tell them that I will be at their house at 7 a.m. to deliver the cake before I go to work because I wont have time to stop back at my house and pick it up before going to dinner.
CARROT CAKE
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup chopped pecans
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- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.
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My day off
10.27.04 (10:57 am) [edit]
Have you ever done something without really thinking about it then later (usually when you get caught in the act) you realize that you really shouldn't have done what you just did?
Today is my day off from work and my plan is to clean the house, do laundry, take out the trash... all the things that have been getting put off all week. Well, in my leisurely act of doing these chores this morning I haven't gotten dressed yet. After taking the trash to the regular drop area at the end of the driveway to be picked up later this morning, I came back in the house to get all the burnable stuff and headed out the back door to the burn can. While picking up a few apples from under one of the trees near the burn can I was thinking that I had better hurry up before the Trash Man gets here and sees me out here in the lawn gathering apples in my night gown. I walked to the barn to put the apples in storage with the rest that I've gathered and find my mother is still here doing her morning chores. I was chatting with Mother and sharing an apple with Lleo the llama when we heard a vehicle outside. Mom went to see who it was, thinking it was just the Trash Man coming for the trash... WRONG!!! Mom comes back in the barn with a really strange look on her face telling me that Ashley is here to see me. My reply was "OMG.... What is HE doing here???".
Ashley is a friend of mine who just moved to this area, a little over a year ago to, open a skydiving center and homestay. He moved to the States a few years back from Australia. He and his wonderful wife Celeine are planning a 70th Birthday party for a friend of ours and I told them I would bake a cake. THAT is why Ash came to visit this morning, to talk about the party and to pay me for the rolls I baked last weekend for the Skydiving Boogie.
When Mother told me that someone was here to see me I was like "but I'm not dressed, and I'm in the barn, what am I going to do?" Its not like I can run to the other room and dress before he sees me. Well nothing else to do except go talk to him. Fortunately it had been cold last night and I am wearing my flannel night gown not one of the others that I have :-O
Okay so how do you keep a straight face while standing in the barn door, talking to a handsome &nbs p;Aussie, while wearing your nightgown, at 11 o'clock in the morning....
LOL...Oh life on the farm, there is NEVER a dull moment!
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Greasy Food Day
10.26.04 (1:19 am) [edit]
I read somewhere that today is National Greasy Food Day. Has anyone else heard this? Did you eat anything greasy to celebrate?... I had deep fried mushrooms for lunch but didn't realize it was Greasy Food Day until hours later.
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Want to know me better?
10.25.04 (12:32 am) [edit]
Just read the discreption of my test results and you'll have an almost perfect example of ME!
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Apple Snicker Salad
10.21.04 (10:20 pm) [edit]
Apple Snicker Salad
16 oz. Tub Cool Whip, Thawed
1 small box Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
3 King Size Snickers Bars, Diced
4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and diced
Caramel Ice Cream Topping
Mix Cool Whip and pudding mix together. Add diced apples and two of the diced snickers bars, mix together. Garnish the top with Caramel topping drizzles and the last diced up Snickers bar.
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Triple Chocolate Cake
10.20.04 (2:28 pm) [edit]
Triple Chocolate Cake |
Wednesday 10.20.04 [11:22 am] delete entry | edit entry |
I never got around to adding the recipe for the cake I made last week did I? Okay, let me see if I can find it... I am probably the MOST unorganized person I know.
Triple Chocolate Cake
Chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, and chocolate mousse team up with fruit in this incredible dessert. Begin making the cake one day ahead. Enjoy the extra mousse later.
Yield: 20 servings.
Cake
2 3/4 cups cake flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Ganache
3 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 pounds bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Mousse
4 1/3 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Assembly and serving
2/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
parchment or wax paper (for cake pans and two 4 1/2-inch-wide by 15 3/4-inch-long strips for chocolate decoration)
3/4 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 1/2-pint baskets raspberries
1/2 pound cherries
1 1-pint basket small strawberries
1 1/2-pint basket blueberries
1 1/2-pint basket blackberries
Make cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F. Butter and flour two 10-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; line each with round of parchment paper or waxed paper. Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend well. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs and egg yolks in large bowl until very thick and heavy ribbon falls when beaters are lifted, about 6 minutes. Add oil, sour cream and vanilla, then dry ingredients all at once to egg mixture. Beat at low speed until just blended, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl. Beat at high speed until well blended, about 3 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips; divide batter between prepared pans (about 3 3/4 cups batter in each). Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on racks. Cover; let cakes stand at room temperature overnight.
Make ganache:
Bring cream to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer ganache to glass bowl. Let stand until thick enough to spread, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
Make mousse:
Using electric mixer, beat 3 1/3 cups cream in large bowl until peaks form; refrigerate. Combine remaining 1 cup cream and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan and bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted, smooth, and still warm to touch. Pour warm chocolate mixture directly onto whipped cream and fold in gently. Chill until mousse is set, at least 8 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
Assemble and serve cake:
Cut around pan sides; turn out cakes. Peel off paper. Cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on 9-inch cake board round. Place another layer, cut side up, on clean baking sheet. Spread each with 1/3 cup raspberry jam. Chill until jam sets, about 15 minutes
If ganache is chilled, microwave on defrost setting in 15-second repetitions until just soft enough to spread, stirring occasionally. Drop 1 cup ganache by rounded teaspoonfuls over each jam layer. Using offset spatula (angled blade), gently spread ganache to cover jam. Drop 3 cups mousse by heaping spoonfuls onto each ganache layer; gently spread to cover. Refrigerate cake layers 30 minutes. Using large metal spatula, place cake layer from baking sheet, mousse side up, atop cake layer on cake board. Place third cake layer, cut side down, on cake (reserve remaining cake layer for another use). Spread 1 cup mousse over top of assembled cake. Using spatula, spread sides of assembled cake with enough ganache (about 1 1/2 cups) to fill gaps and make smooth surface. Transfer cake to platter.
Turn 1 large baking sheet upside down on work surface. Arrange two 20-inch-long pieces of foil on work surface. Cut two 4 1/2-inch-wide by 15 3/4-inch-long strips from parchment paper. Lay 1 parchment strip, onto each sheet of foil. Place chocolate in medium metal bowl; set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Stir until chocolate is smooth and very warm to touch (about 115°F). Remove bowl from over water.
Pour thick ribbon of melted chocolate (about 2/3 cup) onto 1 parchment strip. Using long offset spatula (angled blade), spread chocolate evenly over parchment strip, covering completely (chocolate will run over sides of strip). Lift edge of chocolate-coated strip with tip of knife. Slide hands between parchment strip and foil, lift entire parchment strip and place it, chocolate side up, on inverted baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate on strip is set and loses gloss but is still flexible (do not let chocolate become too firm), about 1 1/2 minutes. Using fingertips, lift chocolate-coated strip and attach, chocolate side in, to side of cake. Press strip to seal chocolate to side of cake (strip will stand about 1 inch above top edge of cake).
Coat remaining parchment strip with chocolate, transfer to inverted baking sheet; chill until set but still flexible. Arrange 1 end of second strip against (but not overlapping) 1 end of first strip. Press second strip to seal chocolate to side of cake (both strips will just encircle cake). Refrigerate cake until chocolate strips are firm, about 30 minutes.
Carefully peel parchment paper off chocolate strips. Chill cake at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
Mound fruit atop cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Cake can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead.)
Adapted from Bon Appétit - Cooking Class - Get more recipes - order a Bon Appetit Magazine subscription
I didn't use the fruit that they did on top, instead, I used some of the left over Ganache to make chocolate roses and leaves and write "Happy Birthday" on top of the mousse. |
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Viewed 500 times
10.19.04 (2:57 pm) [edit]
Your blog has been viewed 500 times.
WOW, and just where was I while all these people were reading what I had to say... not that I've said all that much, but it is really neat to know how many times someone has checked in on me :)
THANKS for visiting my blog.
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I'm still around
10.14.04 (3:15 am) [edit]
I decided that I better updated this thingy or everyone will think I’ve gone and ran off or something…. No such luck… I’m still right here.
Yesterday just as I was about to leave the house the phone rang and I almost just let the answering machine get it, but then figured it may be someone from work so I went ahead and picked it up. It turned out to be a lady that wanted to order a cake. So here I am trying to hurry to get the details of what, when, where, etc. of this cake she wants because I’m going to be late for my job in a few minutes and it takes eight minutes to drive there (thank God the time clock is 5 to 8 minutes slow). I finally got the order, a Chocolate layer cake at least 8 inches in diameter, raspberry filling, Raspberries on the top and “Happy Birthday” written on top of the raspberries, for Friday morning. Yes that is THIS coming Friday … like three days from now…. Oh crap, that isn’t going to work. I have to be at my REAL job the morning she needs the cake. Well we got the details worked out and agreed to have the cake done on Thursday evening instead. Out the door I go so I’ll not be too late for work… the truck doesn’t want to start…. After fussing with it for what seemed like an hour it finally started and I was off to work. Amazingly my time card said I got to work at the exact time that I left the house, 10:58 a.m. :) After getting to work I asked one of the other ladies if she'd like to work work Friday morning instead of Friday night (she hates working the 12 to 8 shift)... so now I can to the cake Friday morning.
I have been thinking about the recipe to use for this cake M ordered… I found a recipe for a triple chocolate cake with mixed fruit on top and raspberry filling and ganache in between layers, with a slab of chocolate wrapped around the outside of the whole cake … sounds like a keeper. I’ll use just Raspberries instead of the mixed fruit. But how am I going to write on the top of that? Guess, I’ll figure that one out later.
I’m off to the kitchen to work on the first three steps, baking the cake, making the ganache, and mousse to let set overnight to be assembled tomorrow evening after work. Wish me luck :)
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Count our blessings, Recipe, work...
10.07.04 (1:37 am) [edit]
I had a great conversation with a dear friend of mine who I have not seen or talked to in quite some time. I tend to put off calling my friends and family, especially in times of need, because "I don't want to bother them", well what a terrible exuse. Turns out that my friend "L" has been through an extensive surgery to repair a couple of hernias. I knew that the last time I had talked to her she was severely sick and had a doctors appointment, but have not talked to her since. She said that she herself didn't realize how terrible sick she was, but she is feeling much better now.
I also called another friend of mine ("C") tonight to see how she and her hubby are doing. They have opened a B&B and also the only Dropzone in the area for skydiving. They are having a few glitches in the plans, but I am sure everything will work out for the best... it may take some time but it'll be okay. "C" has also been to the doctor and discovered that she has a health issue that has been draining her energy and making her tired so hopefully that can be regulated soon and she'll have the energy to focus on their new business.
I've been in my own little funk this past week ... worrying about my own finances and dealing with the loss of my dog, among other things. But then I talk to my friends and realize that compared to what they are going through my problems are so itty bitty, so what am I whining about. ... sheesh at least I have my health.
Today was my day off work so I had all these plans of getting the house cleaned again and laundry done.... that sort of stuff.... did it get done... yeah right, who are you kidding! I haven't done much at all today. I did bake an Apple Betty this afternoon to use up the few apples that I had picked up out of the yard last week.
APPLE BROWN BETTY
INGREDIENTS:
11 medium sized apples
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
Syrup:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup hot water
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions:
Peel, core and slice apples in eighths. Spread them over
the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 12 inch baking pan.
Sprinkle cinnamon over the apples. To make topping, mix
the flour and 3/4 cup brown sugar together, cut in the
butter until crumbly. Set aside.
Syrup: Mix 2/3 cup brown sugar with the hot water and
lemon juice. Pour half of the syrup over the apples.
Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over top. Pour the
remaining syrup over the topping. Bake at 350 degrees for
60 minutes.
Of course the original recipe that I have says to serve warm with Vanilla Ice Cream...
I try not to keep icecream in the house... even if I try it doesn't stay long anyhow ;-) .... And being the only one who lives here, I know who is eating it.
I took a nap this afternoon. I have been so tired lately, I hope it is just from stress. I sat down on the couch to read a magazine about 2 pm and then decided I was too tired to read so I laid down.... woke up at 6 pm... holy cow... I sleep longer when I take "naps" then I do at night, how is this possible. I guess I needed it or I wouldn't have stayed sleeping, but I just think ... all the laundry I could have done in those 4 hrs. Oh well, it'll get done.
Tomorrow is my 12pm - 8 pm shift... I so don't like that shift. I don't like to close, though I shouldn't mind because we usually aren't that busy at night (knock on wood) but I haven't worked that shift enough to have a set routine like I do with the other shifts. I'm always thinking that I'm forgetting to do something.
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dido
10.06.04 (3:56 am) [edit]
I see that I didn't get anything changed... I'll try again.
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checking
10.06.04 (3:55 am) [edit]
just checking to see if I got the time fixed. It is now 1 am here in North Central PA.....
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Just another day
10.06.04 (12:50 am) [edit]
Wow... I can't believe I slept all night long, well that is until 4 am when Dayna woke me up to go potty. I haven't slept that many hours in a row (6) since the night before Libby got sick. After letting Dayna and Nickie out and bringing them back in I laid down on the couch and slept until 8 o'clock (4 more hrs) when Nickie woke me to let me know Granna (my mom) was in the barn feeding her cows. That little dog doesn't miss anything that happens around here. I was glad she had woken me though because I have to go into work at 10 and I may have over slept if she hadn't.
My work schedule is different everyday this week. Usually I have pretty much the same times but this week I had a 6am - 2pm, 10am - 6pm, 12pm - 8pm, another 6am - 2pm, and then an 8am - 4pm. I'm not complaining, it just seems odd when I normally have 6 am - 2pm everyday. That should break up the monotony I guess ;)
After my morning coffee I went to the barn to do chores. I am so amazed at how quiet these baby pigs are. They never squeal like any others that I've ever had, the only noise I've heard them make is a low grunt when they think I'm forgetting to feed them. Any other pigs I've ever had would start squealing at the top of their lungs the minute I walked through the barn door. These little girls are so cute and quiet I just can't help but love ' em. I wasn't even looking to get pigs when I got these two but a friend of mine stopped at my work place one day and asked if I'd take a little piggy that wasn't growing very well. He didn't want to sell her to anyone for fear that she may not ever grow good, but said I could have her if I wanted her. So I said that I'd take her... well as it turns out I ended up buying another baby from him to keep the little one company. The one I bought ("Beastie") was two weeks younger and twice "Wee's" size.
I've got to go to work now so I'll finish this when I return.......
.....
Okay I'm back.
I've decided that I like the 10am - 6pm shift. Not too early in the morning, so I can get a few things done here at the house before I go to work, and it is still early enough in the evening that I have time before it gets dark (at least until the clocks change).
I received the rest of the shipment from the Home & Garden Party I hosted on the 17th... wow... that was a lot of stuff those ladies ordered. Sorting it out took me almost two hour. Tomorrow is my day off work so I'll go deliver all of it to everyone who ordered. I was excited, I received $189 worth of free stuff just for hosting the party... and I didn't even want to host it :P
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Third run of bad luck
10.03.04 (11:13 pm) [edit]
They say that bad luck runs in sets of three right? Well I hope so... because the third has struck.
First I lost my female llama in July, at the end of August my old kitty past away, and Friday (Oct. 1st) I had to have my older Great Dane (Libby) put to sleep.
I have had such a terrible week to begin with, financially, and Thursday evening I had just figured out how to rearrange all my payments so that I'd have enough money to cover everything. Late Thursday night Libby started getting sick and was sick all night long. When I got home from work the around two Friday afternoon, Libby met me at the door but I could tell she was in severe pain and needed immediate help. While I was calling the vet's office and getting her paperwork ready to take her she went out and laid next to the truck, just like she new she had to go to the doctor. I didn't think she would be able to get herself into the truck, and I wasn't sure if I could either, she weighed 130 lbs. but she did get in by herself. The vet was terribly concerned that she had something wrong when he listened to her heart and found that it was very weak and irregular and normally she has a good heart, her stomach was also very distended, so he took x-rays. They found that her intestines and stomach were twisted and she was starting to bloat, which is common in Great Danes and other deep chested dogs. The only hope of saving her would have been to send her to the Orchard Park Veterinary Clinic were they have a medical team that is prepared to deal with such a surgery, but even then with her age and the condition that her heart was in at that point she may never have made it through the surgery. Dr Flaig called Orchard Park Vet clinic to see what they could suggest and with the diagnosis that he gave them and the X-ray results the Doctors up there didn't even encourage the idea of putting her through the surgery, because they also felt that her chances were very slim of recovering and the beginning cost for a dog her size would be at least $3000 and up to twice that if there were complications. So the decision was made that my big beautiful baby had to be put to sleep. Words can not even begin to explain the feeling of loss that I have. I thank God for my supportive family every day they have been so helpful and understanding. I had to have the receptionist at the veterinary office call my mom to pick me up because I knew I was too emotionally upset to drive myself and Libby's body home. My Dad even came with Mom, that meant a lot to me. We have lost a another prominent member of our family and everyone feels it, even the other dogs seem lost without her... she was the leader of the pack.
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