Lovin' From the Oven

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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So this… is the best carrot cake in the world. I stand by it like no other. I’ve posted it twice on my blog before as my first paid cake and with an amateur picture, but that was way back when I had a crappy camera and didn’t know much about lighting/food photography/blogging… anything, really. What a difference time and knowledge makes!

I’ve baked this many times before, yet always fail to post the recipe because it came from my aunt and it always seemed so secretive. It was actually the recipe of her wedding cake, and she loved it so much that she had to get the recipe from the baker. Ever since then, it’s been baked multiple times in the family. I finally decided to post it because it’s just too good not to share. I’ve been selfish enough over the past couple years keeping this to myself and am finally letting it out. ::whew:: That was difficult. Seriously.

So please, cherish this recipe as much as I do. If not the cake, definitely the frosting. I’ve tried plenty of cream cheese frosting recipes and this one still remains my favorite. You can use it on anything else you want– red velvet cupcakes, chocolate cake, banana bread.. Heck, just make it and eat it straight out of the bowl!

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 cups shredded carrot
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar

Mix all ingredients well with a wooden spoon. Pour into desired pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes (more or less depending on pan size) until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 8 oz cream cheese (only use Philadelphia brand!)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • few drops of water

Beat all ingredients well and spread on top of cooled cake.

Pioneer Woman’s Chocolate Sheet Cake

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So I just got fingerprinted today for part of my teaching credential program. 80 bucks, seriously!?! I just spent my month’s money worth of food to have my identity taken. I mean, the process only took ten minutes at most, so I’m still confused at why it costs so darn much. Teachers don’t even make any money, anyways! Rip off the ones that have the money to be ripped off.. Sigh.. End rant.

I painted my room last night with my dad and couldn’t LOVE it more. It used to be a bright seafoam green (I went through my Roxy stage ten years ago and decorated my room to fit the whole “surfer theme”) and now it’s a tan/light brown/beige color. It makes such a big difference on the way my room looks now. My room is now currently my little side project that I’m working on and I’m revamping it to make it more suitable to my age. Haha.

Now onto the cake…Thank goodness for Pioneer Woman. I’ve never met her or talked to her in real life, but I feel like I know her. Those are always the best bloggers, right?— The ones that you seem to know oh so well. I don’t take any credit for this recipe, for this one is truly hers. You can find it posted on her blog here. This recipe has wandered across the baking world and finally made its way into my kitchen. I’ve had it bookmarked for months since it’s been raved about so much, and I can now stand behind it with the rest of the bloggers. I took it into work and everyone raved about it. It’s delectably moist without having too much of an overpowering chocolate taste. It’s a light cake, so be careful not to eat the entire thing in one sitting (or do, who am I to tell you what not to do?)!

For the Cake:

  • 2 cups Flour
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • ¼ teaspoons Salt
  • 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
  • 2 sticks Butter
  • 1 cup Boiling Water
  • ½ cups Buttermilk
  • 2 whole Beaten Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla

    For Frosting:

  • ½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
  • 1-¾ stick Butter
  • 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
  • 6 Tablespoons Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar
Preparation Instructions
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
  2. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
    Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
  3. In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
  4. While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.
  5. Cut into squares & eat.

Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

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So with all my free time lately, I decided to re-watch Battlestar Galactica, starting with season 1. It’s just that good. Don’t judge me until you’ve seen it! It may be totally nerdy, but it’s amazing.

I went on my first beach trip of the summer yesterday and decided to bake some goods to take along in my “new” picnic basket. I’ve been hunting for a picnic basket for a year, but didn’t want to spend the 100 bucks on it (seriously, they’re THAT expensive for a good one!). I finally found one at a garage sale.. brand new with tags! The real bang is that I got it for 2 whole bucks! I guess the phrase “someone’s trash is another one’s treasure” really is true.

This coffee cake is perfect. It’s ridiculously moist and just delicious in every way. Everyone that tried it loved it and even came back for seconds. I got it from Cooking Dunkin Style and you can find the recipe HERE. I sprinkled some raw sugar on it afterwards, which is always a good idea to me 🙂 I also used cookie cutters to cut it into fun shapes.

  • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1/2 cup milk, I used 2%

Topping

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbl butter

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2.) Mix flour, baking powder and salt on waxed paper.
3.) Cream softened butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, beat in the egg.
4.) Place blueberries in a small bowl, dust with a small amount of the flour mixture. Toss to coat.
5.) Add the remaining flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, mixing continually
6.) Gently fold blueberries into batter.
7.) For the topping, mix flour, sugar and cinnamon (Ginger if you wish) in a small bowl, cut in butter until crumbly.
8.) Spread batter into a greased 8 inch square baking dish.
9.) Sprinkle topping over batter.
10.) Bake for 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

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