Carrot Cake

I've tried posting this before my birthday (April 12th), but my internet connection was acting up!! It seems like carrot cake is an International favorite, cause i have made this cake already 2x's in the past 2 weeks, and everyone seems to get so excited to eat it!
I have found this recipe from the website "Joy of Baking". Anyhow i know that there are a zillion recipes for making carrot cake but i must say this is a keeper in my recipe book; super moist, a good balance of flavor too, and its not a difficult recipe to follow. Along with this recipe came along another Cream Cheese Frosting recipe, which comes out a little different from the other one i posted previously. You will have to see which one you like the best!

Carrot Cake Ingredients:
1 cup Walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 1/2 cups Carrots, finely grated
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Salt
1 1/2 Cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 cup Oil, vegetable or canola
2 tsp Vanilla
*my added twist: ground Ginger and ground Nutmeg (1/2 tsp each) (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
1/4 cup Butter, softened
8 ounce package Cream Cheese
2 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
1 tsp Vanilla
finely grated lemon zest from 1 Lemon

Carrot Cake Method:

• Pre-heat oven 350 degrees, grease cake pan and put wax paper at the bottom.
  
• Take the walnuts, put onto baking pan, and bake in the oven (about 8min) till lightly toasted.
• Grate carrots, set aside (i use a food processor, much quicker).
  
• Combine in a medium bowl: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (ginger and nutmeg optional)
• In another bowl, add the eggs and beat until frothy (about 1min) with mixer.
• Gradually add sugar to eggs (about 3-4min) continually with mixer.
  
• Add oil in a steady stream, than add vanilla to mixture.
• Add flour mixture to the egg mixture.
• Fold in Carrots and chopped walnuts.
• Bake about 30 minutes (depending on size of cake pan)
• Let cool before spreading the frosting onto cake
  

Cream Cheese Method:

• beat the butter and the cream cheese together with mixer, on low speed (no lumps)
• gradually add the sifted powdered sugar until smooth
• finally beat in the vanilla and lemon zest

Now spread this lovely frosting over the cake!!! Enjoy!!!

**p.s. the photo is from the website itself www.joyofbaking.com...sorry i didn't make a photo of my own. It shows a double layer cake, i just made a one layer cake, so u would divide the cake batter into 2 cake pans to make a double cake!

Cinnamon Pecan Coffeecake

So i've just got done baking this cake, my apartment smells wonderful! I found this recipe off of www.bakespace.com and it's a cake i'd eat
if i had some friends over for tea or coffee in the late afternoon. The cake itself is most and the cinnamon is not overwhelmingwhich i like. I'm going to add a Cream Cheese frosting, which i'll post the recipe after this one cause i think it'll be the right touch, so after that firstbite you'll be
saying mmmmm :):) hehe

Ingredients:
2 cups Flour
1 1/4 cups Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 cup Sour Cream
1/4 cup Milk
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

TOPPING Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup Pecans, chopped
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 f (175 c). Line a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with a 12x5 inch sheet of baking paper.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Blend flour mixture with butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Combine sour cream, milk, eggs, and vanilla; add dry ingredients. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.
4. Combine TOPPING ingredients: pecans, sugar, and cinnamon.
5. Spoon half of batter into baking paper lined baking dish.
6. Sprinkle half of TOPPING ingredients of half of batter.
   
7. Pour rest of batter and top with the other half of topping ingredients.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes!

Enjoy!