Carrot Cake and Cupcakes

It has finally happened.
My son has done something I completely don't understand.
There are so many crazy things that fly into his head that I just check them off as, "he is just being a boy". Jumping on the bed...check. Stomping through puddles...check. Throwing rocks...check. Fighting with his brother...check. But this... I just don't understand.


We step out into the backyard and I see these beads buried in the dirt. I have no idea where they came from. My first thought was, which necklace did they break and try to bury it outside. Treasure, you know, again, I would understand that. I ask my 5 year old son about them, he doesn't know, so I hand them to him and off he goes. He runs to me a few minutes later and says, "Uh-oh Mommy", never a good sentence. He puts his head back, points to his nose and I see a bead lodged in his nostril! Are you kidding me?! 
Why is it that he would think the logical place to put a marble size bead is ... Up Your Nose!! 
I did what any good mom would do...Panic! I saw us driving to the ER, me explaining about the bead up the nose, waiting there for hours while they disuss the options and snicker at us. Good thing I was able to get it out, but then I thought, wait... there were two. He points to his other nostril. Ugh.. I thought for sure we were headed to the ER now, this one was pushed up there so far it was for sure in his brain. I have heard of such stories, but my son would never.... well, until now of course. 
Thankfully, after some pushing and prodding I got that thing out. No one was going to snicker at me today, well, except for my friend who witnessed the whole thing. My son was then warned that it is NEVER ok to put things up your nose. EVER!


I just don't understand, but what I do understand is cake. Let's talk about cake and any cake that uses 3 sticks of butter is a winner in my book.


I have posted about Carrot Cake before, but I didn't include pictures and adorable cupcakes, so I thought it was worth revisiting.

Carrot Cake

Adapted from FoodNetwork.com Emeril Lagasse

3 sticks, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting

20 ounces cream cheese
2 stick unsalted butter
5-6 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Shred the carrots, I used about 6 carrots.

Butter 3 (9-inch) cake pans with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, and beat.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating well after the addition of each. Add the vanilla extract and mix.

Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. 

Divide between the 3 cake pans and bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool.

For the mini cupcakes, bake 10 minutes.
For the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vanilla, mix to combine

A few tips for putting this cake together:

Refrigerate the cake layers before icing, they are a bit fragile and do better cold.

Also refrigerate the frosting, it is creamy and smooth and will frost easier when it is cold.

When the frosting starts to come to room temperature it starts to melt to the bottom of the cake. I believe it is because I prefer a more tangy cream cheese frosting. If you know how I can get a stiffer cc frosting, please share. I would love to know, seriously.

I generally just prefer this cake cold, I don't know why, but I think it tastes better.

I tint some of the frosting orange and some green to pipe on the top carrots. Easy peasy.

Oh and I thought these mini cupcakes looked adorable in my tea light holder. 

Definitely going to be using as a display in the near future.

My sons loved it! To me, that is the best part.

Hopefully, they will stuff them in their mouth and not their nose... sigh.

Baking from my heart to your kitchen,

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