Monday, March 19, 2012

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,


12 comments:

  1. Love this story! I can totally relate, my 2 youngest both went through a "stuff things in my nose" phase. Raisins and peas were often the objects of choice. Thankfully, we seem to be past that!! The recipe sounds yummy. I use 8 oz. cream cheese, 1 stick butter and 6 cups powdered sugar...it is soft but not "melty". :0)

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    1. Thanks! My husband doesn't like it so sweet so I always try not to use that much powdered sugar, but I may have to to get the consistency I need.

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  2. I love carrot cake! Those cupcakes are super cute! Your story reminds me of the little boy in One Fine Day sticking the marble up his nose. I'm glad to hear you were able to get the beads out w/o a trip to the ER.

    ♥ Shia

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  3. Beautiful! I love your frosting technique. And good job on being Super Mom and saving yourself a trip to the ER!

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  4. Much much too cute and sounds oh so yum!

    Is it ok that I was dying laughing at the pearl story..LOL! Last weekend my SIL and I went through the "what were you thinking" with my 4 year old nephew, Daniel. I had served everyone cake, and gave the little ones a plastic spoon... I thought it was safer (and less messy) to have them eat with a plastic spoon rather a fork. Boy was I wrong! A few minutes later after giving Daniel his piece of cake, my SIL is frantic asking me if I gave him a broken spoon (she was hoping I did!).... part of the spoon was missing. It turns out he had bit off a piece of the spoon... chewed it up and swallowed it!! Why?! Thankfully he was ok (she had called the dr. and she explained what to look for). Dr. tells my SIL "That must of been a really good cake!". It sure was:P

    Maysem @ http://odetoinspiration.wordpress.com

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    1. Wow! A spoon! That must have been good to eat the spoon too!
      Definitely ok to laugh, I know I did. :)

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  5. Haha!! Can you believe I searched Carrot cake on Pinterest and came up with this nice bead in the nose story? :) I guess it is just a memory now!
    I have (wait. sit down and then I'll tell you. ....)
    I have three brothers, three sons and six nephews!! They've pulled every trick in the book! I know them all :)
    Your little dude will be your bodyguard someday!

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    1. That's alot of boys, sounds like my family.
      I'm sure I will have many more stories to tell as the days go on.
      Thanks for stopping by.

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  6. I love this! I'd like to invite you to link up on Saturday Spotlight @ Angels Homestead tomorrow. I'll be featuring Easter treats and crafts soon, and would love to enclude this in the collection.

    http://angelshomestead.com/

    Hope to see you there :)

    April

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  7. I would think to mix in gelatin. ;)

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  8. My daughter did the same thing when she was little. Took her to the ER and they taught me to hold the side of her nose shut that did not have the object in it and then put my mouth on her mouth and blow as hard as I could into her mouth. Totally blew the bead out of her nose. The doctor charged my insurance company 1,000 dollars for doctor removal of foreign object from the nose. I informed them that the doctor did not remove anything that it I did all the work. Now I tell everyone I know the little trick.

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