Browsing Category: Baking & Cooking

Carrot Cake {a Recipe}

This is a recipe I received from my mom YEARS ago called “Farmer’s Cake”, and over time I’ve changed it. The original recipe was much sweeter and much more oily, it left you feeling rather heavy afterward.

This variation is pleasantly sweet, without being cloying, and is moist without being greasy. It’s one of my favorite cakes with tender crumbs and rich flavors of spices.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Oil {I use melted coconut oil} *
1 cup Sugar *
3 Eggs
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Cloves
2 tsp. Baking Soda (** DON’T FORGET!)
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Salt
2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Crushed Pineapple  (with liquid)
1/2 cup Buttermilk (can substituent with whole milk or heavy cream)
1 cup Chopped Nuts
1 cup raisins (golden or regular)
2 cups Shredded Carrots

Mix first 3 ingredients until combined and smooth; add in remaining ingredients, folding in chopped nuts, raisins, and carrots, until combined.

Pour into greased {I also line the bottom with parchment paper} pans. You can do this as a thick 9×13”, 2 – 8” rounds, or a bundt cake…just be sure to adjust your time and check frequently toward the end.

Bake at 350* for 25 minutes for 2 – 8″ rounds…check periodically.

Allow to cool entirely before frosting and assembling.

For Frosting

16 ounces full fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 cup butter, softened
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Cream together butter and cream cheese, sift in confectioners’ sugar, mixing as you go. Add in vanilla extract and salt. Adjust thickness by adding milk (to make it thinner) or adding confectioners’ sugar (to make it thicker).

This will make enough to frost a two-layer cake.

**You may have noticed my note to not forget the baking soda…it’s for good reason. I ended up having to bake this cake twice because I had forgotten the baking soda.

While tasty it certainly was not what it should’ve been. Interestingly enough, my mother also forgot the leavening in her own Easter cake…after I had already told her about my mishap.

*The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil and 2 cups of sugar. You can safely add in as much or as a little of the sugar and oil {whichever oil you prefer}, within my measurements and the original recipe’s measurements without any issues. IF you choose to increase your oil measurements from my own, you can lessen the buttermilk accordingly.

Comment Baking & Cooking

Cranberry Walnut Bread {a Recipe}

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Around Thanksgiving I shared over on Instagram about my Cranberry Walnut Bread, but there’s more to the story. When I was pregnant with the triplets Panera had Cranberry Walnut bagels which were DELICIOUS! Of course, after Christmas they disappeared, because we can’t tolerate such things out of season.img_1537

For years I’ve been trying to find a recipe for a Cranberry Walnut bread, but most of them were a baking soda/powder recipe, which was NOT what I wanted. I wanted a yeast bread. I wanted it to be more of a brown bread. So I started trying recipe after recipe to find the right one.

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One day I was making one of my  favorite breads, molasses brown bread, when it hit me…it’s the perfect bread for cranberries and walnuts! Here is my recipe, per request. The recipe does freeze well, but there’s nothing quite like a hot slice of bread with melted butter.

 

Cranberry Walnut Bread
Author: JessicaMWhite.com
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 loaves
Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 cups boiling water
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 2 tablespoons shortening
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 cup craisins or chopped cranberries
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 4-3/4 to 5-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, combine first four ingredients. Cool to 110°-115°. In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Sprinkle with sugar. Add oat mixture, brown sugar, molasses and 3 cups flour; mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Fold in walnuts and craisins/cranberries.
  2. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
  3. Punch dough down. Divide in half; shape into loaves. Place in two greased 9×5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Brush with butter. Yield: 2 loaves.

 

3 Comments Baking & Cooking, Christmas