carrot cake traditions

so yesterday i promised you my carrot cake recipe. this is somethinig i have tweaked over many a baby birthday celebration. this recipe has layer upon layer of sweet memories... eyes lighting up, pudgy fists palming frosting. crumbs stuck eyebrows to knees.

yesterday we saw luci relishing her first carrot cake wonderwoman style....

but before her there was this peanut...

miss arianna jane turning one year old. :)

she was not really into it. pretty much screamed while i was trying to get her to eat it. i had to taste it just to be sure... seemed good to me. ;)

and then who is this guy? well mr grayson patrick celebrating his first birthday with carrot cake. he has never cried in the face of eating more food...

but someone else was crying at his birthday dinner...

grayson didn't care who was crying as long as he got his birthday cake

... not much has changed in 3 years. :)

so carrot cake....

this is the kind that's not too sweet but sweet enough that your guests won't secretly compare it to cardboard. the frosting is just regular smack your lips and thank heaven above cream cheese frosting. so the nice thing is the carrot cake is healthy enough to really be a muffin even without the frosting... but with the frosting it takes you to a happy place.. a very happy place. well i guess IF you like carrot cake. but who doesn't?? people i can't be friends with i'm pretty sure. ;)

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baby love carrot cake

ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup oil

1 cup applesauce

4 eggs

4 T milled flax + 2 T water

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3 T cinnamon

1/4 t cloves

1/4 t nutmeg

2 t baking soda

2 t vanilla

1 t salt

4 cups shredded carrots ( i just chop them fine in the food processor)

2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

1. heat oven to 350 degrees. grease and lightly flour your pans... i have done rounds or rectangles for multi layered cakes or cupcakes... this is my "party recipe" so it makes a lot. this should make about 4 rounds or 2 rectangles and for lu's party it made about 36 cupcakes.

2. beat sugars, oil, applesauce, flax and water, and eggs in large bowl with mixer on low just until blended.

3. blend dry ingredients in separate bowl and then add slowly while mixing. beat on low for 1 minute. stir in carrots and nuts if using. pour in pans or greased cupcake liners.

4. bake rectangles approximately 40-45 minutes, rounds 30 -35 minutes, and cupcakes 20-25 minutes.... or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. cool in pans about 10 minutes on a wire rack... then remove cakes from pans and cool on wire completely about an hour. frost with cream cheese frosting after cooled completely.

i use the better homes and gardens cream cheese frosting recipe... but i use the full fat cream cheese because i'm a rebel like that. :)

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so it's not perfect if you are total health nut... obviously it still has some white flour and the sugars. i would love to experiment with stevia... i have tried honey and maple syrup and it tasted great to me but this had to be a recipe that was going to pass the test for those friends that don't eat like us... and i felt like you could tell it was sweetened differently. i have used canola for the oil but would also love to experiment with some other types as well as i'm trying to get us off the soybean.

i hope you enjoy it!! this is probably one of my favorite things to make... and eat. :)

every bite has memories of baby love... and there is nothing quite so sweet as that.