A Good Cake

hmmm. . .to have a cafe, a bakery with pastries-the best cherry strudel in town-good coffee and ambiance for hearty conversation. . .I doubt such a place will materialize in my future, but surely one can dabble. . .
for years carrot cake was the dessert of choice for our September birthday boys; however, by and by carrot cake fell out of favor- other yummy desserts replaced the old standby. . .
this year, upon request, I made a wonderful chocolate cake with mint filling and ganache frosting for Noah and Josiah (who share a September birthday).
But then, recently a new carrot cake recipe came my way, recommended by trusty taste testers-from Cook's Illustrated, I think the key in the cake is the emulsified oil which keeps the cake light and moist; the cream cheese frosting is a delight to those (like me!) who perfer a less sweet cake topping.
all this chatter because recipes have stories, don't you think?
Carrot Cake
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
6-7 medium carrots, peeled, grated
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups canola oil
Preheat oven to 350. whisk together first 7 ingredients in bowl, set aside. Grate carrots(you should have about 3 cups), add to bowl with dry ingredients. In bowl of food processor, mix sugars with eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined; with the machine running, add the oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream. Process until the mixture is light in color and well emulsified. Stir together all the ingredients and pour into prepared pans (9x13 rectangle, muffin tins, or 2 round cake pans) and bake until tooth pick inserted comes out clean (about 35 min. for 9x13, less time for rounds or muffins). cool at room temperature.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
with mixer or food processor, cream the cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla til smooth; add confectioners' sugar and mix until very smooth; with spatula spread frosting on tops and or sides of cake. Enjoy!
So, I made the New Newton Carrot Cake for Luke's September birthday-rave reviews!