Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cake
Carrot Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Icing

Carrot Cake needs plenty of carrots but I had no walnuts or pecans, I did have some almonds and so a substitution that worked fairly well.

Equipment for Carrot Cake

You will need 2 – 8 inch round cake pans greased with a piece of parchment lining the bottom.

Ingredients for Carrot Cake

  1. 2 cups of granulated sugar
  2. 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
  3. 2+ cups grated carrots
  4. 4 whole eggs
  5. 2¼ cups all purpose flour
  6. 1 cup chopped walnuts
  7. 1 tsp baking powder
  8. 1 tsp baking soda
  9. pinch of salt
  10. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  11. 1 tbs vanilla

Cooking Directions for Carrot Cake

Preheat oven to 350°

Take 2 eight inch round cake pans grease and place a piece of parchment in the bottom of each.

Peel, trim and grate approximately 2 cups of carrots ( about 6-8 medium size carrots,  it does not have to be an exact amount the more the merrier).

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder,baking soda, cinnamon, salt.

In the bowl of the mixer add the sugar and vegetable oil and mix until thoroughly combined.  Add the eggs one at a time and completely mix before adding next.  With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients.  Once combined remove bowl from the mixer and add the carrots and walnuts and fold into the batter.  Pour half into each of the prepared cake pans and bake for about 50 minutes until a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake comes out clean. Loosen cake from sides of the pan, invert on to a wire rack and remove pans and let cool completely.

Use your favorite cream cheese icing, covering all sides and then taking chopped walnuts press the nuts into the sides of the cake and sprinkle on top.  (Our example is made with almonds).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Save room for dessert have a big slice…………..

005

 

 

 

 

 

 

………and then relax.

 

002

 

 

 

 

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

Of course the best icing, hands down, for a Carrot Cake is a delicious cream cheese frosting.  I have in the past used a store brand cream cheese and it didn’t come out as well, so I stick with Philadelphia brand, my theory is don’t mess with success.

Ingredients for cream cheese frosting

  1. 1 cup butter softened
  2. 2 – 8oz packages of Philadelphia brand cream cheese softened
  3.  6+ cups confectioners sugar
  4. 1+ Tbs milk

Directions for cream cheese frosting

In a mixer on low speed combine the butter and cream cheese, slowly add all the confectioners sugar and milk.. If the icing seems too thin add more sugar and if it seems too thick add a little more milk.

 

 

Here are a few items to help make this recipe:

Baker’s Secret Basics Nonstick 8-Inch Round Cake Pan
Cuisinart DLC-2009CHB Prep 9 9-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless
Baker’s Secret 1061483 10-by-16-Inch Nonstick Cooling Rack, Set of 2

 

 

 

The Offiical                       Taste Tester
The Official
Taste Tester

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite treat as a pup was frozen carrot sticks, which helped with my teething.  So I have grown to love anything with carrots.  I’d give this recipe 10 paws if the editor would let me.

 

IMG

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoy our site and are thinking of purchasing anything from Amazon, please use the link to Amazon from our site.  It doesn’t cost you anything and we profit from the ads and purchases .

 

 

copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2013 all rights reserved

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Icing
Serves 8
Write a review
Print
Ingredients
  1. 2 cups of granulated sugar
  2. 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
  3. 2+ cups grated carrots
  4. 4 whole eggs
  5. 2¼ cups all purpose flour
  6. 1 cup chopped walnuts
  7. 1 tsp baking powder
  8. 1 tsp baking soda
  9. pinch of salt
  10. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  11. 1 tbs vanilla
  12. Ingredients for cream cheese icing
  13. 1 cup butter softened
  14. 2 - 8oz packages of Philadelphia brand cream cheese softened
  15. 6+ cups confectioners sugar
  16. 1+ Tbs milk
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. Take 2 eight inch round cake pans grease and place a piece of parchment in the bottom of each.
  3. Peel, trim and grate approximately 2 cups of carrots ( about 6-8 medium size carrots, it does not have to be an exact amount the more the merrier).
  4. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder,baking soda, cinnamon, salt.
  5. In the bowl of the mixer add the sugar and vegetable oil and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs one at a time and completely mix before adding next. With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. Once combined remove bowl from the mixer and add the carrots and walnuts and fold into the batter. Pour half into each of the prepared cake pans and bake for about 50 minutes until a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake comes out clean. Loosen cake from sides of the pan, invert on to a wire rack and remove pans and let cool completely.
  6. Directions for cream cheese icing
  7. In a mixer on low speed combine the butter and cream cheese, slowly add all the confectioners sugar and milk.. If the icing seems too thin add more sugar and if it seems too thick add a little more milk.
Notes
  1. use your favorite cream cheese icing to frost this cake
Rants Raves and Recipes https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/

Beef Hash

Beef Hash with Egg, Tomato, and Artichoke Hearts
Beef Hash with Egg, Tomato, and Artichoke Hearts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beef Hash

Cooking for two has become a new learning experience, as the quantity of product I put out in the kitchen seems to go so much farther  then when I was I was cooking for 4.   A roast beef now lasts a week instead of just two meals, so it becomes necessary to find more ways to serve up a dinner.  Of course the obvious method would be to buy smaller cuts of meat or less produce, but what fun would that be?

So with an abundance of beef leftover what to do?  One nights version was a beef hash.  Taking a small amount of leftover beef and running it through the food mincer on the Kitchenaid.  To this I added a small white onion diced and one clove of garlic diced, and a can of diced potatoes. Mixed thoroughly and place in a large enough frying pan and cooked with butter, turning occasionally until potatoes and onions are done.

In a separate pan with a little butter place the artichoke hearts  in a single layer flat side up and salt and pepper and cook to heat, then turn flat side down reseason and cook on medium heat till done and slightly browned .

Once hash is cooked, in a separate pan cook the eggs to you liking.  Add hash to plate surround with artichoke hearts and sliced tomato and place the egg on top.  Can be served with your choice of condiment such as left over gravy or ketchup.

beef hash
beef hash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are few items to help with this recipe
KitchenAid FGA Food Grinder Attachment for Stand Mixers
Joie de Vivre 50162 Mini Fry Egg Pan with Nonstick Surface
Cuisinart 622-20 Chef’s Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 8-Inch Open Skillet
Cuisinart 622-30G Chef’s Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Skillet with Glass Cover

 

copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2013 all rights reserved

 

 

 

 

 

Scotch Eggs

Scotch Egg
Scotch Egg

 

 

 

 

 

Scotch Eggs

At the first annual Scottish Festival in our little town my kids discovered Scotch Eggs.  They were an immediate hit, however the Scots side of me didn’t care for the exorbitant price that they charged for basically one egg.  I knew I could make them at home.  For a long time we used our deep fryer until my wife found a recipe that bakes them.  Not as greasy and just as good it’s the way we always make them now.

On a trip to Scotland trying to find a Scotch Egg became an arduous quest.  The English Plowman’s lunch was every where , but alas no Scotch Eggs.  Until one day strolling through the town of Elgin I spied a butcher shops window and saw a group of these little beauties sitting there.  I bought out the stock that day and satisfied my daughter’s wish for a Scotch Egg in Scotland, and assuring me that my recipe was up to snuff.

Ingredients for Scotch Eggs

  1. 6-8 hard boiled eggs shelled
  2. 2 lbs. loose sausage ( plain or sage work well)
  3. 4 eggs beaten with about ¼ cup ½ & ½, 2 tbs Dijon mustard,salt & pepper
  4. bread crumbs (plain or Italian style)
  5. all purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper
  6. 1 baking sheet with a wire rack

Procedure for making Scotch Eggs

Preheat oven to 400°

Divide each pound of sausage into 3 or 4 parts on a sheet of wax paper.  Cover with another piece of wax paper and press flat into a round about 5 inches in diameter.

Hard cook and shell the eggs.

Take three bowls and place flour in one, the egg batter in another, and the bread crumbs in a third.

Place one hard boiled eggs in one of the sausage rounds ( depending on the size of your eggs you should get 3-4 eggs for a pound of sausage), wrap the sausage completely around the egg. toss the sausage in the flour and dust off excess, roll to completely cover in the egg wash and then roll in the bread crumbs to completely cover.  Dip back into the egg wash and then rebread once more in the crumbs.  Place on wire rack, placed in a baking sheet.  Continue until all eggs are done.  Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes, turning about half way thru the cooking process.

Serve with your choice of condiments, relish, mustard, ketchup, a white sauce, hollandaise, etc or what was our favorite, tomato pickle which sadly Heinz had stopped making.  Serve warm, just as good cold or reheat heat in the microwave.

Scotch Egg
Scotch Egg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few items to help with this recipe
Corelle Livingware 20-Ounce Salad/Pasta Bowl, Winter Frost White
NEW, Heavy-Duty 1/4 Size Cooling Rack, Cooling Racks, Wire Pan Grade, Commercial grade, Oven-safe, Chrome, 8 x 10 Inches, Set of 2
WearEver 68201 Commercial Nonstick Bakeware 17-Inch by 11-Inch Large Non-Stick Baking Sheet, Silver
Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Four Star 8-Inch High Carbon Stainless Steel Bread knife

 

 

 

Scotch Eggs
Write a review
Print
Ingredients
  1. 6-8 hard boiled eggs shelled
  2. 2 lbs. loose sausage ( plain or sage work well)
  3. 4 eggs beaten with about ¼ cup ½ & ½, 2 tbs Dijon mustard,salt & pepper
  4. bread crumbs (plain or Italian style)
  5. all purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper
  6. 1 baking sheet with a wire rack
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°
  2. Divide each pound of sausage into 3 or 4 parts on a sheet of wax paper. Cover with another piece of wax paper and press flat into a round about 5 inches in diameter.
  3. Hard cook and shell the eggs.
  4. Take three bowls and place flour in one, the egg batter in another, and the bread crumbs in a third.
  5. Place one hard boiled eggs in one of the sausage rounds ( depending on the size of your eggs you should get 3-4 eggs for a pound of sausage), wrap the sausage completely around the egg. toss the sausage in the flour and dust off excess, roll to completely cover in the egg wash and then roll in the bread crumbs to completely cover. Dip back into the egg wash and then rebread once more in the crumbs. Place on wire rack, placed in a baking sheet. Continue until all eggs are done. Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes, turning about half way thru the cooking process.
  6. Serve with your choice of condiments, relish, mustard, ketchup, a white sauce, hollandaise, etc or what was our favorite, tomato pickle which sadly Heinz had stopped making. Serve warm, just as good cold or reheat heat in the microwave.
Rants Raves and Recipes https://www.rantsravesandrecipes.com/

 

 

 If you enjoy our site and are thinking of purchasing anything from Amazon, please use the link to Amazon from our site.  It doesn’t cost you anything and we profit from the ads and purchases .  

 Please help us keep our blog going by letting your friends know we’re here and by checking out the links on our front page.

  copyright © rantsravesandrecipes 2014 all rights reserved