Carrot About Birthday's

Yesterday was a special day! Yesterday, my sweet love turned thirty-three!

And I carrot about birthday's... I care a lot about birthday's!

I'm not sure about your households, but in mine while growing up, birthday's meant that you could choose what you wanted for your birthday meal as well as cake. So, I asked him what he wanted for his birthday dinner and birthday cake and unfortunately he didn't know. Thankfully, I have been with him for over five years and knew immediately what would be special enough for his birthday meal and birthday cake.

What did we have for his special day?

1. Chicken & Waffles

2. Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

I have to say, I really think I went all out... not sure how I am going to top this meal for next year!

After I was done baking the cake and setting it up, he really wanted to have it. However, it was already 21:00, so I said no. But, I decided to be naughty and allow him to have his birthday cake for breakfast. So, that is what we had: birthday cake for breakfast!

As naughty as it was to have carrot cake for breakfast, I forgot that there were 3 cups of shredded carrots in there, so it was healthy enough, right?

Well, while I went to work and did my thing, his sister surprised him with a cake of her own! He was hard at work when he got a phone call from a food delivery guy who said he had something for him. Initially, he denied the call altogether thinking it was a mistake. But no, it was definitely not a mistake! His sister, who lives in California, had a cake made and delivered to him! Even better was that his father was the one that orchestrated the cake delivery idea that she paid for to send to him. How wonderful are they!?

But, I can honestly say that we are CAKED OUT. I decided to freeze most of both cakes. Hopefully this ensures that ShoJo doesn't eat too much cake leaving him a hot mess with a stomach ache.

As I went all out when it comes to all things birthday related, I thought I would break down both spectacular creations by writing two posts.

Since we started the day with a birthday cake, I have decided that this post will include the recipe I followed for the birthday cake!

I got the recipe from Danielle at Live Well, Bake Often and she named it the best carrot cake recipe ever. I have to say that she is right. It just so moist and delicious! Though, I may be saying that because I haven't made a carrot cake in several years. So, what do I know?

The recipe also has a cream cheese icing recipe to go with the carrot cake. My advice to everyone is: buy yourself an electric mixer. A whisk is fine, but it can get super tiring. I definitely need to get myself electric beaters. Mom always used them and it made baking that much quicker. I believe it is time I get an electric mixer as well. Plus, there are different parts that can make for better baking!

If you click the photo with the type of attachments for a hand held mixer, it will send you to Amazon.ca where you can buy a great hand mixer! This particular one makes me think of the one that my mom has had for eons. So, it must be good!

Anyway, if you didn't click on the link for the carrot cake, don't worry, I will write it out below as well!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (spooned & leveled)

• 2 tsp Baking Powder

• 1 tsp Baking Soda

• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

• 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp Salt

• 3/4 cup Vegetable Oil

• 4 large Eggs

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• 3 cups carrots, grated (approx. 5 large(ish) carrots

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray two 8 inch square cake pans with cooking oil

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until well combined, set aside

3. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, applesauce, and vanilla until fully combined. Add the grated carrots into the wet ingredients and mix until combined

4. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until all combined. Grab a spatula and pour batter into prepared baking pans, make sure to separate evenly

5. Bake carrot batter at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are set and a toothpick can be inserted and be pulled out clean

6. Set aside cakes and allow to fully cool down

While the cakes are cooling down, make some cream cheese icing to go with your cakes! This is where you'll want your hand mixer as even softened cream cheese can be difficult to mix with a whisk!

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package brick style cream cheese, softened to room temperature

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter

• 2 cups Powder/Icing Sugar

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, use hand held mixer to cream the cheese and butter until smooth

2. Add powder sugar gradually until combined

3. Add vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully combined, scrape down sides as needed

4. Once cakes are fully cooled- make sure cakes are cool or the cakes will slide beneath icing. Use a spatula to spread icing

5. Enjoy!

As you can tell by how small of a centre layer of icing there is, I was impatient and iced the cakes before they had cooled! My impatience gets the best of me sometimes when it comes to baking! Thankfully, this cake was incredible and super moist, that my impatience with icing was really not all that important!

If any of you decide to make this cake, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! This made for an absolutely wonderful birthday cake (and breakfast) on Monday. We definitely did not feel the Monday blues!

I hope you all have a fantastic week!