Carrot Cake

So Saturday when I got to my parents house my Mom immediately asked me what I was baking the next day... Me, not having given it that much thought, had an interesting revelation, it went something like this in my head:  Easter.... bunnies.... bunnies eat carrots.. ummm "Carrot Cake!" Mom: okay, sounds good... Thanks for the enthusiasm Mom... Well, at least my Dad freaks out everytime I bake a cake, Mom doesn't let him have sweets, you see... poor guy (sorry I outed you Mom).

But this carrot cake was SO GOOD, and yea, I know I say that about everything I bake.  But, so far, everything I've made has been that good!  This one is from PW and has an awesome cream cheese frosting on top! I'm kind of sad I left in such a hurry Monday morning, I left it all there... You see it was 85 outside that day, and I wanted to layout all day, and left the cake in Huntsville... super sad day...

Ingredients: (I am going to preface this by saying I halfed the recipe, the whole recipe makes a 9x13 sheet cake)
For cake (whole recipe):
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bakind soda
1 tsp  ground cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots

For frosting:
1 lb powdered sugar (~4 cups)
1 stick regular butter, softened
8oz cream cheese (I use 1/3 less fat)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, chopped finely

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Choose a pan and decide how much you want.  For the full recipe, you can use a sheet cake or a bundt cake.  I halved the recipe and used an 8x8 pyrex dish.

2.  Start by grating 1 cup of carrots (2 cups for full recipe).  Then set it aside.

Hold the carrot like so (after you chop the end off).

Then grate it up! Now, isn't that the prettiest orange you've ever seen???

3.  Mix together the sugar, oil, and eggs in an electric mixer with the whisk attachment.

4.  In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Add to the sugar/egg mixture and mix it all together.  Make sure you scrape down the sides.

5.  Add the carrots to that mixture, and mix it all together!!

Ahh that color... that batter.. sooo good!

The carrots turn the color of the batter to a prettier color!

6.  Bake at 350 for 25 mins (for sheet cake or smaller) or 50 mins (for bundt cake).  Insert toothpick to make sure its cooked all the way through!!  And please, before you clean out the bowl, lick it... I had to jerk the bowl away from my Mom because she was licking it so much...

Now make your frosting!!!!

These are the only ingredients you need!!

1.  In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese.

2.  Add the sugar and vanilla into the mixture, and mix all together, make sure you scrape down the sides.

3.  Chop up the pecans, and add them to the mixture.  Mix throughly.

4.  Smooth over a cooled carrot cake, and serve!!

If you're like me, once you cut it up, you immediately need a little bite... I told my Dad that Mom did it... I swear im not 5...

HEAVEN... Easter heaven :)

Happy baking! And have a great week!

Random

I need a baking hiatus for a few days... aka I will probably be baking in 3 days with my Mom on Easter, but three days is long enough, right? RIGHT??? Fine, I will just do more Body Pump! (what, swimsuit season!)

So random things I wanted to talk about, because I can.. it's my blog and I will write what I want to.  So since it is finally lovely, 80 degree, beach weather, you all need some good beach/pool side reading!  So I'm just going to list some good ones:

-He Just Not That In To You!- best. book. ever.- Hilarious, insightful, awesome, if you are female and not married, read it. NOW.

-I hope they serve beer in hell- This guy is the biggest ASS in the entire world. But he is hilarious. Read it, love it, read it in the car during a road trip to Tampa like I did, and then read the above book to make sure you NEVER EVER end up with someone like him... EVER.

-The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks- Actually has a bittersweet ending that won't make you want to jump off a cliff like all his other books do... Yes, I know Miley Cyrus is in the movie (and, while I am secretly obsessed with her), you need to read the book, then see the movie if you want to (ps, its good! Saw it yesterday)

-Chasing Harry Winston, by Laura Weisberg- She also wrote the devil wears prada, It's a story about 3 amazing New York women, who vow to be married in one year.. read it, its amazing, these three woman are empowering and insightful.

-Something Borrowed and the sequel Something Blue, by Emily Griffith- Two great books about two incredibly different best friends, who, through stealing each other's men, realizing they are both snobby bitches, etc, find themselves... Great pool/beach read, or just a great one to curl up with in a hot bubble bath.

Need more?? I could give you a hundred, I frequent Barnes-n-Noble more than is necessary... message me if you need anymore ideas! 

Hope ya'll have a Happy Easter!

K, back to the pool to layout... I need a tan, I glow in the dark...literally...

Birmingham Boot Camp

So yesterday I worked out and did Body Pump for the first time in *cringe* two weeks (I have many excuses, none of them very good).  Today? I can't move...  But at the same time it feels sooo good to be sore again!  So I know we have talked about exercise and weight loss in the past, but it is almost swimsuit season, or if you live in Birmingham TODAY is swimsuit season, its 80 degrees outside people!!! 

It is time to jumpstart your weightloss! My friend Brittany just started this program called Birmingham Boot Camp.  You meet 3 days/week for 1 hour sessions, 20 sessions total.  The program is a little costly at $200, but it works out to $14.95/session.  After reading the stats, I want to do it also!!! But since I just bought a plane ticket to NYC, I don't have the money...

Average weight loss: 5-12 lbs.  Average inches off MIDSECTION: 1-3!!  Average body fat loss: 3-5%... that's a lot!  People, I think it's time for boot camp.

This is a picture from their website!! The workouts are outside in the gorgeous weather!

So no more excuses, get out there and exercise!!

If you can't afford it, I have a bunch of Gold's Gym 10day passes.. come to body pump with me! I go 3 days a week!!  And trust me, it's a ridiculous workout.

Happy Running!

Out of this world frosting!

So yesterday I told yall all about the chocolate cupcakes, and today I am going to tell you all about the frosting... bc no good cupcake is complete without frosting, especially this one.  For once I really wanted to try something different than just normal frosting, and let me just tell you, this frosting just adds a little something different to cake than normal buttercream decorator icing.  That's because this one has a whipped cream consistency that is simply, for a lack of a better phrase, to dieeee for!  Pioneer Woman found it on another site and decided to share it with everyone who worships reads her blog....

You must try this icing soon, and try it with something chocolate, because chocolate makes the world happier (its true, they did a study on it!).  Just trust me on this one, k? Great!

Ingredients:
5 T flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp (2 sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

In a saucepan, mix together the milk and flour. 

Place over medium heat and continually stir until it thickens,

it will be very thick!!

Remove from heat and allow to cool completely!!

You can even place a bag of ice under it after its cooled for a few mins, to allow it to cool the rest of the way!

In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, cream together the butter and sugar.

Once the flour mixture is cool, mix in the vanilla extract.  Then pour this over the butter/sugar mixture.

Mix them together for ~5-10 secs, then STOP the mixer.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a little whirl with a spoon.  Then turn the mixer back on high for ~40 secs.  This is important: DO NOT OVERMIX!!! If you do, the entire thing will come apart and you will have to start over :(... So once it reaches a whip cream consistency, stop mixing.

Makes enough to frost ~14 cupcakes, double recipe to frost an 8in cake.  Serve over something chocolatey, and enjoy!

Also, add some sprinkles for fun!! Simply pour the sprinkles into a bowl, and swirl the cupcake in them until it's covered!

Pack them up, head to the party, and enjoy your own chocolate/frosting heaven :)

Happy Baking!

That's the best cupcake I've ever had!

So yea, second time in a week I made a ton of cupcakes, but this time I had an excuse!! It was my friend's 23rd bday!  The cupcake and frosting recipes are both from PW, and let me tell you, it is the absolute best cupcake I have ever made. Or eaten. Period, end of discussion.  When I took my first bite into this cupcake, I immediately entered heaven, or at least my own personal version of heaven, what I like to call "cupcake/chocolate induced coma heaven"... or something like that.  In honor of PW I'm givin ya the step-wise recipe (ps. its all written out again at the bottom if you don't enjoy scrolling).

First of all, I halved the actual recipe to make ~14 cupcakes.  The original recipe is double this and makes the most amazing chocolate sheet cake ever (9x13). K, now that that's taken care of:

Start by melting 1 stick of regular butter (aka not unsalted). 

While it's melting, boil 1/2 cup of water.

After the butter melts, add 2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder. 

Mix thoroughly.

Add the boiling water to the pan and then allow it to bubble for about 30secs or so.  Turn off the heat, and set it aside.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt.

Pour the hot cocoa mixture over the flour/sugar mixture and stir it a little to allow it to cool.

Pour 1/4 cup buttermilk into a measuring cup. 

Add an egg and stir together.

Add 1/2 tsp vanilla to the mixture.  Whisk it all together. 

Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour/chocolate mixture and

stir it all together.

Spoon into lined cupcake pan and bake for 20 mins on 350.

Allow to cool, and enjoy them thoroughly like I did :))

Tomorrow I will post the frosting recipe, so stay tuned!

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Melt 1 stick of regular butter in a pan.  While the butter is melting, boil 1/2 cup of water. 
2.  Once the butter is melted, add 2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder, mix together.  Stir in the boiling water and allow it to boil for ~30 seconds.  Turn off the heat and set aside.
3.  In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt.  Pour the hot chocolate mixture over it and stir it a little to cool the mixture down.
4.  Pour 1/4 cup buttermilk into a measuring cup.  Add an egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and mix it all together.  Pour this over the flour/chocolate mixture and stir it all together.
5.  Spoon into lined cupcake pan and bake for 20-25 mins.

Happy Baking, and enjoy the beautiful alabama weather we are supposed to have this week :))

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Stress. Sucks. So. Much.  UAB med school, not cool for making me wait soooo long to find out whether I will get in our not.. Oh! and South Alabama, you had the audacity to MOVE the day you were supposed to tell us back by two weeks, so I'm mad at you too!

So what do I do when I am seriously stressed out??  If you answered anything other than bake, you don't know me. At all.

When I think of heaven, I think of fluffy vanilla cupcakes covered in amazing chocolate icing... that is what my heaven will have, oh it will also have sprinkles... and cherries... and my bulldog, bc we can cuddle and snore for eternity, not that I snore (thats the dog!).

I should be going to the gym, I should be studying for my test, I should be sleeping (bc right now I am falling asleep on my couch)... I should be doing a lot of things, but right now I say to hell with it ALL!! I want to bake my vanilla cupcakes with scrumptious chocolate frosting, and then curl up on my couch and watch New Moon... again... for the 50th time... don't judge me... so that is exactly what I am going to do.  And it will relieve my stress and make me happy, hopefully.



Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 T unsalted, room temp butter
1.5 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk
1 egg 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 325.  Put flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, and salt into your kitchenaid mixer with paddle attachment and mix on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency.

2.  Add half the milk and mix just until incorporated.

3.  In a seperate bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla, and the rest of the milk.  Add this to the flour mixer.  Mix all together on a low speed until it is all incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Mix for a few more minutes or until the batter is smooth.

4. Bake for 20-25 mins, or until light (very light) golden and cake bounces back when you touch.  Let the cupcakes cool on a rack in the pan for a few mins, then remove them from the pan and let them cool completely.

See how light they should be when they are done!

5.  When cool spoon on chocolate or vanilla frosting, whatever is your fancy, add some sprinkles (they just make life more fun).

6.  And enjoy!!

It did make me happier!

Happy Baking (and wish me luck, I find out very soon)!!

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels

I am going to take a small baking break, just for a hot sec, k??? You with me?  I am in need of a little romance, mostly because my love life is, well, non-existant haha.  Well I know I have mentioned Pioneer Woman once or twice, but she is amazing... Her life is amazing... but, her love story is truly AMAZING!! The good news?? You can read all about it on her blog.  This woman went from being an all-city, country club girl to being the wife of a rancher in the middle of nowhere when she was just 22 years old!!

If you are in for a night, well hell, a couple nights of sitting down with a glass of wine to read this amazing story, you won't be disappointed... I laughed, I cried, and I was amazed that a beautiful love story could actually be real... The BEST part??? It is going to be made into a MOVIE! And, the most amazing Reese Witherspoon just may play her :))) Pure happiness, with a happy ending, duh.

Click Here.  Scroll to the bottom, the first entry is at the bottom of the page, and read your way up!

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels just may be the best romance yet...

PS. let me know if you loved it as much as me :) It made my week!

Happy Friday!