Carrot and Pineapple Cake

What do you do on a day that should have beautiful, balmy spring weather, but instead looked and felt like this:

Well, we made a cake and thought it turned out great!

Andy

NOTE: Michele and I did NOT create a layer cake, but went with a simple 13x9 single layer. For the pic, I cut one square piece in half and indulged in the frosting! Love cream cheese frosting . . . Michele smartly garnished it with a carrot curl.

For the cake:

• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour (1/2 c spelt, 1 c whole wheat, 1 all purpose)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 pound carrots, grated
• 1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple

For the frosting:

• 3/4 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

For the cake:

Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light yellow. Add the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, the cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Toss the raisins and walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour. Fold in the carrots and pineapple. Add to the batter and mix well.

Divide the batter equally between the 2 pans. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans set over a wire rack.

For the frosting:

Mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until just combined. Add the sugar and mix until smooth.

Place 1 layer, flat-side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Thank You Slider Card . . . w/ Video!

Play the vid above! Recall that Corey and her lovely granddaughter, Isabelle, dropped off a wonderful lasagna dish after Michele had surgery. We made the blueberry crisp in return and Michele made this thank you card. I'm continuously amazed with her talent and patience to do such, to me, tedious work. Obviously Michele's chronic health issue limits how much she can do. But, the good moments give rise to beauty like this---enjoy!

Andy

Cat-Nap Wednesdays

Yesterday was a busy day .... I forgot to post! Could it be age??

Katie has all kinds of beds and cushions yet she still prefers either a cardboard box or, as in this picture, a piece of paper!

~Michele

Chocolate Festival

What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than at the "Traverse City Chocolate Festival?" It certainly was a treat for us! Our local "Chocolate Lady - Barbara Disborough," did an outstanding job organizing this event - Thank you Barbara!!

I even made a special tote bag for the day!

The "45th Parallel's Candy World" from Suttons Bay, had this beautiful display and samples the fudge she makes. My Dad asks for fudge from this shop for every holiday.

We're loved using "Fustini's Oil and Vinegars" for cooking, but had not tried any in baking. We tasted some very yummy brownies using their products.

Our dear friend Mimi Wheeler, owner of "Grocer's Daughter Chocolate," had a nice display of Easter treats as well as other goodies! (see top phooto)

This beautiful cake was created by Patisserie Ami.

Adding to the sweetness of the day ... we were treated to music by my very favorite .... drum roll please ... "Jim Hawley" accompanied by another favorite of ours "Lawrence 'Doc' Probes!"

We continued to enjoy our day with a lovely dinner at "Trattoria Stella."

Thanks Andy, for making my weekend so special!

~Michele

Best Brownies . . .

. . . we've ever had---REALLY! And, for Michele's birthday.
(Happy Birthday, sweetie!)

Andy

• 2 sticks butter (16 tbs)
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (62% Scharffen Berger!)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt (French Gray Sea salt)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (muscovado!)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour

1. Butter 13x9 backing pan. Preheat oven 350 degree F. In double boiler (or microwave--alternate every 10 seconds with stirring) melt chocolate and butter. Cool slightly. In a large bowl whisk eggs and then whisk in salt, sugars, and vanilla.
2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

Cat-Nap Wednesdays

I didn't quite catch our little sweetie napping today..... but I snapped a couple pictures just as she was settling in.

I had planned to come back and get more pictures but I was "slaving away" at the sewing machine. It turned into a "hem-day Wednesday!" I didn't realize that I had let the pile of hemming and mending get so big. I didn't even get through it all ... but did get a good start.

Happy Wednesday,

Michele

Thank you . . . with Blueberry Crisp!

Michele and I were brought up giving home-made food as gifts for holidays and also often to those in times of life stress. This could be for a variety of reasons, but food from scratch was thought so very sincere. And, when you got a gift like this served in a pan or plate to return, it was always nice to ensure it was not returned empty. 

We had some frozen blueberries that Michele picked last summer and made Blueberry Crisp for Cory! And, of course, also growing up we were called ANYTHING, but late for dinner---so we made enough for us! Here's the recipe---we really liked it and hope you do too.

Andy

• Cooking spray
• 8 cups blueberries
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup barley flour
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup barley flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (we love cinnamon so added 1 tsp!)
• 1/4 cup walnuts or pecans chopped after measuring (optional; Michele's not a fan, but I am.)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. Grease 11x14 pan
3. Toss blueberries, honey and 1/4 cup barley flour in a medium bowl. Squeeze one fistful and toss again. Place the berries in the prepared baking dish.
4. Pulse the butter and brown sugar in food processor. Scrape the sides down and add vanilla. Add oatmeal and cinnamon and pulse. Alternate between pulsing and scraping until the oats are slightly chopped but not powdered.
5. Stir in the rest of the flour (transfer to a bowl if needed).
6. Scatter the crumbly mixture over the blueberries. Bake until the blueberry juices are thick and bubbly and the topping is crisp and brown, 35 to 40 minutes.