apricot carrot birthday cake
I haven't shared a recipe on the blog in the longest time, although I dare say my cooking and baking have steadily been improving since moving to New York in June. I have long failed to nurture a love for cooking and carve out the time to sharpen skills in the kitchen. When moving here, with relative independence and evenings free of homework, I made it a priority to do just this.
I associate so many of my life's sweetest moments to memorable meals: cloistering around holiday feasts, breaking bread with close friends or strangers, discovering new restaurants in cities near or far. Tastes bring me back to places traveled and conversations shared. The table, to me, is a fundamentally sacred place -it is a great equalizer, an invitation to practice gratefulness for the gift of nourishment, a space for gathering where liturgy unfolds. It is a prophetic arena of our earthside lives, where we are given a foretaste of the heaven's feast to come. I believe ours is a God Who delights in His children savoring, Who invites us to understand the source of our sustenance and to feed our bodies in thankfulness of such facts and of His provision. Cooking is an art, and I am learning to approach its bare canvas with resolve and wonder.
The dwindling summer and advent of fall has thus been a time for seasonal flavors aplenty- sweet and buttery corn on the cob, the perfect morning bircher, homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese on fresh bread, apple crisp (although my mama's is better), mixed bean soup, a lunch made up of apple and sharp cheddar.
But, most importantly, I made a cake. More specifically, this was the very first time I baked a cake from scratch on my very own. And, surprisingly, it turned out to be quite a success!
Here's the backstory:
Twas the boy's birthday on Friday, and it dawned upon me that in over three and a half years of dating (!!!), we have never celebrated one of each other's birthdays with an appropriate birthday cake. This, of course, is largely due to the fact that we live over 3,000 miles apart from one another and have never actually been together in flesh on such an occasion. Regardless, I decided this simply would not do.
Since I have only yet ventured into baking cookies, breads and cupcakes, I thought this was a perfect reason to make a first attempt. To be clear: a reason is never needed to bake a cake, but I just so happened to have one.
I decided to try out an apricot carrot cake, and enjoyed it with my friends in his honor (for a couple days, I would add!).
It's a shame he could not blow out his candle or have a bite, but these things we look forward to... and, at least, I got some practice for when they do come! You could say this whole scene was quite emblematic of long-distance. It is mostly sad, but good if you make it just that.
Without further ado, here's a sweet cake for an even sweeter boy. Another trip around the sun always deserves a memorable celebration... and I hope I always strive to be a woman who commemorates life's small and big moments for those I love (and this, no matter how near or far they are).
I associate so many of my life's sweetest moments to memorable meals: cloistering around holiday feasts, breaking bread with close friends or strangers, discovering new restaurants in cities near or far. Tastes bring me back to places traveled and conversations shared. The table, to me, is a fundamentally sacred place -it is a great equalizer, an invitation to practice gratefulness for the gift of nourishment, a space for gathering where liturgy unfolds. It is a prophetic arena of our earthside lives, where we are given a foretaste of the heaven's feast to come. I believe ours is a God Who delights in His children savoring, Who invites us to understand the source of our sustenance and to feed our bodies in thankfulness of such facts and of His provision. Cooking is an art, and I am learning to approach its bare canvas with resolve and wonder.
The dwindling summer and advent of fall has thus been a time for seasonal flavors aplenty- sweet and buttery corn on the cob, the perfect morning bircher, homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese on fresh bread, apple crisp (although my mama's is better), mixed bean soup, a lunch made up of apple and sharp cheddar.
But, most importantly, I made a cake. More specifically, this was the very first time I baked a cake from scratch on my very own. And, surprisingly, it turned out to be quite a success!
Here's the backstory:
Twas the boy's birthday on Friday, and it dawned upon me that in over three and a half years of dating (!!!), we have never celebrated one of each other's birthdays with an appropriate birthday cake. This, of course, is largely due to the fact that we live over 3,000 miles apart from one another and have never actually been together in flesh on such an occasion. Regardless, I decided this simply would not do.
Since I have only yet ventured into baking cookies, breads and cupcakes, I thought this was a perfect reason to make a first attempt. To be clear: a reason is never needed to bake a cake, but I just so happened to have one.
I decided to try out an apricot carrot cake, and enjoyed it with my friends in his honor (for a couple days, I would add!).
It's a shame he could not blow out his candle or have a bite, but these things we look forward to... and, at least, I got some practice for when they do come! You could say this whole scene was quite emblematic of long-distance. It is mostly sad, but good if you make it just that.
Without further ado, here's a sweet cake for an even sweeter boy. Another trip around the sun always deserves a memorable celebration... and I hope I always strive to be a woman who commemorates life's small and big moments for those I love (and this, no matter how near or far they are).
Ingredients
Cake:
1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded carrots (approximately 5 or 6 medium carrots)
1 cup dried apricots, chopped the size of raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 teaspoons milk [I used soy milk]
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 or 4 cups powdered sugar [depending on desired level of sweetness]
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and nutmeg, if desired
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans with shortening; lightly flour.
2. Mix granulated sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl, until blended.
3. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla and salt. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the chopped carrots and apricots.
5. After pouring the mixture into the two round pans, bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool the pans for about 1 hour.
7. (for the frosting) Mix cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl, until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Fill and frost a first round layer, and then gently place the second layer on top before frosting.
8. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on frosted cake, if desired.
9. Store in refrigerator.
Enjoy!
Cake:
1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded carrots (approximately 5 or 6 medium carrots)
1 cup dried apricots, chopped the size of raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 teaspoons milk [I used soy milk]
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 or 4 cups powdered sugar [depending on desired level of sweetness]
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and nutmeg, if desired
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans with shortening; lightly flour.
2. Mix granulated sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl, until blended.
3. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla and salt. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the chopped carrots and apricots.
5. After pouring the mixture into the two round pans, bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool the pans for about 1 hour.
7. (for the frosting) Mix cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl, until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Fill and frost a first round layer, and then gently place the second layer on top before frosting.
8. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on frosted cake, if desired.
9. Store in refrigerator.
Enjoy!
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