Carrot Cake with Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (sms)

My third recipe baked from the book THE SWEET MELISSA BAKING BOOK…

Carrot Cake with Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Stop by Julie’s blog A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING for the recipe.

I really enjoyed the taste of the cake. I was surprised how good it was...especially since it was missing the traditional components to a Carrot Cake...namely, the pineapple and coconut.

The frosting (for me) was a disappointment. I did not warm up to the orange zest in the frosting...I wish I had left it out...it's just what I prefer. For others it's a wonderful addition.

Differences...that's what makes the world go round!

Instead of making a layer cake, I decided to make mini-cakes and a mini carrot shaped cake. Here are FOUR VARIATIONS I created.


Mini Trifle Carrot Cake
Whip Cream and Cream Cheese Frosting is layered between pieces of Carrot Cake.

Mini Two-Layer Carrot Cake
Carrot Cake layered with Cream Cheese Frosting

Mini Two-Layered Frosted Carrot Cake
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting covered with Walnuts

Mini Carrot Cake Stick
Carrot Cake Shape with Cream Cheese Frosting covered with Walnuts

It was very delicious and moist!



What’s Up Lately?

This past week I went to New York City and visited

The French Culinary Institute.

I was given a tour of this wonderful school. I’m tossing around the idea of attending FCI.
Gosh, if the price tag wasn’t so darn high, I would have enrolled already! Anyway, enjoy the photos…

As I waited for my tour, I took a few shots of the street from the window...here's one.

Check out this industrial stove! Love it!

I'm in love..I want that convection oven!

Kitchen Aid mixers...I've got one of these!
I also have the pasta attachement to make fresh pasta.

L’Ecole Restaurant
L’Ecole is where students of The French Culinary Institute’s Classic Culinary Arts Career Program impress guests with their cooking on a daily basis.

Don’t forget to visit the other Sweet Melissa Sundays Bakers’ creations on this recipe.


Peace in Baking,

Carmen

Baking is my Zen…sweet nibbles for the soul

Crème Brulee

Egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla beans, pinch of salt and turbinado sugar…

combine them and what do you get?

Crème Brulee
It’s a sweet spoonful of Heaven On Earth!

When I have egg yolks left over from baking a cake that requires only egg whites, I am stoked because that is a great reason to make Crème Brulee.

I joined a blog group called SWEET MELISSA SUNDAYS.

On March 7, 2010, a Roasted Pecan Cake recipe was made that required fifteen egg whites. I didn’t want to toss out the egg yolks. So, I gathered ingredients for Crème Brulee and baked it after I made the cake.

There are two recipes & links provided below.

The first Crème Brulee recipe comes from Cook’s Illustrated. It uses twelve egg yolks. This recipe was posted by a blogger Brown Eyed Baker. Check out her blog for the recipe.

The second Crème Brulee recipe is from Alton Brown of The Food Network. He uses six egg yolks. See Alton Brown's Creme Brulee recipe below.

INGREDIENTS:

1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color.
Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually.
Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins.
Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan.
Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top.
Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top.
Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top.
Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

MY VARIATIONS:
My cooking time is longer than indicated in the recipe. (depends on the ramekin size)
I broil the crème brulee using my oven broiler. I don’t own a torch.
I use vanilla bean paste, not pods. I use about 1 - 2 tablespoons. You can even see the vanilla beans through the jar (if you look closely).
Today, I went down to the Canal in the Princeton area to take photos. I am now owner of a Digital EOS Canon Rebel T1i SLR camera and am learning to use it. The best way to learn is to take photos.

It was beautiful out today…very unusual for March. I came upon a very nice man who was fishing. His name is Alan. He likes to fish for sport. He doesn’t eat what he catches. As we were talking, he caught a fish! And here it is!

Also met a very nice family…it turns out, the father knew a lot about photography. So, of course, we chatted about that for awhile.

So…enjoy your baking time in the kitchen friends. Till the next post.

Peace in baking,
Carmen

Baking is my Zen
…sweet nibbles for the soul