Spring has just begun, and it’s the start of beautiful weather and fresh fruits. As these products grow and thrive, here are some spring-inspired recipes that everyone will enjoy.
Carrot Cake: The ingredients you’ll need are 2 1/3 lbs carrots, 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated white sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 large eggs, 1 large egg white, 1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple (optional). 1 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes (optional). 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts (optional). And 1/2 cup raisins (optional).
Peel and grate your carrots until they measure about 3 ½ cups, then cool. Chop the extra and blend in a food processor. Chopped carrots are then steamed for about 10-15 minutes. Add only the carrots to a blender and mix until pureed, then set aside and cool. Take three 8-inch cake pans and grease or line with parchment paper. I like to grease with butter, then evenly coat with flour, and, lastly, place the parchment paper on the bottom for good measure! Next, you will preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, add the butter, oil, sugars, and vanilla extract and beat for about 1-2 minutes. Then add the eggs. Next, pour half of the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix. After that, you add your carrot puree. Add the remaining dry ingredients and be sure not to overmix, but incorporate all ingredients. Here is where you can add the optional ingredients if you would like. Pour batter into the pans and bake for 30 minutes. Top with frosting listed below.
Cream Cheese Frosting: 16 oz cream cheese at room temperature, 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, 10 cups powdered sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans.
Add the cream cheese and butter to a large bowl and mix until well combined or smooth. Then add about 5 cups of powdered sugar, mix, and begin combining your vanilla. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined. Add more or less powdered sugar to achieve the desired consistency. Once you have your frosting, apply as much as you want to your cake.
Upside-down pineapple cake: You’ll need one 20-oz can of sliced pineapple, 6 oz can of maraschino cherries, brown sugar, Betty Crocker yellow cake mix, butter, 3 large eggs, and ½ cup of vegetable oil.
Heat your butter in the cake pan until melted, then spread it in the pan and sprinkle brown sugar chunks on top to create the glaze. Make sure to preserve the juice, place your fruits on the pan in the design you would like (this will become the top later). Mix the pineapple juice with about 1 cup of water, then combine it with your cake batter made according to the box instructions. Then spread the batter in the pan atop the fruit. Bake for 45 minutes, then let cool for about 25-30 minutes before flipping upside down onto a platter. Enjoy!
