Yummy Carrot Cake Recipe!

TGIF! As a prelude to the weekend, I've decided to post my recipe for carrot cake (ang moh style-not Chinese Chay Tow Kuay). I made this twice last week- once because I just discovered that Carrot Cake is the boyfriends' favourite and the second time because he requested for it (again). I am killing his diet at his request. Since its the weekend, anyone with an oven can try and feedback would be amazing. I think its pretty fool proof and feedback so far has been great.

Recipe makes: 1-9x13inch cake/2-8inch round cake

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 and 1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar

Sift together:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots (use the bigger grater-using the fine one will result in a big yucky mess)
1 cup chopped pecans

For the frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
250g tub of Philly cream cheese
2 cups icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Lemon rind (+/-2tbsp)
Chopped Pecans as topping (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Grease and flour baking tins. I used butter the first time and vegetable oil the second time- I think its best to use butter on the base and oil the sides with vegetable oil. Make sure you flour the entire tin! Especially the sides, to help the cake rise nicely.

2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix in the dry ingredients slowly. Stir in the carrots. Fold in Pecans.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted to the center comes out clean. Once done, leave to cool on a wire rack.

To Make Frosting:

Combine butter, cream cheese and sugar along with vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy, add lemon rind to taste. Reserve some lemon rind as topping. Frost the cooled cake. 

Bon Appetite! 

** I will definitely want to try do this again with raisins someday soon. But if I did so, I may reduced the amount of icing sugar in the frosting. Updates will be posted.

** Reduced the icing sugar in the frosting on 9th May 2014, original was still too sweet! Recipe has been edited accordingly. 

White Chocolate Rice Krispies Treat

Courtesy of Michelle <3

This is a special treat for anyone from the age of 5 and onwards. I used to love buying these prepacked and sold in individually wrapped bars from the United States. Sadly enough, you can't get these in Asia. But if there is one thing better than prepackaged food, is doing it yourself and making it exactly the way you want to! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients: 

11/2 Small box of Rice Krispies 

2 bags of mini marshmallows 

(alternatively you can use 1 250g bag of the Large Marshmallows, but these are harder to melt)

1 12oz bag of white chocolate chips

1 stick of butter (approximately 1 224g block of butter, quartered lengthwise)

Sprinkles (Optional)

Instructions:

1. Grease a 9"x13" Pyrex baking dish with butter

2. Melt the balance butter over low-medium heat in a non stick pot

3. Throw in the marshmallows and stir with a heavy duty spatula

4. Once half melted, add 2/3bags of the white chocolate chips- continue stirring

5. After all the ingredients are about 80% melted, turn off the heat and throw in the rice Krispies. Start to mix the rice Krispies in the pot until all the cereal is covered in marshmallow

6. Pour into the baking dish. You may grease your hands and start to press down to get an even layer in the dish but i prefer to use a stainless steel metal spoon to smooth the rice Krispies down (I didn't want to get messy)

Topping:

8. While waiting, melt the remaining white chocolate in the microwave (approximately 30secs or less)

9. Pack the melted white chocolate in the edge of a Ziploc bag or a piping bag

10. Snip of a bit of the tip and start to go over the rice Krispies treat in a pattern of your choice

Optional: You may add sprinkles for a splash of colour.

Refrigerate for 30minutes to help cool before cutting.

Preparation time: +/- 20minutes

Measure of Happiness: Through the roof!

You could easily make this anytime of the week- fuss free, no baking, cleaning is a breeze but the amount of smiles you will receive is immeasurable.

Good Luck!!!