Belated Carrot Cake

Since I was alone for the Easter Long Weekend our Carrot Cake 

had to wait until Jordan came home.

That was A LOT of waiting for cake. 

...Even if I needed the time to study...

Studying, though, doesn't really take your mind off eating. 

Or cake for that matter.

Since we wanted cake, with layers, but not too much of it, 

I made one cake round into 'half' of a four layer cake.

I was excited to try this scalloped icing technique 

I've recently seen decorating many pretty cakes all over Pinterest.

I was most intrigued by the use of these scallops on partially naked cakes and paired with flowers.

I really need to find a florist where I can purchase interesting and gorgeous single stems, 

like Queensberry in Vancouver (hello cutest little flower shop!!!), but, you know, closer to me.

Like in the vicinity of where I live.

I used the vertical technique here (imagine the cake round and therefore turned so it sits upright)

but I also saw a nifty idea where it's used circularly and horizontally on a tiered cake.

Maybe that's an idea for my birthday! 

With flowers!

I have a recipe I regularly use, in which I like to put raisins, but that's obviously optional.

I prefer to put toasted walnuts of the exterior because I like the crunchy addition to the texture.

However, I adjusted the recipe to incorporate an apple and sour cream, 

which made the cake moister (my favourite cake adjective).

I then made cream cheese icing 

(after all, what is a carrot cake without cream cheese icing, really?)

for the filling (I added cinnamon and nutmeg and finely chopped toasted walnuts)

and the outer icing, using:

1 cup Cream Cheese, room temp

1/2 cup Butter, room temp

Cream these together well, then fluff for a minute on high, then add:

1 tsp Vanilla

3 cups Icing Sugar (added in parts)

Mix together well and fluff of a higher setting for another minute or so.

If you fluff it too long you'll get air bubbles, like I did, 

which is less visually appealing, however, just as tasty. 

Try not to answer the phone or turn your laundry around as I probably did 

while I was waiting for the fluffing action to take effect...

The Carrot and Apple Cake:

(yield: one cake that can be split)

Whisk together and set aside:

1 cup Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

scant 1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

3/4 cup Sugar (1/2 brown, 1/4 white)

Whip together until frothy:

1 Egg

1/3 cup Vegetable Oil

1 tsp Vanilla

Mix in until well distributed:

1/3 cup Sour Cream

1 Apple, grated on the larger holes (about 3/4 cup)

1 Carrot, medium sized, grated on the smaller holes (about 3/4 cup)

Add the flour mixture gently, mixing until incorporated and smooth.

Add raisins if you like!

Pour into an 8"round greased and floured pan, and 

bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 40 minutes.

If you want to make it flat remember to rap on the counter a few times, 

increase the heat to 375 F and wrap the pan in a wet towel!