Carrot cake for Easter

Bunny Bunny Bunny, Everything turn into bunny and eggs shape during Easter time of the year. This year, i turn carrot (of course! what else can it be! bunny <> carrot! :D) cake into Bunny face and make fluffy fur out of vanilla butter cream frosting. Result? My daughter said it is too cute to eat -_-'' Yes, she is funny! This is such a great cake!!! Cake itself is so soft, moist and tasty - not too sweet. I changed recipe slightly to make it more healthy: raw sugar instead of white, low fat sour cream instead of buttermilk, a little more whole wheat and a little less of white, without forgetting "carrot" of course. Nut are very welcome in this cake. For the frosting part, carrot cake usually pair very well with "cream cheese frosting" but as my kids are not a big fan of cream cheese. So, vanilla butter cream would be my alternate choice. This tasty and oh-so-smooth vanilla butter cream is so good. It make everything come together so well. Next time, i might try to add a pinch of nutmeg. It might get a little kick to this carrot cake, don't you think? ;-) Last but not least, to finish the decorate, I use "sparkle gel decorating" for those cute little long ears, nose and eyes. Now, let see how we can make it happen, shall we ^_^

For the cake

Source: Martha
Special equipment: Bunny cake pan and Sparkle gel decorating

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw sugar cane sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (low fat) sour cream

 

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (can substitute 1/2 cup with "whole wheat pastry flour")
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (and why not "nutmeg"? ;-))
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

 

• 1 1/2 cups (finely) grated carrots

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a standard mixing bowl, with paddle attachment, on medium-low speed, beat together sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, and sour cream until well combined.
4. Slowly add 3/4 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until well combined. 
5. Add carrots  to remaining flour mixture, toss to combine. Stir into batter until well combined.
6. Transfer the batter into well grease and floured baking pan. Bake until nice golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer  to wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting

Source: Whisk kids

Ingredients

• 3 eggs whites
• 120 gram sugar
• 135 gram unsalted butter, soften and cut into small cubes
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or a pinch of nutmeg is you wish ;-))

Directions

1. In a medium heat proof bowl, over a pan of simmering water (water NOT touching the bottom of the bowl), slowly but continuously whisk together eggs white  + sugar until all sugar are dissolved and mixture is warm to touch. To test: using your finger (thumb and index finger) to pinch up a little bit of the egg white. If it is warm and all smooth as gel texture, don't feel any grainy of sugar, then it is ready! Off the heat!
2. Transfer to a standard mixing bowl with whisk attachment (or simply using hand mixer), whisk on high speed (#8 on Kitchen Aids mixer) until stiff peak. Touch the bottom of the bowl and stop when the heat of bowl come to room temperature when touch.
3. Begin to add butter, cube by cube. Wait until previous cube is all blended in before adding the next cube. Finished with all the butter.
4. Whisk until come to nice and smooth texture. It might take a while but keep whisking. It will come to a nice texture. it will! Then just before to stop, add in vanilla extract. Whisk until well blend. Done!! ^_^

Note:

• If adding butter too soon (bowl still too warm when touch) butter is going to melt when added and cause the frosting to turn liquid. If happen, finish all steps then put the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes or so then try to whisk again.
• If butter is too cold when added, butter cream will turn curdle. If happen, take about 1/4 cup of the mixture, heat it in microwave for a few second to warm up a little, then add back to the rest then try to whisk again.

Option:
With the same recipe. Color the butter cream with color of your choices then let's your creation run!!! Good luck and have fun!^_^

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