Between family and local friends, we quickly had 40 people on the guest list for Lily’s “Sweet Sixteen” celebration. For the main course, I made a lasagna with pesto (stayed tuned for the recipe). Early in my planning, I decided that a Costco cake was not going to cut it for my wonderful niece.
In order to appease the vegans, I offered Vegan Pistachio Cake. Perfect for crowds, Rich Chocolate Muffins made my life easier because the batter can be made the night before and baked in the morning. Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting got Lily’s “thumbs up.” Decorated with edible flowers, it looked really beautiful. It tasted pretty fantastic too!
Lily’s Carrot Cake with “The Best” Cream Cheese Frosting
1 lb. carrots
6 eggs at room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups safflower oil
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup bran
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Peel and grate carrots. Pulse grated carrot in a food processor until pieces are broken up slightly. Set aside. Preheat the oven at 375°F. Spray and lightly flour a 10-inch round cake pan, and line with parchment paper.
Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat with the sugar for a few minutes. Add the oil, vanilla and bran. Sift together the remaining dry ingredients and then sift the dry mixture into the wet mixture in small batches. Stir in carrots. Scoop the batter into the cake pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Cream Chesse Frosting
Makes 2 1/2 cups
1 (8 – ounce) package of cream cheese at room temperature
1 stick of butter @ room temperature
seeds of 1 plump vanilla bean (carefully scrape out with a paring knife)
pinch of sea salt
4 cups of powdered sugar, sifted
Place the butter, cream cheese, vanilla bean seeds and sea salt in a food processor and blend together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar in one cup at a time and process until smooth.
Allow cake the cake to cool completly before frosting. Place in the the refrigerator for an hour before serving, to allow the icing to set up.
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