Mel’s Gramma’s Carrot Cake

Carrot cakes are really adored because of the cream cheese icing. Like Sam says, carrot cake is only good with cream cheese icing so never ever try looking for a healthy carrot cake and really, don’t be deceived by the ‘carrot’ in the name because this cake is packed with all the goodness of fat. But really…there’s nothing wrong with fat. Like Dirk Veyser (is that his name?) recently said, nothing is ever sinful, only how you live. Which I believe is very true. Interestingly, the Chinese and the Europeans all depicted fat and roundishness with wealth, prosperity and well-being. Think bout it, the Chinese preferred fatter full-bodied women, placing them on the pinnacle of Chinese beauty whereas the Europeans painted their women roundish, luscious. Look at Rodin’s sculptures! Look at what Botero was tryin to put across. Their women weren’t svelte, or model-thin. Neither were they tall or toned but they were beautiful. So i guess, once again, i’m standing up for the fat world. (think i tend to be doing a lot of this recently..maybe i’m getting defensive. and now i wonder why)
🙂 So here i was today, rushing back from work at noon time to whip up Yif’s belated birthday cake. Was really rushing all about the kitchen, getting all flustered and sweaty from the afternoon heat. Melting really. But it worked out to my satisfaction because the cake tasted great. Interestingly, it was really crispy once out of the oven. I think it tasted best without the icing, because the icing was slightly strange and too drippy for my liking but sam loved the way it tasted. I guess..i’m the odd one out cos i like carrot cake without the icing. I make icing and enjoy the process of beating it till its all smooth and fluffy lovely but i hate eating it. Anyway, if you were to use this recipe, you might wanna be careful with the oil because i think it was a tad too oily, but no harm done, still tasted lovely! This one’s definitely a keeper, especially because so little ingredients were really needed, unlike Debbi Field’s one which has like sweet potato and crushed pineapple yadayada, but the next time i make this, i’ll do without the icing.
Mel’s Gramma’s Yummy Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Cake: (bakes two 8″ tins)
225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
175g caster sugar
350ml canola oil
4 eggs, at rtp and beaten
350g carrots, grated
50g chopped walnuts
50g sultanas (some recipes ask that u soak them in hot water so they plump up)
Cream cheese icing:
100g ccream cheese
50g butter, melted
225g icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice

Sieve together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Preheat 180dCelsius.
Beat sugar, oil and eggs till mixture comes together. Fold in dry ingredients and beat. (I know this sounds strange but just follow the directions because it works this way ha) Stir in carrots, nuts and sultanas. Bake 35-40min. The cake would have pulled away from the sides.

As cake starts to cool, you can prepare the icing.
Beat the cream cheese till its soft and creamy. Slowly mix together cooled melted butter and cream cheese.
Then fold in the sifted icing sugar till mixture is smooth, of spreading consistency. Be patient and gentle.
Beat in vanilla and lemon juice thereafter, probably a few flicks of the electric mixer should do fine.

Good ol’ Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

It’s been months since i’ve baked anything in my loaf pan & it’s been letting out a yearning call ever since. From way up to my bedroom, it’s been calling, blending its throaty cries with the seductive entreaties of the poppy seeds mel gave me for christmas. So what was i to do? Ha.

I’m quite a fan of quick breads. They are very traditional things and are great for any occasion or lack of occasion. My mom loves these babies (esp banana breads) for tea or a poor excuse of lunch. In my case, i can eat em anytime, breakfast,lunch,supper or even have some for a late night movie snack. And if you do the glaze syrup just right or try to garnish it up real pretty, it can even become a jazzy gift for someone. This recipe is pretty amazing but if you want it just right, you’ve gotta leave it to cool completely & then wrap it up tight like a mummy in clingwrap for a day before eating it. This causes the poppy seeds to unlock its secret flavours fully but because i’m impatient and hungry and thought “Hey i’ve already soaked them in milk for over an hr, figure i’ll just eat it now”, I sliced it up while it was still nice & warm and ate it while watching some crazy Buzz Lightyear show with a bottle of cool Long Island Tea. Fabulouso! The poppy seeds are wonderfully crunchy (psstt..they’re illegal in some countries..like Singapore) and the lemonyness of the bread really socks you in the gut. One reason is that the lemon syrup poured over the cake while hot soaks into the cake all the way to its base so you really taste the citrous fruitiness while you munch on those blue-black glamour moles and lemon zest all the way to your toes. Honestly, it’s like falling in love…not that i’ve ever but you get my point. 🙂 However, if you’re not a lemon fan, i suggest you reduce the amount of zest in the bread and the amount of juice in the syrup because my lil sister couldn’t take it really. Lemon Poppy Seed Bread (recipe by Beth Hensperger from Art of Quick Breads)

Ingredients

3tbs poppy seeds

1/2 cup milk

5 tbs unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

zest of 2 lemons

1/4 tsp salt

Lemon syrup:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Combine seeds and milk. (As I always say, use full- fat milk for the best impact but i’m always using my favourite low-fat, note: not non-fat, milk because i find the results are still as rich & up to standard) Let this stand for an hour to macerate & meld its flavours.

Preheat oven to 170dCelsius.

Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat.

Combine flour, baking powder, lemon zest, salt. Add this dry mixture to creamed mixture in 3 portions, alternating with the milk-seed mixture. Beat just until smooth and pls, no longer. Pour into 9×5″ loaf tin, then smoothen the top with the back of a spoon so that it can bake nice and even. For quick breads, you always want it to bake til its nice n golden brown with that line or crack down the centre. So watch it carefully. This bakes for 55-60min.

10min before bake time ends, combine sugar and juice in saucepan over low heat. Stir gently with a wire whisk. When cake is done, pierce the loaf about 12 times with a toothpick and immediately pour hot lemon syrup over the cake, covering the top completely. Cool in tin for 30min before removing from tin to wire rack. When cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let stand at room temp overnight before serving. (of course i didn’t do that! :D)

Food for the hungry soul

I’m an English Lit lover. Words are my element in a sense. Language is my river of life. And books are just the means of travelling. 🙂
So when I saw the 30% off voucher for BORDERS books, i just had to go down today. I picked up this book by Stephen Downes today. I think he’s quite a good writer. Pretty humorous and very detailed in his writing. I’ve yet to finish reading, but I flipped through it today and was thoroughly blown away. The simple and honestly appreciative descriptions of veal blanquette and his meticulous focus on “properly cooked chips” is also highly entertaining and in a way, educational. For those who don’t know this, Stephen Downes is a pretty well-known Australian food critic and he really does know his food. Throughout this book, one will really notice how much respect he has for food, even if it’s something as simple as mayonnaise or jam and i can’t help but admire such a fellow food lover. And to go a step further, I must say the Australians are experts on food and it really makes me very nostalgic of those times in Sydney where my family and I had got the chance to peruse the restaurants by the coast, tried the oyster bars in those rural areas. It is my belief that every Australian is a food connoisseur in their own right. And speaking of Australia, they have the BEST CHURROS & the best FAT FRIES EVER!
Since i’m still on the subject of food (as always) & on my other love of my life – books, I shall go on to talk bout another book which I’d read a long time ago and thoroughly enjoyed. The Food of Love by Anthony Capella. Some will know this book as the “fantastic book” highly recommended by Jamie Oliver. It’s very sweet and pretty romantic as one witnesses Bruno’s quest to claim his true love with his cooking. And I couldn’t agree more that food is so sensual and sexy. It seduces, it charms and it makes you fall in love. How nice is that?
Another book I have sitting on my shelf and that’s dying for my attention is al dente by William Black. If you like Italian food, you really have to read it because it tracks Black’s quest for the most wonderful and authentic food in Italy. Now that i’ve got all this down, I’m all too eager to finish up Lord of the Flies, get done with all that rowdy no-good boys and their disturbing island, then rush off to with my beloved gastronomes for a wild trip through the world of food!