National Carrot Cake Day

It’s the last few days of January and we are finishing up our mini theme of National Days and a good one to finish on is a super yummy one, Carrot Cake Day.

Monday, February 3^rd is National Carrot Cake Day. Every year Carrot Cake day is celebrated on February 3^rd and it’s a day to eat this yummy dessert. Carrots are a natural sweetener and have been used as sweeteners since the Middle Ages and in a way this cake is a healthy option because it has vegetables in it. If you have a favourite recipe then pull it out and make it, you still have time, Carrot Cake Day isn’t until Monday, but if not we have provided one of our favourites for you to try out. If you’re not into baking then head out to the local bakery or grocery store and pick up a cake (see if they know that Monday is National Carrot Cake Day).

Carrot Cake:

2 cups of flour

2 cups of sugar

½ tsp. of salt

1 tsp. of baking soda

2 tsp. of cinnamon

3 eggs

1 ½ cup of vegetable oil

2 cups of finely grated carrots

1 tsp. of vanilla

1 cup of well drained crushed pineapple

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 packages, 3 ounces each, of cream cheese

3 cups of icing sugar

6 Tbsp. of butter or margarine

1 tsp. of vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 13x9 inch pan and put aside for now.

In a mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients.

Next add the eggs, oil, carrots, and vanilla. Beat until combined.

Stir in the pineapple and then pour into the greased baking pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean.

While the cake is cooking you can make your frosting. Combine all of the frosting ingredients in your mixer’s bowl and beat until well blended and fluffy looking.

Once the cake is out of the oven, allow it to cool before icing.

This cake makes 12-16 servings and can also be made into cupcakes which are yummy as well. You can even leave them unfrosted too.

Cinnamon Buns

Ok, this flavour by Brusters is definitely one I haven’t tried before, but I love the flavour...cinnamon bun. You don’t really think of ice cream when you think of cinnamon buns. I mean sometimes you can imagine how things would translate into an ice cream flavour but I wasn’t quite sure about this one anyways, it’s the perfect excuse to make some warm gooey icing topped cinnamon buns in the middle of July!

I love this recipe because the buns are super fluffy and you don’t need any yeast to make them.

For the dough you will need:

2 cups of flour

2 Tbsp. of sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. of salt

3 Tbsp. of butter

¾ cup of milk

I always double up the recipe because I tend to bake for a lot of people so that’s why it looks like a lot.

In a large bowl, mix all of your dry ingredients.

Cut in the butter. I use my hands.

Then stir in the milk to form a soft dough.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into a ¼ inch thick rectangle.

For the filling, you don’t have to be exact. I just wing it. Melt some butter and brush a nice layer over the dough. Be sure to leave a little bit of a border with no butter around the outside of the dough rectangle.

Sprinkle on however much brown sugar and cinnamon that you like (I like lots) and then this is the point where you would sprinkle in raisins if you want them.

Roll and cut and then place them in a buttered 9x9 inch pan if you are making a single recipe, but use a larger pan if you double it.

Now lightly butter the tops of the buns and sprinkle on more brown sugar and cinnamon.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

While the buns are baking, you can make a frosting. You will need 4 ounces of cream cheese, beaten. Then add ¼ cup of butter, 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar, 1 ½ tsp. of milk, ½ tsp. of vanilla. Whip it all up so that everything is mixed and there are no lumps and put in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

After the buns come out of the oven, let them cool slightly and then cover with glaze or icing and serve warm!

*We were all wrapped up in making the buns that we forgot to take a photo of the finished product so next time we make them, we’ll do that!