Monday, February 28, 2011

Teri Meet Tiffany Whole Wheat Carrot Cake

yes, a plastic goat on top.  
We get really fancy with our cake decorating around here :)



When I was young, my mother did something special.  She bought me a Bakersfield California South Stake 7th Ward cookbook. I was nine.  


Inside the front cover it reads:


To my Dearest Tiffany, 
This is the ward you grow up in.  I hope this cookbook brings your family as much fun and good times as it did for you growing up.


Tiffany, you have always loved to cook-always there right next to me.  I hope these recipes shared by the sisters that taught you and served as good examples to you bring you great joy in remembering your growing up years.


Lots of love,
Your Mom
1987


She also bought a copy for each of my siblings and treated each as a yearbook of sorts -- markings here and there noting the relationship that tied us to different sisters in the ward.  Effie Smith was the RS President at the time and had the Sombrero Dip on page 13, Lori McFate a dear friend and contributor of fried rice, Becca Petersen was the Bishop's wife and the author of the Zucchini Casserole. Mom's famous chocolate sheet cake graced the dessert section.  My brown spiraled copy sat at the top of my closet until I left for college.


I love seeing the now warped, stained pages.  Evidence of the tried and the true.  The well loved recipes that have served our family for years.  The cocoa stains and oil spots now bookmark the favorites.  Mom and I got into a conversation the other day about when a recipe becomes your own.  I have been making Teri Lawrence's Fourteen Carrot Cake on page 50 for over a decade.  Is it mine now?  I have altered her recipe in multiple ways.  Is it mine now?  


Mom and I decided that when you alter it enough times it becomes yours.  I have changed four ingredients to increase its nutritional value.  HA!  Nutritional value in cake.  But it's great and why not?  Now the frosting I haven't touched...no nutrition there, (although I added the pineapple to it).  But, hey, it's a special day cake.  Tell me if you come up with a way to nutritional-ize the frosting.


We just made this for my husband's birthday and I was asked for the recipe by the two friends that attended.  So, here we are.  I know it's not the most perfect Word of Wisdom food, but we can have moderation, right?


I will write the original recipe and my alterations next to ingredients in green so that you can see how I alter things.


Enjoy.


Whole Wheat Carrot Cake with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting


2 cups flour  (1 cup white, 1 cup wheat)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 t. soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 c. sugar (1 1/2 c. sugar)


1 1/2 cup oil (3/4 c. oil 3/4 c. unsweetened natural applesauce)
4 eggs
2 c. grated carrots (3 c. grated carrots)
1 cup crushed unsweetened drained pineapple (you usually have to buy a 12 oz. can and you will have some leftover for the frosting)
1/2 -1 c. chopped nuts (optional -use as much as you like)
1 c. raisins (optional)


Sift together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Add oil and eggs.  Mix well. Add carrots, drained pineapple, nuts and raisins.  Turn into a greased cake pan. I use 9x13.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.


Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting


1 block of room temp. cream cheese (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup room temp. butter
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
a few heaping tablespoons of the reserved, very drained pineapple.  


Blend all ingredients and add a few drops of milk to moisten if necessary.  Frost cake and chill in the fridge until ready to serve (ideally overnight).  

2 comments:

  1. Hey, look what I found… your other blog. I love all three of your blogs, good job. I love ward cookbooks, because everyone is showing off with their best recipes. I’m going to have to try this one. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. This was an amazing cake!! A sure staple for future birthdays!! You can totally add the health element and make it good. Especially when your daughters birthday falls on the day before Halloween. Thanks for sharing!

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