For some reason when I think of Easter these days, I think of carrot cake. It probably has to do with the super cute mythos of a bunny rabbit handing out chocolate. Now that I think about... I really don't know what the deal is with the Easter bunny. Does he actually hand out chocolate? What's with the eggs? There was a note in the book, "American Gods," about the tradition deriving from pagan practices to honor the arrival of spring. I doubt Jesus ordained a cute bunny rabbit with cocoa and sugar. Hm.
Anyways. Whatever the origin. I made a carrot cake for the boy's family get together this past holiday
Generally the sheer thought of making a cake for a special occasion is stressful because I want everything to be perfect. Yah. That aint happening. My sick brain decided to up the ante and decorate the cake as well. I created a little birdie family with some left over fondant from the Mimosa Cake and used toasted coconut to form a nest.
In retrospect... white birds on a white cake probably was not the best aesthetic decision. Mike justified it as a symbol of peace and innocence. I still think it's too much white to notice the birds. White on white on white! Lesson learned.
Fantastic.
This cake is moist. Light. Flavorful. It totes the title of "Best Carrot Cake of All Time." I don't know if all that is true, but damn it will put up a good fight against any other carrot cake. Mike loved it and says it's the best he's ever had. The addition of pineapple bits was amazing because they complimented the flavor of the cake and created pockets of juice. Who would have thought pineapple and carrot were so compatible! Plus bits of coconut and pecan? Get the hell out.
It gets better. Right when you pull the 2 layers of hot cake out of the oven, you pour a buttermilk glaze on top. This helps to holds in the moisture and adds smoothness. Freaking slick.
And of course... you cannot go wrong with cream cheese frosting. I played with the thought of adding maple syrup and resisted. I didn't want too many flavors competing for attention. The cream cheese is subtle and soft. It's not overly sweet.
For recipe, check out Tasty Kitchen's, "Best Carrot Cake of All Time."
