This week’s SMS was chosen by Julie of A Little bit of Everything: carrot cake with orange cream cheese frosting! I love carrot cake (as well as cream cheese frosting) and it’s been quite a while since I’ve baked one, so I was looking forward to this recipe. Unfortunately, when I made it yesterday, my baking mojo was nowhere to be found. Generally, I’m pretty methodical when I’m baking – you sort of have to be, right? – but I managed to screw this recipe up two separate times before all was said and done. More on that later…
It’s become all too common lately for me to make cupcakes when a layer cake recipe is chosen for one of my baking groups, and I was determined not to go that route this time. My friend Margot suggested a mini layer cake and it was the perfect idea! I made 1/4 of the recipe and had just enough batter to fill two of my 4.5-inch mini springform pans. This is also the point where I should mention my first mistake – not greasing the pans before I poured the batter into them! In fact, I didn’t even realize I hadn’t greased them until I pulled the cakes out of the oven when they finished baking. The only saving grace was that I had put a round of parchment in the bottom of each pan. So, luckily, I was able to get the cakes out of the pans in one piece. The baking time for my mini cakes was almost 30 minutes. My other change to the recipe was to omit the nuts and substitute an equal amount of crushed pineapple.
In making the frosting, I ran into my second problem. I added the first three ingredients to the mixer bowl – sugar, orange zest and cream cheese – and started to beat them together. A minute later I noticed the untouched bag of confectioners’ sugar on the counter and realized I’d accidentally incorporated granulated sugar instead. I’m not sure how the recipe would have turned out had I kept going because I played it safe and started over. The cream cheese frosting from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes book is my absolute favorite go-to recipe but this one was pretty tasty. My main complaint about this one – it wasn’t completely smooth. I’m not sure why I had lumps (I sifted the sugar) but I added some toasted, shredded coconut to the top of my cake to mask the unattractive frosting. I did like the specks of orange zest and the added flavor. I made 1/4 of the frosting recipe and had plenty to cover my mini layer cake.
I really enjoyed this cake. It was moist and flavorful and complemented perfectly by the orange cream cheese frosting. In fact, this may be in my top 3 recipes we’ve made so far in the group! Thanks, Julie, for a great pick this week! You can find the recipe on her blog or in the Sweet Melissa Baking Book.
Lemon Bars
Glazed Grapefruit Cake
Orange Sherbet
Meyer Lemon Pound Cake
Even with all your mishaps, it seems like it turned out great! In addition, with your granulated sugar frosting, it may have turned out okay. With the lumpiness of your cream cheese frosting, perhaps the cream cheese was not fully to room temperature yet? Regardless, it looks wonderful!
Tracey, your carrot cake looks wonderful. I can see how moist it is in the pictures even! I love that you subbed pineapple for the nuts, that’s right up my alley flavor-wise. I don’t normally like cream cheese frosting, but the orange zest in this frosting sounds really tasty.
I’m sorry that making the recipe didn’t go as smoothly as you’d like. Those are all things that I would do, so I completely understand! I’m glad that the cake worked out for you and that you enjoyed it so much. It’s beautiful.
I love the idea of a mini cake. I wanted to make this in mini version but since I was hosting, I decided to avoid possible failure and stick to the recipe as written. I didn’t love this cake, maybe adding the pineapple helped the flavor. Thanks for baking with me this week.
Beautiful! I love that you added toasted cocount to the top of your cake.
Oh my dear, I have had baking experiences like you described here. I hate when those things happen. Im so happy your cake came out of the pans. Isn’t parchment paper amazing!
Even with all the mishaps your cake looks wonderful. I love the mini version and the pineapple addition!
I enjoyed this recipe too!
Your cake looks great. I love the idea of pineapple in the cake instead of nuts!
Tracey,
Your cakes look adorable! Well, we’ve all been there…no mojo to bake but have to…
One thing I’ve learned and works well for me now. I make it a point to do my MIS EN PLACE. My baking is on point everytime and not stressful.
Carmen
You have weathered the storm nicely, by the look of that cake. I love minis so this has extra merit.
beautiful cake! do you have a favorite mini springform? i’m in the market for one…
looks and sounds perfect to me. in fact, given its miniature size, i’m fairly certain i could dispose of a single cake in one sitting. fact.
I don’t bake cakes very often, this one is tempting me:)
Your mini cake doesnt look so mini when photographed up close! It’s awesome. I loved the orange cream cheese frosting.
Your cake looks great, considering all the trouble you said you had.
I would have added pineapple if I had had some in the house. I used the nuts instead. And, I loved it too!
Hi, this is my 1st time here, I hop over from Pastry Heaven’s blog. You have a nice blog and lovely recipes, I will visit you more often from now.
What a trying day for you =|. Well, I love the 4.5 size . . . too cute and the pineapple addition was what I was trying to put a finger on for what I thought was missing. Now I know! Your minature cake “does” look very cute =o)
It’s funny how some days are like that in the kitchen. Your cake does not look like it suffered at all, it looks perfect and I love the idea of pineapple.
I made Martha Stewart’s cream cheese frosting this week since I had seen such great reviews of it on your blog and it was excellent! I can see why it’s your favorite.
OOPS – i do silly things like that all the time (how about getting that cake in the over only to look over and see the bowl of flour + baking powder + salt sitting all by itself ‘set aside’?) But at least it still came out well! I think your picture of a slice is SOO cute, especially since the entire cake is only 4.5! Simply adorable!
love the mini cake. Might be, dare I say it, more fun the cupcakes?! glad you enjoyed it.
Your mini cake looks great! I’ve been looking for a carrot cake recipe to use for my son’s upcoming first birthday cake, and this might be it. Despite the mishaps, you produced a delicious-looking cake!
Despite the mishaps, it turned out pretty good. I’m glad you liked it. This was definitely another SMS winner. I omitted the nuts too and added orange zest to the batter. I also added some wheat bran to the batter which gave it some nuttiness. Yum!
Tracey, I wish my problems turned out as well as yours do. I like your idea of subbing pineapple for the walnuts. I bet I would have liked this a lot more if I’d made the frosting.
This weekend is my hubby’s birthday, and he wanted a cake with cream cheese frosting… I’m thinking I’ll have to make this orange cream cheese frosting. Looks amazing!
I wish whenever I made baking mistakes the result would be something like your carrot cake. It looks wonderful Tracey.
I’m drooling on my screen! I’ve never tried a carrot cake like this! Yummy!
Your blog is really lovely!
this is just TOO cute. I wonder if I can get away with a little one like this for Hub’s Birthday!!!
Glad it all came together in the end.
A crm cheese frosting BETTER than Martha’s. The world is ending.
Pineapple would have been a great sub for the nuts – my “go to” carrot cake includes pineapple too. The mini-layer cake is adorable. Great way to cut down on the portions and still keep the “layer” appearance.
Sorry I’m so late commenting – just got back into town after being away for a week or so!