Say that five times fast…
I’ve never really been a fan of carrot cake.
I can’t pinpoint just one reason. I have several.
- Not a fan of long strands of carrot throughout the cake. It’s a texture thing.
- Stop putting raisins in carrot cake. I don’t know whose idea this was. It probably came from the same people who keep putting kale and spinach in EVERYTHING. Please. Stop.
- Same for pineapple. I have nothing against this fruit. I actually really love pineapple, but not in carrot cake.
- Ditto for nuts.
- Cream cheese frosting makes me shudder. Yes, I said shudder. Like one giant whole-body convulsion. I don’t know why, it just does.
Now, all these reasons could add up to me just being a crazy person. However, when it comes to cake, I eat all kinds. I’m not a cake-hater. My only conclusion then, is that I like things simple, classic and uncluttered. I feel like someone just threw whatever shit they had laying around into cake batter and called it good. Now, I know there are those of you out there that will fight me tooth and nail and love carrot cake with all sorts of additions. No worries, I get it. We all have different tastes. Which is why everyone wins with cake. Leave raisins out. Put them in. Who cares? Make it how you like it. And if you have people with different tastes, make cupcakes and pop a few raisins or nuts into just a few. Voila. Everyone feels special.
As for my cupcakes, I found a recipe that I could get behind and I actually LOVED it. I am now a complete carrot cake convert. The recipe that I used seemed strange at first and I wasn’t sure they would turn out but I was pleasantly surprised. I found a recipe that uses a whole orange that’s been put through the blender or food processor. Me, being the eternal pessimist, thought this would never work with the bitter pith. I was wrong. I admit it! This cake was super moist and delicious. And some of the orange puree was put to good use in the frosting. And yes, I made cream cheese frosting. And no, I did not shudder while eating it. It had just enough tang without being overkill and just enough sweetness. They worked beautifully together and were gobbled up in no time when I took them to work.
And if what I said isn’t enough, take it from my husband who hates vegetables and will not eat cream cheese in sweet applications. He thought these cupcakes were really good. Double stamp of approval!
P.S. A cute bunny plate doesn’t hurt the cause either!
Ann