Home Cook: Joseph DeCandia, Beacon, N.Y.
"I've always enjoyed helping my mom bake and began baking on my own as a teenager. Now that I'm 16, I do a lot of cookies and cakes for my friends and family. I've been inspired by Buddy Valastro from 'The Cake Boss.' This is, in fact, where I got this carrot cake recipe from. I've modified it a bit and make a lot for my family."
Recipe: Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
- 3 Cups finely grated carrots-about 5 large carrots(I use a food processor)
- 2 1/2 Cups flour
- 2 Cups sugar
- 3/4 Cup vegetable oil
- 21/4 tsp. Baking powder
- 2 tsp. Ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Baking soda
- 1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 4 Large eggs
- 1 Cup milk
- 1/2 Cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
- Put a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
- Put carrots, flour, sugar, oil, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix on low just until the ingredients are tossed together well, then raise the speed to medium and continue to mix until mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add eggs, one at a time until they are mixed in well.
- Pour in the milk and mix in well.
- Mix walnuts in.
- Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans .
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Before baking, make sure the batter is between 70 and 75 degrees or the cakes will crown.
- Bake until the cake begins to pull from the sides of the pan and is springy to the touch, 25-30 minutes. Let cool.
- Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with sugar, and turn the pans over onto the parchment paper. The sugar will keep them from sticking.
Cream cheese icing:
Ingredients:
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
- 1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
- 2 Cups powdered sugar
Directions:
- Mix cream cheese and butter until creamy.
- Add vanilla and sugar (a little at a time) and mix until smooth.
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