Carrot Cake Cookies

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I had a very nice Christmas break. Two weeks was not quite long enough to recharge my school batteries, but it was nice to remember what sleep feels like.

It's back to the college grind today, but it's very unsettling to think that I only have 5 months left.

Code Boyfriend and I have huge plans for after graduation, but more on that later.

Right now, I want to show you pictures from my awesome new camera (hooray for Christmas presents!), as well as the cookies I made for the Knitting Club e-board.

I got so busy before break that no one got any cookies! I had to fix that. So now, carrot cake cookies.

They're soft, and cake-y. Just like a carrot cake muffin. But only the top, which is everyone's favorite part anyways.

Doesn't that look good?

I'm so excited to dig in to them at the meeting tonight.

Carrot Cake Cookies
 Adapted from LandOLakes

• 1 Cup of Butter, softened
• 3/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 3/4 Cup of White Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 and 1/2 Cups of Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 Teaspoons of Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Cups of Shredded Carrots (About 4 Carrots)

Cream together butter and both sugars until fluffy.
Slowly beat in both eggs.
Beat in flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Finally, gently mix in carrots.

Place about 2 tablespoons of dough about 2 inches on a baking sheet, lined with parchment or a silicon baking mat. (Please note my awesome new silicon baking mats!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. They won't stay soft if you overcook them. And who wants crunchy carrot cake??

Frost with cream cheese frosting and enjoy!

The Most Moist Chocolate Cake

3 years ago, when Code Boyfriend's birthday was coming up, I asked him what kind of cake he wanted.

He said he wanted an extremely moist, dense, chocolate cake.

So, I scoured the internet for the most moist chocolate cake and I think I've found it. After making it once, I have never felt the need to look for another chocolate cake.

I've made this recipe at least 6 times, including as Code Boyfriend's birthday cake three years running. He never wants anything else.

I will give you fair warning. Frosting this cake will make you want to cry. Making the cake so moist makes it nearly impossible to frost without getting crumbs in the frosting.

You'll scream, you'll cry, and then... you'll taste it. And all that hatred will go away. 

I think this cake would be great frosted with whipped cream, allowing the chocolate flavor to stand for itself. Code Boyfriend has a very strong attachment to vanilla butter cream.

If you are going to frost with butter cream, make sure it's very soft butter cream. Mine was very stiff and it wouldn't go on nicely. After 45 minutes of struggling with it, I swore I'd use whipped cream next year.

Adapted from Tricia's Kitchen.

The World's Most Moist Chocolate Cake

• 2 Cups of Sugar
• 1 Cup of Vegetable Oil
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup of Milk 
• 1 Cup of Hot Coffee
• 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 of a Cup of Cocoa Powder  
• 2 Cups of Flour
• 2 Tablespoons of Corn Starch
• 1 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
• 2 Teaspoons of Baking Soda
• 1/2 Cup of Sour Cream

 Combine sugar and oil in a mixer. Add 2 eggs slowly. Add milk, coffee, and vanilla.

Combine flour, cocoa powder, corn starch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl.

Slowly, incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ones.

Mix in the sour cream. Make sure to do this completely, or you will have streaks of white in your chocolate cake. 

This batter will be extremely watery. The first time I made this cake, I thought it was never going to bake up. But it does.

Pour into 2-9 inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper.

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clear.

Seriously, try this cake! You'll never go back!   

"The Best Frosting I've Ever Tasted" Troubles

Today was a last day. Everybody knows about first days: first day of class, first day of college, first day in a new city.

But today was the last day. The last club meeting at which the old president of my college's knitting club would still be a student. The last day of the old guard, finalizing the passing of the torch.

Seeing as the club's membership has exploded and the majority of the members still don't know my name, the very nature of the club has changed, from a group of friends who hung out and knit, to something much larger.

.... And now I have to figure out what the something larger is, before my time comes to have my last day.

But today was not about me. It was about Alyssa. We had pizza and cupcakes to make the meeting feel festive.

As an avid reader and worshiper of the Pioneer Woman's blog, I decided to frost the cupcakes with the frosting she has dubbed "The Best Frosting I Have Ever Tasted".

I've made this frosting before, so I thought it would work out. But something went wrong.

I was about a tablespoon low on granulated sugar, so I substituted powdered. Big mistake.

The frosting began to separate. Maybe that was from the pink food coloring I added, but no matter how long I whipped, it never became homogenous. 

See? Even in the picture it looks a little grainy. That's not the camera, that's the frosting. Don't get me wrong, it still tasted amazing, but it just wasn't what I wanted.

Since the frosting never firmed up and began melting off the cupcakes once I piped it on, I ended up making a batch of normal butter cream and using that to frost the rest of the cupcakes.

I feel like this was my fault. I think I ruined something in this recipe. I don't want to believe that the Pioneer Woman would ever lead me astray.

I've used this frosting for a full cake and things worked out fine. I just think it's meant to be spread, not piped, and generally not fussed with as much as I like to fuss with my frosting.

 I'll try again with this at a later date. For this frosting, it is not the last day.

Cake Vodka Mixed Drinks

I turned 21 this past summer. On my birthday, I went to the liquor store in my town and picked up a bottle of UV Cake Vodka, for pudding shots.

While the cake pudding shots were the favorite at the party, I am also out of them. But I will share the recipe anyways.

But my favorite Cake Vodka drink recipe is very simple.

Cake Cola Shooter

• 1 shot of Cake Vodka
• 3 shots, about a half a can, of Root Beer

Stir to combine. Best served cold.

Cake Pudding Shots
Be warned. These taste like vanilla cake batter and should be made with extreme caution.

• 1 box of Vanilla Pudding mix (Instant, not Cook and Serve)
• 1 cup of Milk
• 1/2 cup of Cake Vodka
• 1 cup of Cool Whip

 Use a hand mixer to combine the pudding mix, milk, and vodka until slightly thickened, then fold in the cool whip. Transfer in to tiny cups, shot glasses, or a giant bowl. Whatever you want to serve it in. The mixture sets up very quickly.

These are awesome frozen. They're like Cake Batter Alcoholic Ice Cream

I hope you guys enjoy these recipes, and explore the wonders that stem from Cake Vodka

Roommate's Birthday Cake

Here's a little tip for any college student learning how to live with someone, whether you know them or not.

Always do something special for their birthday. It will smooth other some of your not so pleasant moment.

Since my roommate's birthday was this week, I did a vanilla cake for her. If you like sugar cookies, this is the cake for you. It takes exactly like a sugar cookie, plus it's nice and moist. Very tasty.

Sugar Cookie Vanilla Cake

• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 2 tablespoons Corn Starch
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 cup Oil
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat butter, oil, and sugar until creamy.

Beat in eggs, then vanilla.

Add all dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk.

Place in 2-8 inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool, then turn out and frost with your favorite frosting.

I recommend a chocolate frosting with this cake, it was a little dull with vanilla frosting. That didn't stop us from devouring it.