The Best Carrot Cake

3 Moist, full of flavor layers loaded with carrots, pineapple, coconut and pecans,  glazed with a buttermilk glaze, and filled and frosted with a sweet cream cheese frosting ~  it's so good.  I found this recipe through one of my favorite sources:  Southern Living and they call it "Best Carrot Cake", I really believe them and think you will too.

Recipe
Cake:
2 cups flour
2 tsps baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
 2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrot
1 8oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup chopped pecans
Buttermilk Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsps baking soda
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tsps light corn syrup
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting:
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 8oz  package cream cheese, softened, plus 3 oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsps pure vanilla extract

Line 3 9" round cake pans with parchment paper cut out to fit, spray with baking spray, set oven rack to center.
Stir together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment beat eggs then sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla at medium speed until smooth.  Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended.  Fold in carrots,pineapple, coconut and pecans until blended.  Pour batter into prepared pans, distributing evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 mins (rotating pans throughout)or until a toothpick comes out clean.
While its baking, prepare glaze:  Put sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter and corn syrup in a medium pot, bring to a boil over med-high heat.  Boil, stirring often about 4 mins, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
When cakes are removed from oven, keep them in the pans on a wire rack and brush the buttermilk glaze over tops.  Let cool in pans about 15 pans, then remove from pans and cool completely on racks.
While they are cooling prepare cream cheese frosting:  Beat butter and cream cheese at med speed in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamy.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla, beat until smooth.  Spread cream cheese between each layer and on top and sides of cake, decorate as desired.


 

All this good stuff goes into this cake



Buttermilk glaze is brushed over each layer as it cools for extra moistness and flavor

 

Decorated for Easter!

 

Decorated for St. Patrick's Day!

 

Or Valentine's Day!

 

Enjoy!

Homemade Pizza

Thanks to my mother I have enjoyed fresh homemade pizza all of my life.  My job was the cheese grater ~ I didn't mind this job because I got to sneak and eat some mozzarella as I worked (I love cheese!) I guess you'd say its semi-homemade because we buy the pizza dough either from our local Italian bakery or in the frozen food section, brand "House of Pasta"  sold in a pack of 2 ~ both choices taste fresh and delicious.  It's quite simple and you could be creative with the toppings and cheeses.  Now that I'm the mom, I'm teaching my kids how to make their own pizza ~ we have make your own pizza night at my house, where I prepare the dough in the pan and set out the sauce, cheeses, spices and toppings and the kids assemble their own personal pizza.   Soon they'll learn how to stretch the dough.  Here are the kids pizzas and one topped with leftover sliced meatballs and sauteed mushrooms, the last pizza is topped with sautéed red pepper, onion, mushroom and garlic- which is delish!

1 Pizza dough at room temperature rolled lightly in flour to prevent sticking
Marinara sauce, homemade or jar works fine
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
sprinkle of oregano
Toppings, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and position oven racks on bottom 3rd rack and upper rack. For a thick crust, Sicilian like pizza (pictured) lightly coat a 9 X 13" sheet pan with olive oil, for a thin crust, coat an 11 X 17" cookie sheet with olive oil.  For individual small pizzas - break the dough in half, stretch into rounds and place both rounds on a 11 X 17"  cookie sheet coated with olive oil.
Stretch the dough gently - I hold the dough up with the back of my knuckes,  with light pushes of your knucles rotate the dough in a circular motion until stretched out to fit pan.   Here is a video showing how:
 http://www.finecooking.com/videos/how-to-shape-pizza.aspx Lie in pan and stretch out the corners.  Spoon and spread sauce over dough- the amount you like, leaving about 1/4 in uncovered around the perimeter of the dough.  Sprinkle mozzarella over, then parmesan and oregano.  Place toppings as desired on top.  Bake on bottom rack for about 5 minutes, until underside is golden brown,  a few minutes longer for sicilian.  Then transfer to top rack and rotate pan, bake until edges are golden brown and cheese is bubbly about 5 minutes longer, a few mins more for sicilian.  Let cool a few mins then slice and enjoy!
 

                                             Enjoy!