Good morning, Mamas! Happy Monday! It’s the start to a new week! A new week means a new calendar page to me. It’s like a fresh start even though it is the last week of the month! Anyone else out there who enjoys planning and organizing? Every Sunday evening, I meal plan and prep according to our weekly calendars. It really helps to make a plan and then operate with being flexible, of course, because we all know that not everything goes according to plan; but, a plan does help.
Before we start on the deliciousness that is today, I have two important matters of business:
First, the blog is going to be moving to a new and exciting platform! Stay tuned!!!
And secondly, and most importantly, Victoria Leigh is going to be coming home from China for a two week vacation!!! (Insert excited mama and family members and friends!) I am already thinking of meal plans for while she is here. Desserts will be on the menu, of course, and I thought I’d try out a few new ones before she arrived in case I *needed* to add to ones that I know are her favorites.
So, today I share a review of the Trim Healthy Mama Carrot Cake Deluxe, the making of which was motivated by a soon arriving China doll.
Cookbook: Trim Healthy Table Cookbook
Chapter: Breakfasts & Baked Goods
Recipe: Carrot Cake Deluxe
Page: 375
Serving: Multiple Serve
Fuel: S – Satisfying
Before whisking it all together…
After adding all the other ingredients, except the carrots, I was pleased with the yummy looking batter…
And we should discuss carrots, because it is a carrot cake, and because the planner and organizer and grocery shopper made a wee oversight this week. Just so you know, the planner, organizer, and grocery shopper is me. The Salesman enjoys eating the little organic carrots and when I had carrots on the market list, I bought what I normally buy for him to eat and not what the recipe calls for which was two small to medium carrots. It was a wee bit challenging to grate the baby carrots on the finest grate to equal one and a half cups for the cake.
This is the picture of my Trim Healthy Table cookbook perched atop the toaster oven while I was assembling the cake. You will notice my highly organized tab system too! Well, it is hard to see the chapter dividers I made for the Trim Healthy Table cookbook or the recipe tabs. Pretty much all you can see are my pink post it notes on the sides of pages. Each recipe that I want to make, I place a pink sticky tab on the edge and then remove it after making the recipe and add a tab and my notes about the recipe on the cookbook page.
While the cake was baking, I decided to go ahead and make the frosting, which was delicious, by the way. Two thumbs up! I had to put the frosting in the refrigerator because I didn’t have time to ice it before we needed to leave for a business appointment. So, I pulled the delicious smelling cake out of the oven and placed it atop a pot holder to cool since it was finished baking. Little did I know that when we left for our first appointment that we would not be back home until after our dinner appointment five plus hours later. Needless-to-say, the carrot cake was cooled when we returned home. I was concerned that it would be dried out. However, the Carrot Cake Deluxe got better each day it was in the refrigerator.
My plan for next time is to bake for 40 minutes versus 45 minutes and not cool on the counter for so long! I think I will also double the recipe next time and bake in round pans and make a four layer cake just to try it in a different format. Definitely buying regular size carrots, too!
Garnish with walnut pieces, and enjoy!
