week 1/52 and 2/52 cakes

So I'm off to a good start with the weekly cake baking so far.  It all started with the cake platter Andrew gave me for Christmas.  I hope it's the start of a great collection.  We hosted a little birthday celebration for Nora and since all the ladies in my family love carrot cake it seemed to be the best choice.  I doubled a Better Homes and Garden's recipe and changed a couple things.  It did not disappoint.

Carrot Cake

4 eggs room temperature

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 cups shredded carrot

3/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup raisins

1 cream cheese frosting recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 8x1 1/2 inch round pans and line the bottom with wax paper.

2. In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.

3. In a smaller bowl eggs, carrot, oil, pecans and raisins.  Add to flour mixture and pour evenly into pans.

4. bake 35-40 minutes, cool on racks.  Frost and add extra pecans on top.

This chocolate cake was a last minute, feeding the elders, type cake.  Delicious and fast.  One of the things that I like about this recipe is that it doesn't call for any special ingredients like buttermilk or sour cream.

Busy-day Chocolate Cake
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3 Tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs white vinegar
1 cup cold water

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
2. Add vegetable oil, vanilla extract, white vinegar and water.
3.  Pour into 8 inch pan and bake 35-40 minutes.  Cool completely, then frost.

I made up the frosting on the spot so I can't give measurements but if you watch the video she shares her frosting recipe.