Today is my 27th birthday. On one hand, I wonder, “Where has the time gone?” and, on the other, I think, “Am I really still that young?”
Birthdays always make me reflect. Reflect on the past year. Reflect on my life as a whole. I like to use this time to think about all the wonderful things that I have around me and look back on all the amazing opportunities I have been given. But, most of all, I like to see how much I’ve changed and what I’ve done to make sure that those changes have occurred.
And boy has a lot happened over this last year. I’ve met some incredible people who have challenged me to become a better cook and photographer. I’ve left my comfort zone to make sure that I not only build relationships with people through e-mails and actually meet them in person. And I’ve moved forward with pursuing a career in photography, something I’ve grown quite passionate about over the past couple of years.
Eric and I traveled to California and ate one of the best meals of our lives at The French Laundry. We bought a new car… our biggest single purchase together (after dinner at The French Laundry). We became uncles again. And our other niece now lives in the same city as us.
In the last year, I also lost my grandfather. There’s no denying the fact that this has effected the path that I’ve chosen to take. Life is just too short to let happiness pass you by.
By my next birthday, I expect that my life will change even more. I expect that things will happen over this next year that will scare me, that will inspire me, and, most of all, that will make me a better person.
A few months ago, I talked about a bucket list that I want to complete by the end of 2011. And it’s my pleasure to announce that I can cross one of the items off. I made my first layer cake! Was it the prettiest? No. Was it darn tasty? Yes. Am I ready to make another one? You betcha!
I already know that over the next year, I hope to improve my cake baking skills. Icing will be a big part of it. So, expect some more cakes in the future.
This cake recipe comes from the delightful Rosie, of the blog Sweetapolita, who was kind enough to help guide me as I put this baby together. It has all of my favorite flavors and, as soon as I saw the recipe and rave reviews on Rosie’s site, I knew this was going to be the one for me.
Zingy Orange Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Icing
(from LCBO Food & Drink magazine, Spring 2011, via Sweetapolita)
Ingredients
5 cups (1.25 L) grated carrots
1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped crystallized ginger or stem ginger in syrup
1 orange
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger
1 cup (250 mL) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
White Chocolate Icing
1 cup (250 mL) butter, at room temperature
6 squares (6 oz/175 g) white chocolate
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
3/4 tsp (4 mL) almond extract
Generous pinch of salt
3 cups(750 mL) sifted icing sugar
Garnish
Chopped crystallized ginger
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Spray or lightly oil two 9-inch (1.5-L) round cake pans.
2. Grate carrots using a food processor. Measure out 5 cups (1.25 L). Finely chop ginger. Grate peel from orange. Set aside separately. Place flour in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger. Stir until blended. Sprinkle in orange peel while stirring.
3. Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar, then beat on medium for 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, then vanilla. Don’t worry if it seems curdled. Beating on low, gradually add about a third of the flour mixture. Beat until just mixed, followed by half the milk. Repeat additions, ending with flour. Sprinkle chopped ginger and stir to distribute. Stir in carrots.
4. Divide batter between pans. Spread as evenly as possible to sides of pan. To remove air pockets, bang pans on counter 5 to 6 times. Bake until centers seem set when lightly tapped, 30 to 35 minutes. Place on a baking rack to cool. After about 15 minutes, turn cakes out of pans and cool completely on racks. It’s best to bake cakes a day ahead of icing and leave at room temperature overnight.
5. To make icing, beat butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until very creamy. Place chocolate in a small microwave bowl. Microwave on medium for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir, then microwave on medium for another minute. Stir until smooth. Or on stovetop heat chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir, often. Gradually beat into butter. Add vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Gradually beat in icing sugar.
6. To assemble, place 1 cake, flat-side up, on a platter.Generously spread with icing, leaving a narrow border of cake around the edge. Top with the second cake, flat-side down, and gently press down. Smoothly spread icing over the sides of the cake, then the top. Garnish top of cake with chopped crystallized ginger. It’s best to refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.
Sweetapolita’s Notes:
1. I added about 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of water to the mixed icing and then beat on high speed for about another minute.
2. I weigh the cake pans filled with batter to ensure they are exactly the same, then use a small offset palette knife to spread the batter evenly in pans.
3. I refrigerate cakes for about an hour before frosting, then do a crumb coat, followed by a final topping of icing.
Recipe Source: LCBO Food & Drink Magazine, Spring 2011
Happy birthday friend! I hope there was a candle to make a wish on that great looking layer cake!
HAPPY happy Birthday, love!!! Hope you have a wonderful day, doing all the things that make you smile and being with those you love. Now, go enjoy that beautiful cake!! ps. I’m proud of you. xx
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday Brian! Your cake is perfection: nice and high with a thick layer of frosting – yum! Enjoy your day.
Happy Birthday!
It’s my son’s birthday also
Your cake looks wonderful. I hope you have a a year full of wishes coming true!
Your cake looks perfect brian! Happy Birthday. Hope the coming year is everything you want it to be.
Happy Birthday! The cake looks amazing and sounds even better. Definitely adding it to my list to try. Enjoy your day!!
Happy Birthday Brian! 27 only hey?! I hope this next year is definately one for great ventures and massive inspirations. Lovely layer cake BTW!
That carrot cake looks and sounds amazing! Happy Birthday!
Cheers,
Rosa
Ethan – there’s no time for candles… had to dig right into the cake.
Thank you my friend!
Happy Birthday, Brian! Love this cake–I’m impressed that this is the first one you chose to make. I bet it was fabulous. It certainly looks it!
Happy birthday! I’m excited to celebrate with you today!
My way of finding success with layer cakes only came after my youngest sister attended pastry school. She is now our official cake baker.
Happy birthday, Brian!
Happy birthday Brian.
I love following your blog; the food and the photos are just a delight.
I hope you have a fantastic day, Brian! The cake looks outstanding – carrot cake it my favorite, and it’s perfect for a birthday celebration.
Happy Birthday, Brian–sweet, funny, talented, warm, supportive, kind, amazing, handsome Brian! I’m so truly pleased that we became friends this past year, and I always love reading your posts; I find them really comforting, with both your words and photos. I can’t imagine life in the food blogging community without you!
I adore these photos you took of the cake, and true, I do always adore your photos, but I particularly love these–and not just because they’re cake, I swear. I struggled with photographing this cake because it’s not the most photogenic, but you managed to make it shine in these photos.
It sounds like you’ve had a very eventful year, and I wish you nothing but love, success, and luck this year and every year to come. Now for goodness sake, go eat more cake!
Love, Rosie xo
Happy Birthday Brian! Yes, you are still young and there’s so much life ahead! Have a great day.
Wish you a very Happy Birthday Brian! Well done on an amazing layer cake, it looks beautiful! I am so glad that you are getting out there and doing the things you love, pursuing your dreams. Here is hoping the coming year brings you unexpected joys, endless laughter and adventurous turns everywhere you go!
Happy birthday! Personally, I think the cake looks darn pretty!
happy birthday Brian – you’re one of my favorite friends . . . shhhhhhhh . . . don’t tell . . . LOVE this cake and i’m sure it tasted fabulous!! cannot wait to see what else is on your bucket list for next year! (((HUGS)))
Happy Birthday Brian! What a wonderful cake to celebrate with!! Wishing you a year filled with love, laughter and happiness and one filled with beautiful milestones!
MMnnnn!. . . I LOVES me some zingy zanginess.
A veces, una zanahoria es solamente una zanahoria.
Happy Bday! That cake looks so good! just too good
Happy, happy birthday, my wonderful son……there is not a day that you don’t bring light and love
to everyone around you. How blessed we are that we have you. My birthday wish for you is that
you find the fulfillment of your dreams this year. I love you very much……..up to the moon and back!
Happy Birthday! It was a pleasure meeting you a few months ago and I can now say I’m hooked on this gorgeous blog of yours along with this carrot cake. Keep knocking ‘em off the list…
I know the feeling. At 35, I sorta feel like a kid and an old woman rolled into one.
That cake… let’s just say this make you BFF material.
Wishing you an incredibly happy birthday season (is one day really enough?) and all good things. Hugs!!! xo
Happy Birthday!!! May all your wishes come true. Cheers!
I think the cake looks beautiful! And it sounds like you had a wonderful year. Happy birthday on the best day to have a birthday!!!
A happy birthday to you Brian and I hope that this next year brings you all sorts of amazing challenges and accomplishments. A bucket list is a great way to do it!
The cake looks simple delightful and it looks like it turned out just fabulous!
This cake looks fantastic, and I absolutely love the mix of ginger and carrots. Looking forward to continuing to follow your blog!
Happy Birthday! Please tell me you plan on face-planting that.
omg this looks fabulous!
Happy Birthday! and 27 is still very very young! Ginger and Carrots pairs beautifully and this is one warm good looking cake… have a wonderful Day!
Happy Birthday!!!
Do pamper yourself with one more slice of cake! Looks delish!
Happy happy birthday, Brian!! Your birthday cake looks delicious!!
Congratulations on another year and all that you’ve achieved…including this completely scrumptious looking cake. I always fall back on a simple cream cheese frosting with carrot cake, but love the idea of including white chocolate. Great post.
Happy Birthday!! My lil bro turned 25 yesterday & my other bro turns 31 on 9/20 lol-All you Virgos:) ha
LOVE this recipe! wow..I’m drooling ha..thanks for sharing!
Happy Birthday! My condolences for the loss of your grandfather.
A very happy birthday to you. May this year bring you lot of happiness and goodness in life. Have a blessed year and the cake looks super yummy.
Here’s wishing you many happy moments today, tomorrow and every day this year. This is quite the celebration cake! Orange and ginger definitely kick it up.
Cheers,
*Heather*
Happy Birthday! I am an absolute fan of your blog, and tickled that you made a carrot cake (looks beautiful by the way) for your birthday – my favorite birthday cake!
Happy Birthday!!!! The cake looks amazing, they aren’t suppose to be perfect. They just have to taste amazing!!! Nothing in life is perfect and there is no exceptions for cake. I hope you had a wonderful day.
I love the thick layer of frosting on this cake, and going with a Sweetapolita cake is always a smart idea!
So glad to call you a friend, and can’t wait to see what this next year holds for you. Happy Birthday!
Happy happy birthday Brian!! Carrot cake is my all time favorite cake. My friend made me an amazing carrot cake for my 21st birthday. I wish I could conjure that now. I’m very strict though and only deem cream cheese frosting as an acceptable accompaniment. Though the white chocolate does sound lovely
Yumm! I love making birthday cakes, although I`ve never made my own….I think I`ll put that on my bucket list — then I`ll get exactly what I want! Happy B-day. Theresa
Brian! Happy Birthday. I can’t believe you’re only turning 27!! – but I say that because you’ve got a wisdom about you that makes you seem wise beyond your years. Hope you’ve had the grandest week.
Happy B-day Brian!! I hope you had a wonderful day. The cake looks absolutely delicious!!
Happy belated birthday! What a wonderfully delicious slice of cake to be enjoying for your 27th! The ginger and carrot cake sound like a wonderful combination, especially with the burst of citrus from the orange.
Happy birthday! What a scrumptious way to celebrate.
Brian, I just realized that I never got a chance to properly greet you happy birthday here in this space, whilst gazing at that gorgeous slice of cake. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate all your successes and big steps this year. It has been such a joy to watch how much you have accomplished. Here’s to another year of exciting change ahead!
Ah, my sweet friend. Happiest birthday! You are precious, and i know that this next year is going to brim with more love, good food and joy. And thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! Your cake turned out just perfect in my book. I’m hungry again (we just finished dinner a couple of hours ago). Yummy..as always. Much love from Austin!
Belated happy birthday, Brian (though, I think I may have actually remembered to wish you an “on-time” happy birthday on Twitter… I hope!). 27, you say? I remember that one well (I have just a few years on you!). So glad you had a good year. Best wishes for the year to come… I know it will be amazing!
And, now the cake… For your first layer cake, that looks pretty amazing. And, the flavors sound just divine. As soon as I finish writing this comment, I will be running to the fridge to see if I have all of the ingredients to make this for dinner. I mean dessert.
Happy Birthday!! Carrot cake is my favorite – so I’ll certainly be making this in the near future, I hope!! I’ve one question – you measure a lot of your dry ingredients in mL – is there a reason for that? I’ve been doing mine in grams, but is that less precise?
I missed coming over to your site to wish you a happy birthday. You are so young, yet you’ve experienced so much. I’m 10 years older than you and have to tell you, you are in for the best 10 years ever. It goes by like a flash, but there is so much life to experience at this age. Enjoy exploring and growing!
Happy belated birthday, handsome
It certainly has been quite a year for you. Isn’t it interesting how a profound loss can make you see the world in a totally different way and spur you on to do what you really want to do instead of marking time. Glad to hear that I am not the only one who came very late in life to layer cakes – yours looks great (and I LOVE carrot & ginger together!)
Printed it!