Category Archives: Baking

Aug30

The Famous Apple Tree Carrot Cake Recipe

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There are many great carrot cake recipes. This one is simply the best. Lusciously moist, it keeps well, freezes well, and is always a hit! The recipe makes two cakes. I recommend doing just that.

The Apple Tree Sandwich Shop in New Denver, BC was an iconic place for great food. For almost four decades, this cake and the best sandwiches ever could be found on the main street of town. In 1998, Rob Ochsendorf, owner, Gary Wright, the mayor of the village and Patrizia Menton, photographer extraordinaire put together a book entitled Recipes and Rapscallions. Not only fantastic recipes (thanks, Rob!) but great photographs (thanks, Patrizia!) and town stories and gossip were shared (yes, Gary!). The carrot cake recipe endures as do the memories…

7 cups grated carrots
4 cups unbleached white flour
4 cups granulated white sugar
3 tsp baking powder
3 tsp baking soda
4 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups canola or sunflower oil
3 tsp vanilla
8 eggs

Mix carrots and oil in a bowl. Sift the dry ingredients into another bowl. Beat the eggs and then add the sugar and vanilla in yet another bowl. Beat some more till very light and mixed well, then add to carrots and oil (or add the carrots to the egg and sugar mixture). Mix well. Add the sifted flour and other dry ingredients and mix well to the wet ingredients.

Into two well-greased bundt cake pans, add the cake mixture. Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes. Some ovens do better at 325 F. Check the cakes when they look and smell done with a toothpick. It should comes out of the cake clean. Bravo! Let the cakes cool and then ice with cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
Soften two packages or one pound (454 g) of cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Add 2-3 cups of icing sugar gradually (depending on your taste), and then a tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice. Beat well until smooth and then gently spread over the cakes.

After the icing is on the cake, I use a fork turned backwards to create a grooved or lined pattern; it helps spread the icing which is thick from middle to top to sides. Not every inch needs to be covered, just lusciously decadently iced. Enjoy! And remember iced whole cakes and pieces freeze wonderfully.

Sep16

Giant Peach Pancake

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Giant Peach Pancake

  Feeding a Crowd and Want the Wow Factor? 

        3 words:  Giant Peach Pancake!

Giant Peach Pancake 

This easy, low fat pancake is a frequent go-to in the kitchen. The ingredients are simple: fresh fruit (this one uses peaches but I love it with apples, sour cherries and also apricots), a few eggs, milk, and a bit of flour. It’s quick and glamourous! Only stipulation is that the crowd must be sitting with forks raised when this masterpiece emerges from the oven. Like a soufflé, the pancake rises with heat and loses its loft once it’s out of the oven, so eat it up fast! Somehow, this is never a problem at my house!!!

Pancake Batter

¼ cup butter or margarine melted
6 eggs1
½ cups 1% or skim milk
1 tsp vanilla1
½ cups unbleached flour

Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 C).

In a food processor or with electric mixer, beat eggs for a few minutes, add milk and vanilla. A bit at a time, add the flour, blending continuously as the flour is added. The mixture should be smooth but not over beaten!

Place a large cast iron or other skillet or a couple of smaller ones, into the oven and melt butter in the skillet. Pour the batter into a hot skillet and bake on bottom shelf for 10-15 minutes.

Peach Sauce 

4 cups sliced peaches ( I like the slices larger, so cut into 12ths ..)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

Mix fruit, sugar and spices together in a large saucepan or skillet and cook gently till warmed and sugar starts to caramelize. With apples, add 1 tbsp rum and 1 tbsp apple juice for extra juice. Peaches have enough moisture and don’t need the liquids added…

Add the warm fruit sauce, and bake for a further 10 – 15 minutes, or until pancake puffs up, golden brown, and the fruit sauce bubbles happily round the edges. Mmmmm…

Remember that crowd of brunch guests have to be ready, waiting and eager as the pancake will settle the instant it emerges from its hot oven. No fear. The drama of the moment when this giant pancake graces the table, is well worth assembling an audience and preparing for the inevitable applause.

Sep11

Skor Bar Brownies

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Skor Bar Brownies

Okay, at long last here it is….. this is the most requested treat by my students.

Always when I offer to bake, it’s a chorus of “Skor Bar Brownies” that breaks out in the class! Thanks to Isaac, Kevan and Travis for clanouring on Facebook for this recipe…The power of social media!

Brownie Layer:

½ cup butter                                   Melt butter
½ cup sugar                                    Mix together sugars, egg, cocoa and add to butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup cocoa
½ cup flour                                     Sift together flour and baking powder and add.
1 tsp baking powder
Pour into an 8” square greased pan and bake at 325 F for 25 minutes.

Cream Cheese Layer:
8 oz. cream cheese                         Soften cream cheese and mix it till smooth
¼ cup icing sugar                           Add icing sugar and vanilla to cream cheese.
tsp. vanilla

Skor Bar Layer:
3 – 4 Skor bars                               Chop Skor bars in a food processor or with a knife so   
                                                          that pieces are small, but not crumbs.

After the brownies have baked and cooled, spread cream cheese icing and then on top, sprinkle crushed Skor bars. Refrigerate or freeze until served.

So simple; so decadent.

Photo will follow when I make the next batch!