Chocolate Carrot Cake Pops

Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

3 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 large carrots) 

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream sugar and oil, add eggs and beat until smooth.

Add carrots, dry ingredients and nuts.

Bake in a greased & floured tube pan 1 hour 15 min. at 350.

Cream Cheese frosting: (May have to double or triple the recipe for cake pops) 

1 pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese (room temp) 

1 ½ cup icing sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter (room temp) 

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the cream cheese and butter together whipping with a hand blender or in the stand up mixer with a paddle attachment.  Add sugar and vanilla. Whip and chill until ready to frost cake.


------------

For cake pops:

Remove the sides of the cake by slicing with a serated knife to remove the tougher crust.  Keep only the soft middle parts of the cake and begin to flake with fingers to create a sort of crumbly crumb mixture.  Add the frosting gradually and work in with fingers.  

If the filling needs chilling then do so by placing in the fridge for 30 minutes before working it again and rolling truffle sized balls.

Once the balls are rolled, place back in the fridge for about 12 hours. 20 minutes before coating with chocolate place the cake pops (carrot cake/cream cheese frosting rolled balls) into the freezer.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler stove top.

I use dark chocolate, the amount depends on how many cake pops you make.

Gently dip the cake pops in the chocolate to coat then remove using a fork or special chocolate dipping tools (if available) Place on a parchment and cool.  You can drizzle with extra chocolate or add whatever decoration you desire. 

If you'd like to make the cake pops on a stick then you dip the stick in a bit of chocolate and place into the cake pop by gently pushing it inside about half way (like a lollipop) Allow to cool by chilling again then using the stick hold them firmly and dip to coat into chocolate. Shake off excess gently and either place on a plate or use a piece of Styrofoam to pierce the sticks inside to keep them upright when cooling (to keep the round shape).

Enjoy!

New Year's Eve 2014

Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

3 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 large carrots) 

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream sugar and oil, add eggs and beat until smooth.

Add carrots, dry ingredients and nuts.

Bake in a greased & floured tube pan 1 hour 15 min. at 350.

Cream Cheese frosting:

1 pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese (room temp) 

1 ½ cup icing sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter (room temp) 

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the cream cheese and butter together whipping with a hand blender or in the stand up mixer with a paddle attachment.  Add sugar and vanilla. Whip and chill until ready to frost cake. 

Pineapple candy (make ahead)

Carrot cake, with pineapple

Carrot cake (with pineapple)

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 cups vegetable oil

1/3 cup crushed pineapple

1 cup of each white sugar and brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 taspoon allspice or 1/8 ground clove

3-4 cups grated carrots

1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugars and 2 teaspoons vanilla as well as the crushed pineapple.

Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

Carrot cake (without pineapple)

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

2 cups white sugar/brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon/nutmeg/allspice

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.


Original recipe courtesy of Allrecipes