The Best Carrot Cake Recipe Ever

Since this quarantine is so boring, I have gotten more into baking and cooking. I wanted to make a fun dessert with my sister for Easter and I ended up coming across this recipe when Chrissy Teigen tweeted about how she found the best carrot cake recipe ever.

My sister and I decided we wanted to try it out, so we bought some cake pans and got to work. It turned out so good and took up some time in our boring day, so we were happy.

(This recipe is from myrecipes.com.)

Ingredients for cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 large eggs

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots

8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained

3 1/2 oz. flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Ingredients for Buttermilk Glaze:

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

11 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Recipe for Cake:

Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.

Beat eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrots, pineapple, flaked coconut, and pecans or walnuts. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Recipe for Buttermilk Glaze:

Bring sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter or margarine, and light corn syrup to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting:

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

It turned out so good, I hope you try it!

Sincerely, Ava Rains

My Delicious Banana Bread Recipe

I hope you’re all ready for this. No, this no regular plain banana bread recipe. This is my CHOCOLATE CHIP banana bread recipe. Prepare to taste heaven.

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

¼ cup shortening (you can use margarine or butter but NOT “spread”)

3 ripe bananas, mashed (the more brown the better)

3 tablespoons milk 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ¾ cups flour

½ cup chocolate chips

A sprinkle of salt

TO PREPARE OVEN & PAN

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease (PAM) your loaf pan.

TO MAKE BREAD

In mixing bowl, cream eggs, sugar, shortening, mashed bananas and milk.

In separate bowl, stir together baking soda, salt and flour. Add to banana mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. 

https://foodsogoodmall.com/recipe/201309banana-bread-with-chocolate-chips-html/

TO BAKE BREAD

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 49-50 minutes. (You can sprinkle some brown sugar on top for the last 5 or 10 minutes if you want.)  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. 

Use a toothpick to stick in the middle, when it comes out clean it’s done!

This recipe is such a hit every time I make it; everyone loves it. Let me know if you love it too! Enjoy!

Sincerely, Ava Rains

The Wedding Series: My Engagement Story

On May 18, Donnie planned for us to go on a walk on campus at St. Thomas.

There was a place that we had taken a hike before in the winter that was down by the Mississippi River. This is such a beautiful spot; it’s completely hidden behind the campus and it’s our favorite spot to hike there.

We walked and climbed around along the cliffs and tried to avoid the mud from the rain that morning. We looked at the waterfalls and all the pretty views.

At one point toward the end of the hike I opened my phone and started to open a snapchat from a friend. As I opened it, Donnie grabbed my phone from my hand and said “Hey! No phones, we’re on a nature walk” and he put it in his pocket.

So we kept walking and went out to the biggest cliff overlooking the river and the bridge (such a beautiful spot!) Donnie told me to look out to the river so he could take a picture of me.

I heard him jump down behind me, so I turned around, and he got down on one knee!!! He asked me if I would make him the happiest man in the world and if I would marry him… and other sweet things. It was the perfect romantic spot for us.

Instantly I teared up, realizing that I would actually spend my life with the boy I’d loved for so long. And I couldn’t help but notice how gorgeous and perfect the ring was. I said “YES!”

Donnie’s friend came out of hiding in the bushes where she was taking pictures. It was such a happy and exciting day and neither of us could stop smiling! And I couldn’t stop staring at the sparkle on my finger.

We realized later that when I had started to open the snapchat from my friend it had snapchat-called her in Donnie’s pocket and she heard the entire proposal. She later sent pictures of her crying because she was so happy for us and heard the entire thing.

It was so fun to tell all of our family and friends! (even though our parents already knew about it.) We got so much support and love and it was such an exciting day! I’m so so excited that I get to marry my best friend in the world and spend life with him. All my dreams came true!

Sincerely, Ava Rains