Single Layer Carrot Cake with Browned Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

 If you read this blog with any regularity, you will be only too aware of the carrot shredding frenzy that I got myself involved in a week or so ago. I’m happy to report that it has finally come to a delicious conclusion, the last having been used in this adorable and tasty mini carrot cake. I discovered this little morsel on the Beyond the Butter blog. It’s a wonderfully easy recipe because it mixes together by hand; there’s nothing to putting it together.

  I have recently become enamored with small cakes, having purchased this set of four of 6-inch cake pans. It’s the perfect size for singles, couples, or even a family of four. As for the frosting on this cake, it is nothing short of fabulous! Browning the butter makes all the difference, and I don’t think I will make a buttercream frosting from here on out without doing the same. It’s a wonderful Easter dessert, or, if cut into tiny slices, perfect tidbits for afternoon tea.  This is a keeper.

Single Layer Carrot Cake with

Browned Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

 Edited for clarity

 ½ c. flour

½ t. baking soda

½ t. cinnamon

1/8 t. salt

1/3 c. vegetable oil

½ c. sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

½ c. grated carrots

¼ c. chopped pecans

 Frosting

¼ c. unsalted butter (browned and cooled to solid state)

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 t. vanilla

½ t. cinnamon

2 c. confectioners’ sugar

 Preheat oven to 350ºF. Generously spray a 6-inch cake pan with Baker’s Joy; set aside.

 In a small mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

 In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and egg.

 Add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together until just combined. Fold in carrots and pecans.

 Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool the cake in the cake pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

 FROSTING

In a small saucepan melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. As the butter begins to bubble and foam, stir until foaming subsides. Continue to cook until the butter turns a light brown and has a nutty aroma.

Immediately remove the browned butter from the heat and pour into a heatproof bowl. Cover lightly and place in the refrigerator to cool and solidify. This takes 40-55 minutes.

Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the browned butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Add cream cheese, vanilla, and cinnamon, and continue to beat until well blended.

Reduce speed to low, and gradually the confectioners’ sugar; beat until blended. Scrape down sides and mix on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes more.

 Frost cooled cake.

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Peach Cobbler with Bourbon Cream and Candied Pecans

I'm having fun creating small dishes from a wonderful book called Small Batch Baking. 

With only  two of us at home, it's often difficult to use up a full-size dessert.  Well, truth be told, it's not difficult at all, but that's the problem.  It's just too easy to gobble up dessert when we should be munching on something less caloric and a bit more healthy.  So it was such a delight to stumble upon this wonderful book by Debby Maugans Nakos called Small Batch Baking.  It is full of all sorts of delicious recipes, scaled down for smaller families, that run the gamut from cookies and cakes to pies, cobblers, and puddings.  The great thing about this brilliant book is that the recipes make between 1 and 3 servings. So, a cookie recipe, for example, will make 6 cookies. They are quick and easy, and you're not left with dessert just begging to be consumed with your morning coffee.  


Once Valentine's Day is over all I can think about is spring: flowers, garden centers, vegetable plants, herbs, fruit tress, and all that awaits when it's time to harvest.  These thoughts sent me down to the freezer to "harvest" one of the bags of peaches that I prepared and put into the freezer last fall.  So, we had Peach Cobbler with Bourbon Cream and Candied Pecans for dessert tonight. It was delicious (seriously, the pecans alone made this recipe worth making).  It made three ample servings, so the one of us who proves to be less virtuous will undoubtedly finish it off tomorrow.

PEACH COBBLER with BOURBON CREAM & CANDIED PECANS

Unsalted butter, at room temperature, for greasing baking dishes

FOR THE FILLING:

3 ripe peaches, or 2 cups thawed frozen peaches

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Pinch of ground cinnamon

FOR THE TOPPING AND FOR SERVING

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons cold whipping (heavy) cream

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

Bourbon Cream (recipe follows)

Candied Pecans (recipe follows)

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 F.  Lightly grease the baking dishes (I used one au gratin dish) and set them aside.

MAKE THE FILLING

If you are using fresh peaches, peel them and cut them in half.  Remove the pits and cut the pieces into 1/2-inch slices.  Place the peaches and lemon juice in a medium-size bowl, and toss to mix. (If using frozen peaches, omit the lemon juice.)  Add the brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon, and toss well to coat the peaches.  Spoon the peaches and juices into the prepared dish(es), dividing the filling evenly between them if using two.

MAKE THE TOPPING

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium-size bowl and whisk to blend well.  Add the butter pieces and toss to coat the butter with the flour mixture.  Rub the mixture with your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly.  Add the cream and toss with a fork just until the dough is combined.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times to smooth it.  Form the dough into a disk and roll out, forming 1/2-inch-thick pieces the shape and size of the top(s) of your baking dish(es).  Place the dough pieces on top of the filling, ans sprinkle each one with 1/4 teaspoon of sugar.  Bake until the top is golden brown and the juices are bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove the dishes from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Serve the cobbler warm, with the Bourbon Cream.  If you are using them, sprinkle each serving with Candied Pecans.

BOURBON CREAM

1/3 cup cold whipping (heavy) cream

1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon bourbon

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the cream, brown sugar, bourbon, and vanilla in a medium-size mixing bowl and beat with a hand-held electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.  Serve immediately.  

Makes about 2/3 cup

CANDIED PECANS

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1-1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place the pecans and corn syrup in a small bowl and stir to mix.  Add the sugar and toss to coat the pecans well.  Working quickly so the sugar does not dissolve, spread the pecans on the baking sheet and bake until they are golden, 10 minutes.  Remove the pecans from the oven.  The candied pecans can be made 1 day ahead; store them in an airtight container.

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