Spiced Carrot Baby Cakes with Amaretto Cream Cheese Frosting

Spiced Carrot Baby Cakes with Amaretto Cream Cheese Frosting

Can I just begin by telling you about all the bunnies in my neighborhood? There are like, hundreds, really. It’s like a total bunny apocalypse.

Ok. Not really, but believe me, there’s a lot.

In the garden.

In my driveway.

Hopping all around the block.

With their little cotton tails and their cute, furry faces. We have even “adopted” one that hangs out in our garden. His name is Oscar. He drives the dogs crazy. Oscar hangs out behind the holly bushes until the puppies come out to play and then it is on. He actually camouflages in the garden and waits to be chased. The thing is, Oscar is small enough to slide through the slats in our fence. The dogs are not. So it is complete and utter torture for the pups.

To honor all things bunny related, I made the most amazing spiced carrot cupcakes. And instead of the typical cream cheese frosting, I made things a bit more exciting with amaretto. Because duh.DSC07042_600x400

I had made a similar carrot cake for Easter, but decided to make them into little cakes this time and spice things up. I kept the coveted carrot cake basics…crushed pineapple, raisins, carrots, pecans but added cardamom, cloves, buttermilk, and switched up the raisins to golden raisins. You could add shredded coconut as well, but I opted out cuz the Hubster is allergic.

Also these little cakes are ridiculously easy to put together. They act like regular cupcakes and so you can pick your favorite baking liners to pour the batter in or maybe find little tin liners to give it a more rustic feel. Then just top with rich and creamy amaretto frosting using your favorite decorating tip.

These baby carrot cupcakes are not for the faint of heart. They are rich… And sweet… And moist… Even I couldn’t bear to part with them, so none of my friends had the chance to sample the goods.

Spiced Carrot Baby Cakes with Amaretto Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Spiced Carrot BabyCakes with Amaretto Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

    Spiced Carrot Baby Cakes:
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, unsalted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
  • Amaretto Frosting:
  • 1 cup {2 sticks} unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 1/2 - 4 cups confectioners sugar, depending on desired consistency
  • 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons Amaretto liquor
  • cinnamon {optional}

Instructions

    Spiced Carrot Baby Cakes:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper lines and set aside.
  3. In your stand mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars.
  4. Add eggs; one at a time.
  5. Add vanilla extract.
  6. In a separate bowl, mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
  7. Alternating, add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the egg mixture, ending with the dry ingredients.
  8. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
  9. Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  10. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
  11. 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.
  12. Amaretto Frosting:
  13. Cream butter in your stand mixer bowl for 3 minutes.
  14. Slowly add in confectioner sugar.
  15. Add Amaretto liquor, one tablespoon at a time.
  16. Add heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
  17. Use your favorite decorating tip to top your cakes with frosting.
  18. Sprinkle with cinnamon{optional}.
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Cinnamon Brioche Bread Pudding

Cinnamon Brioche Bread Pudding

I have been a bit MIA lately and I promise I have a good reason. Sorta.

Life has been getting in the way. More specifically, ballet classes.

That’s right you guys…

I am taking ballet classes and loving it.

I feel like I am straight outta Dance Academy, although I am pretty sure that I look more like Bilbo Baggins trying to plié and what not, than an actual ballerina. But I love it and I feel pretty doing it, so the ballet slippers are staying on for awhile.

I used to be a dancer when I was a little girl and spent several years in ballet, tap, and jazz. I remember dance recitals and tutus and how nervous I would get when I had to stand up in front of allll those people {mostly just our parents and family members, but tell that to a 6-year old} and dance a 3-minute choreographed number to one of top 40′s greatest at the time. I specifically remember dancing to Janet Jackson, Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty, one year. I mean, seriously, what else would you be dancin’ to in 1990?! Rhythm Nation, am I right? Obvi..

Anyways, to make up for the time I have been away dancing, I made you some bread pudding –simple, delicious, and oh so comforting, Cinnamon Brioche Bread Pudding. Oh…and I also made you an amaretto drizzle to go on top. Your welcome.

Cinnamon Brioche Bread Pudding

This recipe uses Cinnamon Brioche from the amazing Amelie’s in Charlotte, but you can use any sort of hearty bread, like challah or even sourdough. If you can’t find challah or brioche in your area, like me, just ask your local bakery. Sometimes they will make a loaf or two for you or they might even make it a couple times a week and you might just be missing it.

Cinnamon Brioche Bread Pudding

The only thing that would make this cinnamon bread pudding even better would be the Amaretto drizzle. It takes minutes to make and the warm, sweet sauce is the perfect compliment to this ever-so-comforting bread pudding.

Just mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup Amaretto, and a stick of butter in a medium saucepan on low-medium heat. Stir together until the sugar has dissolved and then drizzle over the bread pudding. Easy Peasy. Lemon Squeezy.

Cinnamon Brioche Bread Pudding

Recipe by Carrie

Ingredients

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 4 beaten eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup mini-chocolate chips
  • 3-5 cups 1 -inch cubed cinnamon brioche, allow to stale overnight
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° and lightly grease a 13 by 9 inch pan.
  2. Place cubed bread in your greased pan, making sure all the cubes are even and level.
  3. Whisk together your sugar, milk, eggs, extracts, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  4. Pour over the cubed bread and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
  5. Top with mini-chocolate chips.
  6. In a small bowl, combine pecans, melted butter, and light brown sugar.
  7. Sprinkle pecan mixture evenly over the top of your bread mixture.
  8. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until set.
  9. Remove from oven and drizzle Amaretto sauce on top.
  10. Serve warm.
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Chocolate Cinnamon French Toast

When I walked into my neighborhood grocery store last week, I never thought in a million years that I would find a fresh loaf of challah bread sitting there, winking at me, beckoning me, in the bakery section. I live in a fairly small town and the nearest grocery store doesn’t carry anything out of the ordinary, so I saw this loaf of challah bread as my baking destiny. As I put it into my basket, the heavens opened up, the sun shone down on me, and I declared(loudly): I shall make Chocolate Cinnamon French Toast with this challah bread, while onlookers froze in amazement.

Ok. So that didn’t happen. For the most part anyway. Truth, I have had this idea in my head for awhile, but I swear it was fate.

Chocolate Cinnamon French Toast

Anyway, this is a super easy breakfast that you can whip up any day of the week and make you look like a rock star at the same time.

Chocolate Cinnamon French Toast

This is the fateful challah bread loaf that brought cinnamon and chocolate together forever.

Chocolate Cinnamon French Toast

I like my french toast to be thick, so I sliced my loaf into 1 inch slices.

Chocolate Cinnamon French Toast

 I just love the fact that there are cinnamon flecks in my french toast. Chocolate Cinnamon French Toast

Chocolate Cinnamon French Toast

Yield: Approximately six 1-inch slices

Recipe by Carrie

Ingredients

  • For the syrup:
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • For the egg wash:
  • 8 eggs
  • splash of milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • mini chocolate chips
  • powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, cinnamon and vanilla.
  2. Stirring constantly, cook on medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5-7 minutes.
  3. If your syrup begins to thicken, simply reheat on the stove or in the microwave for a few seconds.
  4. Heat your large frying pan on medium-high heat and melt a tablespoon of butter to lightly grease your pan.
  5. Slice your challah bread loaf about 1 inch thick, using a serrated knife.
  6. Combine your eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla in a shallow, wide mouthed, bowl. Your bowl needs to be wide enough to dip your bread slices in.
  7. Dip your sliced challah bread in your egg mixture and make sure both sides are covered completely.
  8. Carefully place bread in pan and fry 2-3 minutes before flipping to the other side. If you find that your pan is too hot, then turn down your heat to medium.
  9. Drizzle syrup on french toast and top with mini chocolate chips and powered sugar.
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Chocolate Cinnamon French Toast