Reviving the Carrot Cake

w/ Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cake season is here! Here’s a go-to elegant cake perfect enough to celebrate - Everything. Light enough to enjoy all summer long.  

This classic is revitalized with fresh Ginger and Carrot juices - this puts it a head above all the others you’ve tasted. Spiced just right, though feel free to make additions such as raisins or nuts.  

Preheat Oven 350*F

Makes: 1 large cake, 3 dozen mini -or- 1 dozen over sized cupcakes

Ingredients: Grouped by sequence.

MIX TOGETHER

1 cup Buttermilk - room temperature.

1 1/2 bag baby carrots (1 1/2 lbs) -Juiced

9 oz fresh ginger shredded fine

DRY: Mix together

2 1/2 C AP flour

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg & more for garnish

3 tsp Ground Ginger if not using fresh

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• WET:

4 room temp eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup tightly packed  brown sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla extract (bourbon vanilla if have)

• OTHER

3/4 Cup Veg oil

• FROSTING:

2 packages Cream Cheese - room temperature

1 box Powdered Sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla extract

1 1/2 sticks Unsalted Butter -room temperature

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

PROCEDURE:

1. Juice Carrots. Set ½ cup juice aside. (Shred if don’t have juicer.) discard rest.
2. Mix carrot remains, shredded ginger, and buttermilk together. Set aside.

3. Mix Dry ingredients together - set aside.
4. In Mixer over high, mix Wet Ingredients.
5. Pour in ½ Dry ingredients - Mix
6. Pour in Vegetable Oil

7. Pour in ½ remaining Dry ingredients
8. Pour in Carrot Juice
9. Pour remaining dry ingredients.
1. This might look wetter than used to because of juice - this will keep your cake moist and fluffy.

10. Pour in carrot mix.

11. Coat pan with Oil. Pour in cake mix.
1. 
   If using Cake sheet - pour mixture in.
2. Cupcakes: line with paper holders.
1. To make pouring easier for cupcakes, pour into a Ziplock bag, cut a hole in corner and pour as though as if pastry bag.

Cooking:

• Bake large cupcakes: 15 minutes, rotate pan, bake another 15 min.
• Small cupcakes: 8 minutes, rotate, another 7-8 minutes
• Large cake: 35-45 minutes total.

Check doneness by using a toothpick - poke in center - when it comes out clean - you’re finished.

Let rest & cool at least 20 minutes. - *note if hot - will melt frosting.

Frosting: Mix all ingredients together until nice and fluffy.

Don’t over mix or it will turn grainy.

• Once ready use knife to spread on cakes, or put in a plastic zip lock and cut corner - using like a pastry bag.

• Make sure frosting is Very cold - putting in and out of fridge if need be or it will make a goopy mess.

Sprinkle with Nutmeg

Refrigerate until ready to eat! ENJOY!

#ChefCaylena #CarrotCake #SummerCooking #Baking #KidEats #KidsCook #CreamCheeseFrosting

TRI TIP - Santa Maria Style

TRI TIP

Santa Maria style

I have lived North, South, East, West, and even in Hawaii. Everything is different in every region when it comes to food though one thing remains the same...

The Primal and (not so) Basic Instincts regarding meat! I say not so basic, because there is absolutely nothing more appalling than wrongfully prepared meat! This is really simple to avoid: pay attention, season well & only before cooking, don't burn or dry out meat, and you MUST let it REST.

However, no two places do their BBQ the same, and that is all about preference, though all have a “Claim to Fame.” I can truly testify to the Santa Maria style Tri Tip.  

My only caveat - No BBQ pit in my NYC apartment - you?

No problem, you won’t notice.

Those of you that do… Perfect this is for you too.

Note: I said Santa Maria Style…of course this is my version… and it is Damn Good!

Step By Step

1. Tri Tip - try to get 2 lbs (serves 4-6 easily)
• I have 3 lbs here in 2 pieces.
• Tri Tip is a very lean meat so you don’t want to trim it up, if there's a little extra fat just leave it.
• Rinse well, and pat dry with paper towel.

2. The Rub:
• 2 Tbsp Ground Coffee    
• 1 ½ Tbsp Kosher Salt
• 1 ½ Tbsp granulated Garlic
• 2 tsp ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
• ½ tsp Allspice

Smells Amazing!!!

3. Get your hands dirty! Make sure the entirety of the stake - top, bottom, sides, everything - completely coated so a nice heavy crust forms.

4. Put it in the refrigerator as is, for at least 1 hour, 3 is good, overnight is fine but not necessary.
• Note the coffee stains and beautiful crust formed.

5. Pull the meat back out and let it sit for half hour before cooking so that it’s not cold.

6. Heat a Cast Iron pan with enough olive oil to coat- OR - your grill, until oil is near smoking.
7. Sear meat on all sides well.
• You’ll pay attention to the browning of the meat, and the coating isn’t burnt.
• 4-5 minutes on both sides, 2-3 on thin sides.
8. Turn heat to Medium (or move to cooler part of grill), and finish cooking - about 6 minutes for for Rare to MR.
• Use an electric thermometer. You want to probe the very center, entering from the side, reaching 140*F for Rare - MR (Which is what I did so you can see.) 150, 165, and so on. At 140*F it takes about 20 minutes per stake.

NOTE: Because this steak is a very lean meat, cooking at a very high temperature - the outside will be cooked well and less and less towards the center.

9. REST your steak! Just put it aside and let it rest for at least 15 minutes! This is a complete must! You want the meat to rest, and absorb all those juices back in the meat so it will be super juicy rather than all over your cutting board when you cut.  

10. Once rested Cut your meat in half. The Tri Tip is called that because it’s shaped like a triangle. The Tri Tip needs to be cut against the grain. It goes one way at the triangle, and another way at the length - so you cut along those lines…

See the lines, you want to cut opposite direction of this.

Tri Tip is cut rather thin because of the texture, though you'll appreciate it's very rich in flavor.

I absolutely loathe people who put salt on a dish before tasting it! It’s cretinous!!!

This dish is perfectly seasoned from the dry rub! You’re ready to serve!

If you truly want to do it Santa Maria Style - serve it with salsa instead of a steak sauce and some kickin chili!

#SantaMariaBBQ #TriTip #SummerCooking #SummerEats #BBQ #Grilling #ChefCaylena