citrus carrot cake + dulce de leche cream cheese frosting.

I have a carrot cake recipe I swear by.

This isn't it. One day, I promise I'll put it up, but for now, I wanted to try something a little different - this citrus carrot cake!

There were oranges and carrots in the fridge. I could've left them there to be eaten plain or, in the carrot's case, be made into muthia or grated into a wrap .. but cake is so good. And do you ever just do things because you feel like it?

I was actually supposed to be getting ready to go to class & stuff, but instead, here I was, thawing cream cheese outside in the heat and periodically poking the cake to test if it would jump back, indicating doneness.

Carrot cake is so good. I wish I had some now. I'm doing this thing where I don't eat dessert for a week. No cakes, cookies, brownies, pies, that stuff. I started on Monday, and tomorrow's going to be Thursday. I've held out so far! I've found substitutes, such as (random) almond milk jelly I made + the (sugary) bottom fruit part of a raspberry Chobani. I have also been eating more fruit! Yay! I don't eat so terribly unhealthily, but I didn't realize how little fruit & dairy I was getting.

The other day, I peeled a mango, because they're sweet, right? ... I don't know how my mom always peels & cubes mango for us to eat. The freaking fruit is a monster, and this one had pits at the top, in addition to the middle pit. Are those always there?! Jeez. There has to be an easy way to handle the thing. They're so good, I'd be willing to learn. Unlike my one friend who's too lazy to peel a kiwi, so he eats the entire thing like an apple, skin & all.

You use a jelly roll pan, cut the cake into 3 sections, and stack them!

Tonight, I cut up some watermelon - much easier. During the day, I cut up an apple as a snack. I accidentally ate the last piece of apple I was sharing with a friend, mistakenly taking his rejection of my offer at face value. I need to be less of a fatass. His birthday's coming up, so maybe I'll make up for it then?

The same friend had never heard of carrot cake. How?!? How fitting that I made it this past weekend & can blog about it now.

This cake is really simple to make - remember? I made it quickly while I was getting ready!

First, you combine the dry ingredients. Them you get the wet mixture ready. Then you grate the carrots, and throw it all together, pretty much. Easy peasy. And so delicious, especially the frosting. Frosting is to me as kryptonite is to Superman. I used "real" amounts this time (not a little of this, a couple spoonfuls of that), so I can provide you guys with the recipe!

The result is a soft, tender cake. The carrots definitely add some nice texture & flavor, and the citrus keeps things fresh, and not heavy, as most carrot cakes tend to be. The frosting adds the perfect amount of sweetness. You could probably even substitute whole wheat flour & a little more yogurt, and make this a snack cake, if you wanted!

Citrus Carrot Cake

adapted from here.

• 1 3/4 cups flour 
• 2 tspns baking powder 
• 1 tspn baking soda 
• 1 tspn ground ginger 
• 1 tspn ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tspn salt 
• one large orange 
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (dark or light, either one) 
• 1/2 cup oil 
• 1/4 cup yogurt 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 Tb flax dissolved in 3 Tb water, left to sit 3 minutes (or substitute an egg) 
• 1 tspn vanilla extract 
• 2 2/3 cups grated carrots (about 3-4 carrots' worth) 
• 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (optional) 
• Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below) 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15x13" pan with parchment paper and spray. 
2. Zest the orange over the granulated sugar in a large bowl. Muddle together, and let sit. 
3. Combine ingredients from flour - salt. Set aside. 
4. To the sugar & zest, add the brown sugar, oil, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. 
5. Add the carrots to the wet mixture.
6. Add the dry to the wet mixture. 
7. Pour batter into prepared pan. Add walnuts, if desired. Bake 12 - 18 minutes. Done when gently poked in the middle, and the cake bounces back. 
8. Let cool. Remove from pan, and cut into three equal pieces. Frost and stack the pieces. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top, if desired. 

Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting 

recipe by myself, Yatee.

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 
• 4 Tb (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup dulce de leche (a couple giant spoonfuls) 
• 1/2 tspn vanilla extract 
• 1 - 2 cups powdered sugar 

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter. 
2. Add the dulce de leche, to taste, and vanilla.
3. Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. Add more until desired consistency and taste is reached. You probably won't need too much, as the dulce de leche has sugar.