Author Archives: vbanuelos12

Carrot Cake Recipe

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Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake is widely known for its sweetness, moistness and carrot taste.

Brief History:

“Carrots gained substantial recognition in British baking during World War II. With there being a food shortage, the British government began to consider alternative cuisines upon the carrot. In an effort to encourage carrot intake the Food Ministry launched the “See in the Dark Campaign.” (Hannah Abaffy) British citizens eventually got creative and started adding carrots to everything they put their mind to. However, Carrots had already been used in cakes back in Medieval times. Sweeteners at that time were expensive to purchase so individuals relied on naturally sweetened vegetables and used it as a substitute for sugar.

When Carrot Cake made its way to America, it made dessert history. Carrot Cake was a novelty item and then was put on menus allowing it to be popularized. It wasn’t until the 1970s when people were concerned about how healthy carrot cake really was. (Jessie Moore) Some people believed that because the carrots were healthy then the cake was healthy too. But in reality, with all the other ingredients combined, the modernized American carrot cake was bound to be made with much higher sugar intake.

From then on, carrot cakes have come a long way.

Carrot Benefits:

Carrots are one of my favorite vegetables. Knowing that they are beneficial to one’s health is a bonus. Carrots are highly nutritious. They are a good source of antioxidants, potassium, fibre, vitamin k1 and beta carotene. I have to mention, “Carrots are mainly composed of water and carbs.” (Adda Bjarnadottir) Carrots are very low in fat and contain Vitamins A/B6/K1 and potassium which are good for blood pressure control. Vitamin A promotes good vision, Vitamin B6 aids the conversion of food into energy, K1 promotes bone health and blood coagulation. There are many advantages towards the consumption of carrots.

When I was younger, I was obsessed with my moms’ Carrot Cake. My mother would make a carrot cake every Easter or upon request to satisfy a sweet tooth. We would have family gatherings every Easter and everyone would take a plate of food and of course, my mom being the best baker in my eyes, had the best dessert platter. Everyone enjoyed it. Whenever I ate my mom’s cake during Easter, being in Spring, it brought me a sense of gratitude because my family was all together having a great time. My cousins and I would run around looking for Easter eggs that were stuffed with prizes like little balls, stickers, bracelets and even dollars. My family wouldn’t allow the Easter eggs to be filled with candy as it was something they were against. They opted for more of a wiser, fun, and healthier option rather than giving us plain candy. Therefore, being that we weren’t given candy I would get ecstatic when I would finish my food and was allowed to get a slice of her cake. As a kid, you love anything sugary. Her cake essentially replaced the candy that we weren’t given, though, I’m not complaining because she was trying to be a good mother. As I am older, I try to resist sweet confections. Though it has been tough trying to withstand her cake as it is delicious but here and there whenever I catch her making it, I get a little sample to reminisce all those times that I was a care-free child.

My mom’s cake was not the typical carrot cake that contained raisins, walnuts/pecans and cream cheese frosting. She had got the recipe from a random cookbook and adjusted it along the way. My mom tweaked the cake to our or should I say my preferences. The original recipe used two cups of sugar but it was too sweet so she started using 1 1/3 cups of sugar. I’m one to eat raisins alone but when they’re integrated with something else it’s a no for me. Also, I wasn’t a fan of cream cheese frosting and as a child, I didn’t enjoy any nutty flavors either. So, with my picky fondness, she excluded raisins and substituted hemp seeds (they’re safe!) for walnuts/pecans and depending on the occasion she would add vanilla frosting. For Easter, she would add frosting to the cake but if it was made at home to satisfy a craving, she wouldn’t add any frosting to it. She used the best ingredients she could when it came to baking the cake. She preferred organic ingredients and was cautious of sugar intake. Now that I am grown, I want to share her adjusted recipe so it’ll become a generational thing in my family. I want to keep this recipe going so everyone can know how delicious it is.

 

Makes Two 9-inch Cakes

Approximately 2 hours

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons of Baking Soda
  • ½ Teaspoon of Salt
  • 2 Teaspoons of Ground Cinnamon
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 1 ⅓ Cups of Sugar
  • ¾ Vegetable Oil
  • ¾ Cup of Buttermilk
  • 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
  • 1 ½ Cups of grated Carrots
  • ⅓ Cup of Hemp Seeds

Optional: Sprinkles, Whipped Vanilla Frosting

Directions

The first step would be to turn the oven on to 350 degrees so it can preheat meanwhile you combine all of your ingredients and position a rack in the lower third of the oven

Line both 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper; lightly grease the parchment paper with butter and flour; Set them aside

DRY ingredients- In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon all together; giving it a stir with a whisk

WET ingredients- In a separate bowl beat eggs and then add the sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract; giving it a stir as well

Add the wet ingredient mixture to the dry ingredient mixture; beat until smooth texture

Fold in grated carrots and hemp seeds to the mixture (can be pecans/walnuts)

Pour and divide batter into the two prepared cake pans

Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick or fork inserted in the center comes out clean

Remove cake from pan by pulling it out with the parchment paper and place it on a wire rack

Let cool for 15 minutes

Once cooled, remove parchment paper and place on a flat plate or surface and  frost the cake with a frosting of your choice and decorate to your desire (optional)

 

All photos by me

 

 

Abaffy, Hannah. “Carrot Cake Good Enough to Win WWII.” milkandhoneythebakery.com/carrot-cake-recipe-history-wwii/.

Moore, Jessie. “The Story of Carrot Cake.” http://www.unicornlove.com/blog/2012/8/1/the-story-of-carrot-cake.html

Smith, K. Annabelle. “A WWII Propaganda Campaign Popularized the Myth That Carrots Help You See in the Dark.” www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-wwii-propaganda-campaign-popularized-the-myth-that-carrots-help-you-see-in-the-dark-28812484/.

Ngo, Irene. “Baking Technique: Folding.” www.chatelaine.com/recipes/chatelainekitchen/baking-technique-folding/.

Newman, Tim. “What Is Beta Carotene? What Are the Benefits?” www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/252758.

Bjarnadottir, Adda. “Carrots 101:Nutritional Facts and Health Benefits” https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/carrots

“Hemp Seed – What You Should Know and Tips for Baking With It.” www.cupcakeproject.com/hemp-seed-what-you-should-know-and-tips/.

-Caramel Apples- (Food Presentation)

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Caramel Apples

Caramel Apples are a delectable treat. They bring joy into one’s face on the very first bite. It’s that sense that brings back memories or simply because the flavor is just that good.

Brief nutritional analysis:

Green Apples are not as popular as all the other common, red apples. Green apples at the grocery store are usually fully stacked as individuals hardly take them while there are only a few red apples. The only difference is the flavor. Green Apples have more of a sour taste while the reds are sweeter. That is why Green Apples are perfect to incorporate caramel with as the flavors are balanced out and not overly sweet. In addition, most people simply don’t realize that green apples are just as healthy as the others. They are packed with nutrients, are an excellent source of vitamin C, and have low-fat content. Also, they have high fiber content and are good for overall health. The saying goes: “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. I have to mention though that eating an apple with caramel will only contradict that phrase as the caramel is essentially made of sugar. While the occasional drizzle or coating of caramel can have a place in your otherwise healthy diet, eating the sweet treat on a daily basis isn’t going to be quite beneficial to you. Too much sugar in one’s diet can really take a toll on their overall health.

Throwing it back to when these apples where first stumbled upon, a woman named Maria Ann (Granny) Smith from Australia tossed out some apple remains in a compost pile near a creek flowing behind her farmhouse. She soon discovered a small tree pushing its way through the pile. She noticed the apples growing were quite different. She then propagated the trees herself and eventually gained recognition for the uniqueness of the apples. Green Apples are known as Granny Smith apples because of her and in the 1890s they were awarded for Best Cooking Apple and to this day are one of the best to bake and cook with.

“The very first caramel apple was created when a Kraft Foods employee named Dan Walker melted down some of the company’s large stock of soft caramels left over after Halloween and dipped apples into the mixture as a healthier and crunchier counterpart to the soft candy. For years after their invention, caramel apples were dipped by hand—until 1960 when the first caramel apple dipping machine was invented by Chicago candy shop worker Vito Raimondi, whose uncle’s confectionery company is still the number one machine-dipped caramel apple company in business today.” Now to this day people have gotten very creative and have used a variety of toppings on their apples. Just a quick fun fact: October 31 is more than just Halloween because it’s also National Caramel Apple Day. That is a day I can say I’m truly grateful for as Caramel Apples are my favorite!
The apples that are used in the Dippin’ Stix Sliced Apples & Caramel are not organic. There is no type of label indication. In the ingredients list, they show that they have preservatives; Calcium Ascorbate and Citric Acid being two of them. I would say that it is a personal preference for one to choose organic. Organic foods are safer as chemicals are avoided in production and processing of farm produce but are costly whereas conventional apples are not. However, organic apples and conventional apples are both safe for consumption.

 

 

Telkamp, Mick. “Granny Smith Apples.” HGTV, www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/fruit/granny-smith-apples.
Houston, Gillie. “The History of Caramel Apples, and How to Make Them at Home.” MyRecipes, 10 Oct. 2018, www.myrecipes.com/course/dessert-recipes/history-of-caramel-apples.
“Walmart Grocery.” Walmart.com, grocery.walmart.com/ip/Dippin-Stix-Sliced-Apples-Caramel-2-75-oz/10324600?wmlspartner=wmtlabs&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=3101&adid=22222222420331748883&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=305074695115&wl4=pla-546274454576&wl5=9031027&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=120643079&wl11=local&wl12=10324600&veh=sem_LIA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7NGatezh5wIVSx-tBh21bAePEAQYBSABEgIkC_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds.

Acaiii

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Hello everyone, my name is Valerie. Most people call me Val for short. I plan on graduating in Spring 2021.

I would have to say that despite my love for food, acai bowls would have to be my favorite! An acai bowl consists of a smoothie-like textured base and is topped off with granola or coconut flakes, honey and fruit. They make a great breakfast choice or snack. Not to mention, they are high in antioxidants and fiber. Healthy and tasty? Say less. I enjoy putting a variety of toppings such as strawberries, bananas, blueberries and sometimes even mango. There’s this place called Amazebowls in L.A. that sells delicious acai bowls that I recommend everyone to go try.