Let us eat cake

Hi all,

As I sit here and think about what “food” really means to me, I feel that it makes up a big part of my life. I might joke about it, but most of the positive memories and experiences I have are related to food. Thank goodness Devon feels the same! Food has always been an act of love or comfort that I provide to those around me. When I’m not feeling 100%, I like to gather ingredients and bake. There’s nothing like the smell of a cake in the oven or cookies cooling on the counter. It doesn’t even have to be completely homemade. Often I get the most enjoyment from making boxed cake mixes and adding my personal touches to the cake. You don’t have to be a master baker to give your family a dessert that tastes like love.

When I was a child, I used to sit around the table that had the birthday cake. I’d dream about what the icing tasted like, was it chocolate? Or perhaps vanilla? Or maybe even sprinkles?! I see that sense of cake wonder in Penny now and it makes me giggle. This momma's heart swells up. Now don’t get me started on the feeling I’d get when they’d bring out a gallon of ice cream!

The first cake that I made from scratch was The Pioneer Women’s chocolate sheet cake. My goodness, the decadence that cake provides is out of this world. I would highly recommend trying her recipe out. I stumbled upon her recipe back when you’d google a recipe and scroll through pages to find what you were looking for.

Today I’m going to be sharing part of a recipe that is most requested by my dad. I made a few changes though. He loves carrot cake. As someone who grew up baking different items in his lifetime, he can be quite picky. He wants enough walnuts to where there is a crunch in the cake but not too many that it's overwhelming. The balance of the ingredients is vital for him. The carrots have to be grated large enough where you can see it has carrot but not too large where people would mistake it for a salad. He doesn’t like when I stray from my original recipe, but today we’re doing just that. (Here’s hoping it doesn’t set off some sixth sense he has and I get a call about it later!) I’m all about saving you guys time in the kitchen to get back to more important things like:

your child in the bathroom yelling “I’m done,” or that 40-minute episode you swear you’ll finish today but have been too distracted to, or even that magazine article from 2016 that you swear you'll get to one day.

What you need:

One box mix of carrot cake and the ingredients per the instructions on box (my dad is cringing somewhere I just know it, ha!)

Three medium mashed bananas

Eight ounce can of drained crushed pineapple

One cup chopped walnuts

For the frosting:

One tub of cool whip

Two ounces of softened cream cheese

One and a half tablespoons of cinnamon

Half a tablespoon of brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Follow the instructions on the package for the cake mix. Carefully fold in bananas, pineapple, and walnuts. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.

In a bowl whisk together cool whip and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in cinnamon and brown sugar. Once cake has cooled, spread frosting with a butter knife. Sprinkle with shredded coconut flakes if desired.

I hope this inspires anyone who thinks they can’t bake. Take your time and explore different options. Start with a boxed cake mix and experiment by adding different fillings or toppings.

With love,
Carolina