Often times, when bored, I turn to whatever Real-Housewife-Top-Chef-Project-Runway-Bachelorette is on tv at the moment. I’m not sayin’, but I’m sayin’, that I could sit there all day if need be. But, when my brain kicks back into gear and punches me in the skull, I make myself step away from the tv and do almost anything to keep myself occupied.
Sometimes, to pass the time, I sing Uncle Jesse’s love ballad to Aunt Becky all day even though the last time I watched Full House was, I don’t even remember when. Remember TGIF? Ugh, those were the days. (Believe it or not, this has happened more than once).
Sometimes, I turn on some jams and prance through my hallway. Dancing always keeps me away from the TV and burns off the calories from the pint of Ben & Jerry’s from the night before. This usually happens after drinking copious amounts of coffee.
Ok, this is a bad one, and I totally know I should not do this, especially given my past run in with backyard creatures. Sometimes, I like to feed the squirrels and birds in my backyard. This drives Weezer crazy, which leads to at least an hour of entertainment for me.
Sometimes, a girl just needs to bust out her favorite cookbook and bake an entire carrot cake. Not that I need to eat this, it is just that I cannot spend another moment bored in front of the TV. If that means I have to bake a plethora of cookies and cakes to giveaway to Mike’s coworkers, game on!
Or sometimes you just can’t fight the pull of the TV anymore. I mean it’s about that time of year, and all the NBC shows are back on. So maybe just do all of the above to fight your boredom as long as you can and then just hunker down with a piece of warm carrot cake and a glass of wine (‘cause those two soooo go together) and you watch those four straight hours of television!
Kitchen Sink Carrot Cake
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Sarcastic Cooking
Serves: Makes One Bundt
Ingredients
- 3 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar
- 1 ¾ Cups Vegetable Oil
- 1 Cup Crushed Pineapple, drained
- 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 ¼ Cups Grated Carrots
- ½ Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut
- ¼ Cup Chopped Walnuts
- For the Frosting:
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt pan or two 9-inch round pans and set aside for later.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set to the side.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolk, and sugars. Blend until well incorporated. Carefully whisk in the oil. Add the crushed pineapple and vanilla. Mix until well incorporated.
- Add the pineapple mixture to the flour mixture all at once. Fold together with a spatula. When just about incorporated, add in the carrots, coconut, and walnuts. Fold together.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan. If using a round pan, bake for 35 to 45 minutes. If baking in a bundt pan, bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in pan for fifteen minutes, then invert and transfer to wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- While the cake cools, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed for about three minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the butter, and beat for another two minutes until combined.
- Scrape down the sides and add the sifted powdered sugar followed by the vanilla. Beat together on low until all the powdered sugar is incorporated and the frosting is velvety.
- Spread over carrot cake and serve.
Recipe from Joy the Baker’s Cookbook
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I can see why it’s called Kitchen Sink! I see no raisins though, which is a definite win!
Way to get up off that couch and bake a cake! And a totally rockin’ cake I might add. I love all the flavors in this, and baking it in a bundt pan, oh yeah! This is decadent!
mmmm… wine and carrot cake. just might have to give up the Iron Chef marathon I have going right now.
Hey – whatever inspires you….I guess
IT’S A CAAAAAKE! I KNOW!
http://youtu.be/WPvO53JHnmY
(I bet I can count on one hand the number of actually constructive comments I’ve left here…)
How did I know that was the video you would post!?!?
Oh man, our mind reading freaks me out sometimes.
As someone who just plopped down for four uninterrupted hours of Grey’s Anatomy last night, I hear you. I almost never watch TV, so this was more than unusual. I try to break out of similar boredom ruts by taking the dog to the park, going to get coffee, or cooking/baking. This carrot cake looks divine.
[So I'm not the only one who misses Full House?
]
I contemplated watching some Wonder Years and Full House on Netflix.
I’m a talented multi-tasker. I can bake and watch Real Housewives/Top Chef/Project Runway at the same time!
Every once in a while I’ll drop my spatula to watch one of the housewives bitch slap another one but then I’m right back at it! 