Carrot Cake Truffles… also known as How to Make Carrot Cake a Finger Food.
But these perfect little balls of carrot cake and cream cheese frosting were, for me, kind of bittersweet.
For those of you that know me, you know that I am basically not capable of sitting down and watching TV, but the background noise HAS to accompany me all day. If I don’t have the music cranked then the TV is on. And not just on, but like FULL BLAST. Because I don’t spend a whole lot of time looking at the TV. I just listen to it while I stay busy doing other things and glance up when the dialogue strikes me. For some reason I cannot process the information coming from the speakers at normal volume unless I’m actually watching. I think that this probably directly correlates to my having to turn the music down when I’m driving and lost or when traffic seems to demand my full attention… does anyone else have this problem?
Anyway, in this loud and totally ADD-prone fashion, I have made my way through a number of television series and reruns (Netflix is my bff). They help me get through my daily chores. But! today, while I fashioned little truffles out of the best from-scratch carrot cake I’ve ever made, I watched the end of Gossip Girl.
I was weirdly attached to that show. I basically can’t explain the attachment at all.
But now it’s over and I have no idea where I’m going to find my fix on totally nonsensical soap opera scheming plotting drama.
Also Homeland is over until it’s not, which in my book is going to be way way way too long. What am I supposed to blast at a ridiculous volume while I’m making a huge mess in the kitchen now?
Nashville and Scandal have captured my attention lately, but it’s winter break time, so those are out.
I suppose if I were really jonesing for some out-of-control drama I could just volunteer at my son’s middle school. His Christmas chorus concert was this evening. Of course he had to be there 30 minutes before it started which left me, Evan, and Chad sitting in our seats trying to think over the loud chatter of 13-year-old voices (funny how that noise gives me a headache, but super loud television noise keeps me focused…) while we watched all kinds of middle school drama unfold.
It’s always the girls, prancing around and giggling, wandering in groups to and from the bathroom. The girls were all in constant motion, a flurry of smiley silly activity, while the boys sat in their seats looking confused and bored and confused some more.
It was pretty funny to watch.
But not as funny as the dance moves during the concert.
Those were pretty priceless.
Priceless is also how I’d describe these Carrot Cake Truffles. I love love love carrot cake. It is my absolute favorite. This one is loaded full of walnuts and pineapples and raisins (if you’re opposed you can leave them out, but me and the boys are raisin eaters), and then crumbled up and smashed with my favorite cream cheese frosting. I’m not usually a fan of anything concerning white chocolate, but these are my exception. I used candy melts to coat my truffles because melting white chocolate has never been my specialty and I avoid it, but if you and white chocolate get along, then by all means have at it.
And when they’ve set up you’ll have a whole tin full of bite-sized carrot cakes that you can nibble while you watch your favorite TV shows. Or gabbing middle-schoolers. It’s cake you can eat with the music cranked in the car!
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1⅓ cups vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2½ cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon flour, divided
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1½ cups packed grated carrots
- ½ cup chopped pineapple
- 1 cup raisins, chopped (optional)
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup butter, softened (at room temperature)
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- white candy melts
- shredded coconut for garnish
- Pre-heat the oven to 350. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans OR a 9 X 13 rectangular pan.
- In a large bowl beat together the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest until smooth.
- In another bowl whisk together the 2½ cups of flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
- Gradually beat the dry mixture into the wet mixture until just combined. Fold in the carrots and pineapple.
- Toss the raisins and walnuts with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and then fold them into the batter.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely.
- While the cake cools, beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- Crumble the cooled cake into the cream cheese frosting, starting with just half and gradually adding more until you've reached a pliable cakey consistency (I usually end up using most of the cake-- you want to be able to roll the cake into balls and have them stick together without being too dry).
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Melt the candy melts according to package instructions.
- Roll the cake/frosting mixture into 1½ inch balls. Drop the balls one at a time into the melted white candy, gently spooning the candy over the whole truffle.
- Lift the truffle out with a fork letting the excess candy drip off. Place each truffle on the wax paper to cool and set up.
- Sprinkle with the coconut before the candy hardens.
Carrot Cake recipe from THIS recipe at Pink Pistachio, as sent to me by my girl Michelle FOREVER ago
Chocolate Spice Cakes | Sugar Dish Me
Thursday 28th of February 2013
[...] to be almost stick-to-your-fingers moist. Chocolate cake and white cake and omg funfetti cake and CARROT CAKE are all basically equals in my book (well… carrot cake might have a slight advantage; I [...]
hopefuladdict
Sunday 30th of December 2012
I just finished watching Homeland (season 2) this week....AMAZING!!! Can we just discuss how awesome that show is???? I just finished watching Dexter too. I never watched Gossip Girl but I feel like all my shows are over and it makes me sad haha The only thing I have left is Teen Mom 2!!! I am addicted to that show!!! Love it so much!!! Anyhow, I too have to turn off the music when I get lost because clearly I wasn't paying attention from the beginning lol That happens to me all the time!!! I love carrot cake...my Babci would have loved these!!!
Bite-Size Bacon Spinach Cheese Balls | Sugar Dish Me
Sunday 23rd of December 2012
[...] for bite-size BBQ meatloaf that I tested on my family a week ago and it was a HIT! but that and Carrot Cake Truffles and Bite-Size Bacon Spinach Cheese Balls seemed excessive all in one week. You still might get them [...]
thepinkrachael
Friday 21st of December 2012
When I drove, I always had to turn the music off or down when I got lost (often) or it got difficult (also often!). As for TV, I know what you mean - Homeland is finished (what an ending!), How I Met Your Mother I think ended yesterday (and it was not an episode to watch while I was wallowing in single-self-pity), no Bones til next year, I have the last episode of The Killing to watch, but then...what are we to do?! I think I'm going to watch a movie tonight instead...still don't know what though!
Heather
Monday 24th of December 2012
I pulled up Parenthood on Netflix. I love it!! It's kept me occupied through all the Christmas cooking and baking.
free penny press
Wednesday 19th of December 2012
Well I'll be.. another delish dish from your kitchen.. These I will most definitely try..I'm thinking they will be my New Years dinner desert!!
Heather
Thursday 20th of December 2012
Oh yum for New Years! This is seriously THE BEST carrot cake recipe I've tried. Verrrry moist, just the right amount of spice, Also-- I couldn't have messed these things up if I tried!