The Softest Carrot Cake

Bundt cake is one of the easiest things to bake in the world and carrot cake is my favourite flavour. The first time I tried a carrot cake was when I watched "Issız Adam" and did not know that cakes could have carrot in them. So, I asked my grandmother to bake me one and the taste just amazed me. Back at the time I didn't think that a cake could consist of vegetables and be this delicious. Plus, it is very easy to prepare. If you pay attention to only two key points, you will end up with the perfect cake with a cotton soft interior and a nice crunch on the edges.  

Make sure oil the pan with butter or margarine and dust with flour

Oiling and dusting the bundt pan guarantees that your cake will come out from the pan clean once baked. The cold oil does not melt easily in the oven therefore, a vegetable oil spray won't work. If you just oil, your cake will end up with a greasy exterior. However, we are looking for a coating that will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan. Therefore, by dusting the pan after you have oiled it makes sure that your cake will come out without sticking. 

Make sure to mix the eggs and the sugars until it gets fluffy*

To be more precise, fluffy means until the egg mixture is airy, pale yellow and orange-ish. This process often takes about 7-8 minutes. By whisking the eggs and the sugars on medium speed and for a long period of time, you incorporate more air into the cake batter. This way, your cake is fluffier and  sponge-like. Therefore, do not underestimate 

this step. 

With these key tips in your mind, you will end up with the softest cake that you can also use as a pillow :) Just kidding.

This carrot cake recipe is adapted my grandmother's ultimate bundt cake recipe that never makes you disappointed. Since her measurement are often estimated with her eyeball and hands, I worked on the exact measurements for you. 

Here is the recipe for The Softest Carrot Cake ...

Apple Hand Pies

Apple hand pie is a must have dish if you are having friends over tea. This recipe does not only yield in delicious hand pies but also very pretty pastries. Often, the apple hand pies are closed like an envelope but with this unique shape, your guests will be impressed and immediately ask for the recipe. Perfecting the dough of and apple hand pie is something to look out for. It needs to be crispy on the outside but soft in the inside. This way, a bite from the hand pie will easily melt in your mouth and you'll suddenly crave for another bite. 

Even though I am not a big fan of fruits, this is probably one of my favorite desserts to bake and eat as well. Whenever I make a cake with raspberries or any other baked good with a fruit component, I just don't eat. However, the smell of a freshly baked cinnamon and vanilla apple hand pie with a generous amount of confectioners sugar dusted on top is something that I could never pass on. 

As many of you know, I visit my grandparents' summer house in Çanakkale every year. Not only my grandparents welcome me with a spectacular table full of yummy food but also our neighbour Servet Teyze bedazzles me with a batch of apple hand pies. She keeps the recipe to herself but because she likes me a lot, she gave me a tip: to use equal amounts of margarine for the crunch and sunflower oil for the softness. So, here is the recipe that I worked on to recreate her amazing apple handpies: